Schlagwort: NFC reader

  • NFCSense can detect the movement of objects using only NFC tags

    NFCSense can detect the movement of objects using only NFC tags

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Arduino Team — May 11th, 2021

    NFC (Near-Field Communication) technology is generally used for identification, because NFC tags can carry a substantial amount of data, like a unique identifier or a text file, without a battery. But NFC readers are capable of reading tags quite quickly, which is a feature that is largely ignored. NFCSense, created by Rong-Hao Liang and Zengrong Guo, takes advantage of that read speed to measure the movement of objects.

    NFCSense only requires a computer, an Arduino Uno board, a cheap RC522-based NFC/RFID reader, and a few NFC tags. It works a lot like a Hall effect sensor by detecting the presence of an NFC tag and using that to calculate the motion of an object. For example, if you attach an NFC tag to the wheel of a bicycle, you can calculate the bicycle’s movement speed by counting how much time passes between moments that the tag is detectable.

    The advantage of using NFC, when compared to a Hall effect sensor and magnet, is that each tag is identifiable. That means that NFCSense can differentiate between individual tags. It can monitor the movement of a virtually unlimited number of objects or provide better resolution of singular objects. If the entire perimeter of a wheel were lined with NFC tags, NFCSense could recognize the rotational angle of the wheel at any given time. 

    Rong-Hao Liang and Zengrong Guo have made the NFCSense API open source, so you can experiment with it yourself.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eCY8QbDzgg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
    You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Website: LINK

  • Raspberry Pi makes LEGO minifigures play their own music

    Raspberry Pi makes LEGO minifigures play their own music

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    We shared Dennis Mellican’s overly effective anti-burglary project last month. Now he’s back with something a whole lot more musical and mini.

    Inspiration

    Dennis was inspired by other jukebox projects that use Raspberry Pi, NFC readers, and tags to make music play. Particularly this one by Mark Hank, which we shared on the blog last year. The video below shows Dennis’s first attempt at creating an NFC Raspberry Pi music player, similar to Mark’s.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4o353_61Zo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    LEGO twist

    After some poking around, Dennis realised that the LEGO Dimensions toy pad is a three-in-one NFC reader with its own light show. He hooked it up to a Raspberry Pi and developed a Python application to play music when LEGO Dimension Minifigures are placed on the toy pad. So, if an Elvis minifigure is placed on the reader, you’ll hear Elvis’s music.

    LEGO figures dressed as member of the band KISS
    Mini KISS rocking out on the NFC reader

    The Raspberry Pi is hooked up to the LEGO Dimensions toy pad, with Musicfig (Dennis’s name for his creation) playing tracks via Spotify over Bluetooth. The small screen behind the minifigures is displaying the Musicfig web application which, like the Spotify app, displays the album art for the track that’s currently playing. 

    No Spotify or LEGO? No problem!

    Daft Punk LEGO minifgures stood on an NFC reader next to a Raspberry Pi and a phone showing Daft Punk playing on Spotify
    Daft Punk LOVES Raspberry Pi

    Spotify playback is optional, as you can use your own MP3 music file collection instead. You also don’t have to use LEGO Minifigures: most NFC-enabled devices or tags can be used, including Disney Infinity, Nintendo Amiibo, and Skylander toy characters.

    Mini figurines in the shape of various kids film charactera
    Why not have Elsa sing… what’s that song again? Let it… what was it?

    Dennis thought Musicfig could be a great marketable LEGO product for kids and grown-ups alike, and and he submitted it to the LEGO Ideas website. Unfortunately, he had tinkered a little too much (we approve) and it wasn’t accepted, due to rules that don’t allow non-LEGO parts or customisations.

    Want to build one?

    The LEGO Dimensions toy pad was discontinued in 2017, but Dennis has seen some sets on sale at a few department stores, and even more cheaply on second-hand market sites like Bricklink. We’ve spotted them on eBay and Amazon too. Dennis also advises that the toy pad often sells for less than a dedicated NFC reader.

    A Tron mini figure on the reader with the Tron movie soundtrack seen playing on the screen behind it
    What’s the best movie soundtrack and why is it Tron?

    Watch Dennis’s seven-year-old son Benny show you how it all works, from Elvis through to Prodigy via Daft Punk and Queen.

    You can tell which songs Benny likes best because the volume goes to 11

    There are some really simple step-by-step instructions for a quick install here, as well as a larger gallery of Musicfig rigs. And Dennis hosts a more detailed walkthrough of the project, plus code examples, here.

    You can find all things Dennis-related, including previous Raspberry Pi projects, here.

    Website: LINK