Schlagwort: tech
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This cheap robot arm can follow recorded movements
Reading Time: 2 minutesThere are many ways to control a robot arm, with the simplest being a sequential list of rotation commands for the motors. But that method is very inefficient when the robot needs to do anything complex in the real world. A more streamlined technique lets the user move the arm as necessary,…
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Enabling automated pipeline maintenance with edge AI
Reading Time: 2 minutesPipelines are integral to our modern way of life, as they enable the fast transportation of water and energy between central providers and the eventual consumers of that resource. However, the presence of cracks from mechanical or corrosive stress can lead to leaks, and thus waste of product or even potentially dangerous…
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This robotic dispenser will tell you if you forget to take your pills
Reading Time: 2 minutesMany types of medications (such as anti-depressants like SSRIs) can have a very negative effect if they aren’t taken on a regular basis. Even taking them a few hours late can harm a person’s mood and cause physical discomfort. But remembering to take pills at the proper time can be tricky —…
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The Whimsy Artist is a little robot that both creates and destroys art
Reading Time: 2 minutesMany people find the subjectivity of art to be frustrating, but that subjectivity is what makes art interesting. Banksy’s self-shredding art piece is a great example of this. The original painting sold at auction for $1.4 million—and then it shredded itself in front of everyone. That increased its value and the now-shredded…
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These projects from CMU incorporate the Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense in clever ways
Reading Time: 4 minutesWith an array of onboard sensors, Bluetooth® Low Energy connectivity, and the ability to perform edge AI tasks thanks to its nRF52840 SoC, the Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense is a great choice for a wide variety of embedded applications. Further demonstrating this point, a group of students from the Introduction to…
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DIY air hockey table uses an Arduino to keep score
Reading Time: 2 minutesInspired by game nights with her family, Lorraine Underwood from element14 Presents wanted to build a project that would be both fun and playable many times over. Based on these parameters, she opted to design and construct her own take on an air hockey table that would be capable of keeping score automatically. The base of…
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Control a thermal printer with your Arduino
Reading Time: 2 minutesYou would probably recognize a thermal printer as the thing that spits out receipts at a cash register. They offer a two key advantages: they do not require ink cartridges and they are compact. But because they print by applying heat to special paper that darkens when hot, they have low resolution…
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The Emotion Aid is a wearable device that communicates its user’s emotions
Reading Time: 2 minutesMany people (especially those with autism spectrum disorder) have difficulty communicating with others around them. That is always a challenge, but becomes particularly noticeable when one cannot convey their emotions through body language. If someone can’t show that they’re not in the mood to talk, that may lead to confusing interactions. To…
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DIY spectrum analyzer is an easy project for beginners
Reading Time: 2 minutesSpectrum analysis is a technique that allows someone to observe the amplitude of various frequency ranges within a signal. The most common use case is in the world of audio engineering, as it is useful for tuning audio output. It can, for example, show you that a particular audio signal has little…
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This DIY system monitors all of the doors in a senior care home
Reading Time: 2 minutesSenior care homes may get a bad rap in popular culture, but they serve a legitimate and important purpose. As people age, their requirements for care can exceed the capability of their families. When that becomes the case, professional care may be prudent. To help those professionals care for residents, Hayden designed…
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Mini Cyclone game doesn’t require a trip to the arcade
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the most popular machines in any arcade is the Cyclone game, where a ring of LEDs illuminate in sequence and the player must push a button at the exact moment that a specific LED lights up. Get it just right and you can win a whole pile of tickets to…
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Bolt Bots are perfect for aspiring roboticists
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile it is easier now than ever before, getting into robotics is still daunting. In the past, aspiring roboticists were limited by budget and inaccessible technology. But today the challenge is an overwhelming abundance of different options. It is hard to know where to start, which is why Saul designed a set…
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Ensure DC motor performance with anomaly detection based on energy monitoring
Reading Time: 5 minutes[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jskIyHzcH7A?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281] The challenge Optimizing manufacturing processes is a requirement in any industry today, with electricity consumption in particular representing a major concern due to increased costs and instability. Analyzing energy use has therefore become a widespread need – and one that can also lead to early identification of anomalies and predictive…
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Stop snoring in its tracks with this helpful device
Reading Time: 2 minutesFor those who have to put up with a snoring partner or roommate, the scourge of listening to those droning sounds can be maddening and lead to a decrease in the quality of one’s sleep. So, as an attempt to remedy this situation, Flin van Asperen devised an “anti-snoring machine” out of…
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An open-source, breath-controlled MIDI device
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe simplest MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) input devices use good ol’ fashioned buttons: push a button and the device sends a MIDI message to trigger a specific note. But that control scheme doesn’t replicate the flexibility of a real instrument very well, because a standard button is a binary mechanism. To…
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This robotic beer tray keeps servers from spilling suds
Reading Time: 2 minutesExperienced servers are masters of balance and coordination, being able to carry several full glasses on a tray without spilling a drop. But many of us lack that skill and can’t carry even a single glass across a room without splashing half of it on our feet. To help the clumsy among…
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Shape-changing user interface improves haptic navigation
Reading Time: 2 minutesAlmost all haptic feedback today comes in the form of vibration. But vibratory haptic feedback is clearly lacking, as it cannot convey information with any kind of precision or granularity. The user notices the vibration and very course patterns may be recognizable, but that is a rudimentary approach that requires a lot…
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TactorBots is a complete toolkit for robotic touch
Reading Time: 2 minutesSo much of the research and development in the area of haptic feedback focuses on universal devices that can create a wide range of tactile sensations. But that has proven to be a massive challenge, as it is very difficult to package the number of actuators necessary for that flexibility in a…
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Arduino Pro at SPS Italy 2023
Reading Time: 3 minutesMark your calendars: May 23rd-25th we’ll be at SPS Italia, one of the country’s leading fairs for smart, digital, sustainable industry and a great place to find out what’s new in automation worldwide. We expect a lot of buzz around AI for IoT applications – and, of course, we’ll come prepared to…
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Fingertip force control aids in sports and musical training
Reading Time: 2 minutesA great number of activities require the precise application of force with the fingertips. When playing a guitar, for example, you must exert the proper amount of force to push a string against the fret board. Training is difficult, because new guitarists don’t know how much force to apply. This wearable system…
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Emoband strokes and squeezes your wrist
Reading Time: 2 minutesModern consumer devices are fantastic at providing visual and auditory stimulation, but they fail to excite any of the other senses. At most, we get some tactile sensation in the form of haptic feedback. But those course vibrations do little more than provide an indication that something is happening, which is why…
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Training embedded audio classifiers for the Nicla Voice on synthetic datasets
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe task of gathering enough data to classify distinct sounds not captured in a larger, more robust dataset can be very time-consuming, at least until now. In his write-up, Shakhizat Nurgaliyev describes how he used an array of AI tools to automatically create a keyword spotting dataset without the need for speaking into a microphone. The…
