Soon after a police station opened near his house, Christopher Cooper noticed a substantial increase in the amount of emergency vehicle traffic and their associated noises even though local officials had promised that it would not be disruptive. But rather than write down every occurrence to track the volume of disturbances, he came up with a connected audio-classifying device that can automatically note the time and type of sound for later analysis.
Categorizing each sound was done by leveraging Edge Impulse and an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense. After training a model and deploying it within a sketch, the Nano will continually listen for new noises through its onboard microphone, run an inference, and then output the label and confidence over UART serial. Reading this stream of data is an ESP32 Dev Kit, which displays every entry in a list on a useful GUI. The screen allows users to select rows, view more detailed information, and even modify the category if needed.
Going beyond the hardware aspect, Cooper’s project also includes a web server running on the ESP32 that can show the logs within a browser, and users can even connect an SD card to have automated file entries created. For more information about this project, you can read Cooper’s write-up here on Hackster.io.
If you think coffee people are opinionated, then you’ve never met an espresso person. There is a lot of art and science that goes into making the perfect little cup of espresso and a good barista will control every factor, from temperature to pressure to pour rate. It isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t far off. So the LanderShot Lunar Espresso Module, a CNC-machined high-tech espresso machine, has a fitting theme.
This is, at its core, a premium espresso machine that merges designer aesthetics with cutting-edge electronics. The founder of LanderShot, Ted Ciamillo, lives in the state of Washington, but is of Italian descent. He wanted to honor his Italian heritage — and the origin of espresso — so he turned to Arduino.
Temperature control is crucial when making espresso; heat the water too much and you’ll burn the coffee, but you’ll lose the flavor and strength if you heat it too little. For that reason, the Lunar Espresso Module utilizes PID (proportional-interval-derivative) control for the 1000-watt heater. That ensures that water comes up to temperature quickly without overshooting the target, helping it go from 20 °C to 100 °C in just 180 seconds. A pneumatic lever lets the user increase the pressure to the desired level, with each stroke adding one bar.
An Arduino Nano Every board controls the heat, monitors temperature and pressure, and displays the results on a small screen offset to the side. “The Nano Every is excellent at performing the several jobs in the machine. We chose it for its low-profile architecture, easy access to the pinouts, robustness and accessible price point. And, of course, we are pleased that the brains of our machine were designed in Italy,” Ciamillo says.
He adds that the greatest technical challenge was fitting all of the electronic components into the compact machine. While that may be true, we think that he’s selling himself short on the design and CNC work. The milled parts are stunning to look at, and we can only imagine that they’re even more pleasing to touch while pulling a shot.Ready to take your daily coffee to new heights? A limited number of LanderShot Lunar Espresso Module machines are available for pre-order and should ship out in June.
Matt began with a series of traditional telescopes, but found them “a little frustrating to use in practice”. It was hard to locate objects in the sky and most of what he could see was “often just a grey smudge”. Digital telescopes were not that common and were expensive, but when Raspberry Pi launched the HQ camera sensor Matt wondered whether he could build a really simple digital telescope with the Raspberry Pi at the heart of it.
He had already built an Aurora clock that lets you know if there’s a chance of seeing the Northern Lights, and a similar device using Raspberry Pi to track the International Space Station. With ten years of Raspberry Pi familiarity to draw upon, Matt was confident he could handle both high- and low-level functions and decided it would be the ideal basis for his own telescope and observatory design. “I knew there were Python packages available and I hoped to find pre-existing solutions to most of my needs”. The initial plans were for a Raspberry Pi Pico project but Matt soon realised he needed more power, switching to “Raspberry Pi 4B with RP2040 help”.
Matt was less confident of his 3D design skills: he needed to create more parts than he’d ever done previously and regarded this aspect as a distraction at the time, but says it’s a new skill that has come in useful elsewhere since.
Seeing the lights
The Mini Observatory design emerged from successive experiments using Raspberry Pi Pico. Having started tinkering, Matt gradually developed routines to solve specific problems, learning how to control stepper motors and the technical aspects of the HQ camera. He needed precision here and went to a specialist company called Stepperonline to source them. Matt bought other parts from well-known Raspberry resellers such as The Pi Hut and Pimoroni, with more generic nuts and bolts from general hardware stores. He cautions over scrimping on potentially dangerous items such as power supplies: “always buy them from a trusted source”.
The project provided a great learning experience, with the observatory, gears and mechanism all home-grown. The ‘semi-intelligent’ motor controller for the telescope is probably the most novel element. Matt needed a way for the telescope to move while Raspberry Pi was busy taking photographs, so gave the motors a little RP2040 microprocessor brain. “They were released at the perfect time.”
Matt was able to make use of Python packages such as Skyfield, OpenCV, PiDNG and Astroalign and says it was a good choice for his Mini Observatory project. He is also really keen to process the photographs in real time onboard the telescope. “I haven’t solved that yet, so I still need to do some offline processing afterwards. Realtime processing must be possible, I just have to research more.”
Since Matt first unveiled the project, several other makers have created versions, providing invaluable feedback and prompting him to tweak a few elements such as removing the infrared cutoff filters from his cameras which will make more objects visible.
Matt is also plotting a second version of his mini observatory, and is excited about the possibilities of Raspberry Pi with improved imagery and support for a second camera: one camera to do the tracking another to photograph the heavens. In fact “Raspberry Pi 5 may trigger quite a rewrite!”
Arduino Cloud recently received a major upgrade renewing the user interface and the Arduino Cloud editor. And as we promised it was just the beginning. This article dives into some of the new IoT monitoring dashboard features that may seem small, but pack a big punch for your connected projects.
1. Duplicate IoT Dashboards
Dashboards are the heart of the Arduino Cloud, allowing you to effortlessly monitor and control your devices. That’s why improving their functionality is crucial.
Even though creating an IoT dashboard is an easy task with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it can become a bit tedious when you have to replicate many of them and apply minor adjustments.
Now it is possible to duplicate your IoT dashboards with just one click. Just click on the three dots (?) of the dashboard that you want to clone and select “Duplicate.” This creates a copy that you can customize to meet your specific needs.
2. Customize your IoT Value Widget
Customizing widgets has been a common request from our user community, and we’ve recently addressed this with the introduction of decimal settings in the “Value” widget. This much-awaited feature allows users to configure the number of decimal digits displayed in the widget when dealing with floating-point variable types.
When selecting a floating-point variable type, users can specify the decimal precision shown in the widget and choose whether to truncate or round the value. Importantly, this setting only affects the visualization, not the actual variable value.
3. Enjoy the new data aggregation method in Advanced Chart widget
Advanced chart widgets are one of the most popular widgets for data analysis as they help you improve your data analysis. The widget now includes support for configuring the data aggregation method.
But what does it mean?
The chart widgets come with a smart implicit feature known as data aggregation. To prevent the chart from becoming too messy with an excess of data points, there is a fixed limit of data points per chart:
If the number of data points to show is lower than the maximum number of data points, there is no aggregation.
If the number of data points to show is bigger than the maximum number of data points, data is aggregated.
Before this update, there was only an implicit aggregation method, which was the average.
With this new Advanced Chart widget feature, you can now choose the aggregation method that suits your needs. Options include average, max value, and min value:
Average: Calculates the average of the data for each aggregation period.
Max value: Uses the maximum value within the aggregation period.
Min value: Uses the minimum value within the aggregation period.
This enhancement is a direct result of the feedback from our community. It’s a feature that has long been requested by users, and we’re happy to finally deliver it.
4. Deploy ready-to-use dashboards and firmware for your ESP32 devices
Templates are one of the most popular features of the Arduino Cloud. You can select a ready-to-use solution and deploy it with one click. You get the software and an IoT monitoring dashboard. If you need to do modifications for your IoT project, you can just edit the code and dashboard and off you go! It’s a fun and easy way to get started.
The exciting thing is that two new dashboard templates for ESP32 boards are now available, complementing the offering for Arduino boards:
As a bonus, we’re also introducing a handy new feature – now when you add a widget to a dashboard, you’ll see a preview and description of the widget. This makes it even easier to choose the right widget for your dashboard and streamline your project setup process.
On the smooth opposite side of the two parts are thermal pads; for the top piece, there are three that stick to the SoC, power management IC, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module. The base section is almost totally covered by a single thermal pad that sticks to the underside of Raspberry Pi 5.
Unlimited access
The two case parts are secured in place with long bolts. With no side pieces, access to Raspberry Pi 5’s ports is unobstructed. Cutouts in the top part give access to the GPIO pins and PoE header. There are also slots for the two camera/display MIPI ports and the UART and RTC battery connectors, while the fan connector remains uncovered.
So, how much cooling does this case provide? A lot! When idle, Raspberry Pi 5 was 10–15°C cooler than without a case; running a stress test, the difference was around 40°C.
Verdict
9/10
Provides an impressive amount of cooling while giving full access to all Raspberry Pi 5’s ports.
Specs
Cooling: Two large heatsink panels (top and base) with thermal pads attached
Features: Cutouts/slots for all Raspberry Pi 5 top-side ports; open sides for the others
Our team at Embedded World (April 9th-11th in Nuremberg) has announced not one, but two groundbreaking additions to the Arduino Pro range that are ready to elevate your prototyping and connectivity experiences. Say hello to the Arduino Portenta Mid Carrier and the Arduino Pro 4G Module!
This ultimate companion to the Portenta boards family is your gateway to seamless prototyping and expanded connectivity, designed to grant you zero hassles and maximum efficiency.
From CAN lines to Ethernet, microSD, USB, camera interfaces, and more, it allows you to effortlessly tap into high-density signals through dedicated headers. Plus, debug pins and the RTC battery backup will simplify your development journey even more.
Compatible with Portenta C33, Portenta H7, and Portenta X8, it adapts to your evolving development needs with ease. Whether you’re delving into machine vision prototyping or testing cellular connectivity, this is the carrier for you.
Arduino Pro 4G Module: revolutionizing connectivity
Are you ready to revolutionize your connectivity game? Engineered to seamlessly integrate with the Portenta family, the Arduino Pro 4G Module comes with a plethora of benefits, ensuring your projects thrive with lightning-fast data throughput and high bandwidths, powered by a robust Cat.4 modem from Quectel.
Enjoy secure data transfer, long-range global coverage even in the most isolated locations, and cost-efficient flexibility – all in the widely adopted Mini PCIe form factor: from remote maintenance to building safety inspection, the possibilities are endless.
The full details are available on our website, but you can also jump right to purchase from the Arduino Store!
Embark on your journey of innovation with Arduino’s expanding ecosystem
Our end-to-end ecosystem of hardware, software, and cloud solutions keeps expanding to meet your needs. The Portenta Mid Carrier and Arduino Pro 4G Module are only the latest additions that promise to unlock new realms of creativity and innovation for seasoned developers and passionate hobbyists alike.
So, what are you waiting for? Dive into a world of seamless prototyping and unparalleled connectivity today, with the Portenta Mid Carrier and Arduino Pro 4G Module.
“Edge AI is a crucial technology in this world of finite resources. It allows us to monitor and optimize consumption in real time: so the use of electricity or water, for example, can be optimized not just for today, but for the future. Manufacturing, agriculture and logistics can minimize their impact, with huge potential for cost savings as well as lowering our carbon footprint,” explains Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino.
Edge AI has witnessed a remarkable surge in recent years, driven among other factors by the urgent need for efficient resource management and sustainability. Indeed, this technology leverages real-time data analytics and predictive modeling to enable proactive decision-making in a wide variety of sectors.
The 2024 “State of Edge AI” Report, curated by Wevolver, contains a plethora of examples and insights relevant to applications ranging from healthcare to automotive.
For example, edge AI solutions facilitate precision farming practices by analyzing soil moisture levels, weather patterns, and crop health data to optimize irrigation and fertilization, thereby maximizing yields while minimizing environmental impact.
In logistics and transportation networks, deploying AI-powered edge devices in vehicles and infrastructure makes real-time monitoring of traffic conditions and route optimization feasible. This not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances safety by mitigating the risks of accidents and breakdowns. Edge AI also facilitates the development of smart cities by enabling intelligent management of utilities, transportation systems, and public services through seamless integration with IoT devices and sensors deployed across urban environments. This empowers municipalities to optimize resource allocation, reduce congestion, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents.
In addition to optimizing resource and energy use to reduce financial and environmental impacts, edge AI-powered systems can lead to significant cost savings by foreseeing equipment failures. Predictive maintenance was indeed the focus of our contribution to this year’s report, showcasing products like Opta, Nicla Sense ME and Portenta Machine Control and success stories (like AROL’s and Engapplic’s) that bring the benefits of edge AI into the realm of present, tangible opportunities for enterprises in any industry and at any stage of their development.
“Simplicity is the key to success. In the tech world, a solution is only as successful as it is widely accepted, adopted and applied — and not everyone can be an expert. You don’t have to know how electricity works to turn on the lights, how an engine is built to drive a car, or how large language models were developed to write a ChatGPT prompt: that plays a huge part in the popularity of these tools,” Violante adds. “That’s why, at Arduino, we make it our mission to democratize technologies like edge AI — providing simple interfaces, off-the-shelf hardware, readily available software libraries, free tools, shared knowledge, and everything else we can think of. We believe edge AI today can become an accessible, even easy-to-use option, and that more and more people across all industries, in companies of all sizes, will be able to leverage this innovation to solve problems, create value, and grow.”
Artists are understandably less than thrilled that AI is producing facsimiles of their work without giving them credit, or payment. For coders: AI changes everything. It can help you write, explain, understand, and improve the quality of code, and increase productivity by enhancing performance. It’s versatile in all programming languages and can help translate code between them.
On the downside, GPT can spit out code that kind of works for people who sort of understand it. And, as it gets better, they may not need, or even want, to understand it.
Abstract arts
Everybody involved in technology knows about abstraction. The process whereby the intricate technology stack gets hidden away, and the user is presented with a simpler interface. The iPhone is easier than the GUI PC, which is easier than the DOS PC, which is easier than the PDP.
This next step: the ChatGPT “How can I help today?” rather than an IDE and knowledge of coding.
Raspberry Pi exists, on some level, counter to abstraction. We want to tear people away from their shiny slabs of glass and glue, and show them the insides of a computer. “It isn’t magic, it’s just billions of on/off switches flicking on and off at a billion times per second!” Which is, in itself, a form of magic.
Anybody doubting the importance of GPT and similar technologies isn’t really paying attention. The negative responses remind me of Douglas Adams’ three rules:
Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
Anything that’s invented between when you’re 15 and 35 is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
Anything invented after you’re 35 is against the natural order of things.
Most of us are somewhere between two and three, but objections to AI aren’t just Ludditism. When applied to creative arts, AI devalues human involvement and can be accused of plagiarism. The same can be said of code, of course, but art feels instinctively more personal.
Coding is an incredibly cerebral process and requires creativity and deep thought. But coders stand on the shoulders of giants. I may understand a merge-sort algorithm, but I sure as heck didn’t come up with it. And using AI to put it to work and explain it to me feels inherently useful. John von Neumann might disagree if he was around, but somehow I feel he’d be delighted.
If you’ve ever tried to produce an analog video signal with an Arduino, then you know that it isn’t easy. That’s a bit counterintuitive if you think of analog video as “old” and assume that generating an analog video signal would be trivial with our powerful modern hardware. But there are many ways in which analog signals are tricky and that’s especially true if you want something like VGA output, which requires very precise timing. That’s why it is so impressive that Slu4 was able to build this retro computer with just an Arduino Nano and a shift register.
This was no simple feat and it really showcases Slu4’s programming prowess. His creation can output 320×200 resolution VGA video while reading PS/2 keyboard inputs, with enough processing power leftover to handle basic video game logic and graphics. He demonstrates that with a Tetris-like games that runs very smoothly. And Slu4 says that it is even possible to add 16 colors per row, though he doesn’t show that in action.
Slu4 first achieved a similar result a few years ago, but that required several IC (Integrated Circuit) chips. This version only needs one: a standard 74HC166 shift register. That helped him overcome some of the challenges related to VGA timing, which the Nano’s ATmega328 microcontroller can just barely keep up with. This did necessitate some low-level programming to maximize efficiency, but Slu4 was able to pull it off. Even more impressive, he was able to read PS/2 keyboard input at the same time so the player can control the game.
The Backpack Cyberdeck was inspired by Davide’s need to move his experiments easily without setup breakdowns – he works in the metalworking industry, and reasoned that a custom-designed frame that fits inside a commercially available backpack would come in mighty useful for other people as well as himself. He says the idea is that hobbyists and professionals can carry, use and interact with a variety of devices on the go. Raspberry Pi 4 was chosen for its compactness and power efficiency and serves as the ‘brain’ of Davide’s mobile setup. It allows him to remotely control devices mounted on the frame. The project runs on open-source software – “primarily GNU Radio for wireless communications analysis, and Kali Linux tools for security and penetration testing tasks”. He says the build cost was “moderate, reflecting the price of the Raspberry Pi, the backpack, and some additional electronic components like the RTL-SDR”.
Sharing the build photos on Facebook, Davide explains that it transforms a simple backpack into a customisable platform, allowing for the creation of mobile workstations, entertainment systems, or unique projects through 3D-printed attachments”. The Backpack Cyberdeck avoids the risk of damage or subsequent discomfort because there is no desk outdoors. Having cycled to his destination he can conduct his outdoor experiments “the most comfortable way”.
Bag your own
For Davide, one advantage of using Raspberry Pi is its compact size, which allowed him to design a system that was both powerful and practical. The design is entirely original, with all parts created or modified by him to suit his project’s requirements.
Interest in the backpack led Davide to set up Bag Builds as an online custom bag business, but he designed the Backpack Cyberdeck’s frame for DIY enthusiasts with a passion for 3D printing. He shares STL files for several versions of the Backpack Cyberdeck on his GitHub page, with customisation options for the hardware components all designed to fit neatly into a standard backpack. There is plenty of opportunity for DIY builds to be customised, since some users may need holes to allow antennae through, and to fit cables.
Reassuring curious but impressed project followers, Davide says all the components meet flight-safe guidelines for power output, so it could potentially be taken on board aircraft too. Davide is at pains to point out that everything he’s done with the Backpack Cyberdeck is legal and poses no security issues. He has posted several assembly videos on YouTube that show the breadth of uses for his backpacks, including using one as a mobile radio station.
“The idea could be adapted for various other purposes, such as mobile video streaming, electronic repair setups, or even as a simple organiser,” he says. “My advice to anyone interested in similar projects is to start small, and to pay attention to the interference that the various devices and cables could generate, compromising the functionality of some parts.”
Having constant, reliable access to a working HVAC system is vital for our way of living, as they provide a steady supply of fresh, conditioned air. In an effort to decrease downtime and maintenance costs from failures, Yunior González and Danelis Guillan have developed a prototype device that aims to leverage edge machine learning to predict issues before they occur.
The duo went with a Nicla Sense ME due to its onboard accelerometer, and after collecting many readings from each of the three axes at a 10Hz sampling rate, they imported the data into Edge Impulse to create the model. This time, rather than using a classifier, they utilized a K-means clustering algorithm — which is great at detecting anomalous readings, such as a motor spinning erratically, compared to a steady baseline.
Once the Nicla Sense ME had detected an anomaly, it needed a way to send this data somewhere else and generate an alert. González and Guillan’s setup accomplishes the goal by connecting a Microchip AVR-IoT Cellular Mini board to the Sense ME along with a screen, and upon receiving a digital signal from the Sense ME, the AVR-IoT Cellular Mini logs a failure in an Azure Cosmos DB instance where it can be viewed later on a web app.
You’ll find dartboards in just about every dive bar in the world, like cheaper and pokier alternatives to pool. But that doesn’t mean that darts is a casual game to everyone. It takes a lot of skill to play on a competitive level and many of us struggle to perform well. Niklas Bommersbach decided that years of practice was too much of a commitment, so he built this robot that can dominate dart games.
This robot can, essentially, throw a dart perfectly every time to hit the desired target on the board. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, you might think that a bullseye is always best. But that isn’t true — especially for certain rulesets. To play strategically, Bommersbach needed his robot to nail the desired space on the board on-demand.
His first step was to make throws repeatable and predictable. His robot has a balanced arm that spins up to a precise rotational speed. At the set angle, it releases the dart. By monitoring many throws with computer vision, Bommersbach was able to dial in the speed and angle variables until the result became very predictable. An Arduino UNO Rev3 board controls the arm speed and calculates the release. But Bommersbach struggled to get the timing of the release exactly right, as the Arduino was running its code sequentially and so there was a small variance — just enough to throw off the throw.
His solution was to add a second Arduino, which has the sole responsibility of releasing the dart using a stepper-actuated mechanism. That allowed for very precise timing and repeatable throws. The timing influences the dart’s vertical position on the board, while a linear motion system controls its horizontal position.
In a world where industrial automation is rapidly advancing, education often struggles to keep pace.
This disconnect leaves a big gap in practical, industry-relevant skills among graduates.
Addressing this critical need, we’re excited to introduce the Arduino PLC Starter Kit. Powered by the robust Arduino Opta mini PLC and backed by the intuitive Arduino PLC IDE, this kit is set to revolutionize programmable logic control education.
Continue reading to find out more about the PLC Starter Kit.
What is the Arduino PLC Starter Kit?
Before we delve into the details of this exciting new offering, let’s explain exactly what a PLC is. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a type of industrial computer that’s used to automate, control and coordinate a wide range of manufacturing processes and machinery.
The Arduino PLC Starter Kit isn’t just another educational tool; it’s a comprehensive solution designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in industrial automation — a powerful simulation tool specifically created for vocational and university students considering a career in manufacturing.
Here’s what this groundbreaking kit offers:
20 hours of in-depth lessons — Explore the world of programmable logic control with the ‘Explore PLC’ course. The course has been created by educators and covers all the essential contents including the history of programmable logic controllers, Modbus RS-485 communications, and how PLCs integrate with industrial simulated systems.
Arduino Opta WiFi — Built with industrial IoT capabilities, our versatile and easy-to-use micro PLC offers real-time control, monitoring, and predictive maintenance for a variety of applications. Based on the existing Arduino Opta WiFi, it includes the STM32H747XI dual-core Arm® Cortex®-M7 +M4 MCU, making it exceptionally reliable and robust for your classroom.
Digital input and output simulators – The kit’s custom-designed hardware helps bring learning to life by allowing users to replicate real-world situations. The input simulator (DIN Simul8) includes 8 switches and power control, while the output simulator (DIN Celsius) features a resistor array and a temperature sensor.
Arduino PLC IDE — Our popular programming tool, Arduino PLC IDE, makes programming simple. Choose from any of the five programming languages defined by the IEC 61131-3 standard (Ladder, Functional Block Diagram, Structured Text, Sequential Function Chart, or Instruction List) to quickly code a range of PLC applications
Arduino IDE 2 — Another benefit of the kit is that it can be programmed using our powerful IDE 2. A step up from the classic Arduino IDE, the Arduino IDE 2 offers increased performance, an improved user interface and other new features, such as autocompletion and a built-in debugger.
And let’s not forget that all the kit’s hardware is fully compatible with the Arduino Cloud.
Get industry-ready with real-life simulations
Thanks to their exceptional flexibility, programmable logic controllers are being used more and more frequently in a wide range of industries. From production plants, assembly lines and packaging machines to heating control systems, traffic lights and elevators, PLC applications are vast and varied.
To help students prepare for the demands of these competitive industries and the challenges they face, we believe they need access to high-quality PLC simulation tools. After all, there’s a big difference between reading about programming in a textbook and actually doing it. As Benjamin Franklin once famously said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”. And that’s where the PLC Starter Kit comes into play.
Boasting industrial IoT capabilities, the kit’s Opta WiFi mini PLC — together with the input and output simulators – allows students to design and implement programs that simulate real-life industrial automation projects.
Take a manufacturing production line, for instance. To prevent overheating and a potential fire, the equipment’s PLC might be programmed to shut down when the input sensor detects a high temperature. With the PLC Starter Kit, students can simulate a similar scenario and gain practical knowledge about how inputs and outputs interface with a PLC.
It’s a great way to promote a deeper understanding of industrial automation and system behavior, while giving students the hands-on experience and critical thinking skills they’ll need to tackle real-world challenges in their professional careers.
Try the Arduino PLC Starter Kit today
With its powerful industrial IoT capabilities, easy programming software and wealth of online content, the PLC Starter Kit is the perfect introduction to automated programming for students and educators.
Interested in using the PLC Starter Kit in your education setting? Order the PLC Starter Kit here or get in touch through your local distributor and discover how it can transform your learning environment.
“Growing up, I went to art school in Italy,” Sara says. “It felt like the right path for me to undertake, and through the years I pushed myself to try different things; I would find myself at events drawing on walls or floors, other times I would be at home testing lino printing using a DIY device made from an olive press. I’d even try painting on T-shirts or home-printing personalised stickers to stick everywhere. At the time I couldn’t figure out a specific definition of what I wanted to do, but nowadays I feel that the best way to explain it is that I love to work as a visual communicator. So here I am.”
How did you join Raspberry Pi?
At the end of 2021 I was submitting my final major project for an illustration MA at Falmouth University. In January I was ready to get back into the creative industry, so I began looking for job vacancies when I came across to a catchy one on LinkedIn. In a series of paragraphs, I saw described what I enjoy doing, and I applied for it straight away. The interview was great and I remember coming back home very enthusiastic about it.
What Raspberry Pi design stuff have you worked on?
I’m lucky enough to be in a place where projects vary, and the nice part is that depending on the scale of them I might be working on my own or with the skillset of my colleagues. So far I’ve worked on a variety of projects of different scales, such as packaging design, visual communication for events and related merch, design layout for case studies, books, flyers, brochures and now magazines!
Have you made anything with a Raspberry Pi, or have any plans to?
I’d never done any coding before joining Raspberry Pi, so I’m still in a phase of learning while watching [my partner] doing some small home projects. Last year I participated in a couple of workshops on using Pico on a breadboard, and learned how to turn on some LEDs!
In regards to future plans… I have an idea for creating something that involves my artwork, like a sort of flipping book installation, or a projected animated GIF, but I need to define the idea first and understand how to use Raspberry Pi with it.
What other hobbies do you have?
I love creating bodies of work that mix illustration with fine art, along with testing new materials and techniques. I usually do this at the studio space I share with other creatives in the heart of Cambridge. I enjoy going there to meet them for a coffee or to chat about what they’re up to. Sometimes we organise open studios or small exhibitions next door.
Recently I also started to explore working with ceramics, and how to bring out the personal artwork in such tactile material.
How do unstable things stay upright? True passive balancing is very difficult and isn’t dynamic, so it doesn’t help when there is movement. Active balancing is all about inertia and this is how a tightrope walker can traverse a chasm by making small adjustments with a long pole. This is the same principle behind “self-balancing robots” that utilize reaction wheels. But the control scheme necessary to get that right is very difficult to perfect, as demonstrated by Nikodem Bartnik’s project that was three years in the making.
Physically, this is about as simple as a self-balancing robot can be. It stands on a single foot designed to be unstable in one horizontal axis, but stable in the other. It is long, front-to-back, so the robot can’t tip forward or backward. But the bottom of the foot has a curve to it, so it can’t stand upright without tipping to one side or the other. A reaction wheel with bolts for weights is responsible for preventing that tipping.
This is supposed to work by spinning in order to “push” against nothing (thanks to inertia), which generates torque to stop the tip. But Bartnik discovered that it was a massive challenge to tune that spin.
An Arduino Nano board controls a small brushless DC motor that spins the reaction wheel. A gyroscope sensor lets the Arduino monitor tilt and power comes from a hobby LiPo battery. The Arduino utilizes PID (proportional-integral-derivative) algorithms to try an apply just enough spin to counteract tipping, but not so much that it overcorrects.
That’s where Bartnik ran into trouble, because PID tuning is hard. Each variable has to be at the exact value — relative to the others — for PID to work as intended. After countless hours of struggling, Bartnik added a Bluetooth module to the Arduino to change those values wirelessly without flashing new code every time. That sped up the process dramatically, allowing Bartnik to find a set of values that works pretty well to keep the robot upright.
Go to any arcade and the air hockey table will probably be one of the most popular games they have. Everyone loves air hockey, but a lot of people don’t want to go to an arcade just to play. If you fall into that category, then you can follow LloydB’s Instructables guide to make your own scorekeeping air hockey table.
The key to air hockey is right there in the name: air. All of those little holes in the table’s surface allow air flow. That creates an air cushion for the puck and paddles to float on, reducing friction and enabling knuckle-shattering gameplay. For that to work, the table needs something pushing at least as much air as escapes through the holes. This table isn’t very big, so it doesn’t need a high volume of air. Three 12V PC fans are enough. They push air into a chamber beneath the hole-filled top board. Power for the fans comes from a battery holder with 8 AA batteries.
Those batteries also power the Arduino UNO Rev3 that handles the scorekeeping, which is the other important part of air hockey. Each goal chute has a laser break-beam sensor to detect when the puck comes shooting in. The Arduino then updates the scores shown on a 16×2 LCD screen. The Arduino will also emit a tone through a buzzer. That increases in pitch with each point, so players get audible cues as the game progresses.
When you hear the word “joystick,” you probably think of the standard dual-axis joysticks that we see on video game controllers. As the name implies, those move and provide signals for two axes (X and Y). But there is no reason that a joystick needs two axes and, in fact, that may not be desirable. To demonstrate the practicality of single-axis joysticks, Austin Allen built this simple controller suitable for several different applications.
Allen’s device controls three different things with its three single-axis joysticks: an RGB LED, a servo motor, and a stepper motor. Each of those is an example of a single-axis at work. That axis maps to color (red and green) and brightness for the LED, horn position for the servo, and rotation direction/speed for the stepper motor. There are, of course, several other viable use cases for single-axis joysticks.
To showcase this, Allen’s unit provides signals to an Arduino Nano board, which then controls the LED and motors. It controls the LED and servo motor directly, but goes through a TMC2208 driver to handle the stepper motor. The signals from the joysticks are easy to read, because they’re just potentiometers. Each joystick accepts positive and negative power, then outputs a voltage between those two based on its position. With a standard analogRead() function, the Arduino can check the voltage and determine the joystick position.
You may not have any use for this specific controller, but it does do a good job of illustrating potential applications for single-axis joysticks and you should consider them for future projects.
In this month’s edition of The MagPi we look at your coding options with Raspberry Pi: should you learn Python, Node.JS, or Go? And which IDE is best? PJ Evans has you covered with this in-depth guide to coding.
Raspberry Pi 5 & Pico
Raspberry Pi 5 is the fastest Raspberry Pi ever made, and Pico is the RP2040 microcontroller-based computing board. Put the two together and you can really start learn code, and electronics and build some amazing things.
Cyberdeck Backback
This backpack features Raspberry Pi and a wide range of electronic and wireless communication technology. With it Davide Marchetti can take his mobile lab from place to place performing security and wireless communication analysis.
Improve your upcycled Sonos Play:1
PJ has converted a Sonos Play:1 into a Raspberry Pi-driven powerhouse of sound. This month he’s going to trick it out with software.
Amazing new projects: Red Telephone
Rob Miles returns with a brand new project. The red telephone takes a classic analogue rotary phone and turns it into a super smart assistant with Raspberry Pi in the innards.
We were honoured to find out that a year long subscription to The MagPi is part of the Raspberry Jam bundle sent out to event organisers over the next couple of months, and thought we’d give our readers a chance to win a version of the bundle with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and a Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2! You can enter below…
We all know how annoying a ceiling fan can be when it isn’t balanced well and that annoyance perfectly demonstrates the necessity of a good, sturdy bearing. A ceiling fan’s bearing needs to allow for smooth rotational motion with as little friction as possible, while completely constraining movement in every other axis. Those properties make a ceiling base a surprisingly good starting point for a SCARA, as demonstrated in tuenhidiy’s recent Instructables write-up.
In their tutorial, tuenhidiy refers to this as a “Spaceship Scara Arm.” It isn’t exactly clear why they chose the “spaceship” terminology, but it is similar to a conventional SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) — just one with only two degrees of freedom (DOF).
The entire point of a SCARA is that it is fully constrained, except for rotation around the Z axis at each joint. After their ceiling fan broke, tuenhidiy noticed that the fan’s base with its beefy bearing would be perfect for this application. They took that, added a couple of stepper motors and belts, some aluminum extrusion, and a couple more bearings to create this simple SCARA.
An Arduino UNO Rev3 board controls those motors through a CNC Shield V3. Grbl firmware makes it easy to control the positions of the motors using just about any software a user could possibly want. Some simple calculations regarding the arm’s geometry and gear ratios should let appropriate software determine exactly where it is in space. For a demonstration, tuenhidiy added a DC solenoid for its magnetic capabilities. But anyone replicating this project can add their own end effector to suit their needs.
It may not get as much attention as NASA, Roscosmos, or even CNSA (China National Space Administration), but India’s space program has achieved some impressive goals. Just last year, in August of 2023, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) completed their first soft landing on a celestial object with the Chandrayaan-3’s moon landing. That understandably inspired pride among Indians and the YouTube channel Science 4 U celebrated by building this model of the Chandrayaan-3 launch.
This project can be completed with some everyday materials and a few inexpensive components. When ready, it counts down from 10. At zero, the rocket climbs the launch pad’s structure. That rocket is a small model that makers can fabricate on any 3D printer. The launch pad and structure is mostly foam packing material.
The electronics consist of a low-speed geared DC motor, a relay module, an OLED screen, a battery holder, and an Arduino UNO Rev3 board. The Arduino starts by displaying the numerical countdown on the OLED screen. After the countdown completes, the Arduino switches on the relay. That completes the motor circuit, allowing current to flow from the AA batteries to the motor. The running motor winds in a string that pulls the rocket up the structure.
There doesn’t seem to be any switch or sensor to turn off the motor, so the user will have to program a timer to switch the relay. There also isn’t any hardware to reverse the motor polarity, so the user has to lower the rocket manually after a launch. But this is an inexpensive and fun project that should be perfect for students in India who are excited by Chandrayaan-3.
When you think of automation, what’s the first image that comes to mind?
For many of us, it’s a robot. From the blocky, square-headed characters of sci-fi comic fame to household more complex creations like the Replicants of Blade Runner — robots have captured our collective imagination for a long time.
It’s no surprise, then, that lots of Arduino users eventually set out to build a robot of their own.
In this article, we’ll look at how to build your own robot with Arduino and share some project examples from other makers.
What exactly is a robot?
The term “robot” can cover a lot of potential meanings, so let’s agree on a definition.
Here’s what the Oxford Dictionary says:
“(especially in science fiction) a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.”
It’s a good start, but do all robots resemble humans? Here’s Oxford’s second definition:
“a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.”
This seems more accurate since it encompasses things like construction robots, robotic pets, and robotic vehicles.
Humans have been attempting to build robots for centuries, although most of our success has taken place within the last few decades. Today, thanks to advancements in hardware and automation technology, almost anyone can build their own robots at home.
What do you need to build a robot?
Building your own robot might seem like an unimaginably complex task. After all, aren’t robots the stuff of sci-fi movies and leaked military prototypes?
The good news is that building a robot doesn’t have to be a monumental undertaking, and can in fact be done with some fairly simple and easily obtained components.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Some simple components like wheels, sensors, and switches (this will vary greatly depending on the type of robot you’re planning to build)
Some basic coding and automation skills (you don’t need to be a coding wizard)
This is, of course, just a starting point. You can build a fairly simple robot, or you can ramp up the complexity and sophistication as much as you like — the sky really is the limit here. For beginners, though, you can find everything you need at the hardware store.
Explore Arduino robots
With Arduino’s products and other components, it’s possible to build your own robots more easily than ever before.
We need to look no further than the Arduino Project Hub to find a ton of inspiring ideas. Let’s explore a few.
Line-following robot
Robots don’t have to be ultra-complex humanoid feats of engineering.
In fact, if you’re just getting started with robotics, it helps to keep things simple. Check out this great example — it’s a simple, car-shaped robot designed to follow a colored line on the floor.
The robot constantly monitors data from its infrared sensors in real time and adjusts movement based on feedback, ensuring it never strays from the line.
If this kind of project interests you, you’ll love the upcoming Arduino Alvik, which will have a line-follower functionality. Alvik’s user-friendly interface makes MicroPython coding and robotics project development easier than ever, making learning and creating a breeze.
Alvik is also equipped with a range of sensors including a ToF distance sensor, line follower array, color sensor, and more. It’s especially impressive when it comes to swiftly detecting and navigating obstacles and colors.
Did you think playing music was a uniquely human trait?
Well… think again — this musically-inclined robot is capable of controlling piano keys automatically. The device was able to play piano keys 1,875 times in the space of a minute, beating the human world record by a significant margin.
The project used a range of tools including solenoids and a custom-designed Java software interface.
A chess-playing robot arm
Robots have been giving us humans a run for our money in the world of chess for quite some time.
For a new spin on the machines vs. humans saga, take a look at this robotic arm capable of physically moving the chess pieces.
The arm was created using a 3D printer and works by using a visual recognition system to watch the opponent’s move and then formulate a response.
One of the most interesting things about this robot is the code used for move recognition. Because the robot uses visual recognition to follow the human’s moves, there’s no need for additional complex hardware like reed switches to be built into the chessboard, unlike other chess-playing robots.
Stay tuned for Robotics Week!
If you have a passion for building robots or just want to learn more about this topic, you’ll love Robotics Week, which takes place this year from April 6th-13th.
It’s a full week of events — many of which are virtual — all centered around robotics and STEM.
In the meantime, visit our Project Hub for more inspiration — where you can search by category and difficulty level. And don’t forget to share your own projects with our community!
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