Schlagwort: Tricorder

  • The Baldcorder is James Lewis’ tricorder-like device for measuring light levels and temperature

    The Baldcorder is James Lewis’ tricorder-like device for measuring light levels and temperature

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The Baldcorder is James Lewis’ tricorder-like device for measuring light levels and temperature

    Arduino Team — July 11th, 2021

    As part of element14’s Build Inside the Box Challenge, James Lewis (AKA Bald Engineer) decided to make his own DIY tricoder from Star Trek. In the series, a tricoder is a ubiquitous scanning tool that can perform various scans of the environment through its onboard sensors, as well as record and analyze them later — all in a handheld format. Lewis’ design incorporates a MKR Zero as the microcontroller, a phototransistor to detect light levels, and an analog temperature sensor to sense ambient temperatures. 

    The enclosure itself was based on a tricorder toy and recreated in Fusion 360. It features a hinge mechanism for easy opening and closing, as well as handling the wiring harness that connects both halves of the device. Once it was 3D-printed, Lewis moved onto the electronics.

    A VL53L0X time of flight sensor was used to detect if the hinge was open, and thus if the OLED information screens should be turned on. Lewis utilized the SAM D21’s onboard capacitive touch controller to add four buttons onto his device for simple inputs. Finally, the DIY tricorder can play looped WAV files via its onboard SD card and DAC, along with an external op-amp and speaker circuit. 

    To read more about how the Bald Engineer created this fun project and view its associated schematics, code, and design files, be sure to check out its write-up here on element14’s website. You can also see the build log and demonstration below! 

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri2RpTgju-Y?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

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    Website: LINK

  • This is a really lovely Raspberry Pi tricorder

    This is a really lovely Raspberry Pi tricorder

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    At the moment I’m spending my evenings watching all of Star Trek in order. Yes, I have watched it before (but with some really big gaps). Yes, including the animated series (I’m up to The Terratin Incident). So I’m gratified to find this beautiful The Original Series–style tricorder build.

    Star Trek Tricorder with Working Display!

    At this year’s Replica Prop Forum showcase, we meet up once again wtih Brian Mix, who brought his new Star Trek TOS Tricorder. This beautiful replica captures the weight and finish of the filming hand prop, and Brian has taken it one step further with some modern-day electronics!

    A what now?

    If you don’t know what a tricorder is, which I guess is faintly possible, the easiest way I can explain is to steal words that Liz wrote when Recantha made one back in 2013. It’s “a made-up thing used by the crew of the Enterprise to measure stuff, store data, and scout ahead remotely when exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilisations, and all that jazz.”

    A brief history of Picorders

    We’ve seen other Raspberry Pi–based realisations of this iconic device. Recantha’s LEGO-cased tricorder delivered some authentic functionality, including temperature sensors, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a photosensor, and a magnetometer. Michael Hahn’s tricorder for element14’s Sci-Fi Your Pi competition in 2015 packed some similar functions, along with Original Series audio effects, into a neat (albeit non-canon) enclosure.

    Brian Mix’s Original Series tricorder

    Brian Mix’s tricorder, seen in the video above from Tested at this year’s Replica Prop Forum showcase, is based on a high-quality kit into which, he discovered, a Raspberry Pi just fits. He explains that the kit is the work of the late Steve Horch, a special effects professional who provided props for later Star Trek series, including the classic Deep Space Nine episode Trials and Tribble-ations.

    A still from an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Jadzia Dax, holding an Original Series-sylte tricorder, speaks with Benjamin Sisko

    Dax, equipped for time travel

    This episode’s plot required sets and props — including tricorders — replicating the USS Enterprise of The Original Series, and Steve Horch provided many of these. Thus, a tricorder kit from him is about as close to authentic as you can possibly find unless you can get your hands on a screen-used prop. The Pi allows Brian to drive a real display and a speaker: “Being the geek that I am,” he explains, “I set it up to run every single Original Series Star Trek episode.”

    Even more wonderful hypothetical tricorders that I would like someone to make

    This tricorder is beautiful, and it makes me think how amazing it would be to squeeze in some of the sensor functionality of the devices depicted in the show. Space in the case is tight, but it looks like there might be a little bit of depth to spare — enough for an IMU, maybe, or a temperature sensor. I’m certain the future will bring more Pi tricorder builds, and I, for one, can’t wait. Please tell us in the comments if you’re planning something along these lines, and, well, I suppose some other sci-fi franchises have decent Pi project potential too, so we could probably stand to hear about those.

    If you’re commenting, no spoilers please past The Animated Series S1 E11. Thanks.

    Website: LINK