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I posted to hackaday.com

Using an NES controller on an Android phone

http://hackaday.com/2010/09/02/using-an-nes-controller-on-an-android-phone/

[Sk3tch] rigged up a way to use an original NES controller with Android. He bought the controller and a breakout board for it at DEFCON. By combining the controller, an Arduino, and a blueSMIRF BlueTooth module the controller can be used as a keyboard on his Android device. In the video after the break he demonstrates pairing the devices and playing Super Mario Bros. 3 in an emulator.

He calls this Alpha quality but it certainly looks like it works well. In the beta version we’d love to see all of the extra electronics inside the controller case like those USB mods.
- Tags:
- arduino
- bluetooth
- nes
- bluesmirf
- nintendo hacks
- android hacks
- emulator
21 Hours, 30 Minutes ago | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

LED suit lights up the night

http://hackaday.com/2010/09/01/led-suit-lights-up-the-night/

When the tipline popped up with this LED suit, part two, by [Marc DeVidts] we were expecing a simple led version of the previously known EL coat.

Well we were right and wrong in the same instance. Correct in that like predictions, the outcome is stonking great. Wrong in that this suit far outpaces EL in abilities we weren’t expecting. Namely to start off, an iPhone app over WiFi dictates to some 200 Arduino multiplexed RGB LED modules to dance randomly or follow patterns; an accelerometer and microphone are also implanted to further some effects. And finally if the suit isn’t enough to make you giddy, his PCB and enclosure milling surely will. Catch a video of the entire setup after the break.
- Tags:
- wearable hacks
- led
- arduino
- wifi
- iPhone
- rgb
- app
- el
- coat
- module
- suit
September 1 2010, 6:51pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Controlling an AC drill using one PWM connection

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/31/controlling-an-ac-drill-using-one-pwm-connection/

This peculiar setup allows [Ben Krasnow] to control an alternating current device using one pin on a microcontroller. He’s experimenting with a power drill and has relocated the trigger circuitry that makes it spin. On that board he found a variable resistor combined with a capacitor which control a triac, actuating the speed of a drill. [Ben's] solution works great and isolates the drill from the control circuitry. He replace the variable resistor with a cadmium sulfide photoresistor (basically a variable resistor whose resistance depends on the intensity of light). Pulse-width modulation is used to adjust the brightness of an LED shining on that photoresistor and thereby affect the speed of the drill. This is such as simple alteration to the drill we’d call it MacGyver-esque.

See a demonstration after the break.
- Tags:
- led
- arduino
- Toy Hacks
- tool-hacks
- pwm
- drill
- photoresistor
- CdS
August 31 2010, 8:15am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Arduino based thermal printer

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/arduino-based-thermal-printer/

[Manuel] built his own thermal printer based around an Arduino. We’re a bit confused about the parts, his webpage specifies an EFA-1019HW2 print head but the bill of materials on his github shows EPT-1019W2. We can’t find a source for either product number, but we did find similar thermal line printers for as low as $32.00. The controller boards on the other hand look to be around $150 so building your own is a definite win. [Manuel's] version can print 96 points and has a font set that prints 32 characters per line. Check out the video after the break and let us know if the noise of the print head is a deal killer for you.
- Tags:
- peripherals hacks
- arduino
- paper
- panasonic
- thermal printer
August 30 2010, 12:52pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

DWex watch looks for future development

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/30/dwex-watch-looks-for-future-development/

[FlorinC] sent in his DWex Arduino watch, with intentions for it double as an experimenting base. Inspired by the MakerBotWatch, it runs an ATmega328P, DS1337 RTC,and 24 LEDs to display the time. [FlorinC] tells us the (yet to come) case and strap will be similar to Woz’s watch to ensure airport security tackles him. As for experimenting, the PCB contains an ICSP6 and also an FTDI connector for those “other-than-watch purposes”. We’re not all sure what else could be done with a watch; we racked our brains and came up with a compass, but with the source code and Eagle files available maybe you have a better idea?
- Tags:
- led
- arduino
- clock
- watch
- clock hacks
- experimenting
- atmega328p
August 30 2010, 8:15am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

iPhone drum machine isn’t synthesized

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/iphone-drum-machine-isnt-synthesized/

There was a time when a drummer would grab some sticks and lay out a groove using the items around him as instruments. [Lsa Wilson] would rather not work quite that hard and has chosen to do the same thing by tapping on an iPhone screen. As you can see in the clip after the break, many of the items in the room around him have been fitted with solenoids. Each is connected to an Arduino which is then controlled by Open Sound Control and interfaced with the iPhone via TouchOSC. We love the sounds being created and can’t help being reminded of the Multixylophoniomnibus.
- Tags:
- arduino
- iPhone
- digital audio hacks
- osc
- iphone hacks
- solenoid
- open sound control
- touchosc
August 27 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

LED goggles make you trip out?

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/led-goggles-make-you-trip-out/

Who knows if this works and should you really want to try to induce hallucinations by flashing colors in front of your eyes? But we do love the zaniness of the project. [Everett's] homemade hallucination goggles come in two flavors, the small swimming-goggle-type model and the heavy-duty trip visor made from welder’s goggles. Each brings together the same components; a half ping-pong ball for each eye to diffuse the light from an RGB LED. The system is controlled by an Arduino with some buttons and 7-segment displays for a user interface. Put this together with some homemade EL wire and you’re ready for Burning Man.

[Thanks Evan]
- Tags:
- arduino
- rgb
- ping pong
- welder
- led hacks
- goggles
- hallucination
- mask
August 26 2010, 3:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Arduino pong!

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/arduino_pong_1.html
Pete Lamonica of Arch Reactor built this Pong Game using the arduino-tv-out library. Pretty impressive, especially considering it's coming from a tiny 8-bit microcontroller! Source code is included in the Flickr photo description.

More:
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this!
- Tags:
- arduino
August 22 2010, 8:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Todays Arduino Moment

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/todays-arduino-moment/

We have gotten a number of Arduino tips in the last couple days, and we thought we would combine them for your convenience. The first tip we received was for some hints provided by [Bill] on some digitalWrite() alternatives. Similar to some previous research we covered, this tip also includes some tips on how to make the direct register writing a little easier by using #define to simplify things. Obviously this wont be as idiot-proof as digitalWrite() is, but we think you can handle it.

Our second tip is for a set of OLED displays from 4dsystems sold as Arduino Shields. They have a couple of different sizes from .96″ to 1.7″, depending on your needs and budget. There is no official display library for them yet, but 4dsystems have been kind enough to provide a few resources to work from. Hopefully we’ll see a few great applications from this, maybe a much bigger pixel Mario? A much smaller Game of Life? Feel free to send us your projects, or leave your ideas in the comments!
- Tags:
- arduino
- shield
- oled
- arduino hacks
- digitalwrite
August 19 2010, 11:46am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Super simple Arduino setup lowers electricity bills

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/super-simple-arduino-setup-lowers-electricity-bills/

An Arduino with 40 lines of code, a temperature resistor, and servo are all that’s truly needed to save some dough with this thermostat by [Peter Hamilton]. LEDs and a potentiometer are added as well to help set and read the desired temperature. With or without said additional parts, the hack is still ridiculously simple and we’re wondering why we didn’t have a similar setup on our blisteringly cold office AC system before seeing it.

Though, we’re going a bit further with our version, plans are in the making to add timers to turn off the system for extended hours while no one is at the office. What would you add?
- Tags:
- home hacks
- arduino
- ac
- thermostat
- air conditioning
- system
- peter
August 17 2010, 8:27am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Beer fridge holds iPad hostage

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/beer-fridge-holds-ipad-hostage/

A hackathon by the engineers over at Yelp produced this iPad-centric beer fridge. A thirsty dude bellies up to the contraption, swipes his or her RFID card, then dispenses a glass of frothy goodness. The iPad display shows information about what’s on tap, and allows you to give it a rating. This is based on kegbot but it has a few extra tricks. Instead of measuring how much beer is left via weight, this version uses a flow sensor on the beer lines. Temperature data is recorded from an analog sensor affixed to the keg itself, and the whole shebang is pulled together via an Arduino connected to the serial port of the iPad. You can even check on the keg over the Internet. See for yourself after the break.
- Tags:
- arduino
- beer hacks
- ipad
- kegbot
- flow sensor
- lm335a
August 12 2010, 1:34pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Out now: EL coat, Coming soon: EL hat

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/10/out-now-el-coat-coming-soon-el-hat/

[Render] says his coat is simply “enhanced with EL wire”, but we know the truth. He’s secretly an alien that can’t block out all of his glowing green skin with a the black coat. No? Fine,

You can put away the sewing machine, [Render] simply used a needle and fishing line to attach ~50-70 foot of electroluminescent wire to the outside of a coat he picked up at a local clothing shop. Solder and program in an inverter and controller board thanks to SparkFun, and you’re ready to go.

Just double check all your connections, high voltage directly on your person is not fun. Trust us.
- Tags:
- wearable hacks
- arduino
- controller
- high voltage
- wire
- glow
- inverter
- el
- electroluminescent
- clothing
- coat
- hot topic
August 10 2010, 8:36am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

LilyPad Arduino pillow

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/lilypad_arduino_pillow.html
I swear Angela Sheehan and I must have been separated at birth. Her LilyPad Arduino pillow is so awesome, all that's left to do is sew in some components and conductive fabric for a comically large prototyping platform. [via CRAFT]
More:
- Angela Sheehan talks about Soft Circuit Saturdays
- How-To: LED Throwie Jellyfish
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this!
- Tags:
- arduino
August 9 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Wine cask sensor suite

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/04/wine-cask-sensor-suite/

As part of his Master’s dissertation [Salvador Faria] built a sensor suite for wine monitoring. He needed to develop a method of tracking data inside the wine cask during the vinification process. What he came up with eclipses the wine cellar temperature monitors we’ve seen before.

He picked up pH, temperature, carbon dioxide, alcohol, and relative humidity sensors from familiar vendors like Seeed, Parallax, and SparkFun. His original idea was to develop a floating probe that housed the entire package but he had quite a bit of trouble getting everything inside and maintaining buoyancy. The solution was a two-part probe; the stationary portion seen mounted on top of the cask houses the microcontroller, RF 433 MHz transmitter, and the gas sensors. Tethered to that is a floating probe that measures pH and temperature. Data is sent over radio frequency to an HTTP POST server every minute.
- Tags:
- arduino
- alcohol
- temperature
- co2
- sensor
- pH
- chemistry hacks
- winemaking
- vinification
- suite
August 4 2010, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Making home automation modules talk to each other

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/04/making-home-automation-modules-talk-to-each-other/

[Danny] has been working on an RNET to Sonos bridge. These are devices from two different manufacturers used to facility whole-house audio systems. Usually there’s a main controller with a large color screen and then several satellite controllers like the one above which have some of the features but at a lower cost. Normally you’re limited to using hardware from one line of devices in order to get them to talk to each other but [Danny's] saying ‘no way’ to that restriction.

His latest post has some of the details on how he pulls this off. He used an RS232 serial connection with an Arduino to sniff out the data stream from the RNET base unit. Once he figured out the protocol he used the Arduino to parse all incoming commands, format them for the Sonos controller, and send it over the Ethernet cable to that device. He’s got everything tied together and working. Take a look at the proof in the clip after the break.
- Tags:
- home hacks
- arduino
- audio
- home automation
- rnet
- russound
- sonos
August 4 2010, 1:42pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

DIY Guided Missile (…err model rocket)

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/03/diy-guided-missile-err-model-rocket/

Hackers [Navic] and [K.o.D] have fitted an Arduino Pro Mini and an array of components into an off the shelf rocketry kit to create a guided model rocket, taking the whole idea of Arduino-based space technology to another level

The Arduino reads signals from internally mounted accelerometers, and adjusts balsa fins (via 4 micro servos) to correct the rocket’s flight path. Due to the nature of model rocketry, the active guidance is limited to the 3 seconds that the rocket is traveling upwards. A valiant effort nevertheless. Videos of the rocket’s maiden voyage, and a system check after the break.
- Tags:
- arduino
- Toy Hacks
- rocket
- missile
- arduino hacks
- pro mini
- guided
August 3 2010, 8:32am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Air freshener hacking

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/27/air-freshener-hacking/

In an effort to improve his marital standing [Tech B] hacked an air freshener to make it Internet controllable. The main component here is a Glade Sense and Spray. It cost him $7 and is meant to spray out some sweet smells when it senses motion in the room. The unit also has a manual spray button which he patched into with the help of a relay. From there some Arduino code and an IRC bot take over, letting him unleash freshness from anywhere he has IRC access.

When reading about this we were also thinking: “motion sensing circuitry available at local stores for just $7?”. We may have to conduct an investigation into the alternative usefulness of that package.

If you have another brand of automatic freshener around it should be just as easy to hack as this one was.
- Tags:
- home hacks
- arduino
- relay
- irc
- motion sensing
- bot
- glade
- sense and spray
July 27 2010, 1:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Tactile display for light and shadow

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/tactile_display_for_light_and_shado.html

I went down to the LA Convention Center yesterday for the first day of SIGGRAPH, the annual computer graphics convention. Once of the coolest things I saw in the Emerging Technologies area was this tactile display for light and shadow called Touch Light Through the Leaves. It was created by Kunihiro Nishimura who says:

Touch Light Through the Leaves consists of a camera and 85 vibration units. The camera detects light and shadow, and the vibration units, controlled via image processing and vibration motors, change those inputs into tactile sensations. The display is palm-sized, so it can be used anywhere under various conditions.
People who have experienced this display report weird, new sensations. In their daily lives, light and shadow are perfectly ordinary, but when they feel light and shadow directly on their palms, they are "touched" by light for the first time.

I tried it out and agree that it's an interesting sensation to feel light and shadow through the sense of touch. Next up, I'd like to walk through the dappled light of a forest trail while wearing a full-body tactile display leotard.

They had a few versions on display, including this lower resolution unit which runs off of a couple of Arduino Nanos and has pager motors inside drinking straws acting as actuators.
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this!
- Tags:
- arduino
July 26 2010, 9:30pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Mouse controlled manipulator arm

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/22/mouse-controlled-manipulator-arm/

[Oleg] worked out a way to use his USB mouse to control this manipulator arm. Using a Lynxmotion AL5D (we’ve seen the AL5A previously) he drives the six servos with an Arduino servo shield. A USB host shield handles the HID end for connecting the mouse. The video after the break says it all, [Oleg] has no problem picking up that figurine quickly and accurately. Sliding the mouse controls horizontal movement in all directions. The scroll wheel moves the claw up and down. And holding the left or right buttons what using the control wheel closes or rotates the claw. All we can say is: Bigger, BIGGER!
- Tags:
- robots hacks
- arduino
- servo
- shield
- arm
- mouse
- usb
- lynxmotion
- claw
- host
- al5d
July 22 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

CNC hardware: stream g-code to an Arduino

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/21/cnc-hardware-stream-g-code-to-an-arduino/

[Reza Naima] has been using an Arduino as the center of his CNC setup for quite some time now. It handles three stepper motors, limiting switches, e-stop, and spindle control. The sketch he’s using allows him to stream g-code to the popular prototyping platform, freeing him from needing a dedicated PC. It’s worked so well that he’s decided to clean up the code and develop a shield to help others get up and running. If you want to see his progress or lend a hand, check out the google group he started for the schematics, code, and forum discussions. There is already a CNC project for Arduino called Grbl but [Reza's] approach uses the Arduino libraries in an effort to make the sketch more customizable for the average user.
- Tags:
- arduino
- cnc
- g-code
- arduino hacks
- cnc hacks
- stepper
- grbl
July 21 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

LED matrix with a gross of pixels

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/21/led-matrix-with-a-gross-of-pixels/

This LED matrix is arranged in a 24×6 pattern for message scrolling. There’s no etched boards here, making us wonder where [Syst3mX] found protoboard this long. He’s using an Arduino to drive the demonstration (clip after the break) but you can use any microcontroller with this setup. That’s because he’s using three shift registers for column data and a decade counter for row scanning, requiring just five control pins.

While you’re going to the trouble of ordering components, maybe you should try your hand at building a touch sensitive LED matrix too.
- Tags:
- arduino
- matrix
- led hacks
- shift register
- decade counter
- marquee
July 21 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Lolo’s (perfect moment) alarm clock

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/17/lolos-perfect-moment-alarm-clock/

It seems everybody has a different interpretation of the perfect alarm clock. [Loic Royer's] alarm clock is not the loudest, or the smartest, but does have some interesting features. By monitoring several environmental factors like temperature, air quality, humidity, dew point, and your own sleep patterns, this alarm clock can determine the best moment in the morning to wake you up.

The main sensor is a wireless accelerometer with the theory being: the more you move in your sleep, the closer you are to a conscious state. The other sensors assist in picking the perfect moment, and awaken you with the sound of birds chirping.

For now all we have is the source code and the list of hardware, but for anyone wanting to try, a circuit diagram wouldn’t be too hard to figure out on your own. Check after the rift for some more videos.

Setting the clock:

Different sensors:

Wireless accelerometer:
- Tags:
- arduino
- alarm clock
- temperature
- arduino hacks
- humidity
- source
- clock hacks
- air quality
- circuit diagram
- dew point
- perfect moment
- sleep patter
July 17 2010, 7:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Panoramic and spheric tripod rig

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/panoramic-and-spheric-tripod-rig/

This simple yet precise build takes your camera for a spin in order to take spherical and multi-row panorama photographs. The rig mounts to a tripod, using two servo motors for motion, producing images that can be stitched together perfectly. An Arduino handles the hardware with an LCD interface for dialing in the settings.It’s not the cheapest way to get 360 degree shots but the example images are amazing.

[Thanks Juan]
- Tags:
- arduino
- camera
- digital cameras hacks
- servo
- panoramic
- spherical
July 14 2010, 10:14am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Electric mountainboard with wireless control

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/electric-mountainboard-with-wireless-control/

[Andres Guzman] is chauffuering himself around the University of Illinois campus thanks to his wirelessly controlled mountainboard. He added a brushless motor to drive the rear axel with the help of a chain. Power is provided by a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery which we’ve seen used in other electric vehicles due to its lightweight properties. A wireless PlayStation 2 controller operates the motor but steering remains a lean-to-turn system.
- Tags:
- arduino
- transportation hacks
- ps2
- LiFePO4
- lithium iron phosphate
- mountainboard
July 10 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Nixie Sudoku

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/nixie-sudoku/

[John Sarik] asked himself why a project should only have a handful of Nixie tubes? Without a good answer to his query he went ahead and built this Sudoku game using 81 Nixie tubes. There’s not much of a description for his work but here’s how we think things go: The two knobs manipulate a cursor, one for rows and the other for columns, while the keypad is used to input your chosen number. The system is Arduino based and [John's] linked to his code, schematic, and board layout files on Dropbox. He’s even written a recursive solver which can be seen in the video after the break. Would it be inappropriate to bring this to work and whip it out during some down time?

[Thanks async1ronous]
- Tags:
- arduino
- solver
- nixie
- sudoku
- classic hacks
- recursive
July 9 2010, 11:15am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Touch screen using range sensors

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/touch-screen-using-range-sensors/

This touch screen relies on measurements from two range finders to track your finger as you press buttons. [James Alliban] put this together as his first Arduino project. We’re familiar with [James'] background because of his informative augmented reality business card. As the Arduino picks up data from the range finder it sends it to a Flash script that is running on the PC.

As we watched the video after the break a lot of questions came to mind. What kind of angle do these Ping sensors have? Will there be interference problems if they were placed perpendicular with each other? Would you get more accurate data if they were not both on the top of the screen? For now this is just a preliminary experiment, but we like the concept and may give it a try ourselves.

[Thanks Juan]
- Tags:
- flash
- arduino
- touch
- multitouch hacks
- ultrasonic
- range finder
July 7 2010, 4:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Realtime video tracking with a pan-tilt camera

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/realtime_tracking_with_a_pan-tilt_c.html

UMass Amherst hardware hackers Blake Foster, Rui Wang, and Erik Learned-Miller built this articulated realtime tracking rig using a GPU, Arduino, and FPV Pan-Tilt camera. [Thanks, Rui!]

The human eye is amazingly adept at tracking moving objects. The process is so natural to humans that it happens without any conscious effort. While this remarkable ability depends in part on the human brain's immense processing power, the fast response of the extraocular muscles and the eyeball's light weight are also vital. Even a small point and shoot camera mounted on a servo is typically too heavy and slow to move with the agility of the human eye. How, then, can we give a computer the ability to track movement quickly and responsively?
Thanks to recent progress in camera miniaturization, small, easily manipulable cameras are now readily available. In this project, we use a first person view (FPV) camera intended for use on model airplanes. The camera is mounted on servo motors which can aim the camera with two degrees of freedom. The entire assembly weighs only 32 grams, only slightly more than a typical human eyeball. Coupled with a GPU-based tracking algorithm, the FPV camera allows the computer to robustly track a wide array of patterns and objects with excellent speed and stability.
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this!
- Tags:
- arduino
July 7 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

DIY Back to the future shoes - Power Laces- the Auto lacing shoe

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/diy_back_to_the_future_shoes_-_powe.html

Power Laces- the Auto lacing shoe - awesome.

Why wait until 2015? Inspired by 'Back to The Future II', this project is less 'Practical' than 'Proof of Concept', but hopefully it'll tide you over until Nike comes out with something more polished. This was also the first time I worked with an Arduino microcontroller, and I wanted to get some experience with the little guy. Operation is quite simple- step into the shoe and a force sensor reads the pressure of your foot and activates two servo motors, which apply tension to the laces, tightening the shoe. A touch switch reverses the servos. Due to budget constraints, I only modified one shoe. Where did I put that darn sports almanac?!
Today there were a lot of people tweeting about today being the "date" on the Back to the Future time machine that was "25 years in the future" - it was not, but that didn't stop all those re-tweets. Spend more time making, the best way to predict what is going to happen in the future is to make it :)

Made with a Motorshield!

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this!
- Tags:
- arduino
July 5 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Power laces take us 5 years into the future

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/05/power-laces-take-us-5-years-into-the-future/

Back to the Future Part 2 provided a glimpse of a future that included hover boards and holographic advertisements. But you don’t have to wait until 2015 to get your hands on at least some of the technology. [Blake Bevin] has produced a pair of shoes with power laces as seen in the film. Of course present day technology doesn’t allow him to make the mechanical parts disappear so you’ll have to deal with two servo motors and an Arduino hanging off of your heels. But hey, at least you won’t have to tie your own shoes like some 20th century peasant. No word on using these for a little theme music as you walk around but maybe that’s something from the more distant future.
- Tags:
- wearable hacks
- arduino
- servo
- back to the future
- shoes
- laces
- sneakers
July 5 2010, 1:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Wireless presenters easily cracked

http://hackaday.com/2010/07/04/wireless-presenters-easily-cracked/

While hacking a wireless presenter doesn’t sound like something worthwhile or interesting, [Niels Teusink] demonstrates that these little devices often are a lot more powerful than we give them credit.

With an Arduino, plenty of research, and some heavy sniffing of a wireless presenter’s SPI and then wireless interface [Niels] is able to emulate an entire keyboard. Sending commands as harmless as “next slide” to the devastating “[Win+R] Format C:”. Hopefully anyone planning such a project at the next Apple or Microsoft keynote just intends some gentle fun.

Related: Wireless keyboards easily cracked.

[Thanks Dan Ransom]
- Tags:
- security hacks
- wireless
- arduino
- wireless hacks
- spi
- usb
- dongle
- keynote
- presenter
July 4 2010, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Controlled mushroom habitat with Arduino

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/controlled_mushroom_habitat_with_ar.html

Instructables user anthony_p1234 writes:

This is my first Arduino project aimed at helping me with my other hobby which is growing oyster and shiitake mushrooms indoors. In a nutshell, the controller takes in two temperature readings, 1 Humidity reading and 1 Co2 reading and triggers a set of four relays connected to mains power. Intended to be connected to the mains are two heating pads, a sonic humidifier and an air pump (although the choice isn't limited to these of course).

Arduino-powered mushroom environment controller
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July 1 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

NES controller to USB gamepad

http://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/nes-controller-to-usb-gamepad/

Regular Hackaday reader [Osgeld] is at it again with this USB conversion for an NES controller. This is a ubiquitous hack that we started seeing very early on, sometimes involving an adapter kit, and other times including things like a thumb drive and USB hub. But this time around is truly a bare-bones version. He’s using an Arduino but it’s really just an AVR ATmega168 running the bootloader. We’d wager this can be done with an ATmega8 just as easily. Grab a couple of diodes (we never seem to have the 3.6v zener diodes around when we need them), a couple caps and resistors, a crystal and you’re in business. The hack wires each button to a pin and implements a keyboard HID that can be mapped for any purpose you desire.
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- arduino
- ATmega168
- AVR
- controller
- usb
- hid
- nintendo hacks
June 30 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

DTMF shield adds touchtones to the Arduino

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/dtmf_shield_adds_touchtones_to_the.html

Collin Schulz of the Twin Cities wrote in with a fun project he's working on: a DTMF shield.

This one is for the phreakers of the past. A simple Arduino shield to decode DTMF tones using an audio input. It can easily be hooked up to a cell phone or radio. The shield uses an MT8870 to decode the audio and outputs BCD to a 74LS145 BCD to Decimal chip. It also uses a CD4543 BCD to 7 segment to display the number. The 74LS145 gives a logic low on one of the ten output pins depending on what number is decoded. The board also gives output pins for BCD that can be wired direct to the arduino.

Download Collin's Eagle files and data sheets from his website.
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June 26 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Bare-bones evil from EMSL

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/bare_bones_evil_from_emsl.html

The lab-coated miscreants at Evil Mad Scientist Labs have added yet another Arduino-compatible board to the mix, this one, very bare-bones (while being fully shield-compatible). It's called the Diavolino (little devil). Windell explains:

We designed this primarily in response to local need in our San Francisco hacker community for low-cost boards for teaching.

In many ways, this project is reminiscent of and complimentary to our ATmegaXX8 target boards, which are low-cost, simple design circuit boards for programming AVR microcontrollers through an ISP connection. And while you can add one, those boards don't have a place to put a USB-TTL cable. And so here we are.

The design is like what you'd get if you bred the Ardweeny from Solarbotics with the 5 V Arduino Pro from SparkFun. It's designed as an open source, through-hole soldering kit, with the "Duemilanove" form factor.

And as Windell points out, probably the spankiest thing about it? Flames.

Diavolino

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See our massive Arduino coverage on MAKE

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June 25 2010, 12:30am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Coffee can alarm clock

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/coffee_can_alarm_clock.html

This Instructable shows you how to build an Arduino-based alarm clock inside of a Illy coffee tin.

The electronics are based on Wiseduino (Arduino clone with DS1307 real time clock on board), with a LED matrix shield sitting on top. The shield is built with 74HC595 shift registers that drive two bi-color (red, green, and orange by subtraction) 8x8 LED matrices.

Building IllyClock - an alarm clock in a coffee can

More:
The Arduino archives on MAKE
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June 22 2010, 12:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Talking poker timer

http://hackaday.com/2010/06/18/talking-poker-timer/

This interesting box of buttons is a talking poker tournament timer. Full of useful tools like a binary time display, words of wisdom, countdowns to the end of the game, and even good old “bicycle built for two” mode (around 1:20). While we find it fairly difficult to understand, we applaud the feature list, especially the song. He used an Arduino with a voice shield, so there’s not much to the electronics side, but you can download his source code from his site.

[via Makezine]
- Tags:
- arduino
- timer
- arduino hacks
- poker
- daisy
- speech
June 18 2010, 8:25am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Building a talking poker timer

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/building_a_talking_poker_timer.html

Pat James built this Arduino Talking Poker Timer to help keep his local poker tournament moving smoothly. He used an Arduino to run the thing, and a Voice Box Shield from Sparkfun to generate the speech. Source code and project writeup are available on his blog. [via practical arduino]
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June 17 2010, 4:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

TVout: Add TV to your next AVR project

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/tvout_add_tv_to_your_next_avr_proje.html

The goal of this project is to create a simple interupt driven library for generating composite video on a single AVR chip.

Currently the output is NTSC or PAL at a resolution of 128x96 by default. The library currently works on ATmega168,328,1280,644p

Interested? Download the code.
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June 17 2010, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Replacement speedometer

http://hackaday.com/2010/06/17/replacement-speedometer/

[Howard] built his own replacement speedometer for his truck after the original speedometer cable broke. He’s using surface mount components and produced a two-board design that is quite nice. When he tipped us off he mentioned that this is Arduino powered and uses a hall effect sensor. There’s not talk of this in his writeup but we gather that he’s just using the bootloader on an AVR chip and that he hall effect sensor measures the rotation of one of the wheels. When the vehicle isn’t moving the board alternates between max speed and trip distance. Once he’s on the roll it shows current speed.
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- arduino
- transportation hacks
- speedometer
June 17 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com

Free O'Reilly webcast: First steps with Arduino

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/free_webcast_first_steps_with_ardui.html

I'll be giving a webcast Wednesday, June 16 at 10am Pacific to teach the basics of Arduino. To go along with that, we've set up a 15% discounts off of three of our Maker Shed Arduino kits. If you've never picked up Arduino before this is a great time to start.

In this webcast, Brian Jepson will introduce the basics of Arduino, the open source electronics prototyping platform. You'll learn what Arduino is, where to get one, and how to connect electronic components to it. You'll also learn how to write simple programs for Arduino. When you're done, you'll be ready to learn more, make more, and have fun prototyping.

If you've got an Arduino, an LED, a pushbutton, and some hookup wire, you have most of what you need to follow along with this webcast.

But if you'd like to keep going beyond the basics, we suggest one of the following kits from our own Maker Shed. We've lined up a discount code you can use which will give you 15% off any of these kits until June 21, 2010:

Getting Started With Arduino kit (includes a copy of the book Getting Started with Arduino!)

Arduino Projects Pack

Advanced Arduino Starter Kit (includes a copy of the book Making Things Talk!)

Webcast: First Steps with Arduino (registration and more information, including discount codes and links for ordering the kits)
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June 15 2010, 10:00pm | More »

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