Aug 22

Tacit sonar gauntlet gives the blind ultrasonic eyes (video)

Posted in: arduino, diy, Today's Chili, video



Sure, your Arduino project can make a stuffed monkey dance, but is it really doing anything for the greater benefit of mankind? Okay, maybe — but not to the same degree as Grathio Labs’ Tacit glove, an Arduino powered sonar device that can help the vision impaired navigate foreign environments. This wrist-mounted gauntlet is comprised of an Arduino microcontroller, a few ultrasonic sensors, and a pair of servomotors to apply variable pressure to the user’s wrist to indicate their distance from an object or obstacle. Best of all, the gizmo’s circuit and software are registered under Creative Commons, which means you’re free to snag the plans from the source link below, and build your own. Go on, build one. Sure, it’s a lot of work, but would you rather rock a wrist-mounted sonar gun, or don an ear-tugging bicycle helmet? Your choice.

Tacit sonar gauntlet gives the blind ultrasonic eyes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 16

Enough Already Arduino mutes TV’s overexposed celebrities, frees you to live again (video)

Posted in: arduino, diy, Television, Today's Chili, TV, video
Are you besieged by celebrities? Sure, you could try turning off the TV, but now there’s a more complex, DIY solution: Enough Already, an Arduino box that mutes your television at any mention of certain names — Lady Gaga, for example. The setup’s fairly simple if you’re comfortable with hardware hacking; it uses the Video Experimenter Shield to read closed captioning data, then sends the mute command via IR whenever offending words appear. Of course, you can tweak the blacklist however you like, so Pippa Middleton updates will still get through. Follow the tutorial after the break and you’ll be able to once more channel-surf in peace, knowing you’ll never again have to hear the word “Snooki.”

Continue reading Enough Already Arduino mutes TV’s overexposed celebrities, frees you to live again (video)

Enough Already Arduino mutes TV’s overexposed celebrities, frees you to live again (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 10

Kinect / Arduino hack makes stuffed monkey dance for your amusement

Posted in: arduino, hack, kinect, Microsoft, Today's Chili
Just when you thought that people had squeezed the last drop of creativity out of Microsoft’s Kinect, something like this comes along. It’s a stuffed monkey with a robotic skeleton that can mimic the movements of the person standing in front of it. “Monkey Business” is an art installation of sorts created by Jan M. Sieber and Ralph Kistler. It uses a camera sensor from a Kinect, an Arduino mircocontroller, and 10 servomotors. The smirking robo-monkey, meanwhile, is suspended from the wall, giving it a full range of movement. The resulting video is pretty darn delightful.

Continue reading Kinect / Arduino hack makes stuffed monkey dance for your amusement

Kinect / Arduino hack makes stuffed monkey dance for your amusement originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 08

Rich Decibels Brainwave Disruptor scrambles your head, not your eggs

Posted in: arduino, hack, homebrew, LED, mod, mods, Today's Chili

Child of the ’80s? Then you’ll most likely remember those notorious PSAs about your brain and eggs, and the dangers of turning yourself into an omelette. Yeah, well turn off your inner Nancy Reagan for a second because we’ve got an Arduino hack that should have you just saying yes. New Zealand artist Rich Decibels created a homebrew brain entrainment device that uses low frequency sound and light to induce different mental states. The mod pieces together an Arduino Uno with two separate interface boards — one for pitch and separation controls, the other for LED and volume — to deliver a combo of binaural beats (two slightly out of sync tones) and flashing headset-mounted lights that’ll slow down those cerebral hertz cycles. If you happen to live in the land made famous by Frodo’s Shire, you can check out the brain-slowing goods at Thistle Hall’s Project Briefcase exhibition. Not a Kiwi? Then be sure to hit the source for an audio taste of this hacked head experience.

Rich Decibels Brainwave Disruptor scrambles your head, not your eggs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 07

Laundrino ensures you’ll never rely on your washing machine’s timer again

Posted in: arduino, open source, opensource, Today's Chili

LaundrinoWe can’t count the number of instances we’ve started a load of laundry in our washing machine and missed the timer go off, only to later find an odorous and damp pile of what should have been fresh garments. Luckily, the tried-and-trusted Arduino is stepping in to solve yet another first world problem. A fellow over at möp, möp! (apparently, a sub-blog of the Fellowship of Free Software Foundation Europe), had a relatable issue by way of a busted cycle-indicator. Rather than having to check the machine constantly or call a repairman, they decided on the obvious choice: hooking it up to an Arduino Uno and Ethernet shield. Now, the unit is programed to ping a web address over LAN that lets the user know whether the load-cycle is complete, and if so, how long it’s been idle for. The poster’s even been kind enough to detail the work and source code required, which you’ll find by hitting the source link below. “Rinse and repeat” never seemed so fitting.

Continue reading Laundrino ensures you’ll never rely on your washing machine’s timer again

Laundrino ensures you’ll never rely on your washing machine’s timer again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 03

Microsoft Research’s .NET Gadgeteer steps out into the light, shoots daggers at Arduino (video)

Posted in: arduino, hack, hacking, homebrew, Microsoft, mod, modding, open source, opensource, Today's Chili, video

Arduino, meet .NET Gadgeteer — your newest homebrew hacking rival. Born from Microsoft Research engineers’ desire to build prototypes quickly and easily, the two-and-a-half-years in the making ARM7-powered mainboard packs 4MB Flash, 16MB RAM, Ethernet, WiFi, an SD card interface and USB ports. Novice mods might wanna put the Netduino down because this homespun alternative also runs atop MS’ .NET Micro Framework, and thanks to its IntelliSense feature, makes auto-coding a breeze for first-timers. If you’re interested in what Ballmer & co. are offering, you can head to the project’s site now to pre-order its GHI-made hardware: a $250 Spider Starter Kit and the $120 Spider Mainboard. Both will be available by the end of September, but if you need a preview of what this burgeoning open source community has to offer, peep the stop-motion making mod after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft Research’s .NET Gadgeteer steps out into the light, shoots daggers at Arduino (video)

Microsoft Research’s .NET Gadgeteer steps out into the light, shoots daggers at Arduino (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

Bluetooth keyboard mod resurrects Morse code, offers a helping click to disabled (video)

Posted in: arduino, bluetooth, hacking, keyboard, mod, modding, Today's Chili, video

Morse code may have been pushed aside in the pursuit of higher-tech cryptography, but the old dits and dahs of yore are now finding a repurposed life helping the disabled. Modding outfit Zunkworks has cobbled together an Arduino hack that pairs a Bluetooth-based, dots and dashes approach with wallet-friendly parts. Using the keyboard’s two inbuilt push-buttons, users’ clicks are decoded by the integrated Arduino and then transmitted via Bluetooth to a nearby computer. And thanks to the mod’s HID profile support, you can also enjoy this access solution on smartphones and tablets — useful for those who can “send code at 25-50 words per minute.” Yeah, that’s definitely not us. Still, we applaud the group’s efforts to make 21st century tech accessible to the handicapped and geek alike. Jump past the break for a video demo of this on / off hackjob.

Continue reading Bluetooth keyboard mod resurrects Morse code, offers a helping click to disabled (video)

Bluetooth keyboard mod resurrects Morse code, offers a helping click to disabled (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

SparkFun launches ProtoSnap, pre-wired Arduino kits for beginners (video)

Posted in: arduino, diy, Today's Chili, video
ProtoSnap Line

Looking to get your start in the world of Arduino programming, but having trouble with that whole circuit prototyping thing? Well, the crafty guys and gals at SparkFun have whipped up something they call ProtoSnap — pre-wired boards with an Atmel AVR processor and a small pile of components that are ready for experimenting. When you’ve got your code down, the parts easily snap apart for use in a properly soldered, permanent project. There are three different kits available in the online store now, the Pro Mini ($45), the LilyPad Development Board ($60), and the LilyPad E-sewing kit ($20), the latter being an accessory pack for the LilyPad Board. Check out the gallery of goodies below, as well as the video and PR after the break.

Gallery: SparkFun ProtoSnap Kits

Continue reading SparkFun launches ProtoSnap, pre-wired Arduino kits for beginners (video)

SparkFun launches ProtoSnap, pre-wired Arduino kits for beginners (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 29

XBee grows up, delivers WiFi to DIYers and Arduino enthusiasts

Posted in: arduino, diy, Today's Chili, wifi
XBee WiFi

Good news DIYers, XBee now comes in WiFi flavors. The favorite wireless module of Arduino tinkerers everywhere is growing up and adding 802.11n to its normal compliment of RF and ZigBee options. Development kits are available now starting at $149 per board, with add-on modules like embedded or wire antennas and RF connectors clocking in at $49. It might not seem like a big deal to some of you out there, but anyone who’s contemplated building a Tweet-a-Watt or a Yarn Monster will appreciate being able skip adding a ZigBee adapter to their PC. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading XBee grows up, delivers WiFi to DIYers and Arduino enthusiasts

XBee grows up, delivers WiFi to DIYers and Arduino enthusiasts originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Word cloud hack connects to your TV, closed captioning provided by Arduino (video)

Posted in: arduino, hack, homebrew, Today's Chili, video

Ever get the feeling that those TV talking heads are caught in an endless loop of mind-assaulting rhetoric? Now you can prove it with the aid of a trusty Arduino and an instantly updating word cloud. Nootropic Design rigged up a homebrew hack that connects your TV tuner’s composite feed to a Video Experimenter shield that decodes the closed captioned NTSC broadcast. A Processing sketch then takes over and builds an alphabetized, dynamic metadata cloud you can view on your computer’s screen. The program enlarges words according to frequency and omits those shorter than three letters. As you can see in the pic above, commerical time during NBC’s Nightly News skews slightly… older. Check out the video after the break for a Big Bang Theory version of this word-building project.

Continue reading Word cloud hack connects to your TV, closed captioning provided by Arduino (video)

Word cloud hack connects to your TV, closed captioning provided by Arduino (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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