Month: January 2011

How-to Tuesday: Arduino 101 the LED

How-to Tuesday: Arduino 101 the LED

More information is available at http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/howto_tuesday_arduino_101_blink_an_led.html

This week I am going to be starting a series about getting started with the Arduino. A few weeks ago I posted a quick how-to on using a force sensor and received a lot of positive feedback. This led me to the idea of a creating a series of how-to’s about our favorite little micro-controller, the Arduino.

We have lots of Arduino’s in the Maker Shed http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=43

Continue Reading Marc de Vinck
How-to Tuesday: Valentines LED display

How-to Tuesday: Valentines LED display

The complete build process, including lots of pictures, can be found on makezine.com.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/howto_tuesday_valentines_led_display.html

This week I am going to be making the Open Heart kit from the Maker Shed. The Open Heart kit uses a technique called Charliplexing for lighting up the LEDs. Why? Well, Charlieplexing allows you to control each LED’s state individually. All you need to do is create a simple program and upload it to the Arduino and you have a really cool animated LED display. Check out makezine.com for all the details of the build.

Check out makezine.com for the complete build.

Continue Reading Marc de Vinck
Twitchie Scorpion

Twitchie Scorpion

I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it’s an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and it’s pretty light on the soldering, too. I’d recommend Twitchie for young makers (boys & girls, too!) interested in robotics or moving plush toys. You can buy the Twitchie Robot Kit in the Maker Shed:
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKTET2

Music is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi, http://shuutobi.com

Continue Reading Becky Stern
Industrial Sound Controllers

Industrial Sound Controllers

Tristan Shone rolled out the ‘big guns’ for Maker Faire Bay Area 2010. His Industrial Sound Controllers are a musical force to be reckoned with and their sheer size and weight demand considerable attention upon seeing them firsthand.

Tristan took a few moments out from setting up to speak with Becky Stern before performing, and explained some of the functionality of his very custom gear. For more on his unique brand of ‘heavy metal’, be sure to check out the interview in MAKE, Volume 22 and the how-to on building your own 8-mic MIDI controller –
https://makezine.com/22/tristanshone/
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol22?pg=119#pg121

Continue Reading Becky Stern