Tom Igoe just sent me this really cool project that he made on the Arduino Mega and in Processing. He used (2) 8×8 LED matrices and an Arduino Mega to recreate Pong. Next, he ported the Arduino code over to Processing. He said it took 10 minutes to port the entire code. That’s fast! You can see the LED matrices in action in my post from yesterday. Check out the link for detailed instructions of both projects, a video, and the source code. Thanks Tom!
When I start learning a new platform, I have a simple rule: If you don’t know what to do with it, make pong. What I love about pong is that it’s a simple rule set, easy to understand, and implementable on just about anything with a pixel display. You can generally implement it in a day or less on any platform. And it’s a great example of engaging interaction. People understand what’s going on right away, and, when implemented well, it’s just challenging enough to keep you engaged for several minutes at least. That’s good interaction, to me.
More about A Tale of Two Pongs: Arduino Mega
Update: You can now pre-order the Arduino Mega from the Maker Shed!
Update #2: Don’t forget Tom Igoe will be our guest on Make: Talk this Friday at 12 noon PDT, 3PM EDT. More detail here!
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