As the preeminent tool for makers, Arduino is a versatile platform that covers almost every type of creative making. With its simple-to-use coding language and fun programming concepts, Arduino enables users to create modern electronics with ease. From beginner level projects like flashing LED lights to more advanced builds such as interactive robots, there are an endless number of possibilities when it comes to building projects with Arduino. Whether you are new or an experienced builder in search of fresh ideas, these posts will provide interesting Arduino tutorials and unique ideas that may spark your creativity and motivate you take on any type of maker project!
It’s been a big year here at the Maker Shed. This has been our best year to date and we have shipped around 30,000 orders to makers all over the world! Ever wonder what our top products are? Below are the Top 10 items shipped from the Maker Shed in 2011.
If you’re looking to recreate the Times Square ball drop this New Year’s Eve, Dino Segovis has posted his plans for making an Arduino-based New Year Mini Ball Drop LED Timer. You activate it with one minute left in the year and five LEDs inside ping pong balls simulate the dropping ball. Then, at the stroke of midnight, a 2012 sign lights up as the trusty tone library plays Auld Lang Syne.
Jason Gessner’s wife is an avid runner and they’ve often joked that she puts in more miles than he does in his car. This inspired Jason to create an odometer to track the miles his wife logs during training and races. Jason used a numerical readout he found at a surplus store and hooked it up to a Motor Shield. A computer with Ruby checks the DailyMile API every minute for new entries and sends a signal to the Arduino over serial to increment the counter with a satisfying click for each mile his wife has logged.
It’s been such a treat to look through so many heartfelt (yes, sometimes brash) comments on posts from the past year. Looking to 2012, I’m sure we’ll see more newsworthy items that whet people’s appetite for healthy debate. But first, check out these ten from the past year that cranked up the heat in the comments.
It’s almost as if any Make:Project with “mod” in it’s name is begging to be, well, modded! A shining example of this is John Moseley’s mod of the Luna Mod Looper – dare I say his hack is cute!
To celebrate the release of our latest publication, the Make: Ultimate Kit Guide 2012 (and its companion website), we’re giving away at least one of the cool kits reviewed in the issue each day during the holiday season. Today’s giveaway is for an Arduino ADK Tinkerkit (a $359 value.)
Still need a last minute gift for a maker but don’t want to pay for next day or overnight shipping? Why not give them a .PDF of one of my favorite books, Making Things Talk, from the Maker Shed!
