Mini breadboard

Using the MakerShield – Button

Using the MakerShield – Button

The MakerShield is a great prototyping shield but the button can be a little confusing to use. Since it connects to ground when pressed, it takes a little extra wiring and one change in the code to get to work with with the Arduino example sketch. Follow along!

One-Hour CoasterBot

One-Hour CoasterBot

Last year we ran a cool CoasterBot build project and contest on MAKE. We had dozens of awesome entries, from the most basic to the quite elaborate. This Make: Project shows you how to make just about the simplest CoasterBot imaginable. From here you can add new sensors and features and build on the basic […]

Spazzi: A Solenoid Powered Dancebot

Spazzi: A Solenoid Powered Dancebot

At BeatBots, we believe that dancing is one of the most worthwhile occupations a robot can have. We like making cute characters move in interesting ways, and as you’ll see, this doesn’t require expensive components or complicated programming. For Spazzi here, we decided to forego the rotational motors (servos and steppers) that many robots use. […]

Arduino Mail Notifier

Arduino Mail Notifier

Many inventions/hacks often arise out of the need to solve a problem. The Arduino mailer notifier project was no exception. My workshop is in my backyard. During the day, I am far away from my mailbox. Using two Arduinos, some cheap RF modules, and a light sensor, I was able to create a solution that […]

Drive a 7-Segment LED with an Arduino

Drive a 7-Segment LED with an Arduino

Using the Arduino development platform you will learn how to display numbers and letters on a single 7-segment LED display. There are many ways to drive 7-segment displays, and this is a fairly simple method. However, using this method to drive even one LED 7-segment array “burns” (occupies) many of the digital I/O pins on […]

Get Started with Arduino Clones

Get Started with Arduino Clones

Here you will learn how to wire the Arduino clone up and how to start your first project. In this tutorial, I am working with a breadboardable ATMega Lite Dev Kit from SurplusGizmos.com, but this can apply to other Arduino clones, too, such as the Ardweeny kit in the Maker Shed. Note: this tutorial is […]