Ask MAKE: Getting started with physical computing
I would like to know what is the best way to get started in this area of physical, interactive microcontrollers. Can some one point me in the right direction?
Arduino
Cigar box prototyping at Maker Faire RI
The other night at Maker Faire Rhode Island, I met up with Raphael. He had brought along these neat prototyping kits made from cigar boxes. I asked him about why he made them and what he does with these mobile prototyping platforms.
Dice reader, version 2
The last time we covered this neat die reading machine by Steve Hoefer, he had a very nice design that was starting to be able to determine the number of a die placed on it. Well, he swapped out his problematic photoresistor sensors for an infrared emitter/detector-based scheme to produce version 2, which he claims works with almost perfect accuracy.
Getting Started with Arduino in the iPhone app store
The standalone iPhone app version of Getting Started with Arduino is available for purchase via iTunes or directly on your iPhone or iPod touch
Program Arduino from a web browser with physical x wonderfl
Connect your microcontroller board to a computer, and run your sketch from inside the browser.
Sleepy Arduino saves power
Got a nice Arduino project that needs to be battery-powered, but you want it to keep running for a long time? Well, the fine folks at Lab 3 might have just the solution for you. They hooked up a photoresistor and a buzzer to an Atmega 168 microcontroller running Arduino to make a digital nightingale. […]
Arduino-controlled firewood cutter/splitter
A month or so ago at the dump, I helped Michael harvest the optical sensor out of a skiing machine just as closing time descended upon us. As we got hustled away from the picking pile, he mentioned that he needed it to make a speed governor for a wood cutting and splitting machine. A […]
