A tripod is the most common way to stabilize a camera. But there are a few situations where a regular tripod is very impractical. In this project, I show you how to make a small table top articulated camera stand from a desk lamp and a few piece of scrap wood. This lets you get pictures from any height and just about any angle. Its a great tool for documenting your DIY projects.
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No security system is complete without lasers. We have all seen movies where the main character has to get past a high tech security system and there is always a room full of lasers somewhere.
So in this project, I show you how to build a laser tripwire alarm. All you need is a cheap laser point, a couple of mirrors, and a few dollars of electrical parts. With this you can cover an entire house with an array of light beams. If any one of them is crossed it sets off your alarm. And unlike in the movies, these lasers are practically invisible.
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In most workshops space is limited. So you need to find a way to utilize every bit of space that you can. One area that is often overlooked is the space underneath shelves and cabinets. But this can actually be a great place to store small tools. All you need is a few magnets and some sheet metal.
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There are a lot of times when you want to photograph something but you can’t be there with the camera. If you want to take aerial photographs with a pole or a kite, you need a way to control the camera without being up in the air yourself. In this project I demonstrate a variety of ways that you can remotely or automatically control a camera.
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When working with special effects, the most important part is timing. So for this Halloween, I am doing a series of projects that use simple DIY sensors to help you automate your Halloween setup. So far we have covered pressure plates and proximity sensors. This week, I am going to show you how to use motion sensors to activate your special effects.
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Last week I showed how to use a pressure plate switch to activate special effects. This week, I am going to show you how to make a simple proximity sensor. This is basically just an infrared LED and a phototransistor. When a person stands near the sensor, some of the light from the LED is reflected back to the detector. The output signal of the detector can be monitored by an Arduino and used to activate special effects when the person is close enough.
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Interactive Halloween props are always fun. So in this project I designed a simple motion tracking system that will make your Halloween props turn to look at people and follow their movements as they walk by.
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