The Mini Blind Minder combines a homemade “shield” with the Arduino Uno to automatically open and close your window shades to a desired interior temperature. Watch the video to see this project in action along with some suggested changes or modifications for this beginner-friendly Weekend Project.
The “Drawdio” Musical Pencil is a classic project that continues to inspire people to make. It’s fun and easy, and can be assembled in just a few hours once you’ve gathered all the parts needed. See various builds by four makers, including one person’s first electronics build ever.
Infrared Pulse Sensor is the latest addition to our beginner-friendly series of Weekend Projects. Inspired by a photoresistor pulse sensor, MAKE’s Technical Editor Sean Michael Ragan built this IR-based pulse sensor using emitter and detector diodes, combined with an LM384 op-amp IC and an Arduino.
A discreet enclosure box sits in the sun, seeming to innocently soak up the rays abound. Two solar panels sit on top, recharging a Nickel–metal hydride battery contained within. You’ve seen this before in garden lights, motion lights, and similar outdoor appliances. But this black box has an ulterior motive!
Drawdio is a simple electronic sound synthesizer build onto a pencil! The Drawdio circuit plays a musical tone with a frequency that varies based on the resistance between two points. When you hold the Drawdio in your hand, your body becomes part of the resistive loop, and you can do all kinds of fun tricks, like draw yourself a piano and play a little tune.
Follow along as we wire up this simple two-switch circuit that turns vocals off for instant instrumental mp3s. On any song where the track is equally mixed to left and right channels of stereo audio, the Sing-a-long Song Devocalizer will cancel them out, allowing you to isolate the instruments without the interference of song. Make […]
Combine an Arduino with a USB host mode-compatible Android device, and control a strip of full-color RGB LEDs with your Android’s touchscreen. Explore Pulse Width Modulation to get maximum brightness from your LEDs and mix their values to correct for color balance.
