Gearfuse

We’ve seen the Arduino used before in multiple DIY projects and mods. Makes sense, especially since it’s a user-friendly microcontroller. But what about using the Arduino as a full-fledged computer? That’s what a guy named Johannes decided to do. Check out what he’s managed to pull off so far:

I have resently been working on a project for the arduino, called Arduputer. With the project i intended to see how much the arduino could do. The current sketch is about 13kB.
On the arduputer I have several programs including a text editor, a simple ocilloscope and a program that shows available ram on the Arduputer.

I have modified the Ps2 keyboard library and the GLCD. In the GLCD library I added a routine for showing a picture. I used Bitmap2LCD for converting it from bmp to bitmap.

If you want to try building your own, instructions are available. Not for the light of heart.

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Using the graphical programming language Processing and an Arduino microcontroller, Trevor Shannon built himself a software-based Etch-A-Sketch. The Arduino reads the input from two potentiometers and then through a serial connection, lines are produced on a computer screen. Over time, the lines disappear, just like a real Etch-A-Sketch. A simple, yet intuitive way of using the Arduino to build a project. Oh, and the knobs are made from an old iTunes gift card!

Want to give it a shot? Trevor has provided the code and schematics that you need to get started.

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It’s no news that we’re Arduino nuts here at Gearfuse, but lately, we haven’t seen anything that has really pushed the boundaries of the popular microcontroller. Now some smarty pants named Martin has come along with a schematic that allows real-time audio processing with the Arduino. This means you can create guitar FX pedals, equalizers and a whole lot of digital instruments thanks to this setup. Says Martin:

The first set of examples alter an incoming audio signal and put it back to an audio output. We achieve effects like Reverb, Phasor, Flanger or Ringmodulator. The second set of examples are outputting computed waveforms like Sinewave, Bell and Xylophone sounds.

Think you can handle it, Mr. Programmer? Then get to it.

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A duck. A cat. A rooster. Your mom.

Quick, remember those four items and hold that thought. You’re going to need a sharp memory for building and playing this sweet memory game that you can build yourself, sans Arduino. It uses a Picaxe microcontroller, ensuring a headache of assembly-based program for all involved. The outcome does sound pretty rewarding though:

MemSounds is a sound based memory game played in rounds. In the first round it plays one of 4 different sounds at random. Each sound represents a different switch in the device. After the sound is played you get a turn to copy the original sound by pressing a switch. If you get the sound right, MemSounds will play two sounds in the next round and so on. The limit is about 100 rounds.

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When a father makes a gadget for his unborn son, that’s true dedication. Corey Menscher designed and built the Kickbee for his pregnant wife. The baby kicks her stomach, a piezo sensor reads it and another module twitters the response for all to see. Can you guess what microcontroller is used to control all of this? Take a guess.

Yup. The Arduino. Specifically, an Arduino Mini with a Bluesmirf Bluetooth module. I’m no Twitter fan but this is badass.

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The name is a bit odd, I have to admit, but this looks like one fun toy for the DIY enthusiast out there. It’s called the Meggy Jr RGB and it’s a programmable handheld console that features an 8×8 LED matrix made up of wonderful colored lights. It uses an ATMega168 microcontroller, similar to that of the Arduino. In fact, you can use Arduino code to program the Meggy Jr. With six buttons available, you could end up making a game or an audio interface with this thing.

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has a whole write up on it and how it can be used. It’ll be available next week.

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Jonah over at MAKE points out that you can actually make your Arduino a lot greener. How? Use a Solio with an external USB cable to provide your favorite microcontroller with power. If you don’t know what a Solio is, it’s essentially a small solar powered gadget charger. While this isn’t exactly a breathtaking hack or anything like that, it’s a new way of using a Solio and an alternative way to power your Arduino come this Halloween!

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Who would have thought that our favorite microcontroller, the Arduino Duemilanove, could be used for taking incredible pictures with high speed photography techniques? Using a laser and sensors, this photographer used an Arduino to capture these amazing photographs. Can you believe that’s paint? Hit the jump for more unbelievable photos.

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Using an ATtiny13 microcontroller and some matrixed LEDs, hacker Randomskk designed a jar full of electronic fireflies. A bulb is picked at random and flashed on one to three times. 255 different patterns are available and the entire thing is powered by a watch battery. Seems like it’d be pretty easy to make your own. What do you think? Weekend project or five minutes of fury?

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Alex Weber is firefly crazy. He’s so fascinated by the synchronization of fireflies that he programmed these Amtel ATtiny chips to simulate the harmony of blinking light that fireflies are known for. At first, the microcontrollers blink in no particular rhythm but as time goes on, they are able detect the flashes of their neighboring LEDs and sync themselves in unison. It makes the unsynchronized LED cape look so yesteryear.

He’s posted DIY instructions and the algorithm for the microcontrollers on Instructables.com for anyone who wants to duplicate a jar full of fireflies. Now if only LED body piercings would blink in unison.

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