MindKits News and Blog

Quote from the site:

"Not exactly a keyboard, but I'd argue that a data logging scale is an input device... In any case, this is a project I did a while ago (~2

years ago). Start with a cheap bathroom scale from Ikea, then strip out all the hardware except for the load cells. Add in the following:"

Check out the source article here

 

 The scale then uploads the data to a website with the help of a PC

From http://www.amarino-toolkit.net/

Normally smartphone events are tightly coupled to your phone device itself. When your cell phone is ringing, your phone speaker plays a ringtone. When you get a new text message, your phone displays it on its screen. Wouldn't it be thrilling to make thoses phone events visible somewhere else, on your wearable, in your living room, on your robot, in your office or where ever you want it to occur? Or would you like to use your smartphone sensors, like the accelerometer, light sensor, compass or your touchscreen to control other devices? 'android meets arduino' is a toolkit, basically consisting of an Android application and an Arduino library which will help you to interface with your phone in a new dimension. You can build your own interfaces almost without any programming experience.

 

Arduino modder Matthew Garten took his previous watch, a stingray hide "Biopunk Edition," and wrapped it with pseudo steampunk. It's an acquired taste, to be sure, but a temperature-sensing watch is handy if you're dealing with heat (or steam!).

There's also a range-finding feature, Breakout, a trackball and a 128x128 OLED display. The whole kit, a DIY project if we've ever seen one, runs about $250.

The temp-sensing functionality can be seen in Garten's Biopunk watch. And yes, he's got a sword at his hip:

 http://www.optimizedforce.com/

 

 

 

 From the SparkFun Blog post:

Our newest product info video features yours truly explaining the basics of ultrasonic range-finding sensors. If you ever want to add distance sensing, or object/motion detection to your project, these sonar sensors are a great option. They're ultra-easy to use, with an analog output (among a couple other output options), you can get one distance-finding in no time. On top of their ease-of-use, I really like the flexibility of these sensors.  You can implement them in both 3.3V and 5V systems (they operate from 2.5-5.5V), and the three different output options mean you can almost always find a pin for them on your microcontroller.

 

 

 Laser Command is a game which  is built using a 8x8 matrix LED and an Arduino Mini.

The name "Laser Command" comes from an old game called Missile Command. In Missile Command, you are asked to shoot enemy's missiles using missiles. In Laser Command, you shoot using laser, i.e., a laser pointer. The most interesting part in this game is that the game uses a laser pointer as a two-dimensional input device in conjunction with a matrix LED.

 

Check out the video below and the link for instructions on building your own.

 

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ehayashi/projects/lasercommand/

Laser Command from Eiji Hayashi on Vimeo.

ARDUINO WORKSHOP
26th - 27th June 2010  <==Please note, the course has now been moved to July, dates tbc
Massey University's College of Creative Arts

$300 Two Day Short Course

 

Tim Carr from MindKits and Massey University are offering 25 participants a fantastic opportunity to sign up to a two day short course that introduces you to the world of micro-controllers and electronics through Arduino. On the first day, you will be shown how to get up and running with the Arduino environment and the principles of electronics along with loads of hands on tinkering to put the principles into practise. You will learn how to leverage the vast pool of community resources to allow you to interface with just about any piece of hardware and find code to make it do what you need without having to be a hardware hacking genius yourself. You will be encouraged to experiment hands on with electronics and Arduino and have knowledgeable resource there to make learning easy, fun and fast.

You will also receive $80 worth of Arduino equipment and components to walk away with at the end of the workshop which gives you everything you need to start learning while being guided and having fun.

The second day will be focused around putting your new found skills to good use and adding new skills to those from the first day. You are encouraged to ask as many questions as you like and your tutor will help you all the way. After gaining a foothold on what Arduino is and what it can do for you, you will be given a chance to extend your knowledge by working on a real life project of your choice or one of our pre-tinkered project ideas while your tutor helps you when you have questions and will advise on best practices. You will not only gain the hands on experience and confidence to continue tinkering after the course but you will work through many of the fundamental issues that lead to quality design and implementation.

If you're new to electronics and micro-processors, think they are a mystery but have an inquiring mind and would like to learn more then this is the course for you. We take the concepts of electronics, combine them with the fun of micro-controllers and programming and give you an opportunity to learn new skills and have good fun building a project at the same time.

The course costs $300 for the two days and includes $80 worth of kit from MindKits. The workshop will take place at Massey University and we'll provide WI-FI access for internet on the day. You are encouraged to bring your own laptop which you will set up on the day but if you haven't a laptop we'll provide you with a computer in the lab on the day to use.

Please feel free to contact Tim Carr (Tim@MindKits.co.nz) if you have questions and register your interest with Massey University by emailing Megan Nash: m.e.nash@massey.ac.nz

What could be better than offering you more kit for your hard earned cash? Well, with MindKits we'll dropped prices on a bunch of key products and we're not done yet!

If you find we've missed the mark on pricing and you can email us or contact us with a link of where you've found it cheaper (NZ only as you can understand) we'll make sure the pricing gets changed. What's more, to say thanks, when you then go on to order that item we'll throw in a set of jumper cables and a MindKits component starter kit containing a set of resistors, caps, trim-pot so you'll always have the right bits right at hand.

So, help us to be the best robotics shop and be assured you're getting the best deal you can get.

 Tim and the MindKits team.

Who said that kids couldn't play with Arduino, and that you couldn't bring your favourite soft toy to life!!

 

Do you remember those cheat sheets from your school days. Or the ones that you get with computer games? Were you wondering if there was one for the Arduino? Well your wait is over. I came across this great Ardunio cheat sheet and thought you might be is useful.

We have mood rings that tell us our mood....so what about robotics telling us about our mood? Check this moody project out.

Minneapolis maker Michael Krumpus, created this lovely mood lamp made out of LEDs, an Arduino Duemilanove, and glass vials.