This article outlines the rise of DIY electronics & manufacturing and highlights appropriate prototyping platforms. Author: Mark Butt. 

The Do-it-Yourself (DIY) ethos is nothing new. From ambitious homeowners that build and remodel their properties to punk rock musicians making low to mid-fi opuses on four-track recorders, to today’s gadgeteers determined to build tomorrow’s innovative tech products. While the DIY ethos isn’t necessarily new, it is making a massive comeback with regard to manufacturing and electronics.

The rise of DIY electronics projects is based around the idea that the average Joe can build an innovative tech product with nothing but some cheap microcontrollers, a few dollars worth of components and a brilliant idea. The DIY electronics movement is underpinned by the inventors’ spirit of trial and error and most importantly, satisfaction and enjoyment.

Arduino – DIY Electronic Prototyping

On the surface, Arduino is just a little circuit board with some programming capabilities. Beneath the surface it is a powerful electronics prototyping platform that developers are using to change the face of hardware engineering.

Actually, the working definition straight from the Arduino horse’s mouth goes something like, “an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.” In real-world terms, this essentially means that the Arduino microcrontroller (read: circuit board) is capable of controlling any hardware-powered DIY project you or your creative department can dream up. We’ve used Arduino in many commercial installations, and have never had an Arduino board fail on us during a live activation. That’s much more than I can say for my $4,500 Macbook Pro.

Raspberry Pi – A Programming Learning Tool Gone Wild

Along the lines of the Arduino platform is Raspberry Pi. Like the Arduino platform, Raspberry Pi is completely open source and dirt-cheap. The platform was originally developed by the UK organization, the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The original goal of the platform was to provide a cheap, easy-to-use and accessible programming platform for students all over the world. The initial concept was to give young programmers a little nudge in the right direction.

What makes it unique is the size & components. The other main difference is that Arduino, for all intensive purposes, is a blank slate. Raspberry Pi is functionally, a Linux-powered computer.

It comes stocked with a 700 MHz processor, 256 MBs of RAM, and sells for $25. To put this into perspective, in 2001 Apple put out the Cube, which came with a 450 MHz processor, 64 MBs of RAM and sold for roughly $1800.

Long story short, young programming enthusiasts have access to powerful programming tools for less than an expensive set of Legos.

Open Source & DIY: A Perfect Marriage of Technology and Innovation

Emile Petrone of GigaOM poses the question: Will this new DIY tech revolution produce the next Apple? The short and easy answer is, most likely.

Learning has taken a backseat to innovation as young developers learn to build complex solutions with very simple tools.In recent months, Raspberry Pi has received some attention, as developers have been able to get the Android operating system up and running on the platform. In the late 70s, Steve Jobs & Co released the first computing kit, which is essentially what the Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards are offering. Ironically, this new marriage of hardware and innovation is powered by open source technology.

Conclusion

Hardware is doing for this new generation what the Internet did for programmers and tech enthusiasts in the 1990s and 2000s. As the DIY movement continues to explode, more companies are and will continue to make hardware and programming tools more accessible and affordable than ever.

While some analysts are haphazardly pronouncing the death of hardware, programmers & creative technologists are clearly demonstrating otherwise. On one hand, these same analysts do have a point. Hardware prices are dropping, and it’s near impossible to turn a profit these days. On the other hand, that’s not really the point. The point is that lowered hardware prices are fuelling innovation, and that’s what matters.

Although it sounds odd, the Yarn Monster simply consists of two parts – the Monster itself and the remote control. The monster contains an Arduino board and a stepper motor which rotates a spindle to draw the wool in and wind it in the usual pattern. The second part is the remote control, which allows speed and direction changes for the winding. You can see it in action through the following video:

The remote control sends the data using Xbee wireless data transceiver modules, which can often have a range of over twenty metres. Apart from being a fun example of a tool for an otherwise unloved task, the Yarn Monster has a sense of personality and has been made to suit the name. Plus by following the instructions, hopefully your Arduino knowledge will in improve. Finally, you can always mount the winder in a more conventional enclosure for simplicity and sanity’s sake.  For the plans, notes, and Arduino sketch visit the Yarn Monster site here: http://unionbridge.org/design/yarn-monster

This article provides an overview of recently funded AVR & Arduino related Kickstarter projects. Author: Mark Butt 

Why look to Kickstarter for the hot new microcontroller projects? It’s no secret that the Arduino microcontroller is tied inextricably with a certain D.I.Y. spirit. It’s only appropriate that related start-ups, makers & hackers would bring that same attitude to their fundraising efforts. Why deal with loans or investors when you can get your development funds straight from your potential customers?

As such, crowdsourcing websites like Kickstarter have become a hotbed for new developments from the Arduino & AVR community. Ranging from quirky side-projects from your friendly neighbourhood hacker, to revolutionary new systems that might just completely change the world of microcontrollers, Kickstarter seems to have it all. Let’s take a look at a handful of recently successful projects.

TinyDuino

Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like but it’s also much more. Here’s a breakthrough that further proves the adage, “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” It wouldn’t be fair to call the Arduino Uno bulky or expensive, but for complex jobs the size and cost can add up quickly. This stackable, modular alternative brings all the punch of the Uno with a profile the size of a 20 cent coin. If that’s still too big, take a look at the TinyLily. It’s got all the power of a LilyPad Arduino and half the mass. The best part of all is that unlike other mini-alternatives, the TinyDuno doesn’t sacrifice any support for expansion. It’s a big leap for anyone thinking small.

smARtDUINO

From an Italian former Arduino manufacturer, the smARtDUINO is, in some ways, the most exciting development on this list. Simply put, the smARtDUNIO divorces itself from a single proprietary processor, architecture or language in exchange for a nearly universal platform that allows you to easily connect components from different manufacturers and technologies. Working as a bridge between different platforms, this elegant problem-solver is able to resolve all the cross-platform nightmares that inevitably hamper complex jobs.

ArduSat

Yes, in some ways, the smARtDUINO is the most exciting development on this list. However, there’s one big way the ArduSat has it beat. It’s going into space. ArduSat which is short for Arduino-Satellite, (and happens to be just that), will allow you to rent space and bring your Arduino-based applications and experiments into the upper atmosphere. In addition to providing you with access to built-in cameras, the opportunity for experimentation is limited only by your imagination. One of their suggestions, for example, is a game of “Geiger Counter Bingo” using input from cosmic radiation. For more information on ArduSat, you can check out the project page here:, Here’s some photos of a recent Hackduino meetup, where Jonathan Oxer presented on the design of the board, project objectives and milestones thus far.

As if game-changing new boards and Arduino’s in space aren’t exciting enough, this is just a sample of the many microcontroller projects popping up on Kickstarter. It’s an amazing period for Arduino and other microcontroller platforms with breakthroughs happening every day. With crowdsourced funding you can take an active role in the microcontroller revolution and get involved in new projects on the ground floor. Some of the most interesting results come from the combination of this rapid technological advancement with old-fashioned entrepreneurial spirit. Because of this, sites like Kickstarter have turned into a spawning ground for some of the greatest innovations yet and these three examples might just be the tip of the iceberg. Got any other thoughts or info you would like to share, contact us here.

The world of technology and art used to be mutually exclusive fields. This was due to the technical resources and massive capital investment needed to develop new hardware and software products. Arduino is one of the first companies & products to address this problem by developing open-source microcontrolers and the cross platform Arduino programming environment .

Other microcontroler platforms also offer similar functionality such as:

 Netmedia‘sBX-24,ParallaxBasicStamp,Phidgets,TexasInstruments‘ LaunchPad, andMIT‘sHandyboard. These project kits make hardware programming so easy and inexpensive that anyone can experiment with these micro-controllers and sensors. The two big advantages of Arduino come from its cross platform and open-source nature of the project.

From Arduino:

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP).

The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloaded for free. The hardware reference designs (CAD files) are available under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs.

Arduino received an Honorary Mention in the Digital Communities section of the 2006 Ars Electronica Prix. The Arduino team is: Massimo Banzi, David Cuartielles, Tom Igoe, Gianluca Martino, and David Mellis. Credits

 Software

Since the software is cross platform and open-source, not only can it be used on any Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system, it can also be shared with anyone in the world. This allows other to dissect and learn from code that has already been created. Also, anyone can build upon the programs written by others, provided they share their code with the community as well. For example, GitHub user jPiroshky (JohnPierceParker) shared some code he found posted on Clarence‘sblog and now you can use it for your own project. This concept of learning from and sharing code written by others is not new to the world of computer software. However it is something very recent to hardware design.

Open-Source Hardware

If not the first, Arduino is certainly the most popular open-source hardware development platform. In the same spirit as open-source software, Arduino is working to make hardware development free. That’s free as in freedom, allowing the greatest number of people to have the opportunity to participate. In the case of open-source software, that participation comes in the form of writing code and using programs. Open-source hardware allows users to put blinking LEDs on anything they wish (pillow,gangboxclock, and a 21st century telegraph). Art is found in all the flashing LEDs of open-source hardware. Open-source ideals allow for the exploration of new ideas which, in some cases, lead to innovative products.

Here’s an interesting open source electronics project:

Light Painting

In this project The Mechatronics Guy explains and demonstrates how to paint with light. This Persistence of Vision (POV) light painter can be used to write messages in the air which are visible using extended exposure photography. Also, it’s kind of a two for one project which can be modified to map WiFi signals.

Image

First, you create an image on your computer. The image is converted to reduce the number of colours because the light bar can only display a few RGB colours. However, dithering is added to simulate a larger colour pallet. The image can then be converted into a light bar output file.

Light Bar

The image is then transmitted to the light bar and drawn out with colorful LEDs. The program calculates the time it will take for the entire image to be shown on the light bar and creates an output file. This allows you to gauge the camera exposure time and your walking speed for the image.

Photograph

The computer sends the output file to the light bar after a preset delay which allows you to enter the frame of the image before the light bar begins. The camera captures the changing LEDs and an image is drawn in lights over your photo. When this is done right, it looks as though the message is floating in the air.

WiFi Mapping

The POV light painter was inspired by a previous project that mapped WiFi signals in Oslo. The light bars used in each project were quite different. However, the colorful light bar used in this project can be used in the WiFi project with some code modification. In addition to using colorful LEDs, the light painting project uses a 2 meter LED strip while the WiFi project used a 4 meter LED strip. So, the output will also require some scaling.

 Another Project: Interactive Arduino Powered Music Poster.

Michael Robinson works in an office with music playing in the open, and sometimes people didn’t agree with the currently-playing music track. To enable some democracy and office mayhem with regards to the choice of music, he created the “Change the tuner” poster. Simply this is a poster which has a piezo knock sensor behind it – and once an object hits the poster, the sensor sends a signal to an Arduino board which changes the track of the music player via USB. For example:

Although not fully documented, the project can be easily replicated. A piezo can be measured with an Arduino analogue input, and then send commands as a keyboard via USB as described in this article. Apart from using one of our range of Arduino-compatible boards, you can bring this project to life with our SOUND: sound and buzzer module which is perfect for knock detection:

Change the tune from Michael Robinson on Vimeo.

For more information and inspiration, visit Michael’s site here.