Although the watch isn’t available in kit form, the designers have published all the PCB schematic and design files so you can have your own PCBs made up, and the Arduino sketch is available to get the watch operational. Here is an example in action:

From a quick observation this isn’t a project for the absolute beginner, however it is an excellent exercise in product manufacturing on a tiny scale – as you work through having the PCB made, part sourcing, assembly and programming. For more information visit the watch project page: http://wiki.makerbot.com/makerbot-watch.

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

The beauty of this project is that Reginald can be complete controlled using the one interface via a processing-based GUI on a PC. Furthermore the communications are encrypted which blocks anyone from logging into Reginald’s IP address and taking over. Here is an example of controlling Reginald from the PC:

Finally, although this project doesn’t fall in the arena for beginners – the creator has documented absolutely everything you need to know to make your own version. From the hardware, code for various platforms, circuit schematics and networking know-how, it’s all available at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Reginald-a-UDP-surveillance-bot-control-via-the-/?ALLSTEPS

The concept is very simple – the analogue audio source (e.g. from the headphone socket of an MP3 player) is connected to a laser pointer via an audio transformer.

The audio waveforms are then converted to beams of light of varying strength. These are then received by a photoresistor at the other end, which converts the varying beam of light back to the matching audio signal. From this point you can then use the audio as normal, such as listen through headphones. The music can be simply muted by breaking the laser beam. You can see this audio-to-light bridge demonstrated in the following video:

As well as the instructions, the authors have left us with an explanation on the theory of operation including how audio transformers work and everything you need to know to get started with your own version. However if you do – take care with the laser beam and make sure the sharp beam can’t be seen by the human eye. To get started visit here: http://www.treehouseprojects.ca/audiolight/.

The temperature is measured using an LM35 temperature sensor, which has a range of -40 and 150 degrees Celsuis. The reading from the sensor is interpreted by the Arduino board, and converted into signals which are relative to the temperature and then displayed using the RGB LED. Here is an example lamp at work:

Once a suitable enclosure has been found, this project would be very easy to recreate and ideal for beginners or something to do on the weekend. As the Arduino board can easily work other types of sensors, the lamp could also respond to humidity, gas levels, motion, and even with the right code alert you to new emails. If you are new to the world of Arduino, you can find plenty of guides and tutorials to get started with here: http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage

And for complete details on making your own lamp, including the circuit and Arduino sketch, visit here: http://www.psychicorigami.com/2012/09/04/arduino-powered-temperature-sensing-rgb-led-nightlight/

The system works with games that had the basic left and right controls, such as “Parachute” and “Merry Cook”. A simple circuit with the required number of buttons is controlled by an Arduino board, which then sends the data back to a PC running a python script which then interprets the commands for the emulated video game. For a quick demonstration of a game running on a PC, watch the following video:

By enclosing the large television inside a wooden frame with the same design as the handheld game a huge waiting room device can be constructed. Just add arcade-size buttons and you’d be set with a gigantic video game. And Tobie also did just that for his client in the following video:

There are many PC emulations of the old games available, and for those and more information about the project, visit here: https://github.com/Tooblippe/retrogame And in the meanwhile if you want to play some old emulated games and relive the past, click here: http://www.pica-pic.com/

How it works is simple enough – a solenoid pulls on a cable that is attached to a typewriter key. Using this, the Arduino can control the key by activated the solenoid and thus ‘typing’ a letter or number. This also converts the typewriter into a simple serial printer. Although this sounds very complex – it really works, for example in the following video:

Furthermore, the keyboard can also be read by the Arduino and some customised circuitry, to allow the typewriter to be used as a USB keyboard.  We feel this project deserves special congratulations due to the fact you can modality a typewriter without damaging it in the process – preserving it for later on or other generations (if they’re interested in 20^th century technology!) To read more, please visit the project page here: http://upnotnorth.net/projects/typewriter/

The brains behind the door is a typical Arduino board which uses an external real-time clock IC for accuracy. You can then program the times that the door is unlocked and locked, allowing or denying the pets access through the door. The locking mechanism is based around a simple servo, and should sustain the most insistent pushing from a small pet. Furthermore the door movements are recorded when unlocked, and therefore the software can determine whether or not the pet is inside or outside. This is also displayed using an LED. For a quick demonstration check out the following video:

Attached to the back of the shoe is an Arduino board which controls two servos via an Arduino motor driver shield. There is also a force sensor inside the shoe which can detect the presence of your foot – and once detected the Arduino will activate the two servos which each control one lace. The amount of pull each servo can manage will depend on the external smoothness of the laces and the holes in the shoe.

To release the laces, a small button has been fitted which tells the Arduino to reverse the servos for a moment, which loosen the laces. Also, a small LED has been fitted into one of the top lace holes to show the status of the laces. Finally the power supply is a battery fitted with the Arduino.

Check out the laces in action during the following video:

Although just a proof of concept, moving forward to a wearable product is possible. There are a few challenges including the size of the battery and servos, however with the use of a much smaller Arduino-compatible board such as a LeoStick and possibly some smaller servos – the final product could become a reality. So to get started with your own version, visit the project page here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Laces-the-Auto-lacing-shoe/?ALLSTEPS

Using a lot of laser-cut acrylic, an Atmel ATmega8 microcontroller, real-time clock circuitry and a lot of servos, Simon has created a four-digit, seven-segment display with a colon which acts as a digital clock. When all the segments are off – the display is smooth, and to create the numbers a small block is pushed out by a servo to give the appearance of a segment. So when more than one are used, the numbers can be formed. Watch the clock in action during the following video:

It truly is poetry in motion, and one of those displays that truly mesmerise. However like anything else, it is not unobtainable. Simon has included all the design files required to create your own. So get yourself a lot of acrylic and a friend with a laser-cutter, then click here: http://www.schoar.de/tinkering/sevenblocks/