Editorial

Esta é a Newsletter Nº 249 que se apresenta com o mesmo formato que as anteriores. Se gostar da Newsletter partilhe-a!

Todas as Newsletters encontram-se indexadas no link.

Esta Newsletter tem os seguintes tópicos:

• Novidades da Semana
• Ciência e Tecnologia
• Modelos 3D
• Projetos Maker

Faz hoje anos que Charles Wheatstone nascia em 1802. Este Físico inglês popularizou a ponte Wheatstone, um dispositivo que mede com precisão a resistência eléctrica e se tornou amplamente utilizado em laboratórios. Na verdade, ele não inventou a "Ponte de Wheatstone". O seu contemporâneo, Samuel Hunter Christie, teve a ideia do circuito de pontes, mas Wheatstone estabeleceu o precedente para usá-lo da maneira que mais comumente se usa. Com o tempo, o dispositivo associou-se a ele e assumiu o seu nome. No entanto, ele inventou a sanfona (1829), o estereoscópio (1838) e uma forma primitiva do telégrafo. Ele também desenvolveu um cronoscópio (1842) para determinar a velocidade dos projéteis numa artilharia inglesa.

Faz também anos hoje que Gerard K. O'Neill nascia em 1927. Este físico americano inventou o anel de armazenamento de feixe colidencial que aumentou a produção de energia dos aceleradores de partículas utilizando feixes de partículas que se moviam através de uma câmara em forma de anel em direcções opostas. Ele construiu dois anéis de armazenamento em Stanford em 1959, e a técnica logo foi adoptada para inúmeras instalações de alta energia. Como principal defensor da colonização espacial, ele escreveu em seu livro The High Frontier (1978), que as colónias espaciais poderiam ser a solução definitiva para problemas terrestres como poluição, superpopulação e falta de energia. Ele projectou uma estação espacial cilíndrica selada de 1 km de comprimento para ser construída principalmente com materiais lunares processados e usando energia solar. Seria capaz de sustentar uma colónia humana indefinidamente no espaço entre a Terra e a Lua.

Nesta semana que passou ficámos a saber que o governo da Nova Zelândia e a Wisk, uma empresa de mobilidade urbana urbana (UAM), anunciaram um Memorando de Entendimento (MOU) para estabelecer um teste de transporte de passageiros em Canterbury, Nova Zelândia. O táxi aéreo totalmente elétrico da Wisk, chamado Cora, é o avião seleccionado para os testes. Também esta semana que passou a OneWeb lançou mais 34 satélites para o espaço para a construção de uma constelação de 650 satélites. Este segundo lançamento a bordo de um foguetão Soyuz que partiu do Cosmodromo de Baikonur no Cazaquistão.

Na Newsletter desta semana apresentamos diversos projetos de maker assim como um modelo 3D paramétrico para fazer formicários.

João Alves ([email protected])

O conteúdo da Newsletter encontra-se sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Transport trial to help Cora take off

"The New Zealand Government and Wisk, an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) company, have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a passenger transport trial in Canterbury, New Zealand. Wisk’s self-flying, all-electric air taxi, called Cora, is the aircraft selected for the trials. In October 2019, the New Zealand Government announced that it was establishing an industry-wide Airspace Integration Trial to work with leading, innovative domestic and international industry partners to safely test and demonstrate unmanned aircraft. Wisk, based in the United States and New Zealand, was announced as the first industry partner to join this program. Wisk CEO, Gary Gysin, said: “We are delighted to now have a signed agreement with the New Zealand Government, which will propel Cora’s entry to the air taxi market. We see this agreement as a sign of confidence in our product and abilities to develop and deliver a safe and reliable air taxi service, starting in New Zealand." [...]

OneWeb will launch 34 internet satellites today: Here's how to watch it live

"This will be the second launch designed to assemble a constellation of 650 satellites. Nearly three dozen OneWeb internet satellites will ride to orbit atop a single rocket today (Feb. 6), and you can watch the liftoff live. A Soyuz rocket carrying 34 of OneWeb's broadband spacecraft is scheduled to launch today at 4:42 p.m. EST (2142 GMT) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. You can watch the liftoff live here at Space.com, courtesy of OneWeb, or directly via the company. This will be the second launch for OneWeb, whose first six satellites went up on a Soyuz in February 2019. But there will be many more such liftoffs to come; the company aims to build a constellation of at least 650 satellites in low Earth orbit, which will provide internet service to people around the world." [...]

Toshiba Launches Compact, Low Power, High Resolution Micro-stepping Motor Driver IC

"Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation ("Toshiba") has launched “TC78H670FTG,” the latest addition to its line-up of micro-stepping motor driver ICs. The new IC has a maximum rating of 18V/2.0A and can drive motors with a wide range of operating voltages. Mass production starts today. The new IC can drive a 128 micro-stepping motor with a power supply ranging from 2.5V to 16V. Its wide range of applications includes USB-powered, battery-powered, and standard 9-12V system devices, and it can also be used with a 1.8V interface, allowing connection to various hosts and microcontrollers. Toshiba’s newest DMOS process ensures that TC78H670FTG realizes excellent figure-of-merit low ON resistance." [...]

Toyota develops fuel cell system for maritime applications

"Former racing catamaran turned ship of the future, Energy Observer has made waves as it has been navigating its six-year odyssey around the world as the first energy-autonomous hydrogen vessel. Today, Toyota, official partner of Energy Observer and an avid supporter of their project from the start, announces that it has developed a fuel cell system for maritime applications, with its first delivery destined for Energy Observer. Embarking in June 2017 from Saint- Malo Port in France, Energy Observer is an electrically propelled vessel of the future that is operated using a mix of renewable energies and an on-board system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater. The operators of the vessel are on a mission to go and meet people in 50 countries and 101 ports during their voyage who are designing the future, with an aim to prove that a cleaner world is not only possible, but that the innovations can open some doors to a new economic expansion. Their activities also demonstrate and share potential solutions to champion an ecological and energy transition, as well as support tomorrow's energy networks as they encourage providers to make the networks more efficient and applicable on a large scale. Previously, Toyota's fuel cell system, which was first introduced in the Toyota Mirai, the world's first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, proved its value as a propulsion system for automobiles." [...]

Voyager 2 Engineers Working to Restore Normal Operations

"Mission operators report that Voyager 2 continues to be stable and that communications between Earth and the spacecraft are good. The spacecraft has resumed taking science data, and the science teams are now evaluating the health of the instruments following their brief shutoff. Engineers for NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft are working to return the mission to normal operating conditions after one of the spacecraft's autonomous fault protection routines was triggered. Multiple fault protection routines were programmed into both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in order to allow the spacecraft to automatically take actions to protect themselves if potentially harmful circumstances arise. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers are still communicating with the spacecraft and receiving telemetry. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are both in interstellar space, making them the most distant human-made objects in the solar system." [...]

JEDEC Publishes Update to Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Standard

"JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of Universal Flash Storage (UFS) version 3.1, JESD220E. In addition, an optional new companion standard, JESD220-3: UFS Host Performance Booster (HPB) Extension, has also been published. Developed for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance with low power consumption, UFS 3.1 introduces new features intended to help maximize device performance while minimizing power usage. Both JESD220E and JESD220-3 are available for download from the JEDEC website. JESD220E UFS 3.1 defines the following key updates over the prior version of the standard: Write Booster: a SLC non-volatile cache that amplifies write speed DeepSleep: a new UFS device low power state targeting lower cost systems that share UFS voltage regulators with other functions Performance Throttling Notification: allows the UFS device to notify the host when storage performance is throttled due to high temperature JESD220-3 Host Performance Booster (HPB) Extension provides an option to cache the UFS device logical-to-physical address map in the system’s DRAM. For UFS devices with a large density, using system DRAM provides larger and faster caching thereby improving the read performance of the device." [...]

Say hello to OpenSK: a fully open-source security key implementation

"Today, FIDO security keys are reshaping the way online accounts are protected by providing an easy, phishing-resistant form of two-factor authentication (2FA) that is trusted by a growing number of websites, including Google, social networks, cloud providers, and many others. To help advance and improve access to FIDO authenticator implementations, we are excited, following other open-source projects like Solo and Somu, to announce the release of OpenSK, an open-source implementation for security keys written in Rust that supports both FIDO U2F and FIDO2 standards. By opening up OpenSK as a research platform, our hope is that it will be used by researchers, security key manufacturers, and enthusiasts to help develop innovative features and accelerate security key adoption. With this early release of OpenSK, you can make your own developer key by flashing the OpenSK firmware on a Nordic chip dongle. In addition to being affordable, we chose Nordic as initial reference hardware because it supports all major transport protocols mentioned by FIDO2: NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy, USB, and a dedicated hardware crypto core. To protect and carry your key, we are also providing a custom, 3D-printable case that works on a variety of printers." [...]

ASUS Announces Tinker Edge T

"Single-board computer for AI application features the Google Edge TPU, ARM processor, an advanced power design and tools for easy system setup. ASUS today announced Tinker Edge T, a single-board computer (SBC) specially designed for AI applications. It features the Google Edge TPU, a machine learning (ML) accelerator that speeds up processing efficiency, lowers power demands and makes it easier to build connected devices and intelligent applications. With this onboard ML accelerator, Tinker Edge T is capable of performing four tera-operations per second (TOPS) using only 0.5 watts per unit of computation. It is also optimized for TensorFlow Lite models, making it easy to compile and run common ML models. NXP i.MX 8M processor With its powerful and modern quad-core ARM-based NXP i.MX 8M processor, Tinker Edge T offers a powerful solution for graphics, machine vision, video, audio, voice and safety-critical applications." [...]

New electrode design may lead to more powerful batteries

"An MIT team has devised a lithium metal anode that could improve the longevity and energy density of future batteries. New research by engineers at MIT and elsewhere could lead to batteries that can pack more power per pound and last longer, based on the long-sought goal of using pure lithium metal as one of the battery’s two electrodes, the anode. The new electrode concept comes from the laboratory of Ju Li, the Battelle Energy Alliance Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and professor of materials science and engineering. It is described today in the journal Nature, in a paper co-authored by Yuming Chen and Ziqiang Wang at MIT, along with 11 others at MIT and in Hong Kong, Florida, and Texas. The design is part of a concept for developing safe all-solid-state batteries, dispensing with the liquid or polymer gel usually used as the electrolyte material between the battery’s two electrodes. An electrolyte allows lithium ions to travel back and forth during the charging and discharging cycles of the battery, and an all-solid version could be safer than liquid electrolytes, which have high volatilility and have been the source of explosions in lithium batteries." [...]

Engineers mix and match materials to make new stretchy electronics

"Next-generation devices made with new “peel and stack” method may include electronic chips worn on the skin. At the heart of any electronic device is a cold, hard computer chip, covered in a miniature city of transistors and other semiconducting elements. Because computer chips are rigid, the electronic devices that they power, such as our smartphones, laptops, watches, and televisions, are similarly inflexible. Now a process developed by MIT engineers may be the key to manufacturing flexible electronics with multiple functionalities in a cost-effective way. The process is called “remote epitaxy” and involves growing thin films of semiconducting material on a large, thick wafer of the same material, which is covered in an intermediate layer of graphene. Once the researchers grow a semiconducting film, they can peel it away from the graphene-covered wafer and then reuse the wafer, which itself can be expensive depending on the type of material it’s made from." [...]

A smart surface for smart devices

"External system improves phones’ signal strength 1,000 percent, without requiring extra antennas. We’ve heard it for years: 5G is coming. And yet, while high-speed 5G internet has indeed slowly been rolling out in a smattering of countries across the globe, many barriers remain that have prevented widespread adoption. One issue is that we can’t get faster internet speeds without more efficient ways of delivering wireless signals. The general trend has been to simply add antennas to either the transmitter (i.e., Wi-Fi access points and cell towers) or the receiver (such as a phone or laptop). But that’s grown difficult to do as companies increasingly produce smaller and smaller devices, including a new wave of “internet of things” systems." [...]

U of T researchers turn McDonald's deep fryer oil into high-end 3D printing resin

"Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough have, for the first time, turned waste cooking oil – from the deep fryers of a local McDonald’s – into a high-resolution, biodegradable 3D printing resin. Using waste cooking oil for 3D printing has significant potential. Not only is it cheaper to make, the plastics made from it break down naturally unlike conventional 3D printing resins. “The reasons plastics are a problem is because nature hasn’t evolved to handle human-made chemicals,” says Andre Simpson, a professor at U of T Scarborough’s department of physical and environmental sciences who developed the resin in his lab. “Because we’re using what is essentially a natural product – in this case fats from cooking oil – nature can deal with it much better.” Simpson first became interested in the idea when he got a 3D printer about three years ago. After noting the molecules used in commercial resins were similar to fats found in cooking oils, he wondered whether one could be created using waste cooking oil." [...]

Making sense of flexible sensor systems

"A team of researchers from Osaka University and Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research developed the world’s thinnest and lightest magnetic sensor matrix sheet system that visualizes the two-dimensional distribution of magnetism on various surfaces. Conventional magnetic sensor circuits consist of silicon-based hard electronic elements integrated on a substrate with a hardness similar to that of glass, meaning they can be only placed on flat surfaces. Conversely, flexible soft magnetic sensors have also been developed, but there is no device integrating a driving circuit, sensor scanning mechanism, signal processing circuit, and wireless measurement unit, all of which are required to form a system. “This is because the fabrication of a flexible magnetic sensor element is difficult. Furthermore, it is hard to integrate the fabrication process with circuit technology,” explains lead author Masaya Kondo. Now, this joint research team has developed a thin and soft (“skin-like”) magnetic sensor matrix sheet system by integrating flexible electronic elements called organic transistors and giant magnetoresistive elements on a 1.5-μm-thick plastic film." [...]

A Novel Technique to Produce Cheaper and More Efficient Chlorine (Cl₂)

"Chlorine (Cl₂) is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals in the world today, with 75 million tons produced annually. A team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST has recently found a way to make the manufacture of chlorine more efficient and affordable. This is expected to be of great help to chlorine-related industries. A joint research team, led by Professor Sang Hoon Joo and Professor Sang Kyu Kwak in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has unveiled a novel catalyst (Pt1/CNT) for electrochemical chlorine generation. The existing electrochemical catalysts for chlorine generation contain a large amount of precious metals, such as ruthenium (Ru) and iridium (Ir), thus are expensive and not very efficient in terms of production. Besides, in the condition of low chlorine concentration and a pH-neutral environment, not only chlorine but also oxygen are generated and this reduces the overall chlorine production efficiency." [...]

Hermetically sealed semi-conductors

"New encapsulation technique protects electronic properties of sensitive materials Tomorrow’s electronics are getting ever smaller. Researchers are thus searching for tiny components that function reliably in increasingly narrow configurations. Promising elements include the chemical compounds indium selenide (InSe) and gallium selenide (GaSe). In the form of ultra-thin layers, they form two-dimensional (2D) semi-conductors. But, so far, they have hardly been used because they degrade when they get in contact with air during manufacturing. Now, a new technique allows the sensitive material to be integrated in electronic components without losing its desired properties." [...]

New quasi-particle discovered: the Pi-ton

"Actually they had been looking for something completely different, but they found a previously unknown quasi-particle: A bound state of two electrons, two holes and light. In physics, there are very different types of particles: Elementary particles are the fundamental building blocks of matter. Other particles, such as atoms, are bound states consisting of several smaller constituents. And then there are so-called "quasi-particles" - excitations in a system that consists of many particles, which in many ways behave just like a particle themselves. Such a quasiparticle has now been discovered in computer simulations at TU Wien (Vienna) and named pi-ton. It consists of two electrons and two holes." [...]

Lasers etch a ‘perfect’ solar energy absorber

"The University of Rochester research lab that recently used lasers to create unsinkable metallic structures has now demonstrated how the same technology could be used to create highly efficient solar power generators. In a paper in Light: Science & Applications, the lab of Chunlei Guo, professor of optics also affiliated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Material Sciences Program, describes using powerful femto-second laser pulses to etch metal surfaces with nanoscale structures that selectively absorb light only at the solar wavelengths, but not elsewhere. A regular metal surface is shiny and highly reflective. Years ago, the Guo lab developed a black metal technology that turned shiny metals pitch black. “But to make a perfect solar absorber,” Guo says, “We need more than a black metal and the result is this selective absorber.” This surface not only enhances the energy absorption from sunlight, but also reduces heat dissipation at other wavelengths, in effect, “making a perfect metallic solar absorber for the first time,” Guo says. “We also demonstrate solar energy harnessing with a thermal electric generator device.” “This will be useful for any thermal solar energy absorber or harvesting device,” particularly in places with abundant sunlight, he adds." [...]

Researchers report progress on molecular data storage system

"A Brown University team has shown that they can store and retrieve more than 200 kilobytes of digital image files by encoding the data in mixtures of new custom libraries of small molecules. A team of Brown University researchers has made substantial progress in an effort to create a new type of molecular data storage system. In a study published in Nature Communications, the team stored a variety of image files — a Picasso drawing, an image of the Egyptian god Anubis and others — in arrays of mixtures containing custom-synthesized small molecules. In all, the researchers stored more than 200 kilobytes of data, which they say is the most stored to date using small molecules. That’s not a lot of data compared to traditional means of storage, but it is significant progress in terms of small molecule storage, the researchers say. “I think this is a substantial step forward,” said Jacob Rosenstein, an assistant professor in Brown’s School of Engineering and an author of the study." [...]

Controlling light with light

"Researchers develop a new platform for all-optical computing The future of computation is bright — literally. Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), in collaboration with researchers at McMaster University and University of Pittsburgh, have developed a new platform for all-optical computing, meaning computations done solely with beams of light. “Most computation right now uses hard materials such as metal wires, semiconductors and photodiodes to couple electronics to light,” said Amos Meeks, a graduate student at SEAS and co-first author of the research. “The idea behind all-optical computing is to remove those rigid components and control light with light. Imagine, for example, an entirely soft, circuitry-free robot driven by light from the sun.” These platforms rely on so-called non-linear materials that change their refractive index in response to the intensity of light. When light is shone through these materials, the refractive index in the path of the beam increases, generating its own, light-made waveguide." [...]

Mathematicians Prove Universal Law of Turbulence

"By exploiting randomness, three mathematicians have proved an elegant law that underlies the chaotic motion of turbulent systems. Picture a calm river. Now picture a torrent of white water. What is the difference between the two? To mathematicians and physicists it’s this: The smooth river flows in one direction, while the torrent flows in many different directions at once. Physical systems with this kind of haphazard motion are called turbulent." [...]

Blue diode illustrates limitations, promise of perovskite semiconductors

"University of California, Berkeley, scientists have created a blue light-emitting diode (LED) from a trendy new semiconductor material, halide perovskite, overcoming a major barrier to employing these cheap, easy-to-make materials in electronic devices. In the process, however, the researchers discovered a fundamental property of halide perovskites that may prove a barrier to their widespread use as solar cells and transistors. Alternatively, this unique property may open up a whole new world for perovskites far beyond that of today’s standard semiconductors. In a paper appearing Jan. 24 in the journal Science Advances, UC Berkeley chemist Peidong Yang and his colleagues show that the crystal structure of the halide perovskites changes with temperature, humidity and the chemical environment, disrupting their optical and electronic properties. Without close control of the physical and chemical environment, perovskite devices are inherently unstable. This is not a major problem for traditional semiconductors." [...]

New graphene amplifier has been able to unlock hidden frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum

"Researchers have created a unique device which will unlock the elusive terahertz wavelengths and make revolutionary new technologies possible. Terahertz waves (THz) sit between microwaves and infrared in the light frequency spectrum, but due to their low-energy scientists have been unable to harness their potential. The conundrum is known in scientific circles as the terahertz gap. Being able to detect and amplify THz waves (T-rays) would open up a new era of medical, communications, satellite, cosmological and other technologies. One of the biggest applications would be as a safe, non-destructive alternative to X-rays. However, until now, the wavelengths – which range between 3mm and 30μm – have proved impossible to utilise due to relatively weak signals from all existing sources." [...]

Scientists discover hidden symmetries, opening new avenues for material design

"UChicago scientists see opportunities for ‘metamaterials’ designed using dualities When you knock on a melon to see if it’s ripe, you are using sound waves to probe the structure of the material inside. Physicists at the University of Chicago were using the same concept to explore how sound waves travel through patterned structures when they noticed an oddity: completely different structures sounded the same. This was a surprising thing—sort of like knocking on a melon and a pineapple, and discovering they both made the same sound. “What got us excited was that we could not explain our findings using existing concepts, such as spatial symmetries,” said Vincenzo Vitelli, a professor of physics in the James Franck Institute. What Vitelli and his group had discovered was a duality, a ‘hidden’ symmetry linking apparently unrelated systems. Published in Nature, their study could one day help to design metamaterials or even microscopic devices that process information encoded in sound waves." [...]

Quantum Entanglement Meets Superconductivity in Novel Experiment

"A recent experiment finds an unlikely connection between two previously distinct quantum technologies Two mysterious components of quantum technology came together in a lab at Rice University in Houston recently. Quantum entanglement—the key to quantum computing—and quantum criticality—an essential ingredient for high-temperature superconductors—have now been linked in a single experiment. The preliminary results suggest something approaching the same physics is behind these two essential but previously distinct quantum technologies. The temptation, then, is to imagine a future in which a sort of grand unified theory of entanglement and superconductivity might be developed, where breakthroughs in one field could be translated into the other. The research centers around a thin film of a metal (composed of the elements ytterbium, rhodium, and silicon) fabricated by researchers at the Vienna University of Technology. A team at Rice, then, analyzed its peculiar properties." [...]

Mixing Quantum States Boosts Fiber Communications

"A new method could increase transmission of secure data. It’s difficult to send quantum information over the fiber-optic networks that carry most of the world’s data, but being able to would allow people to encrypt their messages with secret codes made unbreakable by the laws of physics. Now researchers have found a way to allow the transmission of such codes over long distances, by combining different quantum properties on the same photons. Quantum communications works through a process called entanglement, which creates a pair of photons with complementary properties—one might be polarized so its waves move horizontally, while its twin is vertically polarized. Because the two are linked, determining the property of one automatically tells you the property of the other, no matter how far apart they are. It allows for secure communications, because if someone intercepts a photon and reads it, that action changes the photon, exposing the interception." [...]

Unique Random Formicarium (Pure OpenSCAD, Parametric)

"This generates random 2d formicaria ("ant farms") in pure OpenSCAD. Every time you generate a model, the result will be unique. I haven't actually thought about habitability yet - this is so far just an experiment. At the moment this has a 2d output intended to be able to be laser cut, so I'll test in Customizer but I'm not sure how that will go. The idea is to eventually extrapolate this to a 3d model with some feature placement (water sources, etc), supporting a laser cut acrylic lid. The pattern generated will never contain any "islands" inside the maze, so will not have loose pieces if cut without a base." [...]

The Hexapod Robot (Spider Robot With Six Legs) Made From Wood

"Definition of the hexapod robot:A hexapod robot is a mecchanical vehicle platform that walks on six legs, each leg have three servomotors 3DOF three degree of freedom, the purpose is to build the robot from scratch by imagining the designing structure of the hexapod and manufacturing the body structure using very simple tools and low cost materials. Supplies: Basic components: 1- Servomotors SG92R (18 units). 2- Raspberry pi 2 model B. (1 unit). 3- Sheet of wood MDF 4mm. (1 unit)." [...]

Burglar Alarm Using PIR Sensor and Digispark With PCB Layout

"Hey guys, welcome back, In the previous post, I told you how an IR sensor works, how to make a line follower using an IR sensor and to make a Simple DIY Burglar Alarm using an IR sensor and a Buzzer without using any micro controller or complicated coding. In this Post, I will show you how to make a Simple PIR Burglar Alarm using Digispark. To set this up, All you need is PIR sensor Digispark Buzzer Header Pins 9-12 Volt Power Adapter" [...]

How to Create a 50cm Cube With All Necessary Features and Use 3-dimensional Space to Grow Plants

"How to create a 50cm cube with all necessary features and use 3-dimensional space to grow plants. On June 17, 2019 I published my last Instructables about the Card Scanner. Full of motivation and anticipation I was already thinking about the final concept to bring all three parts (1, 2, 3) together. But then I came across the GBE: Maker Contest, which started on June 14th. Immediately the Trading Card Machine moved into the far distance. All my thoughts revolved around this topic." [...]

Freezer Alarm Relay

"Our freezer is in a utility room which is isolated from our living space. Occasionally the freezer door doesnt shut properly and the alarm goes off. The problem is that we cant hear it if we are in our living space. How do we get a message that the freezer door is open? This is a common issue, we have devices in our homes that talk to us, but what happens if we can't hear them for whatever reason. I started this as a bit of fun, but it may be of use in a more serious application." [...]

Delta-Robot One

"Smart open source robotics project for makers and students. Combines electronics, mechanics and informatics in one system. Welcome robot friends :) We decided to create this little robot to have an interdisciplinary subject in our studies. This project turned into a journey lasting over three years and two things always stayed the same...fun and Arduino UNO ;) Drawing, lasercutting, soldering, 3D-printing, programming an arduino library, a python package, an android and a windows app, etc....it is turning in a never ending story. With the help of a community (this means you) it could be a world wide educational project. Working on this project is a lot of fun." [...]

Doorbell With Face Recognition

"Motivation Recently, there has been a wave of robberies in my country which are targeted at elderly people in their own homes. Usually, access is granted by the occupants themselves since the visitors convince them that they are caregivers/nurses. It's just beyond words, how angry and sad these stories make me feel. Home should be your first safe haven and even more so if you are already in a vulnerable position when being outside. With this in mind, I started this project. General information The doorbell system is mainly designed for elderly or vision-impaired persons and is pretty straight-forward in its workings." [...]

Arcade1Up Mod With LED Marquee and Sub-Displays

"An Arcade1Up arcade cabinet modded with an LED marquee and additional smaller, sub-displays that show game information like game title, year, manufacturer, genre, and rating. Parts Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Cabinet Amazon or Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat at Walmart Pixelcade LED Marquee Kit for Arcade1Up Pixelcade Sub-Display Kit (Includes Seeeduino, 1 Mini-OLED, 1 Max7219 Dot Matrix, and 1 Max7219 7Segment all with soldered vertical headers) Dell OptiPlex 9020 Small Form Factor Computer (Refurbished) LED Buttons, Joysticks, 2 USB Encoders, & Cables LCD Controller Board (Adds HDMI to Arcade1Up Monitor) Ultimarc Spinner with USB 4 TB SATA Internal Hard Drive IoT Relay Power Strip Display Port to HDMI Cable 7 Port Powered USB Hub (a non-powered USB hub will not work) LogiTech K400 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Wireless Network Card (Wi-Fi) Finish Washers Kintel MA170 12V Audio Amp Double Sided Tape Pixelcade Software - Free LEDBlinky Software - $25 Misc Hardware (Various Sized M2 and M3 screws) Optional 1 1/8" Drill Bit to Drill Arcade Button Holes" [...]

ESP8266 MP3 Sound Machine v2

"Last summer, I made an ESP8266 MP3 Sound Machine using ESPHome to play calming sounds when my son goes to sleep. I used ESPHome to develop the firmware so it could communicate with my Home Automation platform, Home Assistant. Well, requirements change and projects need updating. So over the holidays, I created a v2.0 of the project. For the new version, I wanted to: Support two different tracks, which means a second button to toggle things on/off locally A better enclosure and more permanent circuit The project still uses the DFPlayer Mini to read the MP3s to play from an SD Card and an ESP8266 NodeMCU for wireless connectivity. My family is using this to play white noise soothing sounds for our infant to fall asleep." [...]

Arduino CNC Foam Cutting Machine

"In this tutorial we will learn how to build an Arduino CNC foam cutting machine. This is a typical DIY CNC machine because it’s made out of simple and cheap materials, some 3D printed parts and it has an Arduino as a controller. Overview Instead of bits or lasers, the main tool of this machine is a hot wire, or a special type of resistance wire which gets really hot when current flows through it. The hot wire melts or vaporizes the foam when passing through it and so we can precisely and easily get any shape we want. I said easily because building a CNC machine is actually not that hard. If you are a beginner and thinking about building your first DIY CNC machine, just stay tuned because I will explain how everything works." [...]

ESP32 LoRa Sensor Monitoring with Web Server

"In this project, you’ll build a sensor monitoring system using a TTGO LoRa32 SX1276 OLED board that sends temperature, humidity and pressure readings via LoRa radio to an ESP32 LoRa receiver. The receiver displays the latest sensor readings on a web server. With this project you’ll learn how to: Send sensor readings via LoRa radio between two ESP32 boards; Add LoRa and Wi-Fi capabilities simultaneously to your projects (LoRa + Web Server on the same ESP32 board); Use the TTGO LoRa32 SX1276 OLED board or similar development boards for IoT projects. " [...]

DNA Sculpture

"DNA I had my DNA sequenced by dantelabs.com (the 30X whole genome sequencing). They provide fastq, aligned bam, and vcf files, but just to understand some more about the process I redid the alignment with bwa and the variant calling with bcftools. (There are some issues with the called variants, see comments in dna.py, but that doesn't really matter for this project.) I've released all my genome files as creative commons: VCF, BAM (34 GiB! ), BAI. 3D Printed Parts The 3D printed parts were printed on my Prusa MK3S 3d printer." [...]

RoboArm

"Arduino 2 / 3 axis robotic arm with a robotic claw gripper. I made this project for those who don't want to, for some reasons, buy a robotic arm from the store. The reason I started this project is that I tried buying a robotic arm, but it couldn't even lift itself, because of its design (also it had some small servos - sg90s). So in this project, I will try to explain how to design properly a simple functional robotic arm. In this project you will: calculate the mechanical advantage of the main 2 axis; design the robotic arm using a CAD program (SketchUp); 3d print the model; learn 3 ways of how to control the robot. You will need: 50 M3 bolts and 50 M3 nuts; wires; a breadboard." [...]

Laser Shooting Game (Star Wars)

"In this article I will share arduino based star wars project that you can make on a budget. This project is a laser shooting game that will suit you as a homemade product. This project consists of 2 sub projects : making the blaster from cardboard and building the target board. I use recording module to use for the blaster sound effect and all target boards have an photoresistors and servo motors. " [...]

QeMotion - Motion Tracking for Every Headset!

"Overview: This device allows you to utilise your head movement to trigger events in basically any video game. It works by tracking the motion of your head (or headset it that regard) and triggering keyboard-presses for certain movements. So your computer sees this device as a standard keyboard. Later I'm probably going to add joystick and gamepad support. The most commonly used movement which I've found suitable here (it's the reason I started this project in the first place) is leaning. In games like PUBG, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Insurgency and many other you can lean left or right to peak around corners without giving the enemy a big target area." [...]

Arm Robot + Mobile App

"Control arm robot by smartphone via bluetooth HC-05 Usually robot can move by it self, but sometimes we need to control it. In this project I will control arm robot using smartphone. Arm robot there is a servo motor which is controlled through arduino. Arduino receives a command to move the servo from the data sent by the mobile application. like people who communicate remotely we need a wireless device, here I use Bluetooth so that Arduino and mobile applications can communicate. " [...]

Build a Self-Correcting LED Clock

"MCU-Driven Art In North America, most radio-controlled clocks use WWVB’s transmissions to set the correct time. WWVB is a Colorado-based time signal radio station. Learn how these two Cornell students designed and built a prototype of a Digital WWVB Clock. The project’s main components include a Microchip PIC32 MCU, an external oscillator and a display. In this article we explain how we designed and built a prototype of a Digital WWVB Clock, based on the design of the building at 200 Water Street in Lower Manhattan (Figure 1). Jason has always wanted to pay homage to this clock, as he finds the design inspiring." [...]

Shukran

"The FT232H is a versatile multifunction USB to JTAG / UART / FIFO / SPI / I2C chip from FTDI (https://www.ftdichip.com/Products/ICs/FT232H.htm) that has been used on a number of generic interface, flash reader/programmer and signal probing boards This project is a baseboard for the CJMCU FT232H module, which is widely available on auction sites for under $8/£6. Plugging a CJMCU board onto the Shukran creates an easy-to-use multi-function bus / device hacking and analysis tool with protected (current limited) 5V power pins, 3.3V power, spare pullup resistors and indicator LEDs, all for around $16/£12 total. The Shukran is designed to be assembled by anyone with moderate soldering skills; all components are through-hole except for two larger, surface mount, ones which should be easy to fit with a soldering iron. A fully-populated Shukran board provides: Breakout pins for the FT232H chip ports, and power rails A dedicated I2C header Two dedicated I2C pullups which can be connected/disconnected as needed Two spare pullups which can be connected to the breakout pins and VBUS (5V) or 3.3V as needed Two user LEDs which can be connected to the breakout pins as required using dupont jumper leads Overload-protected 5V and switched VBUS (5V) connection points 3.3V and GND connection points A dedicated indicator LED on the AC9 bus line Unlike some FT232H (and FT2232H) breakout boards, all Shukran 5V power pins are protected by a 500mA polyfuse to reduce the risk of overcurrent conditions or damaging the host USB port. The assembled 2-board setup is compatible with many common tools and apps, such as CircuitPython and OpenOCD, with the added bonus that the FT232H part is easily replaced if it gets damaged; just pull off the low-cost CJMCU board and fit a new one - no more writing off an expensive board or having to think about replacing a surface-mount chip! To make a Shukran, you'll need to order the PCB, required components and a CJMCU board." [...]

ESP32 Relay Module – Control AC Appliances (Web Server)

"Using a relay with the ESP32 is a great way to control AC household appliances remotely. This tutorial explains how to control a relay module with the ESP32. We’ll take a look at how a relay module works, how to connect the relay to the ESP32 and build a web server to control a relay remotely (or as many relays as you want). " [...]

TinyGo on Arduino Uno: An Introduction

"Run Golang on this old but still popular 8-bit AVR microcontroller. TinyGo - Golang for microcontrollers TinyGo - "Go for small places", now officially sponsored by Google - is one of the new programming language for microcontrollers. By using a LLVM-based compiler, it can generate binary files small enough to fit into microcontrollers, including 8-bit AVR boards with very limited RAM. Since TinyGo is mainly designed for 32-bit microcontrollers, these AVR boards have limitations - they are not able to perform some features of TinyGo and may only be able to run smaller scripts. On the other hand, Arduino Uno and Arduino Nano are still one of the most popular beginner's Maker board, and their clones can be bought cheaply. If you accidentally toast one you won't lose much." [...]

PyPortal Pet Planter with Adafruit IO

"Build a smart planter with Adafruit PyPortal and CircuitPython. Monitor your plants vitals with Adafruit STEMMA Soil Sensor and plot moisture and temperature data. Use Adafruit IO to create a visual dashboard with gauges of your plants water levels. " [...]

Discoball

"Here are the DIY files so you can build your own DiscoBall. There are 3 main parts to DiscoBall, the centre, the alignment caps and the ribs. These files don't include a portable power solution. I used a dc-dc converter, a lipo battery and charger that I could fit inside. An Adafruit Powerboost1000 with a TP4056 lipo charger (with protection) should be ample if you use the standard brightness of 10. Reference images are in the images folder." [...]

CircuitPython BLE Heart Rate Zone Trainer Display

"Heart rate zone training can be an excellent way to monitor workout intensity and increase your fitness and endurance. By spending certain periods of workout time at different percentages of your maximum heart rate. For example, warming up at 50-60%, then entering the "fitness zone" of 60-70% for a period, then going into the aerobic zone of 70-80%, finally peaking in the intense anaerobic zone of 80-90%. Using a Bluetooth LE heart rate monitor armband or chest strap, you can send up-to-the moment heart rate data to a battery-powered Feather nRF5280 Bluefruit equipped with a pair of seven segment LED displays. Place it on a wall or shelf where you can easily see it while you work out! Or carry it or hook it to your bike." [...]

Distance Sensor

"Mount in front of your garage to help you park at teh exact right distance. I kept hitting the back of my garage so instead of learning how to drive, I made a gadget. This senses distance from a vehicle and lights up to show how close. Once you reach the desired distance, it flashes red. How do you set the distance you ask? There is a handy push-button." [...]

Small Low Powered Mini OLED Retro Handheld

"I have no idea why built this, but I love video games and building things. Component List - Some PCB Power Switch - Adafruit Feather 328P - 4 Tactile Switches - Double Sided Protoboard - Some random LiPo battery I ripped from some portable speaker - OLED Display 128x64 Pixel I2C, 0.96 inch, SSD1306 - 3D printed parts" [...]

DIY Active Load

"I wanted to test a pc power supply At first I was messing about with some big resistors but then I decided it would be nice to have an “active load” that you can set to a particular current. You can buy these things for quite some money but I decided to design and build myself a simple one using components and tools I have lying around. I decided to go analog, no digital stuff this time. Commercial loads can have different modes such as constant current, constant voltage, constant resistance and constant power, but mine will only have constant current. Specifications - Constant current only - Current settable between 0A and 10A - Maximum power 120W - Maximum voltage 200V - Power supply 12V Bill of materials - IRFP250 MOSFET - LM358 opamp - TL431A voltage reference (or zener diode 2.5V) - 100nF capacitor - 20k trimmer resistor, 10 turns (lin or log) - 0.1 Ω, 10W shunt resistor, cement - 1kΩ resistor - pcb size 10 × 11 cm - a salvaged aluminium cpu cooler with 12V fan - 4 pin header - 2 pin header (×2) Theory of operation The IRFP250 MOSFET that I use, will dissipate most of the power. It can dissipate a maximum power of 190W (under ideal circumstances, but not in real life)." [...]

Creating a Life Clock

"The idea I’ve been obsessed with optimising and tracking my time since university. I wanted to know exactly where I was spending my time, and how it’s possible that I seemingly could go through a whole week without achieving anything. It boiled down to random bouts of procrastination, and I wanted a way to fix that. I was thinking of creating an app of some sort to constantly remind you that time is running out. It was then, back in 2017, that I chanced across an article about a failed Kickstarter project. It was a clock that showed you the number of seconds you had left to live and the idea really spoke to me." [...]

DIY Si4730 All Band Radio

"Simple Arduino-based "World Band" radio receiver with very good characteristics. When you mention Arduino radio, you always think of modern FM radio (88-108 MHz in Europe). The LW, MW and SW band cover the range from 0.2 to 30 MHz. SW is especially interesting. Radio waves in the shortwave band can be reflected or refracted from a layer of electrically charged atoms in the atmosphere called the ionosphere. Thus shortwave radio can be used for very long distance communication, sometimes entire continents or beyond." [...]

Clok

"A novel clock that displays the time using coloured flip-dots. CLOK is a novel clock that displays the time over a 12-hour period to a resolution of 2 minutes. Coloured flip-dots provide a visual indication of the current time. Flip-dots are small electromechanical discs with one matt black face and one brightly coloured face. The discs are permanently magnetised and pivoted so they can freely rotate to show one face or the other. Beneath each disc is a coil wound on an iron former." [...]