Magnets Make This Panda Move
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/magnets-make-this-panda-move/
A single board computer on a desk is fine for quick demos but for taking it into the wild (or even the rest of the house) you’re going to want a little more safety from debris, ESD, and drops. As SBCs get more useful this becomes an increasingly relevant problem …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/magnets-make-this-panda-move/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/magnets-make-this-panda-move/
A single board computer on a desk is fine for quick demos but for taking it into the wild (or even the rest of the house) you’re going to want a little more safety from debris, ESD, and drops. As SBCs get more useful this becomes an increasingly relevant problem …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/magnets-make-this-panda-move/)
Secrets From A 1969 Analog Computer
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/secrets-from-a-1969-analog-computer/
Today, most of what we think of as a computer uses digital technology. But that wasn’t always the case. From slide rules to mechanical fire solution computers to electronic analog computers, there have been plenty of computers that don’t work on 1s and 0s, but on analog quantities such as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/secrets-from-a-1969-analog-computer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/secrets-from-a-1969-analog-computer/
Today, most of what we think of as a computer uses digital technology. But that wasn’t always the case. From slide rules to mechanical fire solution computers to electronic analog computers, there have been plenty of computers that don’t work on 1s and 0s, but on analog quantities such as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/secrets-from-a-1969-analog-computer/)
RPi Tank Invades Living Room, Teaches OpenCV
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/rpi-tank-invades-living-room-teaches-opencv/
If you’re looking for a simple project to start exploring the intersection of OpenCV and robotics, then the RPi Tank created by [Vishal Varghese] might be a good place to start. A Raspberry Pi and a few bits of ancillary hardware literally taped to the top of a toy M1 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/rpi-tank-invades-living-room-teaches-opencv/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/rpi-tank-invades-living-room-teaches-opencv/
If you’re looking for a simple project to start exploring the intersection of OpenCV and robotics, then the RPi Tank created by [Vishal Varghese] might be a good place to start. A Raspberry Pi and a few bits of ancillary hardware literally taped to the top of a toy M1 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/23/rpi-tank-invades-living-room-teaches-opencv/)
Asynchronous Routines for C
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/asynchronous-routines-for-c/
[Sandro Magi] noted that the async/await idiom has become more prevalent in programming recently. According to him, he first encountered it in C# but has found examples of it in JavaScript and Rust, too. The idea is simple: allow a function to return but come back later to complete something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/asynchronous-routines-for-c/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/asynchronous-routines-for-c/
[Sandro Magi] noted that the async/await idiom has become more prevalent in programming recently. According to him, he first encountered it in C# but has found examples of it in JavaScript and Rust, too. The idea is simple: allow a function to return but come back later to complete something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/asynchronous-routines-for-c/)
Helicopter Chain Saw
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/helicopter-chain-saw/
Among the most dangerous jobs in the United States are timberjack and aircraft pilot. Combining the two wouldn’t sound like a recipe for success, but in fact it makes the job of trimming trees near pipelines and power lines much safer. That’s what this helicopter-suspended chainsaw does. And it definitely …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/helicopter-chain-saw/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/helicopter-chain-saw/
Among the most dangerous jobs in the United States are timberjack and aircraft pilot. Combining the two wouldn’t sound like a recipe for success, but in fact it makes the job of trimming trees near pipelines and power lines much safer. That’s what this helicopter-suspended chainsaw does. And it definitely …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/helicopter-chain-saw/)
A Virtual Tour of the B-17
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/a-virtual-tour-of-the-b-17/
The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is arguably the most recognizable aircraft of the Second World War. Made infamous by the daring daylight strategic bombing runs they carried out over Germany, more than 12,000 of these four-engined bombers were produced between 1939 and 1945. Thanks to the plane’s renowned survivability in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/a-virtual-tour-of-the-b-17/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/a-virtual-tour-of-the-b-17/
The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is arguably the most recognizable aircraft of the Second World War. Made infamous by the daring daylight strategic bombing runs they carried out over Germany, more than 12,000 of these four-engined bombers were produced between 1939 and 1945. Thanks to the plane’s renowned survivability in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/a-virtual-tour-of-the-b-17/)
Dealing With Invasive Species Through Robotics
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/dealing-with-invasive-species-through-robotics/
Throughout its history, humankind’s travels have often brought unwelcome guests along for the ride, and sometimes introduced species into a new environment for a variety of reasons. These so-called invasive species are all too often responsible for widespread devastation in ecosystems, wiping out entire species and disrupting the natural balance. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/dealing-with-invasive-species-through-robotics/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/dealing-with-invasive-species-through-robotics/
Throughout its history, humankind’s travels have often brought unwelcome guests along for the ride, and sometimes introduced species into a new environment for a variety of reasons. These so-called invasive species are all too often responsible for widespread devastation in ecosystems, wiping out entire species and disrupting the natural balance. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/dealing-with-invasive-species-through-robotics/)
Who Could Possibly Need An FPGA with 9M Logic Cells and 35B Transistors?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/who-could-possibly-need-an-fpga-with-9m-logic-cells-and-35b-transistors/
Xilinx recently announced the Virtex UltraScale+ VU19P FPGA. Of course, FPGA companies announce new chips every day. The reason this one caught our attention is the size of it: nearly 9 million logic cells and 35 billion transistors on a chip! If that’s not enough there is also over 2,000 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/who-could-possibly-need-an-fpga-with-9m-logic-cells-and-35b-transistors/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/who-could-possibly-need-an-fpga-with-9m-logic-cells-and-35b-transistors/
Xilinx recently announced the Virtex UltraScale+ VU19P FPGA. Of course, FPGA companies announce new chips every day. The reason this one caught our attention is the size of it: nearly 9 million logic cells and 35 billion transistors on a chip! If that’s not enough there is also over 2,000 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/who-could-possibly-need-an-fpga-with-9m-logic-cells-and-35b-transistors/)
Fighting Household Air Pollution
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/fighting-household-air-pollution/
When Kenyan engineer [Aloise] found out about the health risks of household air pollution, they knew there had to be a smart solution to combatting the problem while still providing a reasonable source of energy for families cooking without the luxury of cleaner fuels. Enter OpenHAP, a DIY household air …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/fighting-household-air-pollution/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/fighting-household-air-pollution/
When Kenyan engineer [Aloise] found out about the health risks of household air pollution, they knew there had to be a smart solution to combatting the problem while still providing a reasonable source of energy for families cooking without the luxury of cleaner fuels. Enter OpenHAP, a DIY household air …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/fighting-household-air-pollution/)
Copying High Security Keys With OpenSCAD And Light
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/copying-high-security-keys-with-openscad-and-light/
The ability to duplicate keys with a 3D printer is certainly nothing new, but so far we’ve only seen the technique used against relatively low hanging fruit. It’s one thing to print a key that will open a $15 Kwikset deadbolt from the hardware store or a TSA-approved “lock” that’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/copying-high-security-keys-with-openscad-and-light/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/copying-high-security-keys-with-openscad-and-light/
The ability to duplicate keys with a 3D printer is certainly nothing new, but so far we’ve only seen the technique used against relatively low hanging fruit. It’s one thing to print a key that will open a $15 Kwikset deadbolt from the hardware store or a TSA-approved “lock” that’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/copying-high-security-keys-with-openscad-and-light/)
Finally, a Rotary Cell Phone With Speed Dial
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/finally-a-rotary-cell-phone-with-speed-dial/
If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re the family IT department. We do what we can to help them, but there’s just no changing the fact that smartphones are difficult to operate with aging eyes and hands. When [sideburn’s] dad started complaining, he took a different approach. Instead …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/finally-a-rotary-cell-phone-with-speed-dial/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/finally-a-rotary-cell-phone-with-speed-dial/
If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re the family IT department. We do what we can to help them, but there’s just no changing the fact that smartphones are difficult to operate with aging eyes and hands. When [sideburn’s] dad started complaining, he took a different approach. Instead …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/finally-a-rotary-cell-phone-with-speed-dial/)
Smart Map Puts on a Show Thanks To Arduinos and DMX
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/smart-map-puts-on-a-show-thanks-to-arduinos-and-dmx/
Maps can be a great way to get a message across when the data you’re dealing with affects people on a country’s population scale. [jwolin] works for a non-profit organization, and wanted a way to help people visualize the extent of their operations and the causes they deal with. To …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/smart-map-puts-on-a-show-thanks-to-arduinos-and-dmx/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/smart-map-puts-on-a-show-thanks-to-arduinos-and-dmx/
Maps can be a great way to get a message across when the data you’re dealing with affects people on a country’s population scale. [jwolin] works for a non-profit organization, and wanted a way to help people visualize the extent of their operations and the causes they deal with. To …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/smart-map-puts-on-a-show-thanks-to-arduinos-and-dmx/)
Tracking the Satellites That Keep Us On Track; Monitoring GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and GLONASS
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/tracking-the-satellites-that-keep-us-on-track-monitoring-gps-galileo-beidou-and-glonass/
We may not always be aware of it, but the daily function of the technological world around us is extremely dependent on satellite navigations systems. It helps the DHL guy deliver those parts you were waiting for, and keeps the global financial and communication systems running with precision timing. So, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/tracking-the-satellites-that-keep-us-on-track-monitoring-gps-galileo-beidou-and-glonass/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/tracking-the-satellites-that-keep-us-on-track-monitoring-gps-galileo-beidou-and-glonass/
We may not always be aware of it, but the daily function of the technological world around us is extremely dependent on satellite navigations systems. It helps the DHL guy deliver those parts you were waiting for, and keeps the global financial and communication systems running with precision timing. So, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/24/tracking-the-satellites-that-keep-us-on-track-monitoring-gps-galileo-beidou-and-glonass/)
Hacked Tape Player Makes for a Unique Instrument
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/hacked-tape-player-makes-for-a-unique-instrument/
[Gijs Gieskes] is certainly no stranger to hacked cassette players, but his latest triumph may well be the most approachable project for anyone looking to explore the world of unorthodox tape unspooling. By attaching a fairly simple add-on PCB to a modern portable cassette player, the user is able to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/hacked-tape-player-makes-for-a-unique-instrument/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/hacked-tape-player-makes-for-a-unique-instrument/
[Gijs Gieskes] is certainly no stranger to hacked cassette players, but his latest triumph may well be the most approachable project for anyone looking to explore the world of unorthodox tape unspooling. By attaching a fairly simple add-on PCB to a modern portable cassette player, the user is able to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/hacked-tape-player-makes-for-a-unique-instrument/)
Tilt Five: A Fresh Take On Augmented Reality Tabletop Gaming
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/tilt-five-a-fresh-take-on-augmented-reality-tabletop-gaming/
Tilt Five is an Augmented Reality (AR) system developed by Jeri Ellsworth and a group of other engineers that is aimed at tabletop gaming which is now up on Kickstarter. Though it appears to be a quite capable (and affordable at $299) system based on the Kickstarter campaign, the most …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/tilt-five-a-fresh-take-on-augmented-reality-tabletop-gaming/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/tilt-five-a-fresh-take-on-augmented-reality-tabletop-gaming/
Tilt Five is an Augmented Reality (AR) system developed by Jeri Ellsworth and a group of other engineers that is aimed at tabletop gaming which is now up on Kickstarter. Though it appears to be a quite capable (and affordable at $299) system based on the Kickstarter campaign, the most …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/tilt-five-a-fresh-take-on-augmented-reality-tabletop-gaming/)
Ask Hackaday: What Good Is a Robot Dog?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/ask-hackaday-what-good-is-a-robot-dog/
It is said that Benjamin Franklin, while watching the first manned flight of a hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers in Paris in 1783, responded when questioned as to the practical value of such a thing, “Of what practical use is a new-born baby?” Dr. Franklin certainly had a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/ask-hackaday-what-good-is-a-robot-dog/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/ask-hackaday-what-good-is-a-robot-dog/
It is said that Benjamin Franklin, while watching the first manned flight of a hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers in Paris in 1783, responded when questioned as to the practical value of such a thing, “Of what practical use is a new-born baby?” Dr. Franklin certainly had a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/ask-hackaday-what-good-is-a-robot-dog/)
Bend some Bars with a Flywheel
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/bend-some-bars-with-a-flywheel/
The ability to look at a pile of trash, and see the for treasure is a skill we hold in high regard around here. [Meanwhile in the Garage] apparently has this skill in spades and built himself a metal bar bending machine using an old flywheel and starter pinion gear. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/bend-some-bars-with-a-flywheel/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/bend-some-bars-with-a-flywheel/
The ability to look at a pile of trash, and see the for treasure is a skill we hold in high regard around here. [Meanwhile in the Garage] apparently has this skill in spades and built himself a metal bar bending machine using an old flywheel and starter pinion gear. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/bend-some-bars-with-a-flywheel/)
100 Year Old Atomic Clock
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/100-year-old-atomic-clock/
Precision time is ubiquitous today thanks to GPS and WWVB. Even your Macbook or smartphone displays time which is synchronized to the NIST-F1 clock, a cesium fountain atomic clock (aka the ‘Atomic Clock’) that is part of a global consortium of atomic clocks known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Without …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/100-year-old-atomic-clock/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/100-year-old-atomic-clock/
Precision time is ubiquitous today thanks to GPS and WWVB. Even your Macbook or smartphone displays time which is synchronized to the NIST-F1 clock, a cesium fountain atomic clock (aka the ‘Atomic Clock’) that is part of a global consortium of atomic clocks known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Without …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/100-year-old-atomic-clock/)
ESPcopter: A Fully Customizable Drone
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/espcopter-a-fully-customizable-drone/
With so many capabilities for obstacle avoidance, the only natural progression for drones would be for them to be hand-controlled. For Turkish inventor [metehanemlik], even this wasn’t enough of a challenge, as he decided to create the ESP8266-Powered Mini Drone: ESPcopter, a programmable Arduino-compatible modular drone that is open to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/espcopter-a-fully-customizable-drone/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/espcopter-a-fully-customizable-drone/
With so many capabilities for obstacle avoidance, the only natural progression for drones would be for them to be hand-controlled. For Turkish inventor [metehanemlik], even this wasn’t enough of a challenge, as he decided to create the ESP8266-Powered Mini Drone: ESPcopter, a programmable Arduino-compatible modular drone that is open to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/espcopter-a-fully-customizable-drone/)
Smartphone Case Doubles As Chording Keyboard, With Gesture Inputs
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/smartphone-case-doubles-as-chording-keyboard-with-gesture-inputs/
Smartphones and other modern computing devices are wonderful things, but for those of with disabilities interacting with them isn’t always easy. In trying to improve accessibility, [Dougie Mann] created TypeCase, a combination gestural input device and chording keyboard that exists in a kind of symbiotic relationship with a user’s smartphone. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/smartphone-case-doubles-as-chording-keyboard-with-gesture-inputs/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/smartphone-case-doubles-as-chording-keyboard-with-gesture-inputs/
Smartphones and other modern computing devices are wonderful things, but for those of with disabilities interacting with them isn’t always easy. In trying to improve accessibility, [Dougie Mann] created TypeCase, a combination gestural input device and chording keyboard that exists in a kind of symbiotic relationship with a user’s smartphone. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/25/smartphone-case-doubles-as-chording-keyboard-with-gesture-inputs/)