Complex Hacks

Mongoose and Robot Landmine Detector

  Finding landmines is not an easy task. This Mongoose and Robot Landmine Detector combines electronic, mechanical and animal to help make detection a bit easier. Thrishantha Nanayakkara from the University of Moratuwa. Read more about the Mongoose and Robot Landmine Detector. (PDF)  "To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first time a human-robot-animal integrated system is tested for antipersonnel landmine detection. The proposed system tries to

Automated White Board

  Sprites Mods has done it again! Their latest hack is this Automated White Board that can take text input from the internet and plot it onto a white board for the world to see (there is a web cam looking at the board). "The idea is that if I want the pen to be off the whiteboard, the electromagnet gets released and the spring will push a perspex rod

Freezer Failure Alarm based on the PIC Microcontroller

  Gadget Freak has a cool Freezer Failure Alarm project that is based on the PIC Microcontroller. Most projects have no important purpose but this one sure does. It could save you hundreds of dollars if you have a freezer full of meat! Looks like a nice simple yet effective design. See this document for full build details. "The gadget is built around a small controller, an alarm and a

DIY Car G-Force Meter

  If the race car driver in you would like to know how many G’s you are pulling this DIY Car G-Force Meter would give you some ideas. Use caution when testing to prevent rear end collisions. 🙂 In the video the back seat driver in me wants to look in the rear view mirror and make sure no one is behind us… Detailed build instructions are provided so that

Slashbot - Guitar Hero Robot by Texas A&M Electrical Engineering

  I know, we have featured a few of these Guitar Hero robots here in the last while… But they are so interesting, this Slashbot Guitar Hero Robot by Texas A&M Electrical Engineering uses similar principals as Auto Guitar Hero did. The main difference is that Slashbot actually presses the keys as it plays. Video after the jump. "Slashbot is especially cool because it literally plays the guitar controller using

AutoGuitarHero - FPGA powered Guitar Hero System

There have been lots of Guitar Hero hacks since it came out but I think this is the most elegant I have ever seen! Auto Guitar Hero (AGH1000) simply connects to the composite video of the game and "looks" at where the colored pucks are and presses the associated button. The idea was thought up when a father couldn’t compete with his son at the game. If you want to

DUBwise - Digital UFO Broadcasting with intelligent service equipment

  So just when you thought all your cell phone was good for was making calls and surfing the net something like this cool program is made that allows you phone to control a cool helicopter! These MikroKopter helicopters look like so much fun even without the cell phone control. 🙂   "DUBwise is the acronym for Digital UFO Broadcasting with intelligent service equipment and is a Tool for Mobile