Electronic Hacks

Emergency Excuse Generator - PIC 16F690 Microcontroller Based

If you have a hard time coming up with a good excuse in a split second then you need this PIC 16F690 based Emergency Excuse Generator. Next time the boss calls all you will need to do is give the big red button a press and bingo you will have an instant excuse to recite to your boss. 🙂 Full build details, code and schematics are provided. I haven’t heard

Automated Turn Switch Off Machine

Thanks to Sascha from I Build Rockets for sending in this tip. It’s a machine that does nothing other than keep a switch in the off position. Turn the switch on and a hand pops up immediately and turns it off. The circuit has no microcontroller, it is all analog. I am thinking this could make for an interesting project, who will be the first to make a kit for

Tool Carrying Robot

Robots are supposed to make our lives easier right? Well this Tool Carrying Robot is sure to lighten your load. I remember the days of doing service work, I would have a huge case full of hand tools in one hand, a laptop slung over the other shoulder and some type of paperwork in my one free hand. Lugging this gear through large industrial buildings becomes a pain real quick… 

Robot Gymnast doing the Horizontal Bar

Robots may take over the world some day but before they do they better learn to hang on when performing on the Horizontal bar. 🙂 Make sure you watch the 3rd video, it demonstrates the creature that is developing the technology (or it could be just a shy geek). Via: Adafruit Blog

Acc_Gyro: Accelerometer + Gyro IMU

Gadget Gangster has been cranking out the new products. Here is a 3 axis accelerometer board with Gyro capability that looks like lots of fun. “The Acc_Gyro Board represents a 5DOF Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), capable of measuring acceleration on all 3-axis as well as measuring rotation rate around the X and Y axis. Combining values from both accelerometer and gyroscope will allow you to obtain accurate values of inclination

DIY Solar Install

Going solar doesn’t mean shelling out thousands of dollars, this DIY Solar Install is an example where Dave from Plastibots spent a little more than $200 to get a start in solar power. Lots of people think that to get into the game you need to go all out, here is an example where you can test the water on the cheap. I have been thinking of doing something similar

Drink Mixing System

Robby Connor, Richard Evan Cross and Zach Rasmor made a cool Automatic Wireless Drink Mixer for their University of Washington Electrical Engineering embedded systems ee478 class. Do you recognize that display they are using? Yes it is made by 4dsystems who sponsored one of our recent contests! Via: TechEBlog “Automatic drink mixer features: -Remote touch screen allowing users to pick from preset drinks or customize their own. Touch screen donated