Electronic Hacks

Piezoelectric Lighter Accelerometer
Cool Gadgets

2

This Lighter Accelerometer hack by Bardlund demonstrates piezoelectric properties. “Piezoelectricity is the ability of crystals and certain ceramic materials to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress. Piezoelectricity was discovered by Pierre Curie and the word is derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press. The piezoelectric effect is reversible in that piezoelectric crystals, when subjected to an externally applied voltage, can change shape by

MIT Leonardo Robot
Complex Hacks

14

What looks to be a cute bear is more that meets the eye. This MIT Leonardo Robot packs some serious computing power. Watch some videos of it in action, Video 1, Video 2, Video 3. “Rather than requiring people to learn a new form of communication to interact with robots or to teach them, our research concerns developing robots that are natural for people to teach and collaborate with. In

Pinewood Derby Finish Line Detector
Cool Gadgets

3

If you need to judge some Pinwood Derby races this Pinewood Derby Finish Line Detector project will give you some unbiased results. Schematics and details are provided on the site. “A few years ago the finish line detector at my church’s AWANA Grand Prix track bit the dust. AWANA Grand Prix is the same thing as the Pinewood Derby to scouting folks. We did without for a couple years until

MERLIN Robot
Complex Hacks

1

At first MERLIN may look like a normal remote control car, looking closer you will notice a host of sensors bolted to the frame. These sensors allow the car to learn about its surroundings and perform things such as obstacle avoidance. “MERLIN is controlled by 80C167 CR 16 bit-processor. The microprocessor is employed for interfacing sensor data acquisition, sensor data pre-processing, calculation of the control algorithms, and telecommunication with a

ALAVs - Autonomous Light Air Vessels
Complex Hacks

2

Jed Berk created this Autonomous Light Air Vessel, it is just one of the contraptions that were on display this weekend at the Make Faire. “ALAVs 2.0 (Autonomous Light Air Vessels) are networked objects that communicate the concept of connectivity among people, objects, and the environment. Through the use of mobile technologies people can influence the behavior of the ALAVs by starting conversations and building closer relationships with them. ALAVs

Pong Watch
Complex Hacks

8

John Maushammer has created one of the coolest watches I have ever seen. Reminds me of the Laptop Pong Clock but much smaller and tougher to build. Have a look at the pong watch build log for some interesting construction details. Code will be available on the Plans page when it’s finalized. Video after the jump. “The basic idea – from Buro Vormkrijgers – is genius: each minute the right

Atari 2600 Joystick TV Remote Control
Cool Gadgets

44

  Overview   I wanted a simple remote that could be used to easily control the volume and mute the TV when the phone rings. I have replaced all of my remotes with a single Harmony 880 control which works great, but I wanted something a bit more cool to compliment it. Building the retro remote was fun and simple since the mini remote that I used was very easy