RFID — it’s not just for creepy tracking anymore. Don’t believe us? Check out this sweet table that turns RFID-tagged discs into music when dropped into one of four bowls. The discs are made from vinyl records, and each bowl has an RFID reader connected to an Arduino. Dropping a disc into a bowl triggers a drum, synth, guitar or bass loop. There’s also an LED by each of the bowls to indicate which loop you’ll be hearing. Video of the table in action, after the break.

Continue reading Beat Box table turns RFID tagging into beautiful music

Beat Box table turns RFID tagging into beautiful music originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Danne Woo  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

Start with some Arduino and Gameduino hardware, add a splash of PLAN-13 satellite tracking software from 1983, and finish with a healthy dose of libertarianism. The result? A neat little hack called Angst, designed and built by Mark VandeWettering (aka Brainwagon). It can store details of up to 750 satellites on 128KB of EEPROM memory and display their predicted orbits in all the glory of SVGA display. Don’t get lazy though — the most reliable way to track those pesky snoops in the sky is still to don your anorak, step outdoors and snoop right back.

Continue reading Arduino geek develops Cold War Angst, starts spying on satellites (video)

Arduino geek develops Cold War Angst, starts spying on satellites (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hackaday  |  Brainwagon  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

There isn’t actually much new about this awesome DIY project, but it’s the way it brings the various parts together that has us impressed. Designed by Instructables user XenonJohn, with help from software developer David Findlay, the Magic Music Table RFID was designed to let a disable child (or other such handicapped user) select albums to play back from an iPod touch playlist. The iPod is connected to an Arduino, which tells the device to start playing a particular track based on a selection made with RFID cards. The whole setup is built into a coffee table and the RFID tags are sandwiched inside clear plastic blocks with the album art. You can see it in action in the video after the break and, if you’ve got the patience and skill, you can build your own using the directions at the source link.

Continue reading Arduino, iPod and RFID make beatiful, handicapped-accessible music together (video)

Arduino, iPod and RFID make beatiful, handicapped-accessible music together (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Engadget

Oh, look — it’s Pixar’s iconic lamp brought to real-world Frankenlife. Okay, not really, but the automated, voice-enabled mod is as close to the movie studio’s icon as a hacking kit and five euros in a Swedish furniture store can get you. The prototype, lovingly named “The annoying IKEA lamp” or SM-1, is ArduinoArts’ finalist entry for SeeedStudio’s Grove Toy Kit contest. Headed by industrial engineer Javier Lander, the project weds two servos (one in the base and one in the lamp), sensors for motion and sound, a three axis accelerometer, LED light and audio board to an Arduino shield, springing the modjob to programmed states of alarm and irritation. We commend Javier for eschewing the cutesy road well-traveled,and giving the mundane desktop light a grumpy, old man makeover. Click on past the break to see this curmudgeonly office accessory in action.

[Thanks, Javier]

Continue reading Arduino hack imitates Pixar’s living lamp, disses IKEA in the process (video)

Arduino hack imitates Pixar’s living lamp, disses IKEA in the process (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  ArduinoArts  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

Continue reading Kinect / Arduino hack makes stuffed monkey dance for your amusement

Kinect / Arduino hack makes stuffed monkey dance for your amusement originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC World  |  Subtours  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

How to build an LED display board from scratch and hook it up to an Arduino so it displays your incoming @replies on Twitter.

Wired Top Stories