Author: jboranjr

Stepper Pomodoro

In this current way of working we are constantly barraged with too many tasks, not enough time, and too little mental space. Many have used the Pomodoro technique of arranging one’s tasks for the day into small chunks of time with built in breaks. However, having a loud ticking and buzzing timer on one’s desk in a busy office environment is not the most courteous thing. This is where the Stepper Pomodoro shines brightest.

The Stepper Pomodoro doesn’t have numbers on it ticking down to your inevitable project deadline, it’s arbitrary silly! Because it is made from genuine stepper motors it has no zero value because of the H-bridges it uses. Therefore, it counts time by how many 1 RPM revolutions it makes before moving on to one of the three dials. It’s not just an added value on faces, you also get the large wooden form factor, 12V AC/DC power adapter, and stepper motors which may combust if left plugged in too long included. Who knew Pomodoro timers could be so combustable, heavy, large, and electrified?!

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Instructable found here

John’s final project outline: Century Clock

For my final project my goal is to create a clock that can display up to 100 years of time past a certain date. It does this through six different dials all powered through independent stepper motors connected to an Arduino reading a real time clock module (thanks Becky!).

I am imagining that a clock like this could be used to mark the exact amount of time since an important event (birth of a child, anniversary, a person starting sobriety), to help mark the occasion exactly. Depending on how the building and coding goes, the resetting of the clock via a button every time it is pressed may be a feature for V2.0.

Below can be found my drawings regarding possible form, as well as my link to the outline and tools/materials list.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SDm_j-oxIthKATLxeyhMz939mIoXOPTdOahBQb70qQE/edit?usp=sharing

John’s Huzzah Wifi board + final project ideas

This week we added our ESP-12S wifi board to the mix.

Huzzah WiFi board @svapod | @bekathwia

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Final Project Ideas

1. Light up jacket for bikers/pedestrians – Jacket that lights up when zipped up all the way. As well, could include hand signal registering as visible light turn signals.

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2. Passive Protest – Little machine connected to an arduino that spits out a quarter every time @realDonaldTrup tweets. That money falls into a receptacle that is donated monthly to charities like ACLU.

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3. Pressure sensor in chair that alerts when you’re sitting with bad posture – Arduino connected device that messages you when it senses you sitting in your chair but that your posture is off.

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John’s Plush D20

Process

First I drew the triangles required in the gray felt I would be using. Then I cut out the numbers I had embroidered the night before. After that, I sewed together everything and attached the numbers with fabric glue. Finally I inserted the battery pack and led package and buttoned it up.

 

Final Product

The final product didn’t fit together as well as I would have liked, however I still like the look of it. It is a plush for people who play d20 table top games (Dungeons and Dragons etc.) and those who want a soft red light to fall asleep to.

 

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John’s plush d20 prototype

This week I wanted to explore making a plush D20 (a twenty sided dice) and placing lights inside. The most pressing matter I have found was to explore was exactly how my pattern should look to create the best end result. D20’s are made of twenty triangles arrayed as a polygon. Therefore, I attempted sewing together five in sequence without any extra material to join them. Also suggested on the internet and in class was adding material to each edge to create area for the sewing machine to run.

Below is my process.

I have found so far that using normal triangles yields the most structural result in the felt I used. The extra fabric added on the second test actually prevented the solid from forming in the corner where the five triangles met.

Here is my circuit diagram. I am imagining four LEDs with resistors on each positive wire connected to a AAA battery pack with an onboard switch. I may add a push button switch under the fabric instead if it proves to be difficult to switch on with the battery pack switch.

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Plush nightlight proposals – John Boran Jr.

Proposal 1 – plush d20 dice

The first idea for a plush nightlight I have is for a plush d20 (a 20 sided dice commonly used to play dungeons and dragons) that has a light up panel on the 20 side. The light only shows through that panel and not elsewhere through the plush. It would be aimed at those who play D&D which represents many different age ranges.

d20

 

Proposal 2 – Space Giraffe

The second idea for a plush nightlight I have is for a plush Celestial giraffe with constellations sewn into the outside in shiny thread. The whole item would light up and the thread could reflect some of the light in interesting ways. It is surreal in styling and meant for anyone who enjoys the silliness of a space giraffe that lights up blue.

space-giraffe

 

Proposal 3 – Knight in armor

The third idea for a plush nightlight I have is for a plush Knight in armor wielding a light up or flaming sword. Just the sword would light up until you opened up the helm of the armor and revealed it to also have lights in it. This is primarily aimed at young boys and girls who like playing with medieval/fantasy toys.

knight

Week 3 HW – John Boran Jr.

Week three button arduino @bekathwia | @svapod

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Week three button reverse @bekathwia | @svapod

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Week three resistor removal button @bekathwia | @svapod

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Week three digital serial monitor @bekathwia | @svapod

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Custom code for arduino – stopping a loop with a button @bekathwia | @svapod

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arduino 

int timer = 200;  //timer variable created
const int buttonPin = 2; //button is on pin two
int buttonState = 0;  //button state is off, click turns it off normal state
int thisPin = 3;  //start of blinking lights

void setup() {
  for (int thisPin = 3; thisPin < 8; thisPin++) {
    pinMode(thisPin, OUTPUT); //set leds as output
    pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);  // set button as input
  }
}
void loop() {
  buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin); //read what the button is doing before loop of leds
  
  if (buttonState == HIGH) {  //if button is not pressed run code
 for (int thisPin = 3; thisPin <  8; thisPin++) {
    // turn the pin on:
    digitalWrite(thisPin, HIGH);
    delay(timer);
    // turn the pin off:
    digitalWrite(thisPin, LOW);
}
  } else {
    // turn LED off:
    digitalWrite(thisPin, LOW); //if button is pressed do not run code
  }
}