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Hey guys,

Ever wondered how much energy you could capture right on the street? Or on the roof of your house? Or–you devious creature–on the roof of someone ELSE’S house? Get ready to explore with me the process of making a wind power diagnostic tool, which can tell you anywhere in the world whether or not an environment can support a vertical-axis turbine.

At 10 meters/second, most vertical-axis turbines generate energy, so this device uses an anemometer to measure wind speed, a GPS to log its location data, and Bluetooth technology to push data to adafruit.io.

Let’s get started:

1. [a nice layout image of the parts] Gather the materials: Arduino Uno, breadboard, Bluetooth shield, li-ion battery pack, anemometer, wires, soldering iron and co., materials for housing the finished model
2. Also, since you’ll be using a SIM card and adafruit.io for this model, register your card [here] and sign up for adafruit.io [here].
3. If you haven’t already, download the Arduino program [at this hyperlink]. Then, use [this online tutorial] to download the code libraries for [these parts, separated by commas, linking back to the Adafruit website].
4. Before we test the code, we need to assemble the parts in a “working” order, so get out your breadboard and wires. If you’re using multi-stranded wire, solder the ends if you need to [picture of before and after soldering wire].
5. [step-by-step images of assembling the breadboard] [a simplified wiring diagram] Following the diagram, wire the Arduino to the [parts] as shown.
6. Now, hook up the Arduino to your computer and fire up the program. Delete the default text and enter [this code]. If you’re code-averse, this is where you can stop paying attention, but for those of you who want to know how I did it, read the comments and check out [these tutorials] for some of the original inspiration for the code.
7. Hit the “Upload” button. The LED on your Arduino board should flicker, and the prototype should be in action!
8. To test this prototype, uncomment the Serial.output section of the code [screenshot here] and blow on the anemometer. A window should display the wind-speed values you are producing with your breath. If it does, success!
9. Follow a similar testing procedure to make sure the device hooks up to your adafruit.io account and produces the same values.
10. Before you take your device into the wild, you want to protect it. This is the step where you make the housing!
11. [follow the illustrated directions to make the housing, probably out of cut acrylic, or cardboard for the truly DIY] [in either case templates will be available for download]
12. Secure the device in its new housing and shut it securely. You are now ready to see where the wind takes you!

1，When it is rainy or windy outside, we always feel depressed or a little bit afraid. But what if we just imagine the wind and rain are just talking to us. So I want to design a device that sticks on the window. There is a humidity sensor or press sensor? inside it which could translate the beats of the rain and wind to some emoji showing on the screen or some cheerful music.

2, A drum that can show the drumbeats. It is used when teaching or improvisation. The drums are connected. So when one beats on the drum, the other’s drum will have a led signal, so they can follow the first one. I am thinking if the device is better for teaching a single drum or the drum set.

I have two ideas that I have been thinking about for the final project in Making Studio:

Idea 1:

Revisiting my plush lamp assignment that used the dancing cubes and 3d printing them.  Then I would put LEDs and a controller inside the print so that every time you rotate the cubes the color of the LEDs change.

Idea 2:

Would consist of revisiting my innovation switch assignment that was titled, “secret knock.”  I see it as a business card holder and in order to exchange my business card with some one they would have to perform the secret knock on a box, which would trigger a door to open and reveal a single business card.

1. peper shaker

Pepper shaker can be a music instrument.

If you make a rhythm during shaking it, it will play music in the same rhythm.

2. hearband or any wearable form to wake you up

If you nod , the hair band will alarm to wake you up

(It could be sound, vibration, lighting)

3. Tissue hodler.

The Tissue holder can inform you about how much tissue left now.

or when you pull the tissue, the music will start and also you can control the speed of music by rotating tissue.

4. Umbrella.

It might be interesting when you open the umbrella, a lot of lighting which is inside the umbrella will turn on.

(I’ll think about other ideas relating to umbrella handle)

5. zipper lighting 

6.eye patch

Arjun is struggling a bit, but here’s what he’s got so far:

 

Idea # 1 – Innovative Switch Expansion

The initial “Reminder Wallet” was a basic product that, when the wallet was closed without a credit card blocking the switch, flashed an LED to remind you to close your tab. The new wallet would be a complete redesign, featuring a more professional aesthetic as well as the ability to check for multiple cards. Perhaps the light element would go on the outside using EL tape or addressable LEDs. Functionality expansion could include exploration into syncing with your phone to send you reminder text messages.

Idea # 2 – Weight Tracking Belt

A wearable that would help users track their weight loss or gain over time through the use of pressure sensing. Pressure sensors would be evenly spaced throughout the belt. The first day the user puts the belt on acts as their “zero” point. From there, over days and weeks, the increase or decrease of pressure sensed by the belt could be translated into weight gain or loss tracking.

Idea # 3 – Linked Wedding Rings

Wedding rings with a built-in small vibration motor or addressable LED. When your partner presses the button, your wedding rings buzzes, vibrates, or lights up to let you know they are thinking of you.

Idea # 4 – Fist Bump Gloves

A set of gloves that, when you fist bump with the owner of another set, an embedded speaker plays awesome music. Or fireworks go off on a linked mini-cannon.

Idea # 5 – Electronic Bean Bag Toss (Cornhole)

An electronic reimagining of the game corn hole, which features players attempt to land a bean bag on an inclined wooden platform. Landing on the platform scores one point, while getting the bean bag through the hole scores 3 points. First to 21 wins. The electronic version would include a scoreboard, pressure sensors (maybe?), and an IR sensor to determine when the bean bag goes through the hole.

Idea # 6 – Laundry Hamper

As a bachelor, I forget to do my laundry in a timely manner. Always. So I would design a laundry hamper with weight/pressure sensors that would remind me when it starts getting closer to the time that I should do my laundry. While a problem is that the obvious solution to the reminder would be to empty my launder hamper, I would try to think of an anti-tampering measure to protect my laundry.

 

 

This is where I’m at for now, but I definitely will be thinking more about potential ideas over the next 18 hours before class.

 

1. A wearable that pulls online weather data, compares it to user set parameters and indicates when ideal conditions exist (LEDs).
2. A map of NYC trains that updates in real time to show current train locations.
3. A nightlight that correlates to bed movement to light intensity, pulse rate or color (or all three).