1.Problem When people work or study, they often rely on their phones to check time, which easily leads to distraction and procrastination. So a physical timer without screen can help people maintain focus by visualizing time’s passing without interruptions.
2.idea I wanna make a small desktop Pomodoro timer that visualizes time through a strip of LEDs.(now I wanna make it with scattered LEDs)
Each LED represents a segment of time — as minutes pass, the LEDs gradually turn off one by one, creating a calm and intuitive sense of progress.
When the timer finishes (e.g., after 25 minutes), the LEDs flash softly or fade in/out to indicate the end of the focus session.
Grumps is a mood indicator. It is meant to convey a mood to your loved ones without needing to speak. Whether you don’t feel like speaking or you’re busy at work/school, Grumps allows you to ask for comfort without having to overextend yourself. The object will glow when activated which signifies to the room that you aren’t in a good mood. Grumps will be a weighted plush which will allow it to sit on your desk or provide comfort in your arms.
Bonus: It will have a small pocket that can store notes/letters of affirmation.
Update: Grumpers is going to be a set of two tear droplets.
Target Users: nonverbal/neurodivergent people | people who work long hours | people that live with their partners.
Parts + Materials: 1. Soft plush fabric in different colors 2. Led -> different colors to signify different moods 3. Some ribbon/chain that allows multiple grumps to be attached to each other + other things 4. Batteries 5. Heat Shrinking Tubing 6. Resistor
So you want to build your own synth? But you know nothing about music, soldering, or laser-cutting… well you came to the right place! Welcome to the Fish Synth Docs… a step by step tutorial for the Fish Synth! It comes with a strap so you can take your awesome synth on-the-go with you to all your events!
It comes with one dial, buttons to control the sounds, and a keyboard! It also has a plug that can connect pedals to your synth to create a daisy-chain effect!
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
I do not have the exact circuit diagram yet, but this video illustrates a circuit that will be very similar to my final one.
The issue I had with most of the videos is that they would explain without showing what they are talking about, or the video would just show the building process. I wanted to combine these two video styles.
1. Show All Materials Laid Out and Overlay Final Product
(HAVE BREADBOARD AND EVERYTHING CLEARLY IN FRAME)
2. Have DIY Music Playing in Background
3. Start with Introduction and Explain all Materials
4. Explain each step in detail and have graphics on the video as well
5. Put all the separate parts together
6. Show Final Product
7. Outro
Intro -> Show Materials -> 1 Min Quick Sped Up Building -> Dive into Explanation -> Show Final Product -> Outro
I want to move away from utilitarian features and embrace a “less is more” philosophy to create something beautiful. Specifically, I’m drawn to the idea of crafting a round wall sculpture with a light source (narrow or wide) that slowly glides along the inner perimeter of the frame. I believe there’s a certain truth in this specific movement and aim to evoke a sense of calm and timelessness.
Here are my brainstorming drawings (very abstract) that explore the location of the light source, featured objects, light and shade, etc. I’m particularly fond of the fifth idea at the central bottom. It’s a flat, round wall decor piece with a light-colored frame. It features a base layer of light blue (made out of acrylic/ painted canvas/ wood/ another material) and a transparent layer of acrylic engraved with leaf veins. The concept involves a single light source on the inner perimeter that either physically moves around or creates this illusion with an LED strip. I also plan to hand paint transparent relief paste/ UV resin on top of the laser engraing to enhance the texture of leaf veins.
To enhance interaction, I plan to integrate a sound sensor that increases brightness when it’s noisy and decreases it when it’s quiet.
Problem Addressed/ Purpose of Making
Life in NYC is stressful; I miss the greenery of nature, and my meditation time is plummeting. I want to create an unconventional piece of house decor that can help me regain focus at home. The decor’s calming look symbolizes harmony; the gliding light will be a powerful tool for focus and meditation. Its smart reaction to ambient sound levels makes me feel connected to the space’s mood
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*Previous Ideas
Split-Flap Clothing Palette Selector
A split flap clothes selector. It is attached to a gesture sensor and has three color wheels layered on top of each other, spinning independently on the same motor. The idea is I take pictures of my tops/ bottoms/ accessories and print them out on the color wheel, every time before I head out, I wave at the selector to help me pick a random (and hopefully good) outfit combination.
A police beacon with an LDR sensor on top that starts screaming whenever its surrounding gets too dark. It can be used to alert poor lighting in our studio.
A radar sensor setup to keep my desk area free of random objects. The idea is to use an Arduino radar sensor that scans the space and alerts me whenever anything out of place enters the zone. To avoid picking up hands or other moving objects, I might need an extra heat sensor to ignore any skin detection, etc. (Not totally sure if one sensor will cut it or if I’ll need a combo). (personal least favorite idea)
I want to make an Arduino-based LED lamp that monitors heartbeats through a pulse sensor and flashes a heart-shaped LED lampshade at the heartbeat frequency.
Screenshot
Material list
Arduino Uno: 1
LED lamp (red or RGB): single LED or RGB LED
Pulse sensor: 1
Resistor: resistor of appropriate resistance value
Connection wire: several
3D printing material: PLA translucent 3D printing material
Making process
Connect the output pin (S) of the pulse sensor to the A0 pin (analog input) of Arduino.
Connect the VCC and GND of the pulse sensor to the 5V and GND of Arduino respectively.
If using RGB LED, connect the red, green, and blue pins to digital pins 9, 10, and 11 respectively, and each pin is connected to GND through a resistor.
Circuit test: Use simple code to test whether the LED and pulse sensor are working properly.
Make a heart in the modeling software and reserve a wiring hole
Welcome Back to The Cassio Blog!!!!! That is what I am titling my releases from this class from now on.
For our third and final project, we were instructed to create any product that would improve day-to-day life using Arduino and everything else we have learned in class.
I started brainstorming by looking through the old WordPress blogs that old POD students wrote for their final projects. I was amazed!!! I had a couple ideas stemming from music, midi board, and light before hand, but the posts really helped propel me to my final three.
Typewriter Pager For Friends
This project stemmed from my main issue in my life: I hate texting on my phone. Spending time staring into a screen more than I have to is unappealing to me, but I still want to contact my friends and see their messages.
I thought of a pager… and thus my Typewriter Pager was born! I want to create two small screens with a keyboard attached, that the user can give to their friend and then exchange cute messages and ideas through Wifi. [Note: Talk to Becky about feasibility]
2. Phone Stand + Speaker Magnifier + Lights that React to Music
The next issue that needed to be solved was… What to do when my Bluetooth speaker dies at a party???? The Phone Stand Speaker with Lights!!! It is a product that boosts the sound from your phone and has a light that reacts to the music.
3. DIY Soundboard or Midi Board
I recently took a DIY Guitar Pedals class (Thank you Kyle) and I learned a lot about soldering and creating my own pedal. This started the thought of incorporating this new knowledge and skills into my final project into some kind of Midi or Soundboard that I can control the sounds that are put into it.
If anyone has extra thoughts or comments, I would love to hear below!! <3
Hello!!! Sofia here from the deep dark sea of sinus problems. Over the weekend I got a little cold, and thus that has put a halt on my soldering portion of my costume.
I have finished up everything else, so hopefully on the 30th, I will finish up the lights and be ready for Thursday!
Materials
Black Morph Suit (Amazon:)
Mermaid Trim (Amazon: , but I recommend Etsy if you have the time)
Black Fabric (Flea Market)
NeoPixel Gemma
NeoPixel Strip
Two Small LED Lights
Sewing Machine
Hope
In class on Wednesday, I tried on my suit and cut out my fabric pieces. I then started to craft together my final garment, but I fell ill around Thursday.
Circuit Diagram
Here is my tiktok of my progress! I also plan to buy fake nails and some sfx makeup to do the creepy makeup on Thursday. (SHOUT OUT TO Gudren for helping me with the bobbin <3 )
Intention: cosplay Medusa from Soul Eater as much as possible! (first cosplay in life ever 👻👻👻)
Arduino technique:
button controlled LED lighting
Fading purple LED light that only glows around the arrow heads so it is recognizable in the dark (against black arrows and black costume)
Material
galvanized wire: to create bendable arrows and a strong frame for waist band where central control is located on
black electrical tape: to wrap around and protect the joints where wires are bent
foam tube: to build the body of tubes
foam block (maybe just blue foam?): to band saw individual arrow heads and spraypaint it black
LED stripe: to wrap around the edges of foam arrow heads and glow
extension cord (from VFL): to connect the LEDs at the far ends of the arrows with the controller on the waist
Medusa cosplay costume: jumpsuit, wig, body paint stick (for Medusa’s snake tatto on the arm), lab coat
(All materials have been purchased and some of them already arrived)
TODO List
test the fitting of foam tubing on galvanized wire & extension cord
saw individual arrow heads x6
stick LED strips around the outline of arrow heads
make the waist band with strong wire support & covered in black clothes to hide the wire & arduino board
cut foam tubes into sections of varying length, then insert wires
solder LED strips onto extension cords insert cords, insert the extension cords through sections of the foam tubing for each arrow, then solder all extension cords to the arduino board with button controller on the waist band
