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Gadget Freak
Gadget Freak: LED Message Board
8/24/2012

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Rich Quinnell's hand message board uses LEDs to trace out a message in mid air when the hand is waved back and forth.
Rich Quinnell's hand message board uses LEDs to trace out a message in mid air when the hand is waved back and forth.

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RichQ
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Nice project
RichQ   8/28/2012 8:05:11 PM
NO RATINGS
I like the idea of the glove. Will have to figure out how to wire it so it won't be scratchy. Thanks for the suggestion.

Nancy Golden
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Nice project
Nancy Golden   8/28/2012 4:41:21 PM
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Some of my code would make a grown C programmer cry too, RichQ. What some folks might call "spaghetti code" I prefer thinking of as "thinking outside of the box" :) Besides, since I am Italian, the moniker fits in my case LOL 

Rather than reinventing the wheel - you simply readjusted it - a great time saver that still took tech know-how - Great job!

 

AJ2X
User Rank
Silver
Re: Nice project
AJ2X   8/27/2012 11:45:16 AM
NO RATINGS
Cool idea. Maybe the next version should have the board and LEDs affixed to, or embedded in, a glove.  Wearable computing is the Next Big Thing. :)

mrdon
User Rank
Gold
Re: Nice project
mrdon   8/26/2012 12:07:49 AM
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Hi Rich, Very clever approach to developing a cool embedded product. The method of modifying code to change the product functional behavior is what I discuss with my ITT Tech Electrical Engineering Tech students every class period. I often use this rapid development method for  embedded devices and gadgets I create in my home lab as well. Very cool project!!!

NadineJ
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Nice project
NadineJ   8/25/2012 3:21:38 PM
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Very cool.  I'd love to see the next one with a keyboard.  Good job!

RichQ
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Nice project
RichQ   8/24/2012 4:47:37 PM
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Thanks. Fortunately I didn't have to do it from scratch, and my code would probably make a grown C programmer cry, but I was able to do what I wanted with it.

Charles Murray
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Nice project
Charles Murray   8/24/2012 4:45:27 PM
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Doing this in two weeks when you don't know C is an amazing accomplishment. Kudos, Rich.

RichQ
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Nice project
RichQ   8/24/2012 11:46:49 AM
NO RATINGS
Jon, thanks. The board does have an accelerometer and it is what triggers the display. It was a challenge, though, separating out the gravity signal from the motion signal. Also, I owe a lot to my blogger Ryszard Milewicz, who started this with a program that displayed the I heart MCC message when he waved it around in his hand. I "featureized" it a bit, adding the multiple message capability and adjusting the display timing somewhat. Oh, and it's my hand.

Jon Titus
User Rank
Blogger
Nice project
Jon Titus   8/24/2012 11:22:16 AM
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Nicely done, Rich.  I have seen similar message units that use an accelerometer to start and stop the display, but you did the job with a small MSP430 board.  Clever. --Jon

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