Gadget Freak Case #207: Android Breathalyzer in an Altoids Box Al Linke's tiny Breathalyzer is stored in an Altoids tin, and the results can be sent to his Android phone. The key component is the IOIO board, which enables the Android to receive data from eternal sensors.
Good slide show, Rob. As I've said previously, I think (and hope) the easier-to-use Kindle has a chance to become a commercial product, albeit a niche product.
These slide shows are awesome. As you pointed out, its amazing how today's Makers are quite clever in developing cool and innovative products using ordinary materials. One item I'm always discussing with my Electronic Engineering Tech students at ITT Tech is to venture into the land of creativity. There are so many cool tools to develop personal technology such as the Arduino, the Basic Stamp, LEGO NXT, and the Propeller, to name a few, that the only constraining factor is time. I'm currently working on some cool robotic controller gadget projects for a book I'm writing for Apress. I'm using microcontroller platforms such as the Arduino, LEGO NXT, and a bunch of discrete electronic parts along with my Motorola DroidX smartphone to create wireless controls for robots. BTW, I do like the robotic hand and the Kindle products as well.
Hey, Mr.Don, we're always looking for new gadgets to feature in Gadget Freak. If you or any of your students have gadgets, we'd like to see them. Design News will pay $500 if we feature your gadget. We often feature student teams. Send me a note at rob.spiegel@ubm.com and I'll send along the Gadget Freak details.
Charles, you're right on the mark! The LEGO NXT has wealth of free programning tools like NXC (NXT Not Quite C) and Python. The traditional programming tools like LabView, VB, and Visual C allow rapid prototyping of a variety of cool and innovative gadgets only limited by one's imagination.
Yes, the Frankindle was great gadget. It was created to solve a problem. Those are the best gadgets. We have more coming that were developed to solve specifc problems.
So, Altoids aren't just for your breath any more, huh?
I think you should have a column for what we can design into an Altoids box. That would be fun. I can see it now, "Engineers design first home generator in an Altoid box. Altoid stock rises fast!"
Andrew Morris designed a circuit that could detect a stroke victim's groan and convert the sound into a signal so caregivers would know when help was needed.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
