Willden started with a servo motor and some mechanical linkages, which he connected to an Arduino UNO microcontroller development board. He then connected a light sensor to one of the microcontroller's analog inputs.
Nancy, I'm seeing a trend where products that are meant for kids, more adults seem to embrace them (Ex. LEGO Mindstorms). I guess it's the inner child that's coming out of the adult.:)
I agree, mrdon. Our family had a great time together when we encouraged and mentored our son through his science project where he tested out various fin designs and their effect on model rockets. He was in sixth grade and it was a very special opportunity to nurture a budding curiosity in science in a fun and exciting way. We took the three different models our son built to a field and he recorded altitude and flightpath for each of the three different fin designs. I don't know who had more fun - Son or Mom and Dad!
Jeremy, I really enjoyed your Gadget Freak project. Nice way to share tech as family by making cool interactive toys! I also found your build instructions to be clear and simple. I noticed you used ExpressPCB software to draw the circuit schematic diagram. Very very nice project. Thanks for sharing this special Gadget Freak project with us!
Nancy, I was thinking about an NDA as well for such a cool and innovative project. LOL Technology not only solves problems but brings families together. What a Great Gadget Freak story!
I, too, like the family aspect of this story. I also agree that this girl will remember this project for many, many years (especially since the project got a little bit of extra publicity). Who knows? Maybe this will inspire her to be a design engineer.
"Isn't that the truth, Mydesign?? I remember when my school project was to build an American settler house with toothpicks! We have come such a looooonnnng way from that. It's amazing how tech savvy kids are today. Sometimes a bit frightening, even!"
Elizabet, School projects and student's interests are different. In schools they used to do the projects with thermo cool sheets and similar substances, but at the other hand they are more interested in using most soficated devices.
Now this is one cool story. I love the interaction with everyone in the family AND the fact that a great demonstration of engineering, at it best, was given. I'm sure your daughter will remember this "gadget" for years and years and I suspect it will be one of her most treasured items as she grows up. Bridges, automobles, appliances, aircraft engines is what we do for a livig--designs like this one is what we do for our families. Great post. Love this one.
Thanks, Nancy. I actually knew people in a remote area of Idaho where bears get into the orchard and with a very long driveway--that's where I first heard of these systems. And we'll be posting an update soon about the forum idea.
Great brainstorming, Ann and a practical solution to the problem - just the kind of thing that what would happen if we moved forward with that forum we were talking about ;) I don't believe an NDA is required either LOL
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
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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.
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