Science and Art Photography

The art of Caleb Charland blogged at MYModernMet

Flower Spray

Flower Spray
Originally uploaded by Velo Steve

Created using processing and from
www.forreststevens.com/htmlgraph/

Based in turn on: www.aharef.info/static/htmlgraph/

and the HTML parser at http://htmlparser.sourceforge.net/

Green Design and so much more

FREE Green Exhibit Design Article

Firmata link between processing and arduino

The simplest way to get processing and the arduino to talk is by loading the
standardFirmata sketch onto the arduino. This recognizes whether pins are inputs or outputs based on the processing code.

Then on processing I am using a simple code to display data
firmataReadAnalogMultipleandDigital.pde which reads analog pins and a digital pin

DC motor control with 556 timer

Using a 556 timer chip, control of a DC motor using PWM works well - this from the pages of MAKE: 23. Used to drive a Solarbotics gearbox motor, also excellent for changing timing delays and with 2 pots can adjust interval and also duration of pulses.

I used this to press the shutter button on a hacked Canon A70 camera for a timelapse camera.

Deck vegetable gardening

from homegrownevolution blog



SIP hacker and horticultural Internet hero Josh Mandel's original pdf instructions for how to make your own.

Mandel's revised instructions with thoughts on how to eliminate the use of PVC plastics when building a SIP.

Where to buy a SIP: earthbox.com. Even if you build your own, you should follow the Earthbox company's user guide for how to fill the box, what kind of soil to use and how to fertilize.

For a nice example of rooftop and window gardening with SIPs see the Green Roof Growers of Chicago.

Ohio State University Extension Service's list of vegetable varieties for container gardening. These are varieties with smaller root systems that do well in small pots.

Firmata link between processing and arduino

Now running a sketch in processing that reads the values of 3 sensors, actually potentiometers for testing. Displays values as bars in processing, and the circle is colored RGB by these values.

Welcome to whirlyworld blog

Migrating to blogger from word press - lets see how that goes

Arduino based dissolved oxygen probe

BFC Tav Rocks

Originally uploaded by whirlymark

The benthic flux chamber on the ocean floor with the dissolved oxygen probe installed. An arduino microcontroller records the data and saves it to an EEPROM in a underwater housing. This one at Tav Rocks near Key largo worked like a charm.

Pinhole camera in Times Square

timeSquareDownSt, originally uploaded by whirlymark.

My P-Sharan Wide angle pinhole camera worked like a charm in Time Square. Colors look great as well

Firmata and contro of arduino from PC

Good explanation of firmata using processing and also here, and then the version for Visual Basic

Laser cut clock wheels and gears

Authenticity in the Age of its Technological Reproducibility
Sang Hyeon Cho
IM Master

Through this clock Cho explored the possibilities of making authentic objects in a technological age. I also have to point out the impressive use of laser cutting. (Try out your own design with Ponoko Make.)

Degradation over time

Great display of fungal degradation over time using plastics:



Continuous Bodies
Maurizio Montalti
IM Master

For this project Montalti worked with a group of scientists to explore the possibilities of using fungi to solve problems. The images show experiments with decomposing plastic. On the left in the second image is what the experiment looked like in December 2009, and on the right is what it looks like now, 10 months later. Considering we hear so much about how long it takes plastic to decompose, these experiments could have enormous benefit.

XY axes

Making an XY axis bot requires two stepper motors, and then either 2 belts or 2 rods.  Been used many times before in CNC machines and 3-D printers:
including
Makerbot
RepRap

Nice tutorial on constructing Y-axis and also idler pulley assembly from Makerbot

Stepper motors

Parallax #27964

Unipolar, 12VDC, 7.5o step angle.  Wiring is
1. Orange
2. Yellow
3. Black
4.Brown
COM Red


Using the adafruit stepper motor shield, with a bipolar stepper from an HP scanner, there was a bad smell, little crack, and I think I just fried half of the shield.  Well only the first blown chip so far, so not bad.

Motor mounts

Servo city has somegreat motor mounts

Controlling multiple RGB LEDs

The TLC 5940 - PWM driver chip can drive 16 channels from a single serial port. Sparkfun sells them.

Also Sparkfun has a great 3 RGB breakout board for making a great light for $9

Beautiful mathematical sand sculptures

From Bruce Shapiro, the inventor of the egg-bot, some beautiful sand sculptures that plot mathematical patterns

Tom Igoe from ITP and the Arduino team talks about the Arduino Uno

Video with Tom Igoe talking about the new arduino uno

tom_igoe_from_itp_and_the_arduino_t.html

Easy SMS messaging from arduino

from Make Club

Cheap and easy SMS via GSM for your MCU

http://hackaday.com/2010/10/18/cheap-and-easy-sms-via-gsm-for-your-mcu/

Non acronym version of the title: send and receive text messages via cell phone communication towers using an Arduino or other microcontroller. “We’ve been doing that for years!” you cry, well yes, technically. But [Fincham] lays it outs simply; commercial offerings are expensive and finding a cell phone that uses RS232 now a days is getting difficult, so a new way of doing the same old is necessary. The good news is USB GSM modems are readily available, cheap, and only require a few interface pins to get them talking with an Arduino. In fact, the image above is all you need.

Larson scanner for Halloween

Small project for a Larson scanner to put in a pumpkin.
 runs on an arduino, wired up as a Hackduino project. The speed of the LEDs is controlled by a pot linked to the arduino chip running a larsonscannerwithpot sketch.

Low cost CNC

Instructable using servo motors

We got our timing belts and pulleys from McMaster-Carr (but they are available elsewhere):
part # 6484K454 Trapezoidal Tooth Neoprene Timing Belt .200" Pitch, Trade Sz 770XL, 77" Outer Circle, 3/8" Wide
part # 57105K21 Acetal Pulley for XL-Series Timing-Belt for 1/4" & 3/8" Belt Width, 1.63" OD, 22 Teeth

Bearings and Collars
For the timing belt pulley bearings, make sure to get the extended inner ring ones so they don't rub against the shaft collars. You could also use regular ones with small washers on the inner ring. We used flanged ones to make mounting easier.


We got our timing belts and pulleys from McMaster-Carr (but they are available elsewhere):

part # 6462K12 Type 303 SS Set Screw Shaft Collar 1/4" Bore, 1/2" Outside Diameter, 9/32" Width
part # 57155K337 Miniature Precision SS Ball Bearing - ABEC-5 Flanged Shield, Extended Inner Ring, .25" ID, .5" OD

After building these, we noticed that Home Depot has ball bearings for patio doors, and these may work almost as well at a much lower price. Rather than mounting the bearing in a hole, you could put a couple bolts right through the outer plastic ring and bolt it right to an L bracket.

Modifying a Canon A70

Great site on moding a Canon to make an IR only camera.  Good instructions on removing and exposing shutter release which is what I want.

Powerleap and piezo technology

Using piezo power to harness the kinetic energy of people walking, cars moving, dancers and then create energy - Powerleap

Links to piezo kits and the humdinger, a piezo related wind turbine

energy harvesting clearing house of information VERY COOL

and a cool copper sconce from Holly Solar Products

Clock that writes time

Using two servos to control a pen, a RTC can send the time to a pen that writes the time on a piece of paper that then moves forward and shows the time.
If the sketch can control the pen, then the door is wide open to get the pen to write anything.  Could use a joystick learning program to "learn" numbers and letters.

There is some interesting work on candlebot from a Bristolian that may be helpful.

Candlebot video on YouTube

Multiple options on controlling pen movement.

1) 2 servos, easy but could be messy!
use the servo.h and joystick tutorial

2) X and Y stage using rods or belts.
Makerbot uses both and there are some interesting images and ideas there.  For the threaded rod version, the Z axis of the Makerbot works, uses belts as well.
Makerbot also has a great X-Y stage, controlled by stepper motors and belts - lot of work there

Also some ideas at bothacker and reprap

Pulleys can be sourced from McMaster

Draw shape with arduino

I could potentially use a PIR sensor or  IR sensor to draw shapes of 3-D objects. In a housing the PIR could be passed over an object then the distances calculated and plotted in processing to draw the shape.  Data could be stored on an SD card as a coordinates and then subsequently plotted.  Real time plotting would require a PC to be attached.

USB Stick Storage

After reading the excellent "Practical Arduino" book, there is a lot of talk about storing data on a removable USB Stick using a VDIP1 chip from Saelig. Good explanation and blog on interfacing chip to arduino.

Building waterproof housing

Great ideas from Diver Dave

1.  For good waterproof seals on cable glands use "braided shield cable", and sometimes Molex connectors
2. Introduction to the lathe from AGI
3. Get a milling machine for $4000
4, Delrin is good stuff
5. Good wiki on o-rings
5

Waterproof connectors

Electrical through bulkhead connectors are available from Digi-Key (#288-1167-ND) submersible to 5 bar (40-50meters).  Also from another supplier. These ones from McMaster look similar but no specs available


Check out the longer thread, elongated thread version #cd07cr-bk, and also the strain relief ones # cf07cr-bk from a sealconusa that provides samples. Plastic but 300' submersible or plated metal.

Battery capacity

For increased voltage, but not capacity use batteries in series.  For increased capacity (same volatge), use batteries in parallel

 Capacities of akaline AA typically 2000 mAH, and C cells 6000mAH

Great 9V connector jameco #216452

Magnetic reed switches

Using magnetic reed switches may be the answer to my underwater switch issues.  But how do they work? and where are the fields?

Monitor voltage of battery

Want to monitor the voltage of the battery attached to the arduino, then head over to Trossen and use a voltage divider circuit and read on the arduino

The secret voltage and secret temperature of the arduino is from tinkerit

inLine bilge pump

Rule make an inline bilge pump: iL200PLUS In-Line & Submersible Pump 12V - the continuous version, can remove net and add a hose. $30 from Amazon

Specifications:
Output		up to 12.7 litres/minute at up to .75bar (2.8 gallons/minute at 11psi)
Connections		1/2" (12.7mm) Hose
Dimensions (L x H)		142 x 38 mm
Max. Current		2.5 A
Weight		260 g

Acrylic domes

There are clear acrylic domes (12" diameter with flange) from calplastics for $55

Hall effect sensor to sense rotor motion

How do I know the rotor is turninginside a dark chamber? Hall effect sensor attached to an LED

ADC for arduino

From adafruit blog:  The analogRead(BANDGAPREF) trick has a lot of problems. I tried it for several applications and found it to be a pain and not very accurate. Here are a few of the things I ran into.

You need to calibrate each Arduino since the bandgap is only specified to be between 1.0 and 1.2 volts on the 168/328. It was only intended for brownout detection. It varies by about 5% on boards I tested which is better than the spec but there is no guarantee.

The value returned when you read it is around 220 so a two bit error results in a 1% error in the value of Vref. When you add zero offset errors in the Arduino ADC and bandgap noise and calibration problems you will likely have fluctuations of 2-3% in your readings.

Putting a cap on the Vref pin helps Vref noise some.

You will likely see the measured level in you tank fluctuate by 2-3% which is not what people expect.

To measure 4-20 ma I use a 100 ohm 0.05% resistor $4.83
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=MR106-100-.05-ND

and a MCP3422 with an internal 0.05% reference $3.14
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=MCP3422A0-E/SN-ND

This is all you need to get 0.1 - 0.2 % with no calibration and interchangeable parts.

The beauty of the MCP3422 is that it is a total sigma-delta system with amp, reference, filters, and oscillator so see the adafruit blog post about this useful chip

You just need to make a current vs volume table.

a 12-bit external ADC could be helpful ($28) and also a great thread on noisy numbers on adafruit

Depth measurement in seawater

The Cornell sub group shows a depth sensor board provides real-time information about the craft's depth below the surface of the pool. Analog pressure data (up to 100 PSI, or approximately 55 meters below the surface) is obtained from an MSI UltraStable-300 pressure transducer, operating in a 4-20 mA current loop. A 24-bit AD7791 Sigma-Delta Analog to Digital Converter is used to capture pressure data, which is converted into a depth reading by an on-board microcontroller and reported over RS232.  $100 from digi-key.  Also a microstrain meter to show position

Also see http://www.paroscientific.com/depthsensors.htm for other depth sensors

and Woods Hole Deep Submergence Lab

Adafruit motor shield

ladyada says....motor driver chips that come with the kit are designed to provide up to 600 mA per motor, with 1.2A peak current. Note that once you head towards 1A you'll probably want to put a heatsink on the motor driver, otherwise you will get thermal failure, possibly burning out the chip.

What pins are not used on the motor shield?

All 6 analog input pins are available. They can also be used as digital pins (pins #14 thru 19)

Digital pin 2, and 13 are not used.

The following pins are in use only if the DC/Stepper noted is in use:
Digital pin 11: DC Motor #1 / Stepper #1 (activation/speed control)
Digital pin 3: DC Motor #2 / Stepper #1 (activation/speed control)
Digital pin 5: DC Motor #3 / Stepper #2 (activation/speed control)
Digital pin 6: DC Motor #4 / Stepper #2 (activation/speed control)

The following pins are in use if any DC/steppers are used
Digital pin 4, 7, 8 and 12 are used to drive the DC/Stepper motors via the 74HC595 serial-to-parallel latch

The following pins are used only if that particular servo is in use:
Digitals pin 9: Servo #1 control
Digital pin 10: Servo #2 control

Motor control

Built the adafruit Motor shield, and now its time to control a motor.  I am using a Solarbotics GM2, and as Pololu says...This 224:1 gearmotor (gearbox with motor) is a great low-cost alternative to modified hobby servos or Tamiya gearboxes. The low-current motor is a perfect match for our qik 2s9v1 dual serial motor controller, and the compact size of 2.17" x 1.89" x 0.906" (55 x 48 x 23 mm) makes this unit an attractive choice for small robot designs.



At 5 V, the gearbox and motor provide 50 oz-in of torque and 38 RPM, which is slightly slower than a servo. The free-running current is 52 mA, and the stall current is 600 mA. A built-in safety clutch engages at approximately 60 oz-in.

This gearmotor comes pre-assembled, with the gears fully enclosed. There are built-in mounting holes, and the output shaft is 7mm in diameter with two sides flattened.

Sharan pinhole camera

Starting to put together a Sharan pinhole camera and stumbled across this very detailed account of a build.  A great resource.

Accurate real time clock

I have been using the DS1307 RTC from Sparkfun, but it loses time quite consistently - should have read some more the comments on the Sparkfun page.

So a much better clock and more accurate is the ChronoDot, also available from Evil Mad Scientists, at $15 with back up battery.

markduino on breadboard

So after lots of procrastinations, I made an arduino on a breadboard using Tom Igoe's ITP work and added a protection diode, additional 0.1uF decoupling capacitors (2), and wired a socket to use a FTDI cable from adafruit.  Schematics based on the Boarduino, which I love.  This version can now be transferred to a perf board to make a more permanent arduino without bells and whistles.

NO POWER FROM USB CABLE - this 5V is NOT connected so need power even when downloading.

IMPROVEMENT: Power on left side and header pin for downloading on right so wiring is neater

Plant moisture meter

I started working on a Forest Mims related moisture meter using a NPN transistor and an ammeter (multimeter actually)

 and then thought about an arduino version! a low and behold Faludi has done it, changed it to a voltage, then sold it as Botanicalls, a really cool product.  So changed by circuit to Faludi's version, tested the analog signal with a voltmeter and all looks good.  The new circuit look like this and there is an interesting tutorial on converting an ammeter circuit into one that can use a voltmeter. ALso talks about how to measure internal resistance of meter.... Still a little confused about the use of the trim pot though.

Robotics blog

Interesting belt tensioner at http://www.iheartrobotics.com/

arduino xbee temperature sensor - UPDATE

Been a long time since I looked at this project. Using Tom Igoe's Making Things Talk book, I got an Xbee with an attached potentiometer to send ADC data to an XBee attached to a PC.

Then the data was parsed in processing to plot a dual bar graph of sensor value (ADC) and signal strength.



The drioids.it XBee breakout board can be powered by up to 12V (on-board voltage regulator), and also has outputs for 3.3V.

To run a temp.sensor or other sensors will probably require a separate 5V circuit. The current circuit has the pot connected to AD0 (PIN 22) of the XBee, so could feasibily attach sensors to AD1,2,3 (all at 3.3 V).

Make minature scenes

Photoshop instructions for minature photos

Eppendorf clock

Quick clock to keep time, made from an Eppendorf box (the world's greatest pipettes)


Runs on an arduino, sparkfun clock module with back-up battery.  Good basic start, now needs some hacking!

100kGarages, CNC, and Shopbot

At makerfaireRI, 100kGarages were there, a great resource for shopbot sites

Color picker arduino

Still working on a small interactive coral sculpture. The coral is semi-transparent and contains an RGB LED from adafruit, and connected to an arduino and 3 pots to change RGB colors.  A sparkfun serial LCD displays RGB values. The coral will change colors depending on the temperature of the ocean in Australia, Hawaii, and Florida.  A video of the color picker, to determine colors of the corals, is on Color Picker on YouTube

Old BEAM project

Old BEAM project -

Book binding

Looking at Kristin's beautiful work, reminds me of my book binding attempt.  Based on a Moleskin notebook following some good instructions.  Astronomical endpapers, attempt at sewing pages went well, but definately need a better technique.





 

Wasn't too bad but I definately need some practice.

 

 

Great tutorial on making case bound books, and the etsy booking binding artis have great tutorial list of box making and book binding resources and books



A nice tutorial from Etsy on introduction to bookbinding