Polymythic released another amazing project using his favorite microcontroller (the Arduino) and the ioBridge IO-204 driving the interface. The context for Steve’s latest project is “How do I get the Arduino and ioBridge to work together?” and “My friend wants to shot Airsoft targets in his house”. When you combine those two thoughts you end up with an automated, in-house Airsoft target range. He loads up a target program using a web page (via his iPod Touch) which sends command via the IO-204 to the Arduino which in turn controls servos that have target faces on them. By the looks of the Wolfenstein perspective in the video, the system looks fun to play with.
The interaction between the Arduino and the ioBridge IO-204 is done by using the PWM output of the ioBridge servo module to a PWM input on the Arduino. The interface is a web page of widgets that when clicked, sends a specific PWM output value. When you click a button, “800″, the ioBridge servo board sends “800″ to the Arduino and the Arduino executes a function in a look up table. The Arduino also triggers an output pin that is sent back to the ioBridge module to tell the ioBridge module it’s ready for another command. Very clever.
Check out the “Arduino/ioBridge Airsoft Target Range” blog post on Steve’s Polymythic Blog for a full write up on the project, Arduino source code, and a full-length instructional video — the whole shooting match. You can also find a few posts on his blog about weaving and bow making and the original Serv O’Beer project.
Every once in a while you stumble across something on YouTube that strikes you as both entertaining and educational. I was searching around when I found the “Internet Dog Feeder” by Tyler. I don’t know much about who is behind the project, but it for sure works well and is a very cool design. Of course it uses the ioBridge IO-204 module to drive a continuous rotating servos from a web page that also has a live camera feed of the dog’s bowl. Tyler can log on to his web page and see if the bowl is empty and send some food. With a click of the mouse, the servo spins to fill the dog bowl.
Tyler’s “Internet Dog Feeder” took a little over an hour to create. Tyler appears to be a young, up-and-coming inventor with a solid invention that his dog is sure to appreciate! Thanks for the unexpected delight on YouTube.
Jason Winters, the famous Picodore and fishcam inventor himself, created a Do It Yourself (DIY) power monitoring system to chart and track power usage in your house using AC transducer clamps and an ioBridge module for web-casting the data. This project has found a lot of interest on the world wide web and the ioBridge community. Jason has used the system and discovered some amazing inefficiencies and some power suckers all around his house. I think we are interested in knowing where our money goes and how to become more efficient. I have also noticed lots of claims that this has been done before. If you dig deeper, you will find that no one has quite solved the problem quite like this and will be surprised with the ability to use it with Google Charts, Google Documents, and social networking widgets.
Jason has provided plenty of photos and details on how to recreate the power monitoring system for your own benefit. You can check out his Picobay Projects Blog or the very detailed Instructables.
What does Twitter, ioBridge, and a servo have in common? They are part of a MoMo Project by the Mobile Monday Amsterdam team from The Netherlands. Across the world you will find a giant Twitter Meter that reacts and changes position when people tweet certain keywords on Twitter — let’s call it a Twitter-o-Meter or a MoMoMeter.
We got to tune in using qik.com and watch the project as it happened. They were at a Protospace – a FabLab that looked absolutely amazing – a world class facility with 3D printers and laser cutters and micro-controllers to rapidly prototype new ideas.
Thanks for finding us on Twitter and sharing the project. Your web app is awesome. Good luck with Mobile Monday.
Read more about the project and see some neat 3D creations on PanMan’s blog and on Protospace’s website.
We all remember Stephen Myers’ dog feeder and dog treat dispenser app — the very first app and project using the IO-204 module from ioBridge. The iPhone dog treat dispenser is used when Stephen is at his lab and wants to check on his dog, “Cooper”. With a click of a button from his iPhone or his Mac he can watch his dog and give the dog a treat before he gets home.
On YouTube’s Science and Technology channel, the iPhone Dog Feeder project is the current featured video. Way to go Stephen! You are going to get some random email and comments as you hit main stream. We know from our server activity that were are 5 other dog feeder project going on worldwide using the IO-204. You started a virtual revolution. Thanks for the the cool ideas.
Jay from thecapactity.org started posting on his blog about ioBridge the moment he heard about ioBridge. He send us email asking about an API, REST, JSON, jQuery, and all things web app. We had our API in the works, but his plurality of email lead us to believe to accelerate the API release, and we did just that. Little did we know that Jay was planning a remote controlled weapon of micro destruction. We have put the pieces together and enabled his mini-surge.
Enter, The ioGun -- A Wiimote controlled magnetic coil gun that slings projectiles at college text books. It is a fascinating collection of technologies using the output of the Wiimote wrapped in JSON, feeding into a web app that ties into ioBridge’s JavaScript Widget Control API. He also used the coil from a golf ball putter returner, inks pens, a and black tape. His friends will never be the same when he invites them over for an evening of Wii Sports and you have to dodge, duck, dip, and dodge as you play tennis.
Here is the Wiimote controlled servo action on YouTube:
Steve from polymythic.com built a “robot ” with Construx, a servo, and an ioBridge module that allows you to pour a beer with the turn of your iPhone.
Here is a video introduction of the Serv O’Beer robot:
Steve also posted the step-by-step instructions on Instructables.com. Steve used the iTurn functionality, the servo board, and the IO-204 module to allow the Internet-connected iPhone pour his beer.
We wanted to take a moment and thank all of our customers, users, developers, and everyone that makes up the ioBridge Community. We look forward to some neat projects and a happy and healthy new year.
Happy New Year, Gelukkig Nieuwjaar, Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa, Feliz Ano Novo, Godt Nyttar, Buon Capodanno, Hauoli Makahiki Hou, Bonne Annee, Prosit Neujahr, Antum Salimoun, Onnellista Uutta Vuotta, Chu Shen Tan, Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun, Feliz Ano Nuevo, and L’Shannah Tovah…
