Nearly any car comes with the proper dashboard to get you from point A to point B, but what if you want something all your own displaying important stats? While there’s not a lot of technical info on the build, Jroobi’s MX5/Miata Arduino-based TFT cockpit project is sure to inspire, whether via the first or second iteration shown below.

The first version puts RPM and KPH values on coaxial sliders in the right circular display. That leaves the second round display for info such as what gear you’re in, along with auxiliary displays for extra data. The second splits up RPM and KPH between the main circles. It also features interesting light-up alerts in the middle, as well as a gauge similar to the first on the top. 

The first iteration—and presumably the second—includes a clever user interface setup, where a rotary encoder surrounds the existing trip reset button for brightness control while still preserving its reset ability.

How we see colors is an interesting concept, and as a conversation starter about the physics of color and sound, maker Marcin Poblocki created his own ‘Color Instrument.’

Poblocki’s device rotates a wheel of colors around under a TCS3200/TCS230 sensor via a continuous rotation-modded SG90 servo motor. An Arduino Nano then spits out the tone corresponding to the color it senses using a small speaker, allowing for simple songs to be produced according to hue arrangements. 

It’s a neat idea that could be taken in many different directions. At the very least, it would certainly spark conversation, perhaps questioning, as noted in the project write-up, why the color pink isn’t included in the natural light spectrum.

Inventor Artist Darcy Whyte wanted a drawing robot that was light enough to carry around, and could quickly produce drawings. Naturally, he turned to an Arduino Uno, along with a CNC shield and a trio of A4988 stepper drivers. These control a NEMA 8 and two NEMA17 stepper motors in a gantry-style artistic setup.

The build is able to drag a marker across a page, apparently varying pressure applied with the z-axis, and thus how much ink is applied. In another mode, a pen can be used, which wobbles back and forth to create volume when needed. 

Both methods, as seen in the clips below, can sketch a very recognizable—though certainly distinct—portrait of Marilyn Monroe, or presumably whatever other image you choose to program in.

Most pools feature a powered pump system to help filter out debris, but what if your water level gets too low? Pumps designed for ‘wet’ operation generally don’t work well when water isn’t present, so Luc Brun came up with an innovative monitoring solution dubbed “BluePump.”

His setup uses an Arduino Nano and an ACS712 sensor to observe both voltage and current, detecting the phase shift between the two. If this shift is too large, this indicates dry operation, and shuts down the pump via a relay until things are resolved. 

To complement this ability, BluePump also includes a temperature sensor, an RTC, and a Bluetooth module, allowing it to schedule cleanings as needed, or work under human control via a custom Android app.

Skittles candies come in various vibrant colors. While they may be a tasty treat, JohnO3 had another idea: to create an amazing automated display for the little circles. 

His device, dubbed the “Skittle Pixel8r,” uses an Arduino Mega to pull a dispensing funnel between one of 46 channels, covered on one side with a piece of glass.

On top of the shuttle mechanism, eight boxes release the correct flavor/color into an intermediate tube via individual metal gear servos. The Arduino then commands the linear axis to move the funnel to the appropriate bin. This process is repeated 2,760 times until an image, measuring up to 785 x 610mm (31 x 24 inches), is completed. 

The Skittle Pixel8r an incredible build, and perhaps we could see it expanded even further to not just dispense, but also sort Skittles as an all-in-one auto art installation! Code and files for the project can be found here.

After constructing a regen (regenerative) radio receiver several years ago, Michael LeBlanc decided to upgrade to a direct conversion receiver in order to gain some performance improvements and support both AM and SSB signals. His build is based on a generic design available here, along with a couple modifications by Ryan Flowers, and of course his own experimentation to get things working properly.

The device is controlled by an Arduino, which changes the frequency via an Si6351 oscillator depending on encoder input. Visual frequency feedback is provided by a small OLED display, and the assembly is encased in a very cool 3D-printed enclosure—or rather ‘enclosures’ as two boxes separate the digital and radio/audio circuits. 

It’s a simple configuration and the result, as shown in the video below, is a very clean sound! 

Robotic arms can be interesting, as are robots that roll around—especially on a semi-exotic Mecanum wheel setup. Dejan Nedelkovski’s latest How To Mechatronics build, however, combines both into one package.

This project actually starts out in a previous post, where he constructs the moving base with Mecanum wheels, enabling it to slide and rotate in any direction.

In this final(?) stage, he adds a five-axis robot arm mounted on top of its boxy frame, or six-axis if you count the gripper. Either way, the arm uses a total of six servos for actuation, and the base of the bot travels around under the power of four stepper motors. Each motor is controlled by an Arduino Mega, using a custom shield, allowing repeatable movements in any direction. These can be stored and replayed via the robot’s custom Android app as desired.

The future envisioned in the original Star Trek included, among other things, a shipboard sickbay with electronic monitors strangely reminiscent of the machines that medical personnel use today. To recreate a functional mini-replica of these displays, YouTuber Xtronical turned to a 2.8” TFT screen, a breadboard, and an Arduino Nano—noting that an Uno would also work.

The LCD display nails the look of Dr. McCoy’s device, and heartbeat sound can be played along with an onscreen flashing “PULSE” circle. A MAX30100 pulse/oximeter sensor and a temperature sensor take body readings, while a second DS18B20 is implemented to read ambient conditions for increased accuracy. 

It’s a fun Trekkie project, and Xtronical plans to elaborate on how it was made in future videos. 

A build of a working original Star Trek display with real sampled heart beat sound. Uses various sensors to get the readings from your body (via just your fingers) and displays them in the style of the 60’s sick bay screen. This bare “Bones” system could be built into a model unit or even a replica Tricorder.

What if you were to neglect a robot’s mechanical design entirely and instead construct it out of unusual materials like random sticks? Researchers from the University of Tokyo and Preferred Networks have done just that. To accomplish this feat, the engineers first scanned and weighed the branches, then used deep reinforcement learning to teach the new contraption to walk.

The branch-bots were then constructed in the real world using generic servos, and controlled via an Arduino Mega tether setup with a motor driver and a separate power supply.

You can see one of these bots moving around in the video below, though this configuration ironically seems to have more trouble when dropped off at its native forest habitat. Be sure to read more about this research in IEEE Spectrum‘s article here.

This project aims at creating bricolages of robots out of tree branches found at hand. Through the process in which natural objects learn how to walk by themselves, the artwork portrays the perspectives of objects. Unlike the top-down process where functions of mechanical systems are explicitly defined by designers, this project puts an emphasis on the emergence of functions, which is a bottom-up process where found objects seek for the function as a whole.

Images: Azumi Maekawa/University of Tokyo

Security cameras are a great way to deter theft and vandalism, but what if the camera is out of WiFi range, or otherwise would need long cables to transmit pictures? As explained here, Tegwyn Twmffat has an interesting solution–taking advantage of neural network processing to recognize moving objects, along with a LoRa connection to sound the alarm when there is a potential problem.

Images are captured by a Raspberry Pi and camera, then processed with the help of an Intel Movidius Neural Compute Stick for identification. If it’s something of interest—a human, for example—a relatively small amount of data is transmitted to a MKR WAN 1300 base station, beeping faster and faster as the person approaches. 

As seen in the video below, it’s able to properly ignore the ‘test dog,’ while it beeps away when a person approaches!