For his latest project, Dmitry Morozov (aka ::vtol::) has created a robotic machine that uses a microphone to record sounds from its surrounding environment, selecting only the loudest ones. Then, the aptly named “Collector” pieces these noises together in the order they were recorded to form an algorithmic  composition.

First, the Collector records the sounds until it has gathered 100 samples. From there, it plays the result as a loop through a pair of speakers for one minute, so they can be heard by those nearby. While this mode, the recording stops. After that, it erases everything and begins a new search.

The Collector is also equipped with an Arduino Uno for a brain, a servo motor for rotating the mic, and a flashlight to show detected sounds or indicate the sounds during playback mode.

It is a kind of reality re-mixer–by simply removing the silence and pauses between loud sounds and words, it creates the sense of very rhythmical and organized aural experience, which sounds very musical to me.

Intrigued? You can read more and see other photos of the project on its page here.

If you thought table tennis was hard enough, wait until you see what Mark Wheeler and a team of designers have come up with. Ping Pong FM puts a Guitar Hero-like spin on the classic sport.

However, unlike the actual game, Ping Pong FM is more collaborative than competitive. That’s because players must hit the ball back and forth to keep the music going. Select your paddle, choose your song, and serve. Rally too slowly, or miss the ball, and the music will wind down. Rally at the correct tempo and the party is on. As you can imagine, faster tunes like “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys or “Milkshake” by Kelis are more challenging.

Although it may resemble an ordinary table tennis setup, Ping Pong FM is much more high-tech. Contact microphones are placed inside each of the paddles to track gameplay, while the microphone audio is processed by an Arduino hidden in a retro radio case that listens for peaks above a threshold. When a hit is registered, the Arduino sends a Player ID via USB to a computer running the game app, which displays the song coming out of two speakers and adjusts its speed accordingly.

You can see Ping Pong FM in action below and read more about the project here.

Using an Arduino and 1Sheeld, Integreight embedded engineer Eslam Ali set his office clock up to preview the traffic going home.

If you work in a traffic-prone area, there’s always a debate at to whether you should go home at the normal time or wait a few minutes to leave and avoid the traffic. To help make that decision, Ali likes to check the traffic before heading out. This might be fairly simply using a computer or smartphone, but doing so autonomously would be even better.

In a clever feat of automation, he embedded 12 RGB LEDs in a simple IKEA clock. These were then controlled by an Arduino Uno, using a 1Sheeld device to access the Internet through his smartphone. If traffic is bad, it displays as red, then blinks green when it’s time to go! A clever application in itself, something like this could be expanded for numerous uses, perhaps even involving animated lights.

Whenever it’s time to get off the office, I always check the traffic status to choose the best time to go home. But I couldn’t find a way to do that autonomously. So then…I was up to make a system that shows me the current traffic status with the help of a simple tool that is used probably in all the offices, a wall clock

In addition to the video below, you can see how to make one on 1Sheeld’s site or check out the discussion about this build on Reddit.

Using an Arduino with an accelerometer, this handy display lets you know how “extreme” your driving really is!

Modern cars tell us all kinds of information about how our vehicles are working and how you are driving. One thing that is generally missing is a display that tells you how many “G’s” (or how much you are pushed back into your seat) your car is pulling. With this clever setup, you can know how much force your tires are putting to the ground (neglecting body-roll factors) in both straight-line acceleration, braking, and even side-to-side turning.

As an automotive enthusiast and a mechanical engineer, I had a poor physical understanding of G’s. Sure, I’m experiencing 1g as I’m standing upright, but how many G’s did I experience as I came to a quick stop in LA traffic? To gain a better physical understanding of G’s, I built this device.

You can see more details of this simple yet very useful build on eadiec’s Imgur page.

A new season, a new partner! We’ve had our sights set on 4D Systems’ touchscreen product for quite some time, and we’re excited to finally introduce that this Arduino and Genuino-compatible product is joining the AtHeart program. The 4Duino-24 is a 2.4-inch, 240×320-pixel Intelligent Display Module with Wi-Fi capabilities.

“For years Arduino/Genuino users have been taking advantage of our Intelligent Display Modules for adding graphical user interfaces with touch capability to their applications. With the 4Duino-24 we wanted to make something a bit more special and combine some of the more popular shields and the ATmega32U4 into a compact easy to use package. We are delighted to become part of the AtHeart program and very much look forward to seeing a full variety of applications running on the 4Duino-24.” – Markku Riihonen, Products and Business Development Manager, 4D Systems.

Perfect for your next creative IoT project, the 4Duino-24 runs on an ATmega32U4 MCU and is powered by the 4D Systems PICASO Graphics Processor that offers an array of display functionality and options for any designer and Maker. The 4Duino-24 also includes the popular ESP8266 module, which is pre-programmed with the AT command set firmware enabling the 4Duino to have Wi-Fi functionality right out of the box.

Beyond that, the 4Duino-24 is equipped with an onboard microSD connector and headers in the layout of an Arduino, including power pins (5V, 3.3V, GND and VIN), 20 digital I/O pins—seven of which can be used as PWM outputs, while 12 pins have analog input capabilities.

The 4Duino-24 can be programmed using the standard Arduino IDE or the 4D Workshop4 IDE and its three new 4Duino-based development environments with the added dimension of graphics. Creating Arduino GUIs doesn’t get any easier!

Ready to get started? You can watch 4D Systems’ 10-minute video below, as well as check out its product page here. The 4Duino-24 is available as starter kit and standalone module at the price of $79 USD/€69.90 (+tax).

This arcade machine helps creator Alex Weber relive arcade memories, but is slightly easier to move than a full-sized “cab!”

Galaga is one of Weber’s–and many others’–top five arcade games. Easy to learn, but difficult to master, it was just asking to accept your money and time! Now though, using a Raspberry Pi and MAME software, you can have this and other old-school games at your disposal. Weber built a cabinet for this purpose around an old CRT television slightly smaller than original size.

In order to keep from having to fool with the TV every time it switched on, he made an automated remote control with an Arduino and IR LED that sends signals to turn it on and switches the TV to AV mode.

I have a soft spot for 8-bit arcades… I saw these for the first time. At least it felt like that. All machines where running. All coin doors were open! Somebody saw me standing in front of them with huge eyes and showed me how to trigger the switch to get credits for free. BAM! I was hooked.

You can see the full build on Weber’s tinkerlog site as well as Hackaday’s writeup here.

With a shape reminiscent of a Game Gear, revised controls and hardware, Anthony Campusano’s rig looks extremely fun!

As reported on 3DPrint.com, Campusano’s Game Boy-inspired prototype was quite the crowd-pleaser at World Maker Faire in New York. Although wider than it is tall (like most portables to follow), and with many more buttons, this handheld console still screams “original Game Boy.” Perhaps this is because of its color scheme, or even the angle of the buttons.

Hardware consists of several platforms, including an Arduino to handle tasks such as status lights and battery level. The idea was inspired by Florian Renner’s similar concept, though he replaces the ideal of separate game cartridges with an SD card for storage.

I’m a trained architect, though I have industrial designer envy. In terms of electronics, I’m self-taught. When it comes to machine specs, the handheld is based on an Intel Core M. Controls are Teensy-based, and the status lights and battery level, etc. are run from an Arduino. Estimated battery life is about 3hrs +/- depending on the game.

You can see more photos of Campusano’s project on his Facebook page, and read all about it on 3DPrint.com.

As any cat owner can tell you, our feline friends love chasing the uncatchable dot of a laser pointer. Unfortunately, though, there is only so much time in the day that you can spend playing with them and catering to their natural instincts… so why not automate the process?

This is exactly what La Fabrique DIY decided to do using an Arduino Uno, two servos, a pan/tilt camera mount, and an Altoids tin to house the electronics. With some programming, the tower moves the laser “pseudo-randomly” to mimic the behavior of an insect.

So if you, like La Fabrique DIY, have a cat in a small apartment with not much room to hunt, head over to the project’s Imgur page to start building a distraction device for yourself!

Wake up to your favorite tunes using this beautiful sheet metal alarm clock!

If you need to get up for work, class, or simply to avoid wasting the day away, setting an alarm is the obvious solution. Sure, you could buy a clock or just use your phone, but if you build Dejan Nedelkovski’s Arduino-based device, you can be reminded of your awesome Maker skills every morning.

The clock is equipped with an Arduino Mega, an MP3, and an RTC module to play music and display the time and current song on a nice 3.2-inch touchscreen. The case, which was designed in SolidWorks, is made out of aluminum sheet metal. Considering that he used an improvised bender and hot glue to put it together, the results look fantastic!

In this project, I will show you how you can make an Arduino touchscreen MP3 music player and alarm clock. The home screen features a big clock, date and temperature information, as well as two buttons…

Want one of your own? Check out Nedelkovski’s “How to Mechatronics” website for code, schematics, and even a 3D model of the alarm itself.

If you’d like to save some money on a drum kit, this one is made using an Arduino Mega, MDF, and even a left sandal!

Drum kits can be quite expensive, Maker Victor Herrero has created his own nine-piece set with readily-accessible components. Arduino code was modified from another project by Evan Kale, and is available for download. Although electronics is discussed, the Instructables article focuses on how to physically make the set, mostly out of MDF.

The results are something that looks quite different than a “normal” drum set, with hexagonal drum pads and a flip-flop for hi-hat control! You can find the project on Instructables here, and the code that you’ll need on its GitHub page.