How to build an infra-red remote control
The infra-red remote control transmits a tone using an infra-red LED. This tone is decoded by the receiver.
Continue reading "How to build an infra-red remote control" »
About Sensors
This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Gadget Freak in the Sensors category. They are listed from oldest to newest.
Robot is the previous category.
Sponsored Gadget Freaks is the next category.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
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We share all the details necessary to build and programme animations for your own 5 x 5 LED cube
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- Soemtron Calculator
- East germany
- Jukebox
- Ghostbusters
- circuit challenge
- Proton Pack
- DROID
- robolamp
- Steve Wozniak
- Rock Band
- gear clock
- Google PowerMeter
- salad spinner
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- electric motorcycle
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- Concrete Clock
- meter
- Core i7
- car lights
- Sensa Clip
- Ishikawa Komuro Lab
- PIR detector
- Imperial Walker
- Sébastien Coulombe
- Guitare à crayon
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About this blog
Sponsored by Digi-Key
Gadget Freak features cool, homemade electronic gadgets proudly brought to us--by you!
Complete with build instructions for the design engineer who likes the silly side of inventing things and enjoys building stuff in his and her spare time, these gadgets range from highly silly and impractical to extraordinarily inspirational for your own engineering design work.
Why not submit your own pride and joy for publication in Gadget Freak? Send us your project details here.
Gadget Freak features cool, homemade electronic gadgets proudly brought to us--by you!
Complete with build instructions for the design engineer who likes the silly side of inventing things and enjoys building stuff in his and her spare time, these gadgets range from highly silly and impractical to extraordinarily inspirational for your own engineering design work.
Why not submit your own pride and joy for publication in Gadget Freak? Send us your project details here.
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Sensors Archives
October 16, 2007
June 16, 2008
Solar radiation and a delta-sigma ADC
A device to measure the rays all around us, but it doesn't come under the 'tin-foil helmet' category. File it under delta-sigma ADC - it is a very detailed Solar Server project to measure the solar radiation striking Earth ("insolation"), recording the daily data to a file, which is then emailed. The device used for measuring daily insolation is designed by Wichit Sirichote in Thailand. He introduces the project, thus:
"The total solar radiation is measured by a Kipp & Zonen CM11 pyranometer (pictured). The EMF output of 5.14 uV/W/m2 is fed to the 24-bit resolution Delta-Sigma A/D converter, LTC2400. The microcontroller circuit built with a PIC18F2550 controls the A/D converter and provides one second time base for data sampling period. The insolation is computed by accumulated summation of the converted data in a whole day.
August 21, 2008
Circuit Design Idea - Precision capacitive-sensor interface suits miniature instruments
Here's another newly-uploaded Circuit Design Idea designed to give circuit building inspiration (click on the circuit diagram to expand it).It covers developing a voltage proportional to the value of a capacitive sensor and transmitting these readings via a LVDS interface.
The Design Idea begins:
In some applications of capacitive sensors, the instrument's front end must be small enough to fit into a narrow space. Figure 1 shows a precision capacitive-sensor interface for such use. The square-wave output from a low-voltage 555 timer, IC1, constantly triggers the precision one-shot, IC2, to produce quasistable outputs for time periods T1 and T2, which are proportional to external timing capacitance: T1=KR0(CS+C0), and T2=KR0CS, where K is the multiplier factor.
December 5, 2008
Cycling robot survives s-curve balance beam
A good one for a Friday afternoon - 'Murata Boy' in action, one of the highlights from the show floor of Electronica 2008. We've highlighted it as part of our Electronica Roundup, but it's worthy of a post to itself on Gadget Freak, I think.
If you couldn't catch the demonstration of sensor technology in motion, as the robot balances his bike along a narrow rail, check out our seven minute video of the cycling action.
Continue reading "Cycling robot survives s-curve balance beam" »
January 7, 2009
The Stribe - A DIY LED touch Interface
This one was flagged up for Gadget Freak by our Technology Editor, Steve Bush - a Do-Itself-Yourself LED Touch Interface, Hi-Fi style.
March 16, 2009
Bella Italia
Ahead of the imminent March/April competition post, here is an Italian-themed round up of Gadget Freak posts.As a self-confessed Italophile, I needed no prompting to choose this one, and we have a rich set of posts to choose from. The Italian designers Flavio Dellepiane and Alberto Ricci Bitti, in particular, have submitted a number of excellent full projects.
The posts range from LEGO robots and fridge alarms to remote monitoring and plant watering systems. All involving Italian-originated submissions, check out:
April 21, 2009
Is that my office phone ringing?
Is that my phone ringing? By the flashing of light ye shall know...Thanks again to our sister site Design News for this Gadget Freak, which involves a Remote Telephone Indicator. A relatively simple circuit, devised by Alan Vogel, addresses that perennial office question, arising as soon as you move away from your desk: Is that my phone ringing?
Well, if the indicator light is flashing, you will know. As long as it is visible from the coffee making facilities, water cooler or a colleague's desk...
The clever bit is that it doesn't involve re-wiring the phone. The device is stand alone, sensing the ringing light on a phone's fascia.
June 11, 2009
Intrusion alert system dials your mobile
Think of it as a DIY home security system: if something disturbs a chosen location, you will know because your mobile phone will be rung.
Thanks again to our sister site Design News for this Gadget Freak, which involves an intrusion detection system.
Basically, it is a home alarm system that calls you whenever an event is triggered, whether a door or window is opened, or a panic button is pressed, etc.
Thanks again to our sister site Design News for this Gadget Freak, which involves an intrusion detection system.
Basically, it is a home alarm system that calls you whenever an event is triggered, whether a door or window is opened, or a panic button is pressed, etc.
You can set it up to indicate intrusion into a door, window, office or pool. It can also connect to a panic button. The circuit includes a small PIC microcontroller, an assembly program and a handful of other parts that can be designed to detect the interruption of a switch closure or the connection of a panic button. When the circuit is tripped, the gadget dials your number and indicates what device has been triggered.
Continue reading "Intrusion alert system dials your mobile" »
August 17, 2009
Stormbringer coming - Defend against the static!
Thanks to Steve Bush, our Technology Editor, for flagging this one - a self-built passive infra-red detector, to help protect electronic equipment from the effects of static in violent storms of thunder and lightning.
The inventor, Jeff, lived in Majorca and felt the vulnerability of devices that had to be attached to mains electricity supply or the telephone lines.
The problems of static-intensive storms were compounded, he writes, by overhead electricity and telephone networks coursing with the very high voltages. He looked to build his own solution - a P.I.R. (passive infra-red) Detector....
The inventor, Jeff, lived in Majorca and felt the vulnerability of devices that had to be attached to mains electricity supply or the telephone lines.
The problems of static-intensive storms were compounded, he writes, by overhead electricity and telephone networks coursing with the very high voltages. He looked to build his own solution - a P.I.R. (passive infra-red) Detector....
Continue reading "Stormbringer coming - Defend against the static!" »
August 24, 2009
Dexter - The high-speed robot hand
We like robots on Gadget Freak, and this robot hand is particularly impressive for high-speed manipulations.
The video is of a Ishikawa Komuro Lab robot hand, demonstrating "Skilful manipulation based on high-speed robotic systems".
November 9, 2009
Robot plays Rock Band on an iPhone
Here's one to brighten up a Monday morning - it is described as an Arduino-based robot that plays Rock Band on an iPhone, its little arms hitting the drums on the display in time to the music (Blondie's Hanging On Telephone, in this case).
I think 'robot' may be stretching it, but the machine is quite neat, involving synthetic fingers (to work with the iPhone's capacitive touch screen, which is apparently expecting "a finger sized touch, from living flesh"), ambient light sensors and a Pelican case...
January 7, 2010
In the mood, with jukebox selections
Another one for musical Gadget Freaks. Zach Glueckert and friends have designed a "moody" jukebox.
As well as operating like a normal Jukebox, where individual tracks are explicitly selected, the self-built device can also operate in "Mood Mode".
Apparently the gadget uses sensors to identify environmental factors such as temperature, light and sound. From this it determines which of its mood settings is most appropriate, and then selects corresponding music to play.
As well as operating like a normal Jukebox, where individual tracks are explicitly selected, the self-built device can also operate in "Mood Mode".
Apparently the gadget uses sensors to identify environmental factors such as temperature, light and sound. From this it determines which of its mood settings is most appropriate, and then selects corresponding music to play.
March 10, 2010
Step up to the circuit challenge #10
Fancy taking the latest Circuit Challenge?Check out the tenth 'One of our components is missing' competition, which has just been uploaded to the site (it closes Friday 16 April). Only a fragment of the circuit is shown, left.
Oh yes, and there's a £25 Amazon voucher to be won.
You just have to reason which component has been blacked out from a particular (real world) circuit schematic. Have a go!
Clue: The circuit is about sensing darkness and then turning off.
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