Week 3

Aims:

To get a speaker to work with arduino

Enable a red and green LED to connect to audrino and be controlled through push buttons and rotating switch

Devise a concept for a working model to be presented in week 5

Begin working on or thinking about a model for the presentation 

Deconstruct some new gadgets

Achievements:

Succeeded in getting a speaker to make sound when connected to arduino

- had some difficulties with this throughout the class but managed to get it to work by the end of the lesson which was great!

This was our first (unsuccessful) attempt at getting the speaker to work

Success with the speaker!

This video shows the speaker in action and the two separate ways of controlling it. 

Connected an LED which is both red and green. Using two push buttons we were able to control the brightness of the light. See video below. 

Deconstructed 3 new objects (calculator, toy car, and motorised fan toy)

-Elements currently available from our deconstructions:

• triggers
• push buttons
• toggles
• vibrators
• screens
• speakers
• lights
• fan
• motor

Formulated a number of possible concepts for a model (with one more favourably selected)

CONCEPTS

1. A device for exhibition style lighting

Using the light bulb from the torch, the toggle from a controller and the rotating switch creating a lighting system that is movable. Lighting direction can change by a person using a toggle to manoeuvre the focus. The rotating switch could also be used to control brightness and dimness.

2. A system to enable children to communicate to each other in a fun way

The arduino attached to the top of the moving car toy. Also attached is the screen where messages can be typed onto, using the push pad from the calculator. A light is also connected for use at night. The car is controlled using the controller joysticks.

3. A system for teachers of small children to use in class to get their attention

Lights that flicker, blink, flash and move whilst being controlled by the joysticks, rotating switch and push buttons. The lights are accompanied by  a range of strange and loud noised coming from the speakers.  

From the components and model made today in the session

using: 

Fan and motor

Vibrator

Light

Screen

Speaker 

Using these components part of a working model was built, with the potential to add further technology to the sequence. This video shows how we connected the fan and were able to adjust the speed using the rotating switch that came in our pack. 

From our deconstructions we have so far been able to work with the fan head and it's motor as well as the vibrating mechanism from last week. 

There were two different scenarios that we came up with for the device to be used. 

1. A device used in a cooking environment for determining the temperature of melting chocolate. As this is a very precise process and the temperatures must be exact for it to work, the creation would be very useful. A thermometer probe would it inside the bowl of chocolate to be melted. Once reached a certain temerpature the thermometer would link back to the audrino. As the temperature was reaching the intended heat a light would begin flashing to signify this. Once the temperature was exactly right the fan would turn on. However, if the temperature of the chocolate began to decrease, the thermometer would connect to the vibrator which would begin making nosies against the surface as it moved, alerting the person that the tempertaure was dropping. The screen connected to the system would tell the exact temperature of the chocolate. 

(The favourite concept of the team)

2. A similar device used in the situation of a sick child at home. The device would monitor fevers of a child sick in bed. This way the parent could be in another room whilst still looking after the child. The gadget would include a thermometer connected to the child to monitor the fever. If the temperature was above a certain amount, the fan would switch on cooling the child. The intensity of the air flow could be controlled by the child with the rotating switch. if the fever began getting dangerously warm, a sound would emit from the speaker alerting the parent.