Tag Archives: Bluetooth


PIC32 smart watch

Matthew Filipek‘s DIY smart watch is PIC32-powered and features a 1.7 inch touch screen, SD card, Bluetooth module, and other apps with total cost of build less than $100.
Matthew writes,

The watch currently has 3 apps: a settings app where the user can set screen brightness, change the time and date, and change the theme of the user interface; a game app, where the user controls a small paddle with the touch screen and attempts to deflect balls into goals; and a paint app, where the user touches to draw one of 8 selectable colors to the screen. The watch also has Bluetooth functionality, where it relays the time and date to a paired device upon receiving any character from said device.

An elastic strap is used to tether the watch to the user’s wrist. In order to extend battery life, the screen is set to turn off after 10 seconds of inactivity on the home screen. The watch wakes when a button on the side is pressed, and the sleep timeout is disabled if the user decides to proceed past the home screen. A resistive touchscreen on the TFT is used to navigate through menus and use the apps. Date and time are displayed on the home screen. Touching the screen anywhere will bring the user from the home screen to a menu with all of the app icons. The user may then select an app by pressing on it. The apps also make use of the touch screen for user input. The 600mAh LIPO battery can be charged with an on-board charger. There is a mini-USB port on the side of the watch for powering the charger.

PIC32 smart watch

PIC32 smart watch

This energy wristband monitors energy usage at home

Matthew Venn has designed a prototype energy wristband that would tell you when there is a change in electrical energy usage at home through a a gentle vibration. The wristband also consists of a 4-LED bargraph to display the current usage.

Energy wristband monitors energy usage at home

Energy wristband monitors energy usage at home

A wristband that tells you energy changes in your home. It connects via a Raspberry Pi computer to a base station like a ‘current cost’ or similar. When a change in energy usage occurs, the wristband vibrates and a small LED bargraph shows your current usage from 1 to 4. Realtime energy use can be queried by pressing the button.

Cloud-connected automatic solar tracker

The use of solar tracking systems allows the solar panels to track the course of Sun during the day time and ensures that the panels are receiving maximum solar input. A photovoltaic system with a solar tracker can boost the output power by 20-40%, compared to a fixed installation. While there are lots of resources available on internet on solar trackers, this particular solar tracking system is unique in the sense that it offers lot more connectivity and other fancy features than just tracking the Sun. It is built to drive a 90 Watts solar panel with azimuth and elevation control using two step motors. The project is controlled with Electric Imp, which derives the inclination and azimuth angle of the solar panel using a 6-axis accelerometer/magnetometer. The use of Electric Imp also allows internet cloud connectivity to the  project.

Cloud-connected solar tracker

Cloud-connected solar tracker

 

Adding Bluetooth streaming to your old audio cassette player

With the advent of new audio technologies like CDs, Ipods and MP3 players, all of those old-fashioned cassette players and amplifiers have disappeared today. One of the many features missing on those old devices is wireless music streaming. This Bluetooth Ghettoblaster project by tomatoskins describes how to convert an old-time cassette player into a wireless streaming machine.

Bluetooth Ghettoblaster

Bluetooth Ghettoblaster

Netduino car controlled through Windows phone

Matt Cavanagh, a Windows phone app developer from South Africa and the author of the Netduino Home Automation Projects book, built this Bluetooth controlled car using the Netduino board. He uses a Windows Phone to control the car over Bluetooth. The beauty of this project is that he 3-D printed the frame and wheels for the car. His next goal is to mount a second Windows Phone on the car and use Skype to stream the live video from the car.

Bluetooth controlled car using Netduino

Bluetooth controlled car using Netduino

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