Arduino can be much more fun than just being an electronic prototyping platform. The fact that it is open source allows you to do various crazy, wacky, yet creative things. For those living in caves, Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Well, Arduino CEO Massimo Banzi has made some really cool videos of what all you can do with this little piece of hardware. Here we present nine interesting Arduino projects that will make your tryst with this platform even more fun. Check them out.

Spaceship Interface 

Within the demonstration, Banzi creates a circuit that shows how easy it is to connect LEDs and buttons to the Arduino board. Banzi even shows us how the Arduino software can interact with the various other components. Specifically, he sets the conditions and variables within the Arduino code that can manipulate the LEDs when certain criteria are met.

 

The Love-O-Meter 

Massimo Banzi shows us how to create the inexplicably named “Love-O-Meter”. Quite simply, the system acts as a thermometer, and it is capable of measuring how hot (or not) you are. Banzi also uses several clever pieces of kit, including a temperature sensor that emits a voltage proportionate to every degree of centigrade it detects. Banzi then runs through the code needed to implement this rather curious behaviour. 

Light Theremin

This time, Banzi is showing us how to make a light Theremin using the Arduino starter kit. In his simple circuit, Banzi uses a buzzer and a light sensor that will be used to judge the distance of your hand from Arduino. Banzi then hacks the hardware to show users how to change the pitch of the sound in relation to the amount light that the sensor detects. So if you are feeling musical, make sure to check out the latest Arduino video from RS Components. It is a great lesson that will surely help you to get the most from your starter kit!

Keyboard

In this tutorial video, Massimo Banzi explores the possibility of making musical sounds with the Arduino Starter Kit. To do this, Banzi has created simple circuit on the Arduino board, which is then completed with four buttons and a mini piezo speaker. But to make the device resemble a mini keyboard, Banzi has programmed each button to play a different note. Banzi then uses the Arduino software define different frequencies for each note within the code. But don’t worry if this sounds rather complicated, as he goes through the code line-by-line to show us exactly how to make a mini-keyboard. So to start making music, make sure that you watch the latest video.

Twitter-controlled Mood Lamp

This time, Banzi will be using a Wi-Fi shield module to connect his Arduino unit to the Internet. This obviously opens up a whole range of new possibilities, which Banzi explores in the video. For the purposes of this demonstration, Banzi creates a simple lamp circuit that will change colour according to the messages posted on Twitter. So if someone, for instance, Tweets a message that begins with #ArduinoRGB followed by a colour represented by a six digit decimal number (like the way colours are displayed in HTML), the lamp will then change colour accordingly. So to see how this clever device works, make sure that you tune in to the final video.

Motorized Pinwheel

It’s time for another instructional video from Massimo Banzi, and this time he’s showing us how to make a motorized pinwheel with Arduino. To do this, Banzi will be controlling a DC motor using the Arduino board so that he can spin the wheel at different speeds. However, creating a motorized pinwheel has its own set of unique challenges. For instance, a DC motor works at a higher voltage than the Arduino. This means that it requires more current that an Arduino pin can provide. This is, of course, a difficult problem to overcome, as too much current will burn and destroy the Arduino pin. So how will Banzi overcome this obstacle? Well watch the video to find out…

Crystal Ball (Magic 8-Ball)

Many of us fondly remember having a crystal ball (Magic 8-Ball) in our younger days, but now Massimo Banzi is showing us how to construct one from the materials in the Arduino starter kit. The electronic version of the Magic 8-Ball is completed with a LCD screen and tilt sensor, which will provide the user with a randomly generated answer after the circuit is shaken. If you would like to know how this is done, Banzi also looks at the code to show us how everything works.

Touchy-Feely Lamp

Back with a brand-new Arduino starter kit project, Massimo Banzi walks us through the process of making a touch sensor lamp. Banzi also introduces us to the concept of external libraries for the Arduino. This is an extremely useful tool that should help streamline the development process for beginners and experts alike. Put simply, an external library can be downloaded and installed into the Arduino development environment. They are essentially a database of pre-written code that can be used in your device to programme certain behaviours. In this case, the eternal library enables Banzi to create his touch sensor lamp quickly and efficiently.

Tweak the Arduino Logo

Good news… it’s time for another Arduino instructional video with Massimo Banzi! And this time, our favourite Italian hardware hacker will be using the Arduino to control software running on your computer. To do this, Banzi will be hooking the Arduino board up to a computer via a USB connection, and then use a specific programme to change the colour of the Arduino logo. By the end of the video demonstration, you should be able to send a value from Arduino to your computer, and then use a program to interpret this software as a colour. Finally, you will be able to change the colour of the Arduino logo easily using a simple dial.

That’s all, enjoy it.

reprint from EFY times.com