This was frustrating. Carolina and I started a project last week to create a combination lock out of dominoes. In order for the lock to work, the dominoes had to be placed in the correct order.
So we started by mapping out how we wanted the lock to operate:
 |
| From ITP PComp - Week 2 |
Then we hit the junk shelf and found a great frame for the project, which we quickly started to transform into our lock box:
 |
| From ITP PComp - Week 2 |
 |
| From ITP PComp - Week 2 |
We spent the better part of this week finishing up the wiring and then trying to write the code. But when we went to test it, we found that the LEDs were lighting up before we had even put the dominoes on to complete the circuit. Weird, right?
So another day passed as we tried to correct any errors in the code or decide what else it might be. Was the material we found on the junk shelf conductive? Unlikely. The code was pretty basic, so it probably wasn’t that. But after several days of struggle and little return, we decided to perhaps chalk this one up to a great learning experience and finish the lab independently.
At the bookstore, I had picked up a flex sensor and my idea was to build a luv-o-meter that was attached to the inside of your shirt. If you liked the person, you would probably stand up straight while if you didn’t care or you weren’t interested, you would slouch.
So first, I soldered wires on to the flex sensor:
 |
| From ITP PComp - Week 2 |
Then I wrote the program and uploaded it to my Arduino board, and it worked:
Force Sensor - Basic Build from Aaron on Vimeo.
But when I tried it on inside the shirt, I found that I couldn’t bend my back enough to move the sensor. I experimented with several different positions on the top and small of my back, but none really worked, even if I changed the code to make it more sensitive.
Then I had another idea. Instead of making it based on posture, I would transform the force sensor into a luv-o-meter for golfers. As we all know, a good golf swing is hard to come by. It requires you to keep your front arm straight as you rotate the club back over your shoulder. Most golfers make the mistake of bending their arm at this point.
So if a golfer wants to find another golfer with good posture, this is the way to do it!
[ video coming soon ]
{ 0 comments… add one now }
You must log in to post a comment.