Tag Archives: etch a sketch

Etch-a-Sketch Belt Buckle Lets You Draw Something at Waist Height

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The Etch-a-Sketch reminds me of the days when I was a kid and didn’t have the day-to-day worries that I have right now (like how I’m going to find time to write two papers for this class I’m taking when I have to work for the most part of the day, among others.)

So when I saw this Playtime Belt Buckle on Etsy (aka the Etch-a-Sketch Belt Buckle), let me say I did more than just do a double take.

Etch a Sketch Belt Buckle
While I’m not in the market for a new buckle, you might be.

As its name obviously suggests, you can now wear a miniature and fully functional Etch-a-Sketch around your waist. It might be hard to draw stuff while you’re wearing it and it might be weird if someone else were using it to draw stuff while it’s around your waist, but hey, it’s still a pretty cool and funky belt buckle.

Etch a Sketch Belt Buckle1

The Playtime Belt Buckle is available from iFind Industries’ Etsy shop for $80 (USD). Of course with a hot glue gun and one of these, you could DIY one for a whole lot less money.

[via Dude I Want That]


LED Etch-a-Sketch Lets You Draw Your Own Lamp

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We’ve seen a variety of hacks and mods based on the Etch-a-Sketch, but none of them messed with the way it makes images. That’s exactly what Christopher Monaco did. He built his own take on the drawing toy, but instead of aluminum powder he used LEDs.

led etch a sketch by christopher monaco

Because Monaco built his toy from scratch, the project is quite complicated. He used a variety of electronics from Sparkfun and Digikey, including an ATmega328P microcontroller, four 8×8 LED matrices and a MintyBoost kit. Then he designed the logic and the drivers for the board and the matrices, wrote custom software and made his own enclosure. Here’s the product of his efforts:

The funny thing is that the toy is more technically advanced, yet functionally worse than the original. But as with most hacks and mods, half the fun is in building it. Plus Monaco can always improve on his model, maybe make a larger one with different colored LEDs and so on, and before you know it he’ll have an LED version of Photoshop.

[via Instructables via MAKE]


DIY LED Light Etch-a-Sketch

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LED etch a sketch 650x541 DIY LED Light Etch a Sketch
Epic project is epic. Imagine a fully functioning Etch-a-Sketch that uses LED lights as the drawing pixels. That’s what Christopher Monaco did and then he built it. The two dials work just like a regular Etch-a-Sketch and shaking it “erases” the drawing too. As you turn the knobs, it draws a single line drawing using the matrix of LED lights. Sure it’s not as detailed as a real Etch but come on now. Check out the video:

While this is a DIY project, this is clearly for the more advanced as it involves both programming and circuit board/electronics work (using AVR and programming in C). There’s 256 LEDs in the 16×16 matrix that each need to be addressed. If you’re not phased by a photo that looks like this and a line “just connect the wires”
led etch a sketch inside 650x487 DIY LED Light Etch a Sketch
then check out the Instructable linked above, as the full build detailed instructions are included. Well done sir, great project.

DIY LED Light Etch-a-Sketch


Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video)

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Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on

The Etch-a-Sketch. A standard bearer for childhood, and one that most of us never really mastered. While Yelizaveta Lokshina can't help you create awe-inspiring portraits from aluminum powder, she has managed to update the toy for the digital age. Using an Arduino, a few buttons and a pressure sensor crammed inside a hollowed-out Etch-a-Sketch, the 3.0 version of the doodler is able to draw in old school gray, as well as vibrant colors created by blending an RGB palette. While holding down the red, green or blue button you squeeze the pressure sensor to add more or less of individual hues. The same sensor is used to change brush width when you hold down the black button. There's even a secret mode that automatically cycles through colors and thicknesses for creating vibrant, almost hallucinatory patterns.

At the moment, the dual doodle knobs need to be physically connected to a computer so that a Processing script can work its magic and render the virtual Etch-a-Sketch. But, future versions may include wireless for sketching out images from the comfort of a couch and an accelerometer for the replicating the satisfying sensation of shaking the red fram to erase your creation. Basically, it's still a work in progress. Drawing with the Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 is just as satisfying, in a tactile sense, as the original, though we struggled slightly to get the hang of the pressure sensitive selector. One thing's for sure, though, the kids love it even more than the 1960 creation. Check out the video after the break to see it in action on the floor of the ITP Spring Show.

Gallery: Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on

Continue reading Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video)

Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Etcher Case Turns iPads into a Working Etch A Sketch

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There have been Etch A Sketch cases out there before, but this is the first that I’ve seen that’s actually functional. The Etcher case will transform your iPad into a working Etch A Sketch, albeit in a digital version.

etcher ipad etch a sketch case

The Etcher case was recently launched as a Kickstarter project. The knobs will actually work just like a real Etch A Sketch, allowing users to draw straight lines on the iPad’s screen. Plus, the whole tablet will erase itself when you shake it. The case will work with an official app on the App Store, so there is no need to jailbreak your iPad to use it.

The Etcher case is available starting at $60(USD), but there are other versions up for grabs in the next 30 days, and there’s an early adopter deal for the first 100 people to get one for just $45. At the time of writing, the Kickstarter project had amassed $5,295 out of a projected $75,000, with 30 days left for funding, so it’s got a long way to go. Of course, you could always just spend $15 and buy an actual Etch A Sketch.


Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

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Visions of the iPad as a modern-day Etch A Sketch have so far been primarily decorative: they've been more about remembering youth than recreating it. That's why Ari Krupnik & Associates' officially-sanctioned Etcher iPad case project on Kickstarter stands out. Those knobs? They work, and they're Made for iPad certified. And, as the Etcher is a product of the digital era, your creations in the custom-written app can be saved and shared to Facebook, Flickr or even YouTube as a time lapse video. Shaking the Etcher will still erase your image -- it just doesn't have to disappear forever this time.

Your pledge level determines not only what variety of Etcher case you get, but how much control you get over the project. Committing $45 is all it takes for the nostalgic red, but if you spend $60, $75 or $100, you'll have the additional options for blue or a special backer-only color. Those at the $100 level get to vote on what color they and the $75 pledge-makers will see. A $175 outlay will provide early access to the software development kit as well as a say in what open-source license the code will use. Moving up to $210 or $360 will give you that control as well as an accordant five or 10 Etcher cases. If you like what you see, you have just over a month to contribute and make the iPad drawing add-on a reality.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case

Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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