Homemade self-balancing unicycle uses an Arduino to keep upright

Homemade Raptor unicycle uses an Arduino to keep upright

On the whim of a coin flip, Nick Thatcher once decided between building a homemade Segway, or a self balancing unicycle. Even though the powers of fate chose the former, Thatcher's thirst to build wasn't quenched -- he built the one-wheeled scooter anyway. The Raptor looks a lot like a Ryno unicycle built from spare parts -- a chain driven wheelbarrow wheel powered by a 350w geared motor, a pair of batteries wired in series, some PVC and polycarbonate, an IMU gyro and an Arduino UNO -- all hobbled together to form a one-wheeled electric mount. Thatcher says the scooter can push 10mph safely, but faster speeds tend to outpace the gyro's corrective efforts. Still, the bike promises between 90-120 minutes of face-plant free fun, provided the rider is at least a little balanced. The motorized unicycle isn't for sale, but peek on over to Thatch Industries for a parts list, or scoot on past the break to see the bike in action.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Hackaday

Source: Thatch Industries

Meet the Arduino Due, the 32-bit board that’ll let your projects fly (really)

Meet the Arduino Due, the 32bit board thatll let your projects fly really

As much as we love the Arduino Uno, it's not the most powerful of hobbyist microcontrollers. Fortunately, the folks in Turin have just put the finishing touches on a 32-bit upgrade with buckets of potential. At the heart of the Arduino Due is an 84MHz Atmel CPU, based on ARM's Cortex M3 Architecture, which is capable of being the brains inside your own flying drone or homemade 3D printer. It should start trickling out onto shelves from today, setting you back $49, but hey, that's a small price to pay to automate your drinking adventures.

Continue reading Meet the Arduino Due, the 32-bit board that'll let your projects fly (really)

Filed under:

Meet the Arduino Due, the 32-bit board that'll let your projects fly (really) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Modder builds $150 open-source thermal imaging camera to help insulate his house (video)

Modder builds $150 thermal imaging camera to help insulate his house video

Modder Andy Rawson thinks he's found the secret to turning smartphones into super-cheap thermal imaging hardware. Inspired by his quest to find leaks in his old home and the high cost of professional gear, he set about building his own. A 64-zone temperature sensor connects to his iPhone via the dock, overlaying the data onto his camera display. He's planning to open-source the $150 hardware, and an Android variant of the hardware is currently in the works -- although details for both are currently thin on the ground, you can see his announcement video after the break.

Continue reading Modder builds $150 open-source thermal imaging camera to help insulate his house (video)

Filed under: , ,

Modder builds $150 open-source thermal imaging camera to help insulate his house (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 17:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceInstructables  | Email this | Comments

EVGA’s GeForce GTX 680 Classified tempts overclockers with watery siren call

evga-geforce-gtx-680-classified-water-cool

Judging by a sneak Computex preview, EVGA's intentions for the upcoming GTX 680 Classified graphics card are not a thorny mystery. With an optional water-cooling block and voltage control inputs, there's plenty here to seduce the hardcore modder. The company isn't talking numbers just yet, but if terms like "14-phase power design" whet your appetite, then you're in luck. In any case, like its other Classified mates, it's apt to be the company's top GeForce GTX 680 performer. So, if you're plugging in the pumps and hoses for that next mod, you might want to leave a slot -- or four -- open for this one.

EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 Classified tempts overclockers with watery siren call originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jun 2012 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments