Prototyping with pennies

One of the great things i admire with the whole open source thing is that all blueprints, software and all the information you would ever need to produce your very own item item is freely available on the Internet. Whilst anyone can learn to build an application or create a website, open source is where technology can bridge the gap between the real world and the virtual one or visa-versa (one of the reasons why i am looking forward to receiving my Rift Dev kit in December). However, another more readily available technology is changing the way we prototype stuff.

While open source itself has been around for decades, the popularity of Android and the advent of Arduino and other similar low power, more compact single board systems, home computing has returned to the hobbyist realm once again. Many of today's computers started life out by being built in people's sheds and homes, while some of the best emerging tech these days comes from regular people using current technology in its component form and re-purposing it. While automation using computers has been an old trick that i have experimented with in the past (I've even been paid to animate Christmas displays and basic automation tasks), what's new today is this renewed interest in the hacker/maker market. The popularity of the  Hacker/Maker spaces over in the US and other countries (like the Makers-Faire) are now seeing new communities and local experiences popping up all over the world.

Personally i think it can be a ton of fun and the best way to enjoy it is to spend some time experimenting with these low cost systems. I mentioned the raspberry pi in an earlier post - i have seen examples of children using it to program their own games, others use it to create a silent custom made HTPC, Some want an open source robot or low-cost solution to a problem they have got. Its a process that is fun and easy to learn and helps develop skills that can be applied to future technology development. Programming is a good building block these days, because once you master the basics, prototyping then becomes a whole lot easier when applying it in a practical way (ie the real world). For me, the best way to learn is by actually building it. If you get stuck, the forums and resources are available online and an active developer community are always available 24/7.

So, having picked the project(s) you want to make, done your homework and have selected the items you think that will need to get you started, then what? Trouble is, you may have never seen a circuit diagram before or you don't even own a soldering iron, let alone have thousands of dollars to spend on parts. This is where today's low-cost-tech really shines. It doesn't have to be a robot, it could be a lightweight flashing EL panel belt thats worn by cyclists for visibility at night or it could be a RFID tag that alerts the owner they had left a possession behind (eg. forgotten their phone and wallet ;P).

Basic Prototyping Kit (bought online)

If the idea of making your own open source project sounds tempting, it is, at least for me. Trouble is, i don't always have alot of money left to spend on experimenting with electronics as most of my spare cash gets eaten up by gaming, geeking or the whole general mish mash ;). This was recently highlighted when i was able to acquire a raspberry pi, USB cable, HDMI cable, SD card, keyboard and mouse all online for under $70 (shipped to my door). After a quick trip to the local electronics retailer, where the basic breadboard was going to cost almost as much as the raspberry pi itself, i headed online to ebay for some electronic prototyping bargains. I am glad i did. Not only was i able to get a breadboard that was almost the exact same dimensions as a bare bones pi, it came with a bunch of components (LED's, resistors, capacitors etc etc) that would get me started. Included with the pack was a small booklet that helped identify components, perfect for those like myself (who were a bit rusty on their knowledge of electronics) or for any beginners out there.


The basic prototyping kit (pictured above) cost me about $20 to have shipped from the UK and it arrived in my letterbox inside a working week. Personally, i will still need some additional components to complete some of my particular project(s), however, all told the costs thus far are <$100.  Not sure that making your own technology is all that interesting? hold no interest for building robots or devices that interact with the real world? what about clothing that can charge your mobile devices or smart phones using the heat of your body? or a hoodie that has a built in MP3 player with conductive cloth providing built in and washable controls. while alot of this wearable technology is available now, some of it is still in development. my point is, its actually quite easy to prototype with pennies :)

Another example of the potential of this technology comes from other sources, such as the instructables website. Predating arduinos relatively new community (arduino started around 2005), the instructables website (along with many others of similar vein) lists a large number of inspiring projects. An example of a  more practical project is an open source pill dispenser that dispenses a course of seven days worth of medication at allocated times. Even sounding an alarm when pills are ready to be taken, making it ideal for elderly or the disabled. What about sonic sensors attached to embedded tech that increase in pressure, the closer it comes to an object. For example, the blind could wear purpose made gloves or wrist straps that squeezed gently to indicate their proximity to objects. This could be adapted to make clothing that could "see objects" around a person and apply a sensation light enough as to be completely painless and of no harm for long term use. Of course, these are all serious real-world projects and while you may find inspiration in robotics or wearable tech or wherever, the initial costs for these projects is low and the initial learning curve is quite moderate.


Some Handy Links and Resources.

Arduino Community
 
Make projects

SparkFun



Quick Start Guides
 
Top 10 Arduino projects for pro (w/click-thrus)


Learn Arduino from n00b to ninja video series