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Ben Heck's Pocket Beagle drum sequencer
Felix takes his hand to the soldering iron, picks up Beagleboard.org's Pocket Beagle and assembles a drum sequencer with the help of the Bela Mini audio cape. With a laser-engraved case, hands-on assistance from S. Astrid Bin and a custom-designed input-output matrix for driving the LEDs, Felix puts it all together with C++. Have you made an electronics audio device, or a project with the Pocket Beagle? Let the team know on the element14 Community.
'Fish on Wheels' frees your guppy from the tyranny of the tank (video)
A company called Studio Diip has created a motorized go-cart. For fish. Though "why" is the first question that comes to mind, at this point we're only able to give you the "how." When Little Dory starts to swim in a particular direction, her movement is captured by a top-mounted web cam, processed by a Beagleboard and used to steer the Arduino-controlled carriage under her bowl. As seen in the video after the fold, that lets her follow her muse outside the aquarium's confines. We're hoping this experiment makes it beyond the lab one day, as we're pretty damned curious to see where a fish wants to go. ("Away from the cat" or "towards the ocean" seem like safe bets.)
BeagleBone Black packs 1GHz ARM CPU, 512MB RAM for just $45 (video)
The BeagleBone might be just the piece of kit for the DIY set itching to boot Linux in 10 seconds, but the freshly unveiled BeagleBone Black packs an even greater punch -- and the same speedy start times -- at just half the price of its predecessor. The $45 credit card-sized package totes a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 3D graphics accelerator, a pair of PRU 32-bit RISC CPUs, 2GB of built-in storage, a microSD slot and 512MB of RAM. Connectivity-wise, the canine-themed board carries support for USB, Ethernet, micro-HDMI and two 46 pin headers. Those pining for hardware flexibility can make use of the platform's existing "cape" hardware add-ons. Though it ships from Texas Instruments with Angstrom Linux on board, it's also tuned to support Android and Ubuntu, and arrives pre-loaded with the Cloud9 IDE. BeagleBone Black is already up for grabs in limited quantities, but it's expected to ship en masse by the end of May. Hit the second source link to start ordering, or head past the break for a video tour of the pint-sized computer.
Liquidware team crafts laser tripwire that tweets intruder alerts, keeps fake sharks at bay (video)
Laser tripwire security systems can be expensive propositions that don't always work as planned -- just ask Raytheon, which saw its $100 million Perimeter Intrusion Detection System for JFK International Airport undermined by one wayward jet skier. Taking that as a form of dare, Justin Huynh and teammates at Liquidware have devised a much cheaper (if also much smaller) tripwire of their own. Any interruption of a laser pointer's beam is caught by an Arduino light sensor that promptly sends the alert to an Android-running BeagleBoard xM; if a toy like Bruce the shark dares cross the line, the BeagleBoard sends a Twitter message to let the authorities, or at least Huynh, clamp down on the trespasser. The invention won't replace Raytheon's handiwork anytime soon, although Huynh notes that additional or more powerful sensors could theoretically catch real, muscle-bound sharks and not just their plastic counterparts. The supply checklist and source code are waiting on the company's project page below, so those who'd like to ward off miniature invasions can get started today.
BeagleBone gets plenty of expansion options with new 'cape' add-ons
Arduino has shields and now BeagleBone has capes. The Cortex A8-based hobbyist board has earned a number of fans for its speed and affordability. Now it's adding simple versatility with 20 expansion capes, ranging from touchscreens, to cameras and even weather stations. Some have been available for some time, but the latest -- the Camera Cape -- allows you to easily capture 3.1 megapixel images. Obviously, the perfect partner cape would be one of the several displays available, such as the seven-inch 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen. Really, they're essential if you hope to preview your photos before snapping them. To check out all the available boards hit up the source link, and check out the PR after the break.
Open source mini sub appeals to our inner Steve Zissou
Quadrocopters haven't exactly opened the skies for DIY exploration so much as they have for acrobatic feats, but the OpenROV project is hoping to make the briny depths friendlier for aspiring explorers and educators alike. The open source rover, spearheaded by NASA engineer and researcher Eric Stackpole, sinks to depths of up to 300 feet (100 meters), runs on eight C-cell batteries for approximately 1.5 hours and can clip by at three feet (one meter) per second. Within the laser-cut acrylic frame, a sealed cylinder houses a BeagleBone, HD webcam and LED lights. This all weighs in at 5.5 pounds and is piloted using a web browser and video feed. The footage is then piped up to a laptop that tethers the vehicle to the shore. Pre-orders for OpenROV 2.3 kits will be taken through Kickstarter later this summer at $750 apiece, though there are plans to sell fully assembled units. For now, explorers can register their interest at the link below and impatient Jacques Cousteaus will be pleased to know that all files necessary to build version 2.2 are available to download now.
DIY 'Descriptive Camera' captures images, prints out prose
Have you ever wished that cameras could capture not only an image of the scene in front of them, but also describe it to you in plain English? Ok, what if it bypassed the whole "photo" thing and just spit out a slip of paper with words on it? Well, if you're still interested, the impressive Matt Richardson (of Make fame) has a project right up your alley. The Descriptive Camera is a relatively simple device really. A Logitech webcam is connected to a BeagleBone dev board, which is in turn plugged into a thermal printer from Adafruit. Obviously, the tech required to analyze a scene recognize the objects then convert that pile of pixels into a slice prose is outside of the budget and capability of your average DIY project. So Matt turned instead to Mechanical Turk, Amazon's marketplace for HITs or Human Intelligence Tasks. Images captured by the cam are uploaded via the BeagleBone, where an actual person describes what he or she sees and the resulting literature is printed out. For more details and images check out the source.
BeagleBone board boots up XBMC Eden, shows off its media prowess
BeagleBoard isn't letting the Raspberry Pi steal all the glory in the battle for low-cost computing supremacy. The $35 ARM11-based Pi may win on price, but at least the BeagleBone can hold its own in terms of power. After the Model B was demoed pushing XBMC and AirPlay capabilities, some intrepid devs managed to get the second beta of Eden up and running on the ARM A8 dev board. The vid stutters a bit during playback but, overall, it's a respectable performance considering this is a CPU that would get laughed out of most modern smartphones. Head on after the break to see it in action.
BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for 89 bones
BeagleBoard has kept our collective news-tails wagging with plenty of (often disparate) DIY hardware projects. Now, the BeagleBone ($89) has arrived, with Linux Angstrom preinstalled, and power provided through a USB port. Giving the hardware more of a chew reveals Open GL ES 2.0, a microSD connector and two 46-pin female expansion headers for easy augmentation. There's also a 100Mbit Gigabit Ethernet connection on this new development platform, which promises to play nice with older BeagleBoard, er, boards. Serial (port) DIYers can check out a full run-down video after the break.
Students build self-balancing TIPI robot, plan new world order (video)
Remember this guy, the QB robot that was priced at a whopping 15 grand? Seemingly, the webcam wheeler inspired a team of young minds at the University of Waterloo, who've unleashed the DIY in themselves to build one of their own. TIPI, or Telepresence Interface by Pendulum Inversion, was designed to give humans the feeling that they're not actually talking to a six-foot tall cyclops cyborg with an LCD face and webcam eye, but rather, evoke the emotions drawn when speaking the old, conventional, face-to-face way. Thanks to this team of mechatronics engineers, the low-cost TIPI uses an accelerometer, gyro and pendulum to balance by itself and can be remotely controlled while communicating via its Beagle Board and Polulu Orangutan SVP brain. Head past the break to see the robot struttin' its stuff -- oh, and get ready to rave. You'll see what we mean.
DIYer constructs 4.3-inch Open SciCal graphing calculator, puts your TI-83+ to shame
What's 4.3-inches diagonally, costs $200 to build and has absolutely no reception issues when held as shown in the image above? Why, the Open SciCal! Matt Stack, the genius who pieced this gem together, relied on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 8GB SD card, WiFi module and a spartan web browser in order to concoct what's likely the most desirable graphing calculator this side of Pluto. The handheld device weighs about 1.6 pounds, runs Linux as well as the statistically inclined R, and is reportedly capable of doing roughly twice as much crunching as Texas Instruments' Nspire. Skeptical? Considering that this bad boy sucked down stock data from Yahoo! Finance and ran auto-correlation on the numbers in order to near-instantly report current trends, we're guessing TI (or any other graphing calculator company, really) has no room to argue. Hit the source for more details, and don't worry -- that feeling of insignificance wanes with time.
BeagleBoard finds new purpose in DIY wearable computer
We've already seen the small and flexible BeagleBoard used for a couple of different DIY projects, but few quite as impressive as this wearable computer built by Martin Magnusson. In addition to complementing any outfit, this rig runs Angstrom Linux, uses a modified pair of Myvu Crystal video glasses (and some stylish shades) for a display, and simply relies on a Bluetooth keyboard for input and a tethered iPhone for internet connectivity. Of course, if the shoulder strap isn't your thing, Martin has also demonstrated that the rig can discreetly fit in a standard CD case -- check it out after the break, and hit up the source link below for a look at the complete build process.
DIY tablet kit is less than $400, more complicated than an iPad
Tired of The Man holding you down on the tablet front with his oppressive App Stores, his tyrannical carrier constraints, and other outrageous insults to your civil liberties? Well now you can break free of this stranglehold, thanks to a company called Liquidware and its open source, DIY tablet starter kit. The premise is simple: Liquidware provides a touchscreen OLED display (4.3-inch, 480 x 272, resistive touch), the BeagleBoard guts (a single-board computer driven by a 720MHz ARM Cortex-A8 OMAP3530 CPU, with 2GB of NAND and an SD card slot), and the BeagleJuice battery module, along with an SD card pre-loaded with Angstrom Linux. You put all the pieces together and then just basically go nuts, designing your own application marketplace, infrastructure for direct-to-consumer video and audio sales, and a revolutionary and magical user interface that blurs the lines between waking life and a hallucinatory dream-state where anything is possible, and the only limitation is yourself. Check the Moscone Center's booking information below to see scheduling availability for your developer conference, and hit the source link to offer up your $393.61 to Liquidware.
Bug Labs intros BUG 2.0 platform with faster processor, Android support
Tired of your BUGBase lagging out while you're trying to set up that crazy homebrew alarm system? Hope is on the way in the form of BUG 2.0, Bug Labs' next-gen development platform that moves up to a Cortex A8-based OMAP3 core from the original BUGBase's ARM11. The processor bump isn't the only change, though: they're announcing full support for running BeagleBoard apps and -- get this -- Android. That means that you won't necessarily need to be locked into Bug's own development environment for doing your thing, and obviously, folks already familiar with Android development should have a much easier time making the transition. Even better, the base maintains backward compatibility with existing BUGmodules, so most of your current investment won't be for naught -- save the old base, of course. Price and availability are yet to be announced.
XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)
There was a time when the X in XBMC stood for Xbox, but now just look at it. The open source project is showing up on everything from MIDs to Apple TVs and soon will be in the wild running on ARM-powered devices, with the development team posting a teaser video of the software running quite well on a tiny 600MHz Beagleboard. It's a fraction of the size of most HTPCs and, at $150, a fraction of their cost, too. Right now the software seems to be struggling a bit with what looks to be 480p wide content, but the devs promise proper HD playback in the full release -- though they're not saying when that full release will be.
Video: HY Research's Beagle Board-based MID
This next item is a homebrew MID loosely based on the funky and fresh Nokia N800. Sure, until Mr. HY Research gets a battery installed, the "mobile" part of this internet device will rely on an extension cord... but that said, this is one fun little project. Based on the ARM Cortex A8-based Beagle board, it features a 4.3-inch (480 x 272) display, Bluetooth, support for OpenGL ES 2.0, S-Video and HDMI outputs, USB, SD / MMC, RS-232, and audio in / out connections. As controls go, this thing sports not only a touchscreen, but a five position joystick, three position slider, and plenty of buttons as well. Not bad, not bad at all. The company is on the lookout for "consulting and designs of custom expansion boards," so if you're in the mood to do some business, hit that read link. If you're really just a fan (aren't we all?) there is an action packed video of the thing in action, after the break. [Via SlashGear]
