Projects we'd like to start

 

 

Phil W's projects

Here's some of my projects which go on and off the backburner. I guess this is a sampling of the type of stuff I'd like to muck around with. Not sure if this is the best page for it, but hey.

• Remote control submarine with live video feed

• Web-based remote control car/plane/submarine

• Self-powered underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA without the SC) (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFIlNbRQwQ4 for demo of prototype)

• 3D LCD display (using polarised glasses - similar concept to shutter glasses but without needing a cable to sync to monitor)

• Walk-on-water boots (for fishing I guess)

• Ski Wings for cross country skiing so you can cruise when the wind is behind you.

• Remote control autonomous skidoo for back-country snowboard trips. Basically, you ride the skidoo up the hill, then it drives itself down to meet you at the bottom.

• Bed that gets lifted vertical in the morning as an entirely unignorable alarm

• Solar powered desert rover that cruises around the outback and does stuff. Like, I dunno, looks for gold or something, and then comes back and tells you the coordinates of where all the gold is. And then profit.

• Real estate website that is actually easy and nice to use

 

 

Adrian Swanepoel's projects

RoboMagellan

Autonomous robot with simultaneous mapping and location.

• http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9016

• http://robogames.net/rules/magellan.php

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsZrkwAr_9M

 

AUV and/or ROV

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a robot which travels underwater. In military applications, AUVs are also known as unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AUV

 

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) is the common accepted name for tethered underwater robots in the offshore industry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROV

 

Sydney has al lot of water to be explored and mapped.

 

ROV’s are relatively easy to build and operate, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/robotrov/ for many design ideas. 

 

Handbag with built in light

A handbag with light/lights that switches on when the bag is opened includes rechargeable LiPoly battery.

 

The LillyPad series of open source hardware should work perfectly.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardLilyPad

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?c=135

 

Open Source PLC

A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or lighting fixtures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_logic_controller

 

I feel that a project such as this will go a long way to make home automation more affordable.

 

There are several passers/translators for Ladder available which can be adopted to use with this. http://www.cq.cx/ladder.pl

 

The “processor unit” will need to be a microprocessor such as the AVR32 (yes this is still an MCU, but can be used as an MPU, alternatively an ARM7 type MPU can be looked at), while IO modules can be microcontroller based such as the ATMega’s. An open bus architecture such as I2C can be used for communication between the microprocessor and microcontrollers while CAN can be used for communication with HMI’s.

 

Gavin Smith's projects

Since others are posting their projects, I'll do the same. Some info here. All these are in various stages of completion.

• Kirlian photography rig
• Cosmic ray detector via Geiger counter coincidence
• MakerBot Cupcake CNC, 3D printer and some samples of 3D printing.
• Reflow skillet for making large surface mount soldering jobs easy.
• Arduino based spectrophotometer
• Remote controlled LEDs for announcing schoolbusses.
• Arduino controlled bell tower/carillion.

 

Jon Hirsch's projects

Just some stuff I would like to do if I had the space.

• MAME arcade cabinet pref. cocktail style or coffee table.
• Kayak, I've made one already out of plywood and fibreglass but I need another.

 

Lachlan Pease's projects

• Arcade Cabinet related projects (hoping to use them to restart UNSW's GameDevSoc)
  • Simple API, to lower the barrier of entry to simple gamedev
  • Various interfaces, from traditional (joysticks) to experimental (tilt-table control for neverball, capacitive sensors, etc)
  • Coin slot mechanism, for use at public events
• Cheaper version of the BlinkMM

 

Andrew P's Projects

• Web-based remote control car/plane/submarine (good ideas are clearly common Phil)
• 1976 Suzuki GT250 motorcycle restoration
• Wiimote controlled anything - especially Augmented Reality Papervision
• DESTROY MY STUFF .COM - send us your stuff and choose how you want us to kill, blow it up, drill, burn etc - Maybe we need a Ballistics Safe area and lot's of high frame rate HD webcams

 

City of Sydney - By George! Hidden Networks

http://www.lanewaysbygeorge.com.au/default.aspx

 

Flow Tunnel

After seeing one at the Montshire Museum I had have my own.

http://maxn.posterous.com/