The Idea Incubator
Hey…so yeah. Haven’t posted in a little while. And I know you all are just dying to continue with the RESTful Sensor API Endpoint using NodeJS
But being someone who sometimes bites off more than they can chew, I’ve turned my immediate attention to the last post I had regarding exercise and being bad at fitness regiments or routines.
This is an update to that! And boy what an update it is!
I think, like most people, I start off with good intentions. I make a commitment to eat better, and exercise regularly, and for the first few weeks, I am pretty good about it. Android and Apple apps are bought and installed, and perhaps a gym membership is purchased…oh yeah, and some home exercise equipment. And I start an exercise routine or regiment religiously.
And then it all falls apart. Usually somewhere around the 4 to 6 week mark.
I’m not alone, for sure. There are probably thousands of people out there like me who start off with good intentions and then within a few weeks, or months, everything seems to stop – despite having invested time and money.
Why?
Continue reading “Why am I so horrible at fitness and exercise?”
I know there are several recipes out there for apple crisps, or apple chips, or whatever you want to call them. But being somewhat of a scientist, or at least pretending to be one as a hobby, I had several questions, beyond what is the best apple to use.
So of course, I decided to try and answer these questions and come up with a perfect crisp apple chips method and basic recipe.
Yeah, I’m throwing it down. All the professional recipe sites, blogs and publishers out there, watch out. It’s on like Donkey Kong. If nothing else, my house is about to smell amazing.
Continue reading “Creating Amazing & Perfect Crisp Apple Chips”
Now that we have 2 sensors built and collecting data (PIR Motion Sensor & Distance Sensor, both built on Raspberry Pi) we should start doing something with the data. In more of a real-world scenario, we would have some sort of a backend to collect this data, place it in a data warehouse and then be able perform analysis on the data being retrieved. Or at the very least, display the data in perhaps a dashboard of some kind.
But it all starts with data. Let’s start by building a RESTful API that we will use to collect the information from the sensors. We will build our API in NodeJS, on top of the Express middleware. We can either run this on a computer, like a desktop or laptop, or even on another Raspberry Pi!
When planning a tech talk with some folks on IoT development, we had to come up with several sensors to demo in order to feed a backend server module. An obvious choice was a PIR motion sensor, which is very straightforward and easy to build. Someone suggested a distance sensor, and having previously worked with a Sharp IR distance sensor (2Y0A02) on an Arduino it seemed like a perfect win.
So, we committed to building this sensor using the Raspberry Pi as our platform. As we started the development process, we discovered when looking at the datasheets for the Raspberry Pi and the Sharp sensor there was something we overlooked.
The Sharp IR sensor outputs an analog signal, whereas the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins are digital. So in order to build a Raspberry Pi Distance device we have to overcome this.
A PIR (Passive Infrared) Motion Sensor is one of the easier sensors to work with and is very straightforward to connect to a Raspberry Pi. The motion detector sensor itself has a sensitivity wheel that you can use to adjust motion sensitivity.
The IR sensor is typically encased in a “dome” which is actually has tiny “bubbles” that serve to scatter the beam to increase the motion detection range into a conical shape, rather than a simple straight-ish line.
For most applications and uses, this is definitely desired. If you think about a motion detector, you don’t want to detect motion in a narrow path – you typically want it to cover a wider area. The domes accomplish this purpose.
Let’s build the prototype.
Continue reading “Building a Raspberry Pi PIR sensor prototype”
The finished product. So cool. A Real Nintendo Zapper Laser Gun.
DISCLAIMER: This is a dangerous project intended for mature audiences and for informational purposes only. Intentional misuse can result in bodily harm or injury to yourself or others, including animals. The author of this post and this site assumes no liability for your actions.
Welcome back! This is it – the final day of construction.
It’s time to finish our creation, and finally test the Nintendo Zapper Laser Gun.
Continue reading “How to Build a REAL Laser gun with a Nintendo Zapper, Part 4”
Last time, we just finished rebuilding the trigger mechanism and soldered wires to our switch.
I decided to upgrade my lab area. Because something this cool couldn’t (and shouldn’t) be contained to a stool and a computer case side.
I cleared out a section of my basement, bought a $5 light and setup shop on an old table. To complete the professional polished look, I added my old dell and a spare monitor.
Continue reading “How to Build a REAL Laser gun with a Nintendo Zapper, Part 3”
I’m borderline obsessed with coming up with the perfect protein smoothie or shake, as you will be seeing in future posts. I’ve been experimenting for a while and am ready to start writing them down. So, here we go…
In this version, we will be using the following ingredients to make a single serving of a healthy protein smoothie. It is perfect for a snack, post workout treat, or even as a dessert!
Continue reading “Frozen Chocolate Healthy Protein Smoothie”
DISCLAIMER: This is a dangerous project intended for mature audiences and for informational purposes only. Intentional misuse can result in bodily harm or injury to yourself or others, including animals. The author of this post and this site assumes no liability for your actions.
When we left off, we were in the middle of disassembling our Nintendo Zapper. We removed the screws and got our workstation prepared for the creation of the weapon of mass destruction we are building (a Nintendo Zapper Laser Gun baby!)
Next, carefully remove the small screws that protect the trigger.
In a stroke of awesome foresight, the factory trigger is perfect for our laser. It will more than handle our power load AND gives us dual modes of operation – pulse and continuous use.
If you press the trigger about halfway, the switch remains closed – meaning we can get a steady stream of laser awesomeness.
If you press the trigger all the way, it shoots a single shot. A short laser burst.
So cool.
Continue reading “How to build a REAL Laser Gun with a Nintendo Zapper, Part 2”