Tools Hack Daily: March 2021

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Dalexa: Dalek for echo dot gen 4 #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Remixe of Incredibly accurate dalek model by Audrey2 (https://ift.tt/3fxQrGP )
the model has been modified to place Alexa Echo dot gen 4 in the neck-head.
The first change was to do a x2 in size. So the all the “un-touched” parts are only growed in size.
My modifications are:
Rings necks are cut and the sizes changed
Neckstruck: modified to hold together without glue (glueing the originals was madness).
Shoulder: to add a base for Echo dot gen 4
Dome: some holes to conect easily to neckstrucks
Eyehinge: added a rod to easy move the eye.

download the files on: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4747218

Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!

New Guide: LED Neon Stick Person Costume Build Tutorial

Here at Adafruit we love discovering new and exotic glowing things. Like moths to the flame, we were intrigued by these fresh Flexible Silicone Neon-Like LED Strips! They look a lot like neon, but without the need for expensive transformers, glass tubing or inert gasses.

Super flexible and bendy, they feature a single-color non-addressable LED strip with a solid chunk of translucent silicone rubber as a diffuser. They look incredible, and super easy to use and are a great way to make your projects light up!

The silicone makes for a strong, durable weather-proof casing. They’re not for dunking underwater or long-term outdoor exposure but they seem durable enough for projects that have to survive the outdoors, like costumes, bike lighting or festival decorations.

These strips are absolutely perfect for use in the latest tutorial by Erin St. Blaine: build a glowing Stick Person costume from strips of LED Neon. This costume is so much fun to wear and so much fun to watch! From the guide:

Build a neon stick-person costume from LED neon strips. These strips glow really brightly when connected to power, without the need for additional controllers or code of any kind. Just solder them together, plug in your battery pack, and glow!

They come in a lot of different colors, so you can glow in style. Make one for everyone in your family for an unforgettable group costume next Halloween.

This tutorial will show you how to connect the strips together and power them, and make a simple velcro harness that straps on over your dark clothing to bring the costume to life. It’s easy to adjust to fit different sized people, and no sewing is required.

Suit up and let the dancing commence.

Full build tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/led-neon-stick-person-costume

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Live In Conversation: A Modern Illuminated Haggadah at The Walters Art Museum #ArtTuesday

Happy Passover to all who celebrate!

The Haggadah is a Jewish text recited at the Seder on the first two nights of Passover, including a narrative of the Exodus from Egypt.

The Walters Art Museum is hosting an online discussion on the work of Arthur Szyk on Thursday, April 1st.

The Walters Art Museum recently acquired a rare first edition of the Passover Haggadah by Polish illustrator and political satirist Arthur Szyk. Published in 1940 in the shadow of World War II, Szyk’s illustrations daringly spoke out against the dangers of the rising Nazi regime and their threat to the Jewish people. Join Irvin Ungar, the world’s foremost expert on Szyk, and Lynley Herbert, the Walters’ Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, as they discuss this remarkable artist and how he used his art to speak truth to power.

A Robot That Learns To Paint #ArtTuesday

Follow along as a robot learns to paint Via ainorn.art:

AI_NORN style of painting was designed as something distant from photographic repeating. We name it neuroimpressionism. The idea of neuroimpressionism is to underline the main thing of a picture through artificial intelligence perception, not a human perception – mood, energy, and reflect them on canvas with brushstroke form and colors.

Learn more and check out the instagram @ai_norn to see a bunch of finished pieces.

Listening Space performance #ArtTuesday

Listening Space performance from Afrdt on Vimeo.

Afroditi Psarra is a transdisciplinary artist and an Assistant Professor of Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) at the University of Washington. Learn more about her work at dxarts.washington.edu

Listening Space is an artistic research which explores transmissions ecologies as a means of perceiving the surrounding environment beyond our human abilities. Conceptually the project seeks to define satellite data as raw material for artistic expression, to understand and re-imagine in poetic means, representations of audio and images broadcasted from space, using body movement and gesture as actuators to explore remote sensing.

Driven by our previous explorations in non-verbal communication systems, we set out to explore RF detection, while considering the human body as an interface for sensing the invisible universe that surrounds us. By investigating the energies that have been harvested by humanity to knit this complex layer, a turbulent sea of radio waves that penetrates the fabric of our everyday lives even if it remains unseen and unheard, we aim to create poetic connotations between the sonic qualities of data collection and archiving, and bodies as agents of power to re-interpret current technologies. Specifically, the ecologies of transmission that comprise the Radio Spectrum, are no doubt the ultimate expression of the Anthropocene, as they permit the operation of human life as we know it (telecommunications, environmental monitoring, radio astronomy, FM/AM radio, etc) and shape our understanding of the planet. In this context, Listening Space seeks to explore satellite transmissions as discrete embodied machines, by observing their liveness at a rhythm dictated by their orbit.

Check out her website!

Nature Made With Wires in the Art of Charmaine Lurch #ArtTuesday

The wire sculptures of Charmaine Lurch recreate seed pods, insects, and other natural phenomena. Here’s more from Art the Science:

It’s an interesting question because, for me, there has always been a pairing of science and art, the boundaries at times indistinguishable. As a child, I noticed things—I paid attention to small movements, the quality of light, the colour of rock and trees, the soil and water. This made me want to experiment and play with materials and imagine and make things.

Charmaine Lurch

See more!

A Moving Void in GIF Art from CmdrKitten #ArtTuesday

A moving black spot sucks up every red bottle in its path.

From CmdrKitten

The Louvre Makes 482,000 Works of Art Available Online #ArtTuesday

If you need another reason to stay inside as we try to fend of the lingering pandemic, here it is. The Louve is making almost 500,000 works of art available online. Here’s more from MOTHERBOARD:

The Louvre is “dusting off its treasures, even the least-known,” Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre, said in a press release. The entire Louvre collection is available to view online, including pieces on display currently, as well as ones that are on loan or in storage. Virtual visitors can now navigate the museum room-by-room using an interactive floor plan.

The collection includes 482,000 works from the Louvre, as well as from the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix, sculptures from the Tuileries and Carrousel gardens, and from the National Museums Recovery—pieces that were recovered after WWII and entrusted to the Louvre until they can be returned to their owners.

See more!

Monday, March 29, 2021

NEW VIDEO: Soldering Raspberry Pi Pico – Collin’s Lab Notes #raspberrypi #adafruit #collinslabnotes

Prep your Pico for usage by soldering up all the necessary headers. Just a few steps & you’re good to go. Pick up your Pico in the Adafruit shop.

VIDEO: Raspberry Pi Accessory “Cyberdeck” Silkscreen Design

This Adafruit accessory can adapt a small display and STEMMA add-ons to a Raspberry Pi 400. The old-school cyberpunk aesthetic — CRTs and patch cables everywhere — was intense and fun to create!

Raspberry Pi 400 computer and a display are NOT included — most Raspberry Pi-sized PiTFT displays will work with the Cyberdeck HAT, while smaller OLED Bonnets and similar can work with the Cyberdeck Bonnet. See the corresponding Cyberdeck product pages for recommended displays.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Bath time, a LEGO automaton

Beautiful LEGO automation from TonyFlow76 on YouTube.

I envisioned a man enjoying a bath full of Lego, because, let’s be honest, we’ve all thought about it, right? The shape of the bath was the hard part, but making the model “water tight” so all those 1×1 plates wouldn’t jam the mechanism was a nice challenge as well. I figured a Lego bath would require some special plumbing, so I got a bit creative with the lower part, which gives it a bit of a steampunk look that I’m quite pleased with. Keep clean & healthy, people!

via laughingsquid

Microbial Art

Making art in a petri dish.

via Smithsonian

Scientists began to use agar for experiments as a way to see how microorganisms—which were previously grown on solid food—developed. Agar powder is mixed with sterilized water and nutrients in a petri dish to create a transparent, semi-solid substance. Scientists incorporate microorganisms, like fungi and bacteria, to the mixture and watch them develop in the gel under a microscope.

Despite its growing popularity over the past five years, microbial art isn’t a recent fad. Alexander Fleming, who discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin on an agar plate in 1928, created images using live organisms. Yet, this genre of scientific art didn’t gather much attention from researchers until the last decade, when the American Society of Microbiology brought agar art into the spotlight in 2015 with an annual contest.

Mini Smoke Machine fitting from Vape #3DThursday #3DPrinting

thorfinr shares:

Miniature smoke machine fitting for Tabletop wargaming and Role Playing Games using a recycled Vape / E-cig.

download the files on: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4745190

Friday, March 26, 2021

MineCraft Server and Case #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via 수진권

Set up Minecraft Server – has multi functions with raspberry pi4

and making Server Box with Oak,Birch Plywood

Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Make a digital do-not-disturb sign #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

A simple busy sign using 2 Pis and MQTT. Via MagPi:

In this tutorial we’re going to use a popular messaging protocol, MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). With MQTT we will set up a simple do-not-disturb sign that you can trigger with a single key press and customise to your heart’s content.

See the full guide!

Squirrel Photo Trap #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Squirrels love a good bird-feeder raid. There Ought to be… wanted to catch the bandits in the act so they created this photo trap. A photo is snapped once the an object comes into the frames field of focus.

Any Sony Alpha since the NEX-5R has a Wifi remote control feature. You can run a script on almost any Wifi-enabled computer (like a Raspberry Pi or a laptop) to connect to this remote control feature, detect squirrels and trigger photos automatically.

Read the full details and watch on YouTube.

Raspberry Pi Spigot #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Pour out the digits!

via bornach

Spigot algorithms compute decimal expansions of irrational constants such as Pi, one digit at a time. It is fairly easy to run spigot algorithms on a Raspberry Pi. There is already a Python package called PiDigits that implements a few of the spigot algorithms described in the research literature. However I wanted to make it more visually explicit that my Raspberry Pi was executing a spigot algorithm to compute the digits of Pi. I’ve modified a Pimoroni case for a Raspberry Pi 2 to give the appearance of digits streaming from a spigot. The spigot’s check valve is a 10K potentiometer. The LEDs come from a Poundworld Christmas decoration. The digits are displayed on 5 daisy chained MAX7219 8×8 LED modules.

Installing Widevine DRM to the #raspberrypi #piday @Raspberry_Pi

Make streaming easier!

via PiMyLifeUp

If you have ever tried to load Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Spotify, or the many other streaming services on your Raspberry Pi, you will find that they fail to function.

This is because the Raspberry Pi does not come with the Widevine DRM software installed by default.

Widevine is a DRM package that is incredibly popular with streaming providers as it allows them to protect their streamed content.

Lego and Raspberry Pi Powered Analog Film Scanner @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Awesome project from Benjamin Bezine.

This is a lockdown project: a Lego and Raspberry Pi powered analog film scanner.
Source code available here:
https://ift.tt/3nCkgrj

The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently posted a write-up on the project here.

Wonder Wall: Interactive Origami Art with Raspberry Pi @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Wonder Wall — an Orginal Meditation Mural, by origami artist Ross Symons, gives motion to the artwork using Raspberry Pi and Bare Conductive’s Pi Cap. Here’s more from Raspberry Pi Blog:

Ross named his creation “Wonder Wall – an Origami Meditation Mural”. Visitors put on headphones next to the origami flower wall, and listen to different soothing sounds as the Pi Cap senses that one of the green flowers is being touched.

64 origami flowers were mounted to a canvas, a much lighter and more readiliy transportable option than a big wooden board.

See and learn more!

Wonder Wall: Interactive Origami Art with Raspberry Pi @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Wonder Wall — an Orginal Meditation Mural, by origami artist Ross Symons, gives motion to the artwork using Raspberry Pi and Bare Conductive’s Pi Cap. Here’s more from Raspberry Pi Blog:

Ross named his creation “Wonder Wall – an Origami Meditation Mural”. Visitors put on headphones next to the origami flower wall, and listen to different soothing sounds as the Pi Cap senses that one of the green flowers is being touched.

64 origami flowers were mounted to a canvas, a much lighter and more readiliy transportable option than a big wooden board.

See and learn more!

Add Ethernet to Raspberry Pi Pico #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Add ethernet to your Pico this weekend with help from Raspberry Pi Blog:

Raspberry Pi Pico has a lot of interesting and unique features, but it doesn’t have networking. Of course this was only ever going to be a temporary inconvenience, and sure enough, over Pi Day weekend we saw both USB Ethernet and Ethernet PHY support released for Pico and RP2040.

Playing Star Trek Sound Effects with the Raspberry Pi Pico Using CircuitPython @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Raspberry Pis have a long history of use in the performing arts, special effects, and cosplay. So naturally the Raspberry Pi Pico is getting into the mix. Michael Horne has a long-running Picorder project, and he’s using Raspberry Pi Pico for sound. Here’s more from the Raspberry Project:

To start with, I looked at creating my own circuit and using PWM Audio. This post from Greg Chadwick indicated that I could do just that. However, it was, excuse me, a bit beyond me. It also used C/C++ as a programming language. I had already decided that, for this project, I would use Adafruit’s CircuitPython derivative of MicroPython. There were a lot of libraries, it is, basically, Python (which I can already use to a certain extent, thanks to the CamJam EduKits and all the other tutorials that are available), and it is extensively documented.

However, that blog post, and some previously-read Pico documentation, pointed me to needing to use I2S audio, which is how audio (DAC) boards work with the Raspberry Pi. This would give me high enough quality audio to play my sound effect and give me a bit of familiarity (which I always think is key to understanding how to do something).

See more!

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Simple Signage @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

UDYXFO0PGD blob

Handy project from Dr. Peter Trimmel up on Hackster.io.

Using a Raspberry Pi 4, the VLC video player and Node-Red to implement a simple signage type application.

Live Energy Monitor with Raspberry Pi

In order to optimize power usage from his home solar panels, Frederick put a Raspberry Pi + Unicorn Hat to work as a custom energy monitor. Now he knows whether he’s taking from or giving back to the grid.

We recently had a digital electricity (and gas) meter installed by Fluvius. In order to make more efficient use of our solar power, I installed a little dongle from HomeWizard to the P1 port of the meter. Using an app, it is possible to monitor electricity taken from or pushed to the grid. The idea is then to use the bigger appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, etc … ) when there is leftover solar power available, rather than push it to the grid.

Code and a full explanation of the install process are available here.

Make Your Own Smart Chessboard #3DPrinting #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Play chess against a Raspberry Pi or remote friend with this gorgeous build from DIY Machines on YouTube:

How to build this 3D printed super smart Chessboard, play against the built in chess engine or connect with a friend or loved one over the internet and play head-to-head with real chess pieces.

Make Your Own Smart Chessboard #3DPrinting #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Play chess against a Raspberry Pi or remote friend with this gorgeous build from DIY Machines on YouTube:

How to build this 3D printed super smart Chessboard, play against the built in chess engine or connect with a friend or loved one over the internet and play head-to-head with real chess pieces.

HiFiBerry Amp2 case for raspberry pi 4 #3DPrinting #3DThursday

aerospaceboy shared this project on Thingiverse!

A 3D printable case for HiFiBerry’s Amp2 connected to a raspberry pi 4 using the included off stands. With a thin shell and form fitting to the raspberry pi. Used running the HiFiBerryOS and to connect to separate speakers.

I contemplated including air vents but after running this for several months without it getting hot I’ve published this without modification

Designed to be powered from the HiFiberry Amp2 power supply.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4747100

Heart Stethoscope Holder for doctors and nurses #3DThursday #3DPrinting

If the simple holder shared earlier today doesn’t have enough pizazz this one may be more your speed. From tinkerheart on Thingiverse:

The key to printing a durable stethoscope holder is to print the main body and the clip separately, and to print the clip lying on its side. Glue the two parts together using cyanoacrylate or epoxy glue.
When it comes to cleaning the stethoscope holder, I’ve had one lying in a small tub of 85% isopropanol and another in a tub of regular 70% ethanol for two months – no apparent degradation. Just remember to not use alcohol with added glycerol or perfume, as it can lead to a buildup of gunk on the stethoscope holder.

I like the regular stethoscope holder printed in simple white PLA or Eryone bronze PLA, and the heart stethoscope holder in Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Pearl Ruby Red.

Download the files and learn more

NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit GPIO Reference Card for Raspberry Pi Pico

This handy GPIO reference card is the perfect pocket-friendly go-to resource for navigating your way around the Raspberry Pi Pico.

We designed a full-color pin-out diagram and printed it on card-stock so you can parse your power from your PWM and separate your SPI from your Serial UART. All the pin uses are labeled for quick reference.

On the back, we have a quick start guide for loading CircuitPython onto your pico and blinking the onboard LED. All on a 3″ x 4″ card!

In stock and shipping now!

Creality 10S Pro Tool Holder #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Nice little organizer from furvin on Thingiverse:

Tool holder for Creality 10S Pro, printed on PLA Lite

Download the files and learn more

Bonsai Tree #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Bonsai are notoriously hard to grow and require great patience over decades. So why not just print the one you want that will last forever. From ToxicRainbow on Thingiverse:

Simple bonsai tree design, recommended to print with support. Then paint and add flowers of your choice

Download the files and learn more

Knife Holder for Drawer #3DPrinting #3DThursday

Gassn3r shared this project on Thingiverse!

This is a knife holder for standard sized drawers found in an industrial kitchen or for drawers with a min. hight of 10 cm.
One modul holds 1 Chef knife with a blade length up to 20 cm and 1 small knife.
There is also a longer version with an opening for longer bladed knives.
Print multiple of these and slide them together to make a big knife block to store all of your knives.
Designed to be printed in one piece

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4744825

Gorgeous Freeform VU Meter Sculpture

Freeform electronics artist, Mohit Bhoite, strikes again. This time, Mohit sculpted this gorgeous VU meter circuit, built around the LM3915 bar display driver chip and a color LED bar graph display.

On Instagram, Mohit writes:

You can experiment with different values for the capacitor C2. You can even try out a transistor based preamp circuit instead of the LM386. The color LED bar graph was purchased over eBay, but you can look at other sources as well. Look at the datasheet of LM3915 to get more insight into how this circuit works.

Remember to build this circuit on a breadboard before attempting to free-form it!