What do you do?

Submit the “Stuff” you have created! Share project ideas, completed projects and project horror stories in each of the three main categories listed below!

Submit your stuff!

Solar powered, sound activated, exploding star

Tyler Hilyard | October 13th, 2008 | No Comments

this device is powered by light using 18 .5 volt solar cells making up the 9 volt power supply.when the devices senses a sound it pulses to the beat of the sound/music.there are 25 jumbo blue l.e.d.’s that form the star.i entered the device into the M.I.T.E.’s competition(Michigan industrial technology education)in high school and won first place in regional and ninth place in states.i got ninth place because the [contest personnel] didn’t put out the 600 watt halogen light i sent with it,which was my power source.everything on this project was hand made and took just over a week to do.this is my baby and is one of my most cherished possessions.comments are welcome.

Motion sensor/ laser tripwire

Nam Kennedy | June 20th, 2008 | 4 Comments

I just thought about making this projet. it is a very simple set up but I need help.
Problem one is I don’t know what to do to a make it so that when the ir reciver is picking up lots of ir that it doesn’t send electricity to the buzzer but when it doesn’t recive ir that the buzzer turns on.

second problem is how do I make it so the ir reciver only responds to the specific ir diode
and the last problem how can i get the buzzer to continue sounding for awhile after IR contact is re-established.
basic scamatic below.

Opto Guitar

Mark Prairie | April 18th, 2008 | 1 Comment

I found that a guitar string can modulate a light beam if the beam is focused. You need a light source and a receiver (photocell),coupled to an op amp, for each string. I did this years ago, with incandescent lamps, before lasers were inexpensive. Lasers would probably work better, as they are much more precise.
A lot of musical instrument FX stuff used light as the modulator. Some wahwah pedals used light.
I got the parts from Radio Shack.
Have fun!