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119 GUIDES | 710 PAGES | 15 FEATURED | 4 POPULAR
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Haunted Portrait
Make a spooky digital portrait come to life with a Raspberry Pi Zero image player
by John Park
You can frame an LCD panel and mount it vertically to create a spooky, digital portrait, that seems to have an afterlife of it's own, as the eyes subtly move or the expression changes. This digital picture frame is easy to set up, and fun to use to haunt your friends and unsuspecting guests.
NEW
Mini Pinball Table with Gemma M0
Use CircuitPython and the Gemma M0 to control iPad pinball built into an extruded aluminum mini table!
by John Park
You can wire arcade buttons to the Gemma M0 which can be programmed in CircuitPython as a USB HID device (emulating keyboard strokes) to control any iCade compatible game on iOS! Plus, you can build your own stylish, rugged mini table using slotted aluminum extrusions and hardware! And, no soldering is required, just plug and play!
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Echo 2-XL
GIve your Amazon Echo a new persona.
by C. Cunningham
Repurpose a classic toy robot as a new face and voice for Alexa.
Zelda Thunder Helm
3D Print A Precious Gerudo Heirloom for Link Cosplay
by Ruiz Brothers
The Thunder Helm is a piece of armor from The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.
NES Cart RetroPie Game Console
All-in-one game emulator/controller built inside a NES cartridge using Joy Bonnet and Raspberry Pi Zero!
by John Park
The Pi Zero is a great machine, capable of running RetroPie to manage old school game emulation. The Joy Bonnet is a very simple, plug-and-play way to add just the right controls. But you need a case, so embed it in an old cartridge for style and the ergonomics of a better grip!
Pinball Controller for iPad
Make a pinball controller for your iOS device using Teensy
by John Park
Virtual pinball is incredibly fun, but even more so with real, physical flipper buttons and a plunger. Use a Teensy in HID keyboard mode to send iCade-compatible commands to your iOS device over the Lightning connector.
The Humble Velocipede
Desktop walking machine
by Dano Wall
The Humble Velocipede is a small-scale adaptation of Theo Jansen's kinetic sculptures. This meditative toy is designed to scuttle over countertops with its human powered stride.
Mystery Box: Haunted Radio
Breathe spooky life into an old radio by adding a Feather microcontroller to read the dial and play mysterious sounds and music!
by John Park
Vintage radios can be beautiful, but many are beyond repair. Here's a guide to repurposing it as an eerie playback device that uses the original tuner dial, power knob, and speaker and grafts on a Feather ESP8266 Huzzah with Music Maker MP3 FeatherWing that can play creepy sound effects, and trigger a specific song when intrepid guests tune the dial to a specific frequency. Muhuwahahahahahaha!
CNC Joy Bonnet Case
Learn how to CNC mill a wooden case!
by Ruiz Brothers
Go from CAD, to CAM! Make a case out of a block of wood to make a classic looking project.
ISS Pin
You'll be star gazing when this NeoPixel pin lights up to notify you of the International Space Station flying overhead.
by Leslie Birch
A Particle Photon microcontroller and an Adafruit Neopixel ring combine to make a pin that's fit for NASA fans. It displays an orbiting white blip when idle and then turns blue, white and red when the ISS flies by. The code makes use of IFTTT (If This Then That), a free site that makes connecting IoT devices as easy as a few clicks. This project was inspired by my first NASA Space Apps Challenge with friend Brooks Rampersad--an ISS Orbit Skirt.
Coffee Detonator: The TNT Plunger Grinder
Use a high-voltage AC power source to trigger a Feather microcontroller-driven coffee grinder.
by John Park
This guide will show you how a magneto, generator, or other AC power source can be safely converted into a small DC signal easily read by an Arduino-compatible microcontroller. Then, the microcontroller can trigger a 120V relay to turn on any appliance!
Adafruit Joy Bonnet for Raspberry Pi
The cutest little gaming helper ever
by Phillip Burgess
Pocket-sized fun is the name of this game, with the Joy Bonnet - our most fun Bonnet ever (no we didn't even think that was possible, either!) This Bonnet fits perfectly on top of your Raspberry Pi Zero (any kind) and gives you adorable hand-held arcade controls. Once you install our script onto your Pi, the controls will act like a keyboard, for easy use with any emulator or media player.
DIY On/Off JST Switch Adapter
How to make a slide switch JST-PH adapter!
by Ruiz Brothers
In this guide, you'll learn how to fashion your own on/off switches for your projects.
Photo Light Box
Build an inexpensive, collapsable photo light box for beautiful project photography
by John Park
Foam core, magnets, and small wooden blocks are all you need to make a great photo box for close-up object photography. You can even use the adjustable walls to block reflections on shiny objects.
Ninja Timer: Giant 7-Segment Display
Build a huge timer for an event or race. It's a digital segment display made from RGB NeoPixels!
by John Park
Laser-cut acrylic is layered to create large, sharp, segments that are backlit by NeoPixel strips, and controlled with an Arduino. Huge buttons for start and stop are wired in over CAT5 network cable.
Adafruit Arcade Bonnet for Raspberry Pi
A tiny emulator helper
by Phillip Burgess
Playing retro games is easy on a Raspberry Pi - and the pocket computer is pretty good at it too! All you need is a little help to connect buttons and a joystick up and you can custom design your own arcade console, desktop or stand-up machine, even just a simple controller box. It makes for a fun weekend project that will last all year. This Adafruit Arcade Bonnet is designed to make small emulator projects a little easier to build. Here's what you can look forward to!
Mystery Box: Crypto Countdown Case
This Cold War-era mystery box's disarm code must be toggled in before the timer reaches zero!
by John Park
Here's a Soviet themed launch-code box, complete with missile switch covered toggles, a Feather with red 14-segment display for the countdown timer, and stress-inducing piezo buzzer. Use it for an escape room, prop, or wedding proposal. Your players, or potential spouse-to-be, will need to enter the correct five-switch sequence to defuse the device before all is lost. (Note: this project is a harmless prop, not an actual bomb.)
Rx Snapchat Spectacles for DIY and STEM
Combining artful aesthetics and decent videography, Snapchat Spectacles are a handsfree wunderkind
by Timothy Reese
Sometimes I need to film something, and normal cameras get in the way. I use mini-tripods, Gorillapods, and even my own flexible arm tripod to position my cameras for shots, but wearing the camera would be far more convenient. Enter my prescription Snapchat Spectacles. Hashtag.
Mystery Box: The Nautical Crate
Build your own locking mystery box which can only be opened with a magnet in just the right place!
by John Park
This simple-yet-effective method of building a mystery box uses only a solenoid, a reed switch, and batteries to create a locked box that can be opened using a carefully positioned magnetic key.
Overwatch Prop Gun: Lucio's Blaster Pt. 2
Part 2: Lights, music, and sound effects prop circuit integration
by John Park
Build your own Overwatch Lucio Blaster! Use Arduino, NeoPixels, MP3 Music Maker, Audio FX board, and a 20 watt amplifier to drive the impressive blasting sound effects, lights, and music from this Overwatch prop gun! In part two, combine the electronics into an integrated system.
Overwatch Prop Gun: Lucio's Blaster Pt. 1
Lights, music, and sound effects prop circuit design
by John Park
Build your own Overwatch Lucio Blaster! Use Arduino, NeoPixels, MP3 Music Maker, Audio FX board, and a 20 watt amplifier to drive the impressive blasting sound effects, lights, and music from this Overwatch prop gun! In part one, design and build the individual components.
Mad Science Test Tube Rack
Create a mad science blacklight test tube rack with fluorescent pigments and ultraviolet LEDs.
by John Park
Build a creepy, glowing test tube display... if you dare. A Feather microcontroller makes the UV LEDs shine to create dazzling effects in the fluorescent pigment-and-water filled test tubes. Easy-to-assemble black iron pipe forms the base of this labware set. The perfect prop for your own haunted house or creepy laboratory.
Circuit Playground PZ-1: Pizza Box DJ Controller
Make a DJ controller from conductive paint, cardboard, and a Circuit Playground!
by John Park
Make your own PZ-1 MIDI pizza box DJ controller using a Circuit Playground, which speaks MIDI directly to your software, such as Traktor, Mixxx, and others. With a stencil and conductive paint you'll create a delicious controller layout.
World's Smallest MAME Arcade Cabinet
Tempest in a Teacup
by Phillip Burgess
Lessons learned while making absurdly small things.
Circuit Playground Class Scheduler
Keep track of tricky schedules, Monday through Friday!
by John Park
The Circuit Playground's NeoPixels are used as indicators for day of the week and class periods, color coded per subject. You can enter a complex schedule that varies daily in the sketch, and then click the buttons on your Circuit Playground to find out which class is next.