Breaking down the Internet of Things into a set of user-friendly building blocks, this kit lets you make your own internet-connected creations right out of the box and without any coding experience, all thanks to SAM.

A set of physical modules compliment a software package that make it possible to link inputs and outputs with the cloud and apps, things like buttons, pressure sensors, thermometers tied to lights, buzzers and motors. Each block has its own wireless connection and battery and can thus operate independently as needed and completely wirelessly as well.

Bluetooth conveys sensor-captured data to your device, which then communicates demands and tasks back outward. You could program your doorbell, for instance, to prompt an unconnected camera to take a picture of your visitor. A lot like ‘If This Then That’, you can create simple or more complex chains of consequences for actions and responses. Expert users can also peel back the wrapper casing to reveal the electronics within in order to better understand (or hack) them.

From its creators: “There was no really easy way to create a product, an app, or a piece of art using electronics and coding. I thought this was crazy as it basically meant cutting off the majority of the designers who haven’t had the luxury to have a technical education.”

“[The Internet of Things] is becoming essential. The boundaries have blurred between the world of physical and digital products, and the potential to connect one thing to another is huge. This doesn’t just mean physical objects talking to one another but talking to broader services and experiences, which might only exist digitally.”

The post DIY IOT: Toolkit for Creating Your Own Internet of Things first appeared on Gajitz.

The movements of ballerinas are like the graceful brush strokes of a watercolor artist. They are flowy, light, and far more complicated than they look. Designer Lesia Trubat has developed a way to capture those brush strokes of movement by outfitting pointe shoes with electronics and connecting them to a proprietary app. She calls the system Electronic Traces, or E-Traces.

A Lilypad Arduino microcontroller board attached to the bottom of each shoe records the pressure and movements of the feet and sends the information to a mobile device.

From there, the dancer can see their foot movements drawn out on the screen in graphics. They can view the movements as a video and even print out extracted images.

The movement data can be used to track dancer’s progress in learning a particular routine, compare their moves with those of other dancers, and make corrections to foot placement.

Trubat feels that the technology could be used for dance styles other than ballet and would be particularly helpful to those who are just learning or who are self-teaching.

The post Wired Ballet Shoes Trace Movements to Make Visual Art first appeared on Gajitz.

The way we’re going about making circuits has been rapidly changing in the past few years, and it’s largely thanks to conductive inks. These ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight inks can be inserted into thin objects or even printed on paper, totally eliminating the need for bulky framework. Circuit Scribe started out as a Kickstarter project and is now available via retail outlets, and it’s spent the past couple of years proving just how awesome it is.

The concept behind Circuit Scribe is easy even for non-technical folks to understand. Instead of wires, soldering, and a lot of specialized knowledge, you can draw circuits on paper with the non-toxic, water-based ink. Circuit Scribe sells modules that you can snap onto your creations with magnets to make working lights, sound modules and even a small motor.

Although you can use it to make some pretty rad toys and gifts, the Circuit Scribe is important on an even larger scale. It’s among the first generation of similar products that allow anyone to make electronics without a whole lot of prior knowledge. The process of using Circuit Scribe to make things actually leads to the learning (rather than the learning leading to the making) which is a fun, engaging type of education.

As far as functionality goes, the Circuit Scribe system is far easier to use than some of its competitors which are bulkier and can take hours to dry. The Circuit Scribe pen lets you draw and then immediately use your drawing to make something fun. People who are interested in electronics and engineering careers will still need to learn traditional methods as well, but conductive ink gives you the kind of instant gratification that just makes you want to keep playing and learning.

The post Conductive Ink Pen Lets You Draw Custom Working Circuits first appeared on Gajitz.

Moisture of any kind is the bane of all electronics. Whether you spill a cup of coffee onto the pocket your phone is in (we’ve done it), get caught in the rain with your tablet (yup, been there too), or jump into a pool with your MP3 player in your pocket (we have really bad luck with electronics), any kind of moisture damage is almost sure to render the whole device useless. Liquipel can change all of that by magically making your devices entirely waterproof.

Of course, it isn’t exactly magic – but it’s close. The patented proprietary process involves adhering nanoparticles to electronic devices via a vacuum chamber. The nanoparticles bond with the devices on a molecular level, making sure that every part of the device – inside and out – is covered in liquid-proof Liquipel.

The process is far more secure than just slapping a waterproof case onto your tablet – and it lets you retain the device’s intended form factor. The application could eventually be done as part of manufacturing, in-store as a pre-sale inventory add-on, or after purchase. It can be applied to a wide selection of devices, from mobile phones and tablets to MP3 players and headphones.

Currently, the only way to Liquipel your devices is to send them to the company. The product and process is available for licensing, however. In the near future we’ll hopefully be able to drop off a mobile device at an electronics store and come back a few hours later for a newly-waterproofed, life-proofed gadget.

The post End of Aquaphobia: Nanocoating Makes Gadgets Waterproof first appeared on Gajitz.

Many of us continue to hold onto the notion that most robots are large, rigid machines that stay in one place and perform one repetitive task. But the landscape of robotics is changing, and quickly. A team of researchers from MIT and Harvard came together to produce a truly impressive prototype robot that is not only small and lithe – it assembles itself, origami-style, before scuttling off.

The origami robots project has been ongoing for a number of years. The researchers were inspired by the way nature seems to use carefully orchestrated folding and unfolding to make near-magic happen every day. They applied the same folding ideas to robots and have developed several that start out flat but self-assemble by folding in strategic ways.

Until now, however, all of their self-assembling ‘bots required some type of human intervention before they could carry out their designated function. Whether it was a crucial fold or simply clicking on a power switch, none of the robots could truly function on their own.

The new prototype is composed of five layers: a copper center laser-etched into an array of electrical leads, two layers of structural paper, and an exterior made of a polymer that folds and holds its shape when heated. Almost all of the robot was fabricated using an ink printer and a laser machine. Hinges in the robot’s body – each equipped with an embedded circuit – are programmed to bend to a certain degree when heated. The robot also contains two motors, two batteries, and a microcontroller.

The robot begins self-assembling ten seconds after a battery is installed, an action that is controlled via an integrated timer. But the research team says that the assembly could be activated by a number of environmental conditions like temperature or pressure. After the robot folds, bends, and pops into the third dimension, it automatically scuttles away. Future generations of the self-assembling robot prototype could be used to furnish made-to-order household machines, perform searches in hard-to-reach areas, or even to send lightweight, inexpensive, pop-up satellites into space.

The post Origami Robot Folds Itself, Then Just Walks Off Like a Boss first appeared on Gajitz.