This is an area where I am recording some future project ideas I have for the
AVR. I'll add more as they occur to me. I'll also add a new
section with photos and code and stuff - if I ever get any done or even start
working on them... If you have any suggestions on these rants or
other project ideas, let me know. I'd
probably be glad to give you input on any ideas you have as well.
- Four voice music box works Ideally a Windows program
will take a MIDI file, some .wav files and generate a data file for
this. Probably the biggest challenge on this one will be on the
Windows side. I know next to nothing about MIDI. I've used
.wav files within Windows programs but I'm not sure I can convert them
into something useful. I'll have to find or write a waveform editor
to allow me to make single wavelength samples. I'll also
need to write something to derive wavform envelopes and pitch and amplitude
vibrato. I'm not sure that MIDI can even represent those;
the samples that I here when I visit websites would certainly indicate
that you can't. It will also be a big challenge to see what
I can store in 8K. I thought it would be interesting to make
some music boxes that play my sister's
music.
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- Light controller for the basement The rear overhead
lights (B and C) are constantly getting left on; particularly B over
the washer and dryer. Turning them off requires a walk down the
stairs. It seems no one else in my family is willing to do that
unless I yell as one of the kids. The switch at the top of the
stairs(1) should act pretty much as it does now when turning on lights. That
is, turn on only the front lights (A). When turning off though,
it should turn off all the lights (A, B and C.) There should be
a timer to turn off all the lights after 6 hours or so. Also,
a infrared beam style switch (2) should be added to allow the light
in the laundry area to turn on by simply walking between the end of
the shelving and the furnace. The existing switches(3) for light
groups B and C should remain or be replaced with push buttons. Since
the switches will no longer be carrying much current, and the contacts
may be pitted and unreliable for logic level switching I may need to
replace all of them.
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- Front doorbell It would be interesting to add
additional sensors to record how many times people come up to my front
porch and how many times people press the door bell. Perhaps a camera
could be added to show who was at the door. As long as the
AVR is there, I could add sensors to the front door and the garage doors
to see when and how long they were open. I could also measure
inside and outside temperatures. This could all be sent back to my PC
through a serial connection. Maybe since the serial port on my
computer is already being used, I could connect it to one of my children's
computers and have it periodically update a web page.
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- Robots This one is pretty wide open, but
Stephen would really like to help with a robot project. I don't
have any specific concept here. It would be a good platform
for working with sensors and actuators.
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- Kinetic sculpture Again, although I have a few ideas
on this, nothing has made me say, "I have to do this right now!"
I've thought for a couple years about something sort of like a
rollercoaster. I'd use steel balls either on a Plexiglas track
or inside clear plastic tubing. They would be sensed optically
and then propelled at various points around the course by electromagnets.
Another idea I've had for this would use sympathetic vibration to make
a swing go, but the source of the vibration, and therefore how the swing
moves, would be a mystery (maybe.) That's my theory anyway.
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