BlinkMs in tr-10: an Interactive Installation!

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http://vimeo.com/9795185#at=0 tr-IO was an interactive installation exhibited at the dorkbot 2010 group show in sydney. it is a generative video/audio piece that is projected onto a wall and controlled via an interactive table.

The pyramid objects were fitted with programmable BlinkM LEDs which could be easily programmed via an arduino board.  I know we're biased but they really look awesome!

To learn more about this amazing project please visit: http://www.julapy.com/blog/2010/02/16/tr-io-dorkbot/

ThingM June Newsletter

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THINGM BLOG June was another month of exciting new ThingM projects! To give you a little taste we have BlinkM's in a wave shaping tutorial, more about why WireM's are awesome (and where you can buy them), and last but not least the BlinkM coin cell holder! This last project, the BlinkM coin cell holder, is our official project of the month. To learn more please visit:

http://blog.thingm.com/

THINGM GOES FRENCH This is a wonderful (and very thorough) French tutorial that goes over LED strips, BlinkMs, MaxMs, CtrlMs, and FreeMs! S'amuser!

http://www.touteladomotique.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=473:2012062501&catid=74:leds&Itemid=13

SUBMIT THINGM PROJECTS Do you have any amazing ThingM projects that you would like to share? We're always looking for new ThingM projects to post to our blog. If you have photos, a project description that talks about your experience with our products, video, or any other material you would like to share, please email us. We look forward to seeing some amazing projects!

BlinkM Coin Cell Holder

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BlinkM coin cell holder

Did you know you can power BlinkMs or BlinkM MinMs off two 3V coin cells? Here is a tiny 3d-printable coin cell and header socket holder for BlinkMs and BlinkM MinMs. It snaps together and has mounting holes to turn it into a pendant or mounting additional diffusors for the LEDs.

And you don’t need many parts to build it:
- one each of plastic pieces here (see the STL files on Thingiverse)
- two CR2032 3V coin cells
- one 4-pos female header socket (Digikey S7037-ND or equivalent)
- two short pieces of solid wire (old resistor leads, 26 gauge wire stripped, etc.)

BlinkM coin cell holder

Steps:
1. Push the 4-pin socket into the hole until it stops. It should friction-fit in without any need for glue.
2. On the bottom, feed the two wire pieces in as shown in the photos, and solder them to the two pins on the header socket. These wires become the battery terminals.
3. Bend the wire battery terminals so they make good contact with the cells.
4. Insert coin cells, snap together top piece.
5. Insert BlinkM and watch it play its light sequence.
6. To protect the back, put a small piece of gaffers tape or similar over the terminals.

For more info and pix, see this project’s Thingiverse page or the Flickr pictures.

Come get your WireM's!

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Do we really need to tell you how awesome WireM's are? Probably not - but just in case! WireM is a connector kit for the BlinkM family of Smart LED products that makes creating multi-BlinkM installations fast and easy. It contains all parts needed to make BlinkM strands controlled by LinkM or Arduino with up to 10 BlinkM devices.

WireM works with any combination of BlinkMs, MaxMs, MinMs, FreeMs and CtrlMs, making prototyping fast and easy. No soldering is required. Put connectors wherever you want on the ribbon cable, plug into your BlinkMs, plug in a controller--or just a 5v power supply if you want an easy way to make a power bus--and go! Buy multiple kits if you want more than 10 BlinkMs on a single bus.

WireM's are also available for purchase at our online store - just click here: http://store.thingm.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=10

To learn more: http://thingm.com/products/wirem.html

BlinkM in a Waveform Shaping Tutorial!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7HICe0MKB0&feature=player_embedded Shahriar Shahramian, one of the co creators of "The Signal Path", has created a wonderful tutorial on Waveform Shaping and Signal Constellation in an Optical Link.

Shahriar uses a few components to beyond what there were originally intended for in order to setup an optical link! By using a BlinkM RGB LED, a Color Sensor, and two PIC USB Boards from Sparkfun Electronics, a stand-alone optical link is established. Various theories of operation, including multilevel data transmission, signal constellation and detailed circuit diagrams are also presented. The final result is an 8-PAM, 3-Wavelength optical link with a colorful three-dimensional constellation graph.

To learn more and download the code for the transmitter IC, receiver IC and Matlab functions please visit the link below!

http://thesignalpath.com/blogs/2012/06/04/tutorial-on-waveform-shaping-and-signal-constellation-in-an-optical-link/

ThingM May Newsletter!

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TOD PRESENTED AT MAKES "HARDWARE INNOVATION" WORKSHOP

As open source software did for the rapid proliferation and growth of the Web economy, open source hardware has been the key accelerator inspiring innovations in design, products and devices from makers at the forefront of the maker movement. Already, critical areas dependent on new technology - such as medical devices and scientific instrumentation - are deploying some of this early innovation. What's more, opportunities are rife for the integration of software and hardware devices to optimize processes and products. Surrounded by his heroes Tod did a wonderful job of unveiling ThingMs newest project - blink(1).

Learn more: http://makezine.com/hardware-innovation-workshop/keynotes.csp

2012 MAKER FAIRE This years 2012 Maker Farie was another action packed affair! We enjoyed seeing everyone who was able to make it out - Below is a link to a clip of Tod talking on MAKE LIVE - enjoy!

http://www.livestream.com/makelive/video?clipId=pla_668f0395-1ad0-4e90-bbe7-4459f3c9fa3d&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb

THINGM BLOG Boy do we have exciting new projects on the blog for you! This month we focused on sharing the awesomeness of LinkMs as well as a wonderful student project involving BlinkMs - if you haven't see it or in case you want to check it out again just click the link below!

http://blog.thingm.com/

SUBMIT THINGM PROJECTS Do you have any amazing ThingM projects that you would like to share? We're currently looking for new ThingM projects to post to our blog. If you have photos, a project description that talks about your experience with our products, video, or any other material you would like to share, please email us. We look forward to seeing some amazing projects!

BlinkM + SmartFence!

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The Achitecture Department of the University of Michigan has a yearly design course called SmartSurfaces.  The 2011 focus was ‘Power’ – in the form of electricity in a localized grid and in terms of taking control by becoming an example of self-reliance. The clients were Power House Productions (PHP) - an incorporated nonprofit whose mission is to develop and implement neighborhood stabilization strategies in a Detroit neighborhood near Hamtramck.

Team SmartFence designed and built a security fence out of polycarbonate tubes. The interactive 'fence' is has motion sensors that trigger BlinkMs as people pass by. The sensors also collect data that is sent to a computer so the owners of the Power House would be able to monitor patterns and unusual activity.

Team SmartFence: Brian Muscat (School of Art & Design) Kevin Wayne (Materials Science & Engineering) Lauren Vasey (Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning) Keenan Hurlin May (Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning) Ben Hagenhofer-Daniell (Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning) Stephanie Nixon (School of Art & Design)

Faculty: John Marshall (School of Art & Design) Karl Daubmann (Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Plannng) Max Shtein (Materials Science & Engineering)

 

 

 

WireM's are Awesome!

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WireM is a connector kit for the BlinkM family of Smart LED products that makes creating multi-BlinkM installations fast and easy.  It contains all parts needed to make BlinkM strands controlled by LinkM or Arduino with up to 10 BlinkM devices.

WireM works with any combination of BlinkMs, MaxMs, MinMs, FreeMs and CtrlMs, making prototyping fast and easy. No soldering is required. Put connectors wherever you want on the ribbon cable, plug into your BlinkMs, plug in a controller--or just a 5v power supply if you want an easy way to make a power bus--and go! Buy multiple kits if you want more than 10 BlinkMs on a single bus.

WireM includes:

  • 10 feet of ribbon cable
  • 10 2x4 pin connectors to connect BlinkMs
  • A 4-pin header to connect to LinkM or a breadboard for Arduino

What you can use WireM for:

  • Create an extension cable for your BlinkM casemod
  • Easily wire up a multi-BlinkM string of festive lights
  • Create a BlinkM Cylon
  • Experiment with multiple I2C devices with Arduino

Where can you get an amazing WireM?  Please visit our online store where they can be purchased directly:

http://store.thingm.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=10

 

ThingM April Newsletter!

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MIKE PRESENTING AT "PRODUCTS ARE HARD" CONFERENCE ThingMs Co-Founder Mike Kuniavsky - will be presnting at the upcoming "Products are Hard" Conference! Taking place in San Franicisco on May 1st, Mike's presentation is entittled "Lean Hardware at Startups in Bigcos".

Learn more at:

http://productsarehard.com/

THINGM BLOG We have exciting new projects up on the ThingM blog! Featured this month is a ThingM Technology Sketch called LockM. LockM is a portable and secure personal thumb drive, adding a sense of protection and high design to an everyday experience. Please visit our blog to learn more.

Alex George's Mini Main Street Electrical Parade features ThingM's very own BlinkM - as well as LinkM at SALC!

http://blog.thingm.com/

MAKER FAIRE ThingM will once again be at the annual San Mateo Maker Faire. This is a wonderful two day festival that includes electronics, robots, and driving cupcakes just to name a few. Please come say hello and check out new projects - we'll be in the Make Shed!

http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2012/

SUBMIT THINGM PROJECTS Do you have any amazing ThingM projects that you would like to share? We're currently looking for new ThingM projects to post to our blog. If you have photos, a project description that talks about your experience with our products, video, or any other material you would like to share, please email us. We look forward to seeing some amazing projects!