i think my first project will be a kitchen gadget. maybe an espresso machine mod. i have a rancilio silvia in my garage that i modded with a PID controller. id rather have an iphone app.
oh, but before i do that, my land lady in my apartment in SF only gave me one front door key (they say “do not duplicate”)…i live in LA most of the week, and want to be able to open the door remotely for airbnb guests. luckily the intercom system has a button to buzz the front door open. i think my first project will be sparking the intercom, with a webapp that lets me open the door in one click!
or maybe ill give the airbnb guests a link with a time limit on it. havent decided yet. keys are so 2011.
I have had an idea for web printer with mini thermal printer, but previously Arduino + Wifi have been too expensive. SparkCore is 60% cheaper so I basically get the printer component for free. And integrated wifi is much simpler and compact than extra shield on top the main board.
I have a cheap private VPS where I plan to make simple data collectors (ToDo list, memo pad, sport scores, etc.) and the Spark device would have few buttons to select what queue to print.
Second idea is to get a small LCD and try what kind of games I could make with SparkCore. I already started with Uno and 5110 LCD, but I think SparkCore could handle better displays than that. Use of wifi depends on game, so I have no real idea for that, but at least new level data should be easier to update with it.
I’ve enjoyed reading all your project ideas. I hope to make a magnetic refrigerator manager. By that I mean a device capable of bar code scanning / taking a picture of whatever you put into the fridge and keeping track of how long it has been in there and monitoring the information remotely via smartphone app. You’d also be able to remove an item from your stock when its finished, enter expiration date, and record other useful information based on the users preferences. It could also be used to create grocery lists based on what you need to complete a recipe, whats expired, or simply to check what you have in stock when you’re not home.
Ideally, the barcodes would be checked against one or more online barcode databases, similar to how a cell phone barcode scanner works. From there the user would generate shopping lists and inventory lists using the companion app. What I’m thinking right now is that a list of the scanned items and item information would be stored in the users phone.
I’m going to make a sensor station for fermenting beer. It will have several temperature probes and maybe some other stuff too. My plan is to use the wifi functionality to tweet readings a couple times a day and send me an alert if the temperature is too far out of range.
I might add a basic LCD display and buttons for an interface.
i would love to make/find a solar charging shield with a small LiPO and a plug for a variable size solar cell. something that can keep a CORE going for a day or so.
from there, i want to make a meeting room doorplate which can interrogate EXCHANGE and display the current and next meetings (a la the googlplex)
I think that could work too. I figured that the a barcode scan (for items with barcodes) would give more information about the product that could be used within an app.
I was thinking the barcode is on the receipt as well in number format Maybe not as easy to decode, but if it was it would be wicked fast. And you have prices and quantity.
Maybe some day we can get our shopping details emailed to us… forget paper receipts!
@Embrik if you can sample audio and push the data to your other Core (through a router) at a minimum of a 4kHz rate, I don’t see why not Let us know when you get your Sparktel system up and running.
I am new to this but hope to use them for my Garage door opener, home automation and security, and would love to figure out how to leave my car keys at home and start my car with my phone! I bought 5
I plan on making automated 2" blinds similar to this project:
I plan on adding a solar panel and battery to make it completely wireless.
Then from there I plan on more home automation projects, like controlling the garage doors, temperature and PIR sensors around the house, power and water meters.
This might seem uninspired, but I’m looking forward to using it as a pipe. So like for a science exhibit, you could easily have a display that is activated by a color of light, or an image, or a voice command. Input -> Receiver -> Spark core -> WiFi -> Output. I also like the potential to have emergent phenomenon by having spark cores talking to one another determining outputs.
The PIXIE (CMUcam5) kickstarter project is too good to pass (like the spark core was!!!). I will be using the spark core and the PIXIE pan-tilt pledge level for object tracking and play around with facial recognition to start. It would be easy to do a navigating robot with this combo as well.
Maybe not as easy to decode, but if it was it would be wicked fast. And you have prices and quantity.
Let us know when you get your Sparktel system up and running.