Build this microcontroller controlled rainbow flying disc - and then throw it!

Hello all and welcome to this super simple and inexpensive instructable.

If you like throwing frisbees AND you like flashing lights AND you like night time - then this instructable is for you!

Have you ever waved a light or torch around and found that it 'draws' lines in the air? What if that light was changing colour multiple times per second and then you waved it around? well you would end up with a 'stream' of different colours in the air. It is this principle that this instructable works on.

You can try it out here, click on the link below to open up a flashing dot animation.

www.retrobrad.org/flashing_dot.swf
 
The dot is cycling through seven colours at a rate of 60hz (I.E. it changes colour sixty times per second) Now keep looking at it but shake your head from side to side REALLY FAST! (or you could pick up your monitor and shake it really fast but it's probably not a good idea...)

You should start to see the single dot seperate into multiple dots of various colours.




Basically this instructable consists of a cheap $2 frisbee, a pic microcontroller a few resistors and an RGB (RED, GREEN, BLUE) LED mounted to the outer edge of the frisbee. The LED cycles through seven different colours (multiple times per second). When you throw the frisbee, it will give the illusion of a rainbow ring as it flies across the sky. It does look really cool!

So before we get started on this instructable, here's what you are going to need:

Components:
- One Frisbee
- pic 16f648a or 16f628a microcontroller
- one 18 pin IC socket
- one RGB LED (I was originally going to use three, thats why the pic has three LED's)
- three resistors (I have used 100 ohm for each)
- one coin cell battery (I have used CR2032 which runs at 3 volts)
- one coin cell battery holder.
- small piece of veroboard (AKA experimenters board)
- hookup wire

Tools:
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Glue gun
- solder wick (optional - if you make a soldering mistake)
- flux (optional - just helps with soldering)
- pic programmer
- stanley knife or sharp blade (to cut tracks)
- side cutters (to cut the wire)


All the items required to make this can be bought for under $10

Please note, the rainbow ring image below is of the actual project although I had to edit it a little bit because a single image from a digital camera does not capture a complete rainbow ring due to the refresh rate differences. It looks really cool in real life though = )

So, let's get started!

Step 1 Program the microcontroller.

You can download the hex file to program to your microcontroller on this page.

Load up your programmer software and open the hex file. Program it to the pic and your done!

You are now ready to start building this great rainbow frisbee!

Comments

[billsmile]

congratulations good projects, asm source code available?

[brunoip]

is the PIC working with  3VCC?

[bradsprojects]

Yes it is,

Since this project is quite simple and doesnt rely perfect timing, I just used one 3v battery.

[bradsprojects]

Thanks for that, as long as it is balanced properly it is alot of fun flying it at night = )

[_mattb]

A very neat, simple idea.  Reminds me of a POV display frisbee I saw in a store once.

[frollard]

Nifty write-up!  I have several commercial versions of these and they're fantastic!  I would recommend putting a 2nd led on the opposite side for easy balancing, and more leds = better, always. :D

[bradsprojects]

Yeah I must admit, we were throwing it around last night and had to add a bit of hot melt glue to the other side to counter balance it.

[frollard]

Another consideration is you said you use a 'cheap' frisbee - if you get any crowd with any intentions of playing ultimate or similar 'high end' throwing fun - a good discraft or <shudder> whamo frisbee brand disk is always better than the alternative 'dollar store' junk that just never feels right.