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Wish you were bat? Want to Experience Echolocation? Want to try to "see" with your ears?
For my first Instructable, I will show you how to build your own ultrasonic batgoggles using an Arduino microcontroller clone, Devantech ultrasonic sensor and welding goggles for around $60 or less if you already have standard electronics components. You could also skip the electronics and make a simple bat-mask perfect to wear to the next Batman movie. In that case, the cost would only be about $15.
These goggles allow you to experience what it is like to use auditory cues like a bat and is intended for children in a science center setting to learn about echolocation. The goal was to keep costs as low as possible, avoid making the form of the interaction to be generic or unrelated to its educational purpose and to ensure that the physical form of device embodies the subject matter. For a more thorough discussion of its design, please see the project webpage.
To keeps costs and size low, an Arduino clone is built used however, but this project works just as well with pre-built Arduino microcontrollers.
These goggles were built for "Dynamic User-centered Research and Design" course in the Arts, Media & Engineering program at Arizona State University.
For my first Instructable, I will show you how to build your own ultrasonic batgoggles using an Arduino microcontroller clone, Devantech ultrasonic sensor and welding goggles for around $60 or less if you already have standard electronics components. You could also skip the electronics and make a simple bat-mask perfect to wear to the next Batman movie. In that case, the cost would only be about $15.
These goggles allow you to experience what it is like to use auditory cues like a bat and is intended for children in a science center setting to learn about echolocation. The goal was to keep costs as low as possible, avoid making the form of the interaction to be generic or unrelated to its educational purpose and to ensure that the physical form of device embodies the subject matter. For a more thorough discussion of its design, please see the project webpage.
To keeps costs and size low, an Arduino clone is built used however, but this project works just as well with pre-built Arduino microcontrollers.
These goggles were built for "Dynamic User-centered Research and Design" course in the Arts, Media & Engineering program at Arizona State University.
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Signing UpStep 1Necessary Materials
-Arduino or comparable microcontroller* (if you have the money you can buy the Arduino mini/nano or use a boarduino, otherwise I will show you how to make a small and cheap Arduino clone for this project.)
-Welding goggles (Mine are "Neiko" brand and are easily found on eBay as "Flip up welding goggles" for 3-10 dollars shipped, this specific type works really well)
-Devantech SRF05 Ultrasonic Sensor (or other comparable sensor -- however, the SRF05 has a very low power consumption of 4mA and great resolution from 3 cm to 4 meters, it is about $30)
-something to make ears out of (I used plastic cones, see also: "How to build a better bat costume")
-some type of enclosure for electronics
-3/8" split seam flexible black convoluted tubing (to hide connecting wires)
-piezo buzzer that can run on 5v-9v
-assorted wires
-plasti-dip spray can (black)
Microcontroller Electronics (these components can be skipped if using a pre-built controller)
- Arduino programmed Atmega8 or 168 DIP chip.
- a spare Arduino board or ArduinoMini USB programmer
- Small PC board (available at Radioshack)
- 9V battery connector (available at Radioshack)
- 7805 5v voltage regulator
- 16 MHz crystal (available @ sparkfun)
- two 22pF capacitors (available @ sparkfun)
- 10 microF electrolytic capacitor
- 1 microF electrolytic capacitor
- 1k resistor and 1 LED (optional but highly recommended)
- 2N4401 transistor (optional)
- female and male headers (optional)
- 28 pin DIP socket or two 14 pin DIP socket s(optional)
- small breadboard for prototyping (optional)
The electronics components can also be obtained from www.digikey.com or www.mouser.com
Tools and supplies you may need
-soldering iron
-hot glue gun
-Dremel
-news paper
-masking tape
-sandpaper
-wire strippers etc.
-Welding goggles (Mine are "Neiko" brand and are easily found on eBay as "Flip up welding goggles" for 3-10 dollars shipped, this specific type works really well)
-Devantech SRF05 Ultrasonic Sensor (or other comparable sensor -- however, the SRF05 has a very low power consumption of 4mA and great resolution from 3 cm to 4 meters, it is about $30)
-something to make ears out of (I used plastic cones, see also: "How to build a better bat costume")
-some type of enclosure for electronics
-3/8" split seam flexible black convoluted tubing (to hide connecting wires)
-piezo buzzer that can run on 5v-9v
-assorted wires
-plasti-dip spray can (black)
Microcontroller Electronics (these components can be skipped if using a pre-built controller)
- Arduino programmed Atmega8 or 168 DIP chip.
- a spare Arduino board or ArduinoMini USB programmer
- Small PC board (available at Radioshack)
- 9V battery connector (available at Radioshack)
- 7805 5v voltage regulator
- 16 MHz crystal (available @ sparkfun)
- two 22pF capacitors (available @ sparkfun)
- 10 microF electrolytic capacitor
- 1 microF electrolytic capacitor
- 1k resistor and 1 LED (optional but highly recommended)
- 2N4401 transistor (optional)
- female and male headers (optional)
- 28 pin DIP socket or two 14 pin DIP socket s(optional)
- small breadboard for prototyping (optional)
The electronics components can also be obtained from www.digikey.com or www.mouser.com
Tools and supplies you may need
-soldering iron
-hot glue gun
-Dremel
-news paper
-masking tape
-sandpaper
-wire strippers etc.
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On a DareDevil theme, have you heard about this boy???
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218291/Blind-boy-7-Briton-able-ears.html
Whats the point of the ears and goggles? looks a range finder module running the manufactures sample code.
I was expecting something cool like converting the Ultrasound ping data into a visual medium.
In this project I use an Atmega8 that is pre-programmed with the Arduino bootloader. http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8846. If you have access to a ATMEGA programmer you can load the bootloader yourself. www.arduino.cc
This site seems to have some Arduino clones in India: http://www.bhasha.co.cc/
or you can use any of these arduino boardsany of these arduino boards
the one with three legs: 7805 voltage regulator
Here is the spread of the signal from http://www.robot-electronics.co.uk/htm/srf05tech.htm
I haven't tested using a cone to narrow a signal, but I think it might just confuse the sensor because the "pings" would reflect off the inside of the cone.
Imagine this concept with multiple "ears" and only one output. Each "ear" had its own area it would be sensitive to, and then instead of beeps it would come out as different colors on a lcd screen. Each "ear" would make a pixel so you could "See" distances. The more "ears" the less pixelated it would be.
ORR have multiple "Ears" listing for specific audio phenomon, One for listing for amout of sound reflected-indicating texture or matieral of surface(cloth or tissue reflecting less than solid surface)- and another for sensing increased or decreased frequencies- indicating movement. In this senario, distance could be light and dark, movement would be indicated in colors. a wall far away= faint and dim, a ball bouncing t'wards you would be a bright red circle, and it bouncing away would be a darker blue circle.
This kid uses his own ultrasonic system! No hardware required.