Giraffe-Shaped Temperature-Controlled & Multi-level Desk Fan With Nano

In sweltering summer days, an easy-to-carry fan will definitely comfort you. It’s quite simple to make, so check the following steps to build one. The creation lies on the multi-level and temperature-control functions.

Let’s dig into the details!

Step 1: Prepare Materials

SunFounder Nano board http://bit.ly/2fwJNnj

Breadboard http://bit.ly/2vW9DqZ

USB cable

DC motor http://bit.ly/2s2hCx6

10KΩ resistor

2 x 220Ω resistor

Press-button

2 x LED (red and green) http://bit.ly/2slvfrB

Dual H-Bridge L293D motor driver http://bit.ly/2sMbO06

104 ceramic capacitor

Fan (blade)

Small box (approx. 90*50)

2 x Toilet paper roll

Black play-doh

Color pen

Some jumper wires

Double-sided tape

Glue gun http://bit.ly/2twpx8w

Soldering iron http://bit.ly/2t3fPKx

7.4V battery

Step 2: Soldering

Before wiring, you need to solder some devices together or extend some with jumper wires for better wiring. Here you need to solder each 220Ω resistor to each LED to make two groups, and then extend the two poles of two resistor-LED groups, press-button, and the motor with jumper wires respectively.

Note: Make sure the extended wire’s length is more than the total height of the small box and the toilet paper roll.

Step 3: Wiring

Insert the Arduino Nano and Motor driver to the breadboard as shown, and connect the devices with jumper wires. The Fritzing image shows the wiring details. Next, paste the battery on the back of the breadboard.

Step 4: Upload the Code to Nano

Connect the Nano board to computer via the USB cable, and open the Arduino IDE. Select the board as Nano and the correct port, upload the code. Then check whether three levels work normally by pressing the button. The fan should rotate slowly for the first pressing, a little faster for the second, and then much faster for the third. Then stop at fourth pressing.

Besides, this fan is a thermally controlled one - it will spin in the strongest mode automatically when the temperature reaches 34 ℃ (threshold adjustable in the code)

const int buttonPin = 7;    // the number of the pushbutton pin
const int motorIn1 = 9;
const int motorIn2 = 10;
const int redled = 4;
const int greenled = 3;
int stat = 0;
#define temPin  A0
#define beta 3950
#define rank1 130
#define rank2 150
#define rank3 200
// Variables will change:
int buttonState;             // the current reading from the
input pin
int lastButtonState =
LOW;   // the previous reading from the
input pin
// the following variables
are long's because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a
bigger number than can be stored in an int.
long lastDebounceTime =
0;  // the last time the output pin was
toggled
long debounceDelay = 50;    // the debounce time; increase if the
output flickers
/******************************************************************************/
void setup()
{
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
  pinMode(greenled, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(motorIn1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(motorIn2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(redled, OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
  long a = 1024 - analogRead(temPin);
  //the calculating formula of temperature
  float tempC = beta / (log((1025.0 * 10 / a -
10) / 10) + beta / 298.0) - 273.0;
  Serial.println(tempC);
  if (tempC > 34)
  {
    digitalWrite(redled, HIGH);
    clockwise(250);
  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(redled, LOW);
    buttoncontrol();
  }
}
/***********************************************************/
void clockwise(int Speed)//
{
  analogWrite(motorIn1, 0);
  analogWrite(motorIn2, Speed);
}
void buttoncontrol()
{
  int reading = digitalRead(buttonPin);
  if (reading != lastButtonState)// If the
button state is different from last time
  {
    lastDebounceTime = millis();// reset the
debouncing timer
  }
  if ((millis() - lastDebounceTime) >
debounceDelay)
  {
    if (reading != buttonState)
    {
      buttonState = reading; // Store the state
of button in buttonState
      // only toggle the LED if the new button
state is HIGH
      if (buttonState == HIGH)
      {
        digitalWrite(greenled, HIGH); //turn on
the LED
        delay(200);
        stat = stat + 1;
        if (stat >= 4) // When stat>=4,
set it as 0.
        {
          stat = 0;
        }
      }
      else
        digitalWrite(greenled, LOW);
    }
  }
  switch (stat)
  {
    case 1:
      clockwise(rank1);// When stat=1, set the rotate
speed of the motor as rank1=150
      break;
    case 2:
      clockwise(rank2);// When stat=2, set the
rotate speed of the motor as rank1=200
      break;
    case 3:
      clockwise(rank3);// When stat=3, set the
rotate speed of the motor as rank1=250
      break;
    default:
      clockwise(0);
  }
  // save the reading.  Next time through the loop,
  // it'll be the lastButtonState:
  lastButtonState = reading;
}

Step 5: Make the Giraffe Body

Paint color on the small box, and insert the breadboard with circuits onside and battery pasted at the bottom into the box (so the size of the box must be larger than the breadboard when you're selecting one).

Cut some holes on the box to leave the thermal resistor, motor, button, and two LED with wires outside the box.

And leave a hole for the Nano board’s USB port for possible code modifying and re-uploading if necessary.

Step 6: DIY the Giraffe Neck and Head

Neck:

Take a toilet paper roll, also paint it with yellow color with orange spots, and cut holes on opposite sides for two LED as the giraffe's eyes.
Insert the motor and two LEDs in the tube.
Glue the bottom circle of the neck to the body. So the neck is done.

Head:

Take out another paper roll, cut it open, and draw and cut out a rectangle piece.
Cut a hole out about the size of the motor (measure the approximate numbers).
Insert the motor through the hole and curve the rest paper a little. So get the head!

Step 7: Add a Tail for Giraffe

Take the remaining of the second paper roll, cut and fold a slim tail, paint it also yellow and glue it onto rear of the body.

Step 8: Build the Giraffe Legs

Take one more toilet paper roll since the remaining of the second is not enough.

Compare its height with that of the box, mark and cut out the bottom part about 1/3 height of the body, and cut the small roll open. Here you get a rectangle piece.
Then cut more three strips similarly, roll them all into four thin cylinders, and stick the end with double-sided tape.
At last, paint them all yellow. Now, you get four cute chubby legs.