Bubble guns are fun, but automated bubble guns are even more fun! In this instructable, we will teach you how to build a bubble gun that responds to noise. Whether you're looking for a fun gimmick at a party or a cool decoration to spruce up a room, this is the perfect device for you! We created this project in collaboration with the Femineers™ at the Fremont Academy for an Electronics class at Pomona College. "The Femineer Program was created by Cal Poly Pomona's College of Engineering in 2013."

Note: This project uses an Hexwear, instead of an Arduino. We've attached a link to their site within the supplies list.

Step 1: Get Together Your Supplies

What you will need:

1. HexWear Wearable Electronics Kit: http://hexwear.com/

2. String

3. A rubber band

4. Hot glue or tape

5. Soldering kit and material

6. Battery powered bubble gun: https://www.target.com/p/amazing-bubbles-mini-exst...

7. Servo: https://www.amazon.com/Hitec-31311S-HS-311-Standar...

8. Arduino controlled switch: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Parallax/2711...

9. Wire cutters and strippers

10. Three AAA batteries

11. Two AA batteries

12. Screwdriver

Step 2: Downloading the Arduino Code

1. Download the Arduino IDE from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

2. (Windows only, Mac users can skip this step) Install the driver by visiting: https://www.redgerbera.com/pages/hexwear-driver-i...

Download and install the driver (the .exe file listed on Step 2 at the top of the linked RedGerbera page).

3. Install required library for Hexware.

Open the Arduino IDE.

Under “File” select “Preferences”. In the space provided for Additional Boards Manager URLs, paste:

https://github.com/RedGerbera/Gerbera-Boards/raw/...

Then click “OK.”

Go to Tools -> Board: -> Board Manager. From the upper left hand corner menu, select “Contributed.”

Search for, and then click on Gerbera Boards and click Install.

Quit and reopen Arduino IDE.

To ensure that the library is installed properly, go to Tools -> Board, and scroll to the bottom of the menu. You should see a section entitled “Gerbera Boards,” under which there should at least appear HexWear (if not more boards like mini-HexWear).

4. Download our bubble gun code.

Note: Because we are working with a Hex, the code currently does not work with Mac computers.

Bubble_Gun_Code.ino
Download

Step 3: Putting Bubble Gun Together

1. Re-soldering connections in bubble gun to include an Arduino controlled switch. The bubble gun includes one motor powered by a battery source. We are putting the switch in between the motor and that power source. By doing this we can control when the motor turns on and off by physically shorting that connection via the switch

a. Disassemble bubble gun by unscrewing all the screws. Tip: Take a picture of the inside of the bubble gun so you know where all the internal structure goes when you have to put the bubble gun back together.

b. Take out all existing wires in the gun as well as the spring on the trigger.

c. Solder new wires inside bubble gun according to the bubble gun diagram. Each colored line represents a different wire to specific connections. The dotted box represents where the battery case within the bubble gun is. The wires going outside of the bubble gun are going into the Arduino controlled switch; those wires must be screwed into the switch. Make sure you cut an appropriate length for each wire.

d. Tape or hot glue wires down inside bubble gun so they don't move around.

2. Attach connections to HexWear

a. Solder wires from the switch and the servo to the HexWear according to the HexWear setup diagram.

3. Last touches on bubble gun

a. If you had to move the motor out of the way, put the motor and lever back together and put back into the gun.

b. Put the other half of gun's shell back on top and screw everything back together.

c. Use hot glue or tape to place the switch and servo on top of the bubble gun as shown in the diagram. The servo should be at the front of the bubble gun. The switch can be located anywhere as long as the wires reach.

d. Attach rubber band onto the soap spreading lever as demonstrated in the picture.

e. Thread a piece of string through one of the holes in the servo to the lever as well. Hot glue the piece of string in place on the lever and on the servo.

The lever on the front end of the gun is used to spread soap across the front of the barrel. It functions separate from the internal motor (previously via the trigger). In order to have continuous soap spreading, the servo will function to move the lever up and down to keep soap spreading across the front end. It will pull the lever up via the string we have attached and the rubber band will pull the lever back down. The code we have given includes this functionality for the servo as well.

4. Uploading code

a. Attach a micro USB cable to the HexWear and to the computer that contains the code you downloaded.

b. Within Arduino IDE, make sure you have the right port selected by going to Tools > Board > HexWear and Tools > Port > HexWear.

c. Hit Upload on the code!

5. Attaching external battery pack

a. Unscrew battery pack and place three AAA batteries inside battery pack. Then, screw battery pack back together.

b. Detach the micro USB cable from the computer and the HexWear and attach the battery pack in it's place.

c. Place battery pack wherever convenient.

6. Attach soap to the bubble gun

7. Make sure the bubble gun itself has 2 AA batteries inside.