cjameson

Nicely done. You could also use something like an ESP8266 dev board to make it wireless. Development on the ESP is basically the same as the Arduino and you get a WiFi enabled board for just $5

That is interesting. I am not a C expert but I did not think that #define implied type. What you did is fine - it just causes those variables to take up program memory space where #define avoids this. Looking at the code I do see that I forced the result of random() into an int on line 245 int activityDuration = random(WAKE_MIN_MILLIS, WAKE_MAX_MILLIS);This probably should have been: unsigned long activityDuration = random(WAKE_MIN_MILLIS, WAKE_MAX_MILLIS);In Arduino int is a 16-bit (2-byte) value with a range of -32,768 to 32,767 which seems to be consistent with what you were seeing.I dont have my environment setup right now. but I suggest that you consider replacing the #defines and trying this change to see if it helps

The wires that failed where those in the WiperMotor-Relay-PSU circuit. There is probably a large amp spike as the motor starts up. I would think that the wires you are planning to use from the computer cord will work fine. They should be rated for 15amps at 110v. I would use similar wires for the other 2 (fog & lights) relay circuits. I cannibalized an old household extension cord for these. Everything from the Arduino is just 5 volts so 22 gauge jumpers work just fine.One note on those jumpers though: since you are just pushing single pins into the arduino and they dont have much grip they can shake loose over time - keep an eye out for that if you box starts misbehaving. This year used some protoboard and created a connection shield to fit above the wav shield with latching h…

The wires that failed where those in the WiperMotor-Relay-PSU circuit. There is probably a large amp spike as the motor starts up. I would think that the wires you are planning to use from the computer cord will work fine. They should be rated for 15amps at 110v. I would use similar wires for the other 2 (fog & lights) relay circuits. I cannibalized an old household extension cord for these. Everything from the Arduino is just 5 volts so 22 gauge jumpers work just fine.One note on those jumpers though: since you are just pushing single pins into the arduino and they dont have much grip they can shake loose over time - keep an eye out for that if you box starts misbehaving. This year used some protoboard and created a connection shield to fit above the wav shield with latching headers and made custom fitted cables for all my 5v connections to keep things from coming loose this year.

Mine was doing this recently and it turned out that the PIR sensor was damaged and not working. While working on this I learned that if this sensor is not working properly or it is removed from the arduino (ie that input pin is constantly 'open') the code behaves as if the sensor is attached and triggered. Thus, the monster 'wakes up' every 30 seconds. ...and, no there is nothing in the code to randomly wake the monster, only the PIR sensor wakes it.I also purchased one of those multipacks of PIR sensors from amazon (5 sensors from diymalls) and I found that some of them were bad right out of the box ( i will not buy from them again). if you have not already build yourself a test for your sensor all you need is an arduino, a few jumper wires, maybe a small breadboard and the sensor.…

Mine was doing this recently and it turned out that the PIR sensor was damaged and not working. While working on this I learned that if this sensor is not working properly or it is removed from the arduino (ie that input pin is constantly 'open') the code behaves as if the sensor is attached and triggered. Thus, the monster 'wakes up' every 30 seconds. ...and, no there is nothing in the code to randomly wake the monster, only the PIR sensor wakes it.I also purchased one of those multipacks of PIR sensors from amazon (5 sensors from diymalls) and I found that some of them were bad right out of the box ( i will not buy from them again). if you have not already build yourself a test for your sensor all you need is an arduino, a few jumper wires, maybe a small breadboard and the sensor. then use it to test the PIR with a small dedicated test program. you can find these with a quick google search. have the program read the sensor and print a message to the console. This way you can confirm that the sensor works, that you have the wiring correct and that, if yours has them, that the sensor's settings work for youmany of the PIR sensors have 2 potentiometers and a movable jumper. The pots affect sensitivity and detection range. the Jumper affects how/when the sensor triggers: single trigger vs. multiple trigger (you want multiple trigger). Also note that some of these PIRs just have 3 solder pads rather than jumpers and some have no way to change/select trigger behavior Lastly, something to be aware of. I discovered that my PIR sensor was not working properly while prepping for a party. Not having the time to fix it i decided to just let it wake up every 30 seconds during the party (and turned down the volume a bit). Do this I learned that my wiring could not take the load of those constant wake cycles and they burned out (no fire or anything, but the box stopped opening) after about 15 minutes. I was using 20 gauge stranded at the time. I am in the process of rewiring with 16ga and I am experimenting with adding a 15amp mini circuit breaker to that motor circuit to try to prevent this in the future. I am not 100% sure about the breaker as I am not currently aware of the amp draw when the motor starts up

Did you copy and paste code into the arduio ide? Sounds like you pasted the Roar method into the file twice

great project. How long have you been using this in your home?I have read that the DHT22 has an accuracy of ±2°C. It seems to me that this might not be accurate enough to maintain a comfortable temperature in a home. What has been your experience with this?A second thought: In my home the thermostat is located in a central hall rather than a room that people gather in. the result is that the hall is at a "perfect temp" but the family room is not. have you considered adding wireless satellite temp sensors to your build to deal with such situations?

Many different reactions. Most loved it - but a few (mostly younger) kids would not go anywhere near it. I got a few really good scares with it too. I set the sensor so that it would trigger as they got about 1/2 way up the driveway. A few kids (and adults) instinctively ran (bolted) back to the safety of the sidewalk when they triggered it *Evil Grin*

These are great. Does anyone have thoughts on how to make them to move around a bit? maybe with some small servos and a Arduino?

Has anyone tried this with a sugar substitute to make a 'no sugar added' version?

how did you fix all the holders to the melamine? can they be repositioned or replaced if you buy more tools?

I just watched the video. It looks like you have screwed the holder to the melamine.I wonder if embedding rare earth magnets into the back of the holders and intalling a steel sheet behind the melamine would work? It would be more expensive, but it would provide many more layout options. Just a thought. As it stands this is an excellent instructable - nicely done!

Found these on ebay today. I think I may design a fixture to hold 2 of these (one for X/Y & one for Z calibration) on the Y-Axis arm:http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-PCS-650nm-6mm-DC-5V-5mW-...

Nice instructable. I followed you previous one to calibrate my Printrbot Simple 1403 and saw a visible improvement in my prints. I will try this process next time.It might be fun to design and print a laser housing that provides the pin hole and a mount point to glue the magnet into

Great explanation of the calibration process. However I wonder about the accuracy in the measurements. In your examples your measurements found your axis to be off by 0.8mm, 0.2mm and 0.5mm. It seems to me that these values would fall into the measurement error of the tools that you are using? Do you think that the placement of 2 pieces of tape (x & y axis) and then the measurement is accurate within the measured delta of 0.2mm?After adjusting based on these measurements did you see a measurable difference in the quality of your prints? Not trying to be critical here... as I said this is a great instructable. I am just wondering the accuracy expectation should be for this process.

Just want to point out that anytime you generate electricity from a kinetic system you increase the work that you need to do. The question is: how much electrical power do you want/need and how much are you willing to increase the work that YOU add to the system?