We’ve been wondering what would happen if the infinitely resourceful Ben Heck got his hands at the powerful Android ADK . Thankfully, within the latest episode of the accomplished modder’s show, our curiosity is satiated. The crafty Wisconsinite tackles a reader request — to recreate the soothing motion of a car ride and help put a 3-month-old baby to sleep. Mr. Heck uses the accelerometer in his phone to record the bounce and sway from the backseat as he drives around. He then draws up some code so one can feed that data to the Arduino -powered ADK and move a chain of servos with a purpose to tilt and shake a child’s car seat. Sadly, the completion of the project must wait till the subsequent exciting episode, but by the top of the installment embedded after the break you do get to peer a scale model. What are you awaiting? Click that little read more link for PR and video… you recognize that you must.
Ben explores new Android Open Source accessory standard to construct motion simulator that helps new parents soothe fussy babies
CHICAGO – Aug. 22, 2011 – Within the latest episode of the “The Ben Heck Show,” sponsored by element14, the 1st collaborative community and electronics store for design engineers and electronics enthusiasts, modding guru Ben Heck employs Google’s Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) to satisfy a viewer’s request to create a child car seat that simulates the calming motion of riding in a car. The kit’s Open Accessory standard allows enthusiasts and developers alike to construct accessories that may interact with an assortment of Android-powered devices.
“Smartphones are chock-packed with applications and capabilities, but few users actually get the likelihood to unleash their full potential – using software development to move beyond in-phone applications,” said Ben. “The auto seat motion simulator is a good technique to showcase how creative integration with the ADK can perform real world tasks – subsequently, calming a fussy baby without emptying your gas tank!”
Ben walks viewers during the preliminary steps of loading the ADK software and code onto his computer and smartphone. Once programming is finished, a fast how-to and demo of the platform’s I/O functionality prompts Ben to place his new gadgets to work as he recruits programmer and friend Chris Kraft to create an Android application that senses car motion using an accelerometer. After a cruise round the block to gather motion data together with his smartphone, Ben uses the ADK to construct a ridicule-up of his simulator design to check servos with the intention to simulate car motions for the automobile seat.
“Ben’s latest quest gives viewers a glimpse on the design power of Open Source technology and collaboration,” said Kevin Yapp, chief marketing officer, Premier Farnell. “Modders, developers or even parents will enjoy watching Ben turn a chunk of technology into something that has practical, real world applications.”
Fans of the show are invited to affix the element14 community to send Ben a challenge for a future build, engage with community members, and enter for a gamble to win one in every of Ben’s builds.
About “The Ben Heck Show”
“The Ben Heck Show” is a bi-weekly online television series aired in English that’s devoted to the science and art of system and hardware modding with a worldwide audience of design engineers, students and electronic enthusiasts. Sponsored exclusively by element14, each episode spotlights Ben’s mods of popular electronic devices while educating viewers at the underlying technology powering each project.
About element14
Launched in June 2009, element14 is the 1st, innovative information portal and eCommunity specifically built for electronic design engineers. The community recently unveiled its element14 knode, a different gateway to solutions that permits engineers to quickly research, design, develop and prototype in one, intelligent environment. element14 is an innovative offering from Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), FTSE 250, a pacesetter in multi-channel electronics distribution trading throughout Europe (Farnell), the Americas (Newark) and Asia Pacific (element14). The corporate had group sales of £990.8m and underlying profits of £93.3m last year.
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