There are very many cool Arduino projects and project sites in Internet (make Google search to see). Here are some interesting links to check out:
Arduino Projects at indestructables
Top 40 Arduino Projects of the Web
Arduino Rising: 10 Amazing Projects People Are Doing With The Tiny Microcontroller
Electronics For The Everyman: 25 Kick Ass Arduino-Powered Projects
10 Simple-But-Fun Projects to Make With Arduino
Internet of Thing with Arduino
11 Arduino projects that require major hacking skills—or a bit of insanity
I will be posting more links to more interesting projects as comments to this post, like I did in my Cool uses for the Raspberry Pi posting. Some of the most interesting that spend some more time at can get their entire own postings this blog in Arduino section.
2,952 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Long Way Home
https://www.hackster.io/kabelton/long-way-home-9e1123
Long Way Home is a kinetic narration, in which a kite moving along in a circular path is used in a projected environment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Access Locked Doors with Color Cards
https://blog.hackster.io/access-locked-doors-with-color-cards-251f537dfb64
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pocket-Sized Multiduino Does it All
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/13/pocket-sized-multiduino-does-it-all/
How many times have you wished for a pocket-sized multimeter? How about a mini microcontroller-based testing rig? Have you ever dared to dream of a device that does both?
Multiduino turns an Arduino Nano into a Swiss Army knife of portable hacking. It can function as an analog multimeter to measure resistance, voltage drop, and continuity. It can also produce PWM signals, read from sensors, do basic calculator functions, and display the health of its rechargeable battery pack.
http://it-edukacija.eu.hr/multidruino/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Micro-ATX Arduino is the Ultimate Breakout Board
https://hackaday.com/2017/12/23/micro-atx-arduino-is-the-ultimate-breakout-board/
If you’ve been hanging around microcontrollers and electronics for a while, you’re surely familiar with the concept of the breakout board. Instead of straining to connect wires and components to ever-shrinking ICs and MCUs, a breakout board makes it easier to interface with the device by essentially making it bigger. The Arduino itself, arguably, is a breakout board of sorts. It takes the ATmega chip, adds the hardware necessary to get it talking to a computer over USB, and brings all the GPIO pins out with easy to manage header pins.
But what if you wanted an even bigger breakout board for the ATmega? Something that really had some leg room. Well, say no more, as [Nick Poole] has you covered with his insane RedBoard Pro Micro-ATX. Combining an ATmega32u4 microcontroller with standard desktop PC hardware is just as ridiculous as you’d hope, but surprisingly does offer a couple tangible benefits.
Stupid Arduinos: The RedBoard Pro Micro-ATX
They say, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” but the joke’s on them: I love stupid prizes.
https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2561
The Micro-ATX form factor is compatible not only with Micro-ATX PC cases but also Standard- and Extended-ATX cases. The Pro Micro-ATX conforms to the mechanical specs for footprint size, stand-off placement and expansion card position for the widest possible compatibility across case manufacturers.
The heart of the Pro Micro-ATX is an ATmega32u4 microcontroller that has been positioned (along with the necessary support components) within the mechanical footprint of an LGA 1151 socket. This gives the user a wide array of options for (pointlessly) cooling the microcontroller, including many AIO air and liquid coolers designed for modern Intel processors.
Arguably the only useful feature on this board is the 24-pin power connector, which allows the ATmega32u4 and its peripherals to draw from any external, ATX-compatible power supply.
…but NOT at expansion cards! After all, what’s a motherboard layout without expansion slots? It’s not enthusiast-grade, that’s for sure. So I created a system of expansion cards for the Pro Micro-ATX. It could be argued that the Arduino already has a system of expansion cards — shields — and that they are the best possible expansion system given that they have access to literally every I/O of the host controller. I decided that there was no electrical improvement to be made here and that, instead, adapting the shield system to the ATX form factor would be my main focus. I
Any good motherboard has rear I/O and the Pro Micro-ATX is no exception. Accessible from the rear panel are a standard shield footprint, a 6-pin Atmel ISP header and a USB type-B connector for serial communication.
Mechanical specs for ATX and its derivatives are widely published and the topic of a lot of discussion online. This makes it easy enough to grab hold of a dimensioned drawing laying out the card slot, rear I/O and standoff placement. Following these standards allowed me to design a board that fit seamlessly within a random Cooler Master ATX case on the first try.
USB is tremendously robust
Take a moment to admire the USB traces leading from the 32u4 to the type-B connector in the rear I/O window. In the words of Sir Mix-A-Lot, “[They’re] long, and [they’re] strong, and [they’re] ready to get the friction on.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino UNO with 8 Times More Memory
https://www.hackster.io/temucin/arduino-uno-with-8-times-more-memory-f164b6
An Arduino UNO Flash and RAM update with the ATmega2560 as DIL 28 variant
Tomi Engdahl says:
zPatch: Hybrid Resistive/Capacitive eTextile Input © GPL3+
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/fkeel/zpatch-hybrid-resistive-capacitive-etextile-input-f98ab0?ref=user&ref_id=437534&offset=0
It’s an eTextile patch for hover, touch, and pressure input, using both resistive and capacitive sensing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino goes to space series: A new hope
https://blog.arduino.cc/2018/03/16/arduino-goes-to-space-series-a-new-hope/
We recently sponsored one of the labs at Lulea University in Sweden, the INSPIRE (INstrumentation for Space and Planetary Investigation, Resources and Exploration) Lab.
What I learned rather quickly, thanks to my interactions with both professors over the last couple of years, is that Arduino has been a basic component in the countless projects made in their lab–the Mega and Due are their students’ favorites due to the amount of available pins as well as robustness of the earlier; but also because of the floating comma, analog to digital converter, and general relevance for instrumentation of the latter.
This article is going to be the first of a series where we will highlight the way the Lulea lab is using Arduino for instruments, real life experiences, zero gravity tests, low orbit missions, and general teaching.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tricks for Controlling DC Motors © GPL3+
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/tolgadurudogan/tricks-for-controlling-dc-motors-3a05a5?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=0
On this sample I would like to explain why PID-control should be used for speed controls and how the direction can be inverted.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Visible CT Scanner with a DSLR Camera
https://blog.hackster.io/diy-visible-ct-scanner-with-a-dslr-camera-c690a43f7f5
https://blog.hackster.io/diy-visible-ct-scanner-with-a-dslr-camera-c690a43f7f5
When you think of CT — computed tomography — scanning, your mind automatically jumps to a medical imaging technology that uses a series of X-rays fused together to form a 3D model of a person. This technique can also be accomplished with visible light using the same sort of approach, as long as the object is semi-transparent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Pocket-Sized Touch Keyboard © GPL3+
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/amalmathewtech/a-pocket-sized-touch-keyboard-12580d?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=21
A small, Arduino-based physical device that can perform different keyboard operations through capacitive touch sensing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Clock Jots Down The Time, In UV
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/22/arduino-clock-jots-down-the-time-in-uv/
So when we saw this delightfully complex clock designed by [Tucker Shannon], we instantly fell in love. Powered by an Arduino, the clock uses an articulated arm with a UV LED to write out the current time on a piece of glow-in-the-dark material. The time doesn’t stay up for long depending on the lighting in the room, but at least it only takes a second or two to write out once you press the button.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2833916
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nipkow Disk Based Digital Display Device
https://www.hackster.io/christophe-fieldman/nipkow-disk-based-digital-display-device-2cc98a
In 1884 Nipkow invented a method to capture and view a moving image. This project uses the same disk to generate a moving digital image.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maker Uno Builds on the Arduino Uno at a Price of $6
https://blog.hackster.io/maker-uno-builds-on-the-arduino-uno-board-at-a-price-of-6-39ae7de6516f
The Maker Uno — now available on Kickstarter for a discounted price of $4 each — takes the form of an Uno board, but adds some new tricks to enhance functionality. While it features the same digital and analog IO pins as the flagship Arduino, the Maker Uno has 12 LEDs on IO pins 2 to 13, and includes a built-in piezo buzzer. It also has a programmable pushbutton, meaning students and experimenters can get started programming without any extra hardware.
Tomi Engdahl says:
pedalSHIELD MEGA is a programmable guitar pedal for your Arduino
https://blog.arduino.cc/2018/03/27/pedalshield-mega-is-a-programmable-guitar-pedal-for-your-arduino/
The pedalSHIELD MEGA takes input from a guitar via a standard ¼-inch cable, and uses an Arduino Mega to process the sounds to your liking. This new sound is then output using two PWM pins for a 16-bit resolution.
The device, which is available in kit form or as a PCB, sits on top of the Mega
Once assembled, all you need to do for an entirely unique sound is program your own effects in the Arduino IDE!
• Analog Input Stage: The weak guitar signal is amplified and filtered, making it ready for the Arduino Mega ADC (Analog to Digital Converter).
• Arduino Mega Board: It takes the digitalized waveform from the ADC and does all the DSP (Digital Signal Processing) creating effects (distortion, fuzz, volume, delay, etc).
• Output Stage: Once the new effected waveform is created inside the Arduino Mega board, this last stage takes it and using two combined PWMs generates the analog output signal.
https://www.electrosmash.com/pedalshield-mega
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless Keyboard from TV Remote
https://www.hackster.io/amalmathewtech/wireless-keyboard-from-tv-remote-90a54e
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pathfinder
https://www.hackster.io/ErtezaTawsif/pathfinder-229d5d
A decision-making, obstacle-avoiding robot
Tomi Engdahl says:
Swiper – Auto Tinder/Bumble Swiper
https://www.hackster.io/nick-engmann/swiper-auto-tinder-bumble-swiper-d0ebf6
pieced this together out of a cheap stepper motor that I had laying around. So now you can also get over 800 swipes an hour with this on either Bumble or Tinder!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Train for Kids
https://www.hackster.io/Steve_Massikker/arduino-train-for-kids-1156ad
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/circuito-io-team/how-to-make-a-cat-laser-pointer-5f6307?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Traktorino is an open-source DIY MIDI controller for DJs
https://blog.arduino.cc/2018/04/03/traktorino-is-an-open-source-diy-midi-controller-for-djs/
A keyboard and mouse is a great user interface system for general computing tasks, but in other situations knobs, sliders, and lights would certainly be more fun. If you enjoy making digital music, then you should check out this low-cost, Arduino-based MIDI controller by Músico Nerd.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FAKE DYNAMIC PRICE TAG
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fake-Dynamic-Price-Tag/
what’s stopping dynamic pricing from stepping into the physical world of retail? What if the prices in a supermarket were just as flexible as those online?
So, in this Instructable, we’ll be building a dynamic price display with an Arduino and a small LCD.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Make Your Own Customizable Macro Mechanical Keyboard
https://blog.hackster.io/make-your-own-customizable-macro-mechanical-keyboard-63350bd744cb
There are a lot of reasons why you might want to make a small auxiliary keyboard; maybe you want to increase your productivity with a keyboard full of shortcuts. Or, perhaps you’re trying to step up your MMO game with additional hotkeys. Whatever your need, making your own custom keyboard isn’t as hard as you’d think if you follow this guide from FosterP.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino MEGA Guitar Pedal © CC BY-NC
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/electrosmash/arduino-mega-guitar-pedal-2bc87a
pedalSHIELD MEGA is an open-source Arduino MEGA programmable guitar pedal. You can create and share your own effects and guitar pedals.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Play Polyphonic Tones!
https://www.hackster.io/nathan_ramanathan/play-polyphonic-tones-40e51b
This project is using my MusicWithoutDelay library to play multiple sounds at the same time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Smartwatch Is a Marvel of Miniaturization
https://blog.hackster.io/diy-smartwatch-is-a-marvel-of-miniaturization-a6cc9a71b14c
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ugly Bug
https://www.hackster.io/Jerepondumie/ugly-bug-348dc7
A walking insect looking thing made from leftovers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Speech recognition for the Arduino via Android
https://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/gadget-master/arduino/speech-recognition-arduino-via-android-2018-04/
What’s not to like about a bit of IoT-style speech recognition, using Arduino and Android?
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printer Fire Safety
https://www.hackster.io/Milesnash_/3d-printer-fire-safety-448acf
Senses for smoke in the air near a 3D printer and will sound an alarm and turn off power to the printer if smoke is detected.
I now realize how dangerous running a 3D printer unattended is. The goal of this project is to detect, alert, and reduce the damage of any electrical fires. As well as to bring peace of mind to cautious 3D Printer owners.
3D Printer Safety is able to detect any possible hazards through the Sharp GP2Y1010AU0F Dust Sensor which can track particulate matter in the air and relay it to an Arduino. The Arduino Nano serves as the brain of the operation, it interprets the sensor data and initiates a response. If abnormal particle levels in the air are detected, the gadget turns off power to the 3D printer and sounds an alarm. The 3D Printer power is controlled with a relay and the alarm is sent through a 5v buzzer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Arduino and a Roomba Become an Artificial Organism
https://www.hackster.io/Ondaweb/an-arduino-and-a-roomba-become-an-artificial-organism-3824d9
A model of neuronal functioning & synaptic modification allow replications of drives, behaviors, affects & learning (Operant Conditioning)
This is essentially a low level demonstartion of an Artificial General Intelligence system. A simple nervous system of about 20 neurons is modeled. It replicates the structure and functioning of biological nervous systems by modeling networks of neurons that detect the external world and produce actions in it.
It is not an AI agent. It is not an expert system, learning algorithm, demonstration of machine learning, or knowledge representation system.
The nervous system demonstrates numerous animal behavioral and learning phenomena including: stimulus-response reflexes, goal oriented behaviors, classical (Pavlovian) conditioning, operant conditioning in response to rewards and punishments, secondary reinforcement, and simple affect responses that are intrinsic to actions and learning.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino MIDI Arpeggiator
Made by DmitryPublished in SparkFun
https://www.hackster.io/dra/arduino-midi-arpeggiator-3bd731
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino MIDI Arpeggiator © GPL3+
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/dra/arduino-midi-arpeggiator-3bd731?ref=platform&ref_id=424_trending___&offset=0
The device that creates beautiful arpeggiated sequences according to the musical theory.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quiz Buzzer Film Prop © CC0
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/LIMPINGLIM/quiz-buzzer-film-prop-71084d?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=4
Was commissioned to create a quiz buzzer that would be used in a video shoot.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Learning Control Systems with Arduino and YouTube
https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/discussions/maker/43-using-arduino-to-learn-control-systemss_eid=PSM_mk?hootPostID=3a8b7d655247ba85780da8619468c7e4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stomping On Microcontrollers: Arduino Mega Guitar Effects Pedal
https://hackaday.com/2018/05/08/stomping-microcontrollers-arduino-mega-guitar-effects-pedal/
Effects pedals: for some an object of overwhelming addiction, but for many, an opportunity to hack. Anyone who plays guitar (or buys presents for someone who does) knows of the infinite choice of pedals available. There are so many pedals because nailing the tone you hear in your head is an addictive quest, an itch that must be scratched. Rising to meet this challenge are a generation of programmable pedals that can tweak effects in clever ways.
With this in mind, [ElectroSmash] are back at it with another open source offering: the pedalSHIELD MEGA.
The hardware consists of an analog input stage which amplifies and filters the incoming signal before passing it to the Arduino, as well as an output stage which does the DAC-ing from the Arduino’s PWM outputs, and some more filtering/amplifying. Two 8-bit PWM outputs are used simultaneously to make pseudo 16-bit resolution
The list of effects currently implemented covers all the basics you’d expect, and provides a good starting point for writing custom effects.
Comments:
I cannot help to think how awful this will work. The ADCs in the AVR chips are the worst of it’s kind, with a bit of luck you get 8 bits of actual data out of them, the rest is just noise.
As there is enough circuitry on this board already, I would put up a ADC from Analog Devices. Something like the ADS1013.
You’re right and yet wrong. A guitar pedal is about adding distortion to the signal and so their is no requirement for having a oscilloscope perfect output. Same reason why so many people like tube amps – the distortion they inherently generate is considered to be nice on the ears
pedalSHIELD MEGA Arduino Guitar Pedal.
https://www.electrosmash.com/pedalshield-mega
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transistor Tester
based on design from svn://mikrocontroller.net/transistortester/
https://hackaday.io/project/158058-transistor-tester
Tomi Engdahl says:
Get Started with OpticSpy + Arduino
https://www.hackster.io/glowascii/get-started-with-opticspy-arduino-088272
The OpticSpy signal decoder lets you interpret hidden messages in light! Here, we use an Arduino microcontroller to broadcast the message.
Share Hidden Messages with OpticSpy + Tomu
https://www.hackster.io/glowascii/share-hidden-messages-with-opticspy-tomu-052ccb
Encode your own messages in an invisibly blinking light – and decode what others are transmitting!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Circuito Arduino Controller Pad © LGPL
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/AhmedAzouz/circuito-arduino-controller-pad-2c5f09?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=25
Circuito is a DIY controlling pad that works as a supplementary project can control any Arduino device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Telegraph
Do you want to become the *ultimate* hipster?
https://www.hackster.io/DTod/arduino-telegraph-2afdb6
When you push the lever, the screw pushes the button down. If you hold it down for less than 300 milliseconds, the Arduino saves this as a dot. If it’s longer than 300 ms, then it is saved as a dash. After you’ve created your desired combination of dots and dashes, hit the red button in the front to have your letter appear on the computer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Muscle Music with EMG Sensing
https://blog.hackster.io/muscle-music-with-emg-sensing-5ba098df025d
With the proper equipment, electromyography (EMG) signals can be detected and can used for medical research… and apparently controlling musical instruments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino & Python3 Temperature Data Visualizer
https://www.hackster.io/reyadeetopee/arduino-python3-temperature-data-visualizer-5140c9?utm_content=72433076&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
This is an Arduino based project using an NTC thermistor to collect temperature data and Python 3 to save and visualize it
Tomi Engdahl says:
ARDUINO AIR BONSAI LEVITATION
http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Air-Bonsai-Levitation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hiking Tracker © LGPL
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/PSoC_Rocks/hiking-tracker-b45524?ref=platform&ref_id=424_recent___&offset=6
Tracks compass heading, altitude, temperature, pressure, humidity, time, travel distance and GPS location during a hike.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dialectic Ball: A Physical, Debugging Tool for Your Code
https://www.hackster.io/platisd/dialectic-ball-a-physical-debugging-tool-for-your-code-42c193
Need to debug your code? Got stuck? Stack Overflow doesn’t have the answer? Then ask the Dialectic Ball!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Muscle Your Way into Music
https://hackaday.com/2018/05/28/muscle-your-way-into-music/
Inspired by an old Old Spice commercial, [Juliodb96] decided he too wanted to make music by flexing his muscles. An Arduino and a MyoWare sensor did the trick. However, he also tells you how to make your own sensors, if you are so inclined. You can see the instrument in action in the video below.
If you use the ready-made MyoWare sensors, this is a pretty easy project. You just respond to sensor input by playing some notes. If you decide to roll your own, you’ll have some circuit building ahead of you.
In particular, the signal conditioning for the sensors involves filtering to eliminate signals not in the 20 Hz to 300 Hz passband, several amplifiers, a rectifier, and a clipper. T
Muscle-Music With Arduino
http://www.instructables.com/id/Muscle-Music-With-Arduino/
Tomi Engdahl says:
High Schoolers Build a “$1 Vending Machine”
https://blog.hackster.io/high-schoolers-build-a-1-vending-machine-ef507fe5720
After deciding that there should be a vending machine in their classroom, Tustin High T-Tech engineering students were challenged by their teacher to simply make one. This may seem like a task that’s easier said than done, but these students were indeed able to make such a device as a senior project.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Flexible Arduino Prototype
ARDUINO TEAM — June 5th, 2018
https://blog.arduino.cc/2018/06/05/a-flexible-arduino-prototype/
We recently visited NextFlex, the flexible electronics manufacturing institute in Silicon Valley, where they developed a flexible prototype based on the Arduino Mini. Their mission is to make flexible electronics mainstream, opening up all kinds of new applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Xtend: Natural Movement Mouse
https://www.hackster.io/microBob/xtend-natural-movement-mouse-b6ef1d
Extend yourself into the virtual realm by converting natural hand movements (such as twisting and rotating) into your favorite apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adaptive Lighting
https://hackaday.io/project/130894-adaptive-lighting
We want to create a simple system which would regulate the intensity of interior lighting depending on the amount of sunlight coming in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automatic Sunglasses For the Lazy Hacker
https://hackaday.com/2018/06/13/automatic-sunglasses-for-the-lazy-hacker/
[Andreas] may have created the ultimate lazy hacker accessory: automatic sunglasses, or “Selfblending sunglasses” as he creatively titled his video. If you can’t tell from the name, these are glasses that you never have to take off. If the light is dim, they move away from your eyes. Going back outside to bright light? The glasses move to protect your eyes.
Selfblending Sunglasses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu_9OK-ql40
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simplifying Basic LED Effects
https://hackaday.com/2018/06/13/simplifying-basic-led-effects/
There was a time when having a blinking blue LED on a project was all you needed to be one of the cool kids. But now you need something more complex. LEDs should not just snap on, they should fade in and out. And blinking? Today’s hotness is breathing LEDs. If that’s the kind of project you want, you should check out [jandelgado’s] jled library.
At first glance, an Arduino library for LED control might seem superfluous, but if you are interested in nice effects, the coding for them can be a bit onerous. If you don’t mind stopping everything while you fade an LED on (or off) then sure, you just write a loop and it is a few lines of code. But if you want to have it happen while other things continue to execute, it is a little different. The library makes it very simple and it is also nicely documented.
Non-blocking LED controlling library for Arduino and friends.
https://github.com/jandelgado/jled