Cool uses for Arduino

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

Arduino user projects

Arduino Project Ideas

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

DuinoForProjects

Codeduino projects

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.

3,022 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RPi Stepper Driver HAT Comes Equipped with a 10-30VDC to 5VDC Step-Down Converter
    https://www.hackster.io/news/rpi-stepper-driver-hat-comes-equipped-with-a-10-30vdc-to-5vdc-step-down-converter-5033fc768fd8

    The $1 HAT features a step-down converter built into the PCB, along with pinouts for eight LEDs and a trio of JST XH connectors for GPIOs

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Sound Machine (Hear Plant Mood) © CC BY
    Based on Roald Dahl short story, this machine will let you “hear” plant mood according to soil moisture.
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/roni-bandini/the-sound-machine-hear-plant-mood-76a185

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Haptolin © CC BY
    My microtonal Arduino MIDI instrument!
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/bzqp/haptolin-4b948c

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Frozen Computer Alarm © GPL3+
    Make an alarm sound when the computer stops working.
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/mitty/frozen-computer-alarm-7b0ed9

    This project is an Arduino-based alarm to monitor if the computer is working. In case the computer freezes, it will emit a warning sound signal.

    The project is composed from two parts: a program which runs on the computer, and an Arduino connected in an USB port.

    The computer programs sends a predefined character to the Arduino, at 1 second interval. Arduino reads from the data sent from the computer. If it doesn’t receive any character for 10 seconds, it makes a sound from a buzzer attached to pin 10.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Repurpose Old Remote Controls © GPL3+
    Don’t throw away those old TV, DVD, etc., remotes because they can control your house’s electrical devices!
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/VE1DX/repurpose-old-remote-controls-92139f

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Giovanni Carrera’s INA226-Based Ammeter Provides Arduino-Compatible Power Monitoring
    https://www.hackster.io/news/giovanni-carrera-s-ina226-based-ammeter-provides-arduino-compatible-power-monitoring-958576647c31

    Using the digital output of the TI INA226 and a modified version of Jarzebski’s Arduino library, the build achieves great accuracy.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Aurora – The Light Show © CC BY-NC
    A cool 30 x 10 ft light show which includes 2 Arduino Mega boards, a hundred single-color LED strips and some SMPS full of AMPERES.
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/rswm/aurora-the-light-show-6bd9c7

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Pierre-Loup M.’s Teensymoog Recreates the Iconic Minimoog in Teensy 4.0, Arduino Mega Pro Form
    https://www.hackster.io/news/pierre-loup-m-s-teensymoog-recreates-the-iconic-minimoog-in-teensy-4-0-arduino-mega-pro-form-ee7b1e6bdb69

    Inspired by the Minimoog, the first synth to be sold on the high street, the Teensymoog harnesses the power of three microcontroller boards.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ignition SCADA + MKR WiFi 1010 © GPL3+
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/NRobinson2/ignition-scada-mkr-wifi-1010-4d2284

    If you’re trying to learn Ignition and want a source of actual data, this tutorial demonstrates how to feed Ignition with Arduino.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Self Playing Slide Whistle © GPL3+
    A slide whistle that plays anything you program in, so you are not at risk of spreading or receiving germs.
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/gurpr337/self-playing-slide-whistle-be272b

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Stephen Hawes’ Piggyback Board Adds Control for Up to 32 Feeders to Any OpenPnP Pick-and-Place
    https://www.hackster.io/news/stephen-hawes-piggyback-board-adds-control-for-up-to-32-feeders-to-any-openpnp-pick-and-place-f59e20c51be8

    Based on an ATmega32U4 microcontroller and “a whole bunch of I/O expanders,” the Piggyback is a powerful OpenPnP add-on board

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Use an Arduino to Add RFID Security to Your Push-to-Start Car Ignition
    https://www.hackster.io/news/use-an-arduino-to-add-rfid-security-to-your-push-to-start-car-ignition-76e060ca7318

    If you have a track car with a push-to-start ignition, Behind the Build has a new video demonstrating how to add an extra layer of security

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    game collection for Attiny85
    https://hackaday.io/project/165667-game-collection-for-attiny85
    I’m developing games for the attiny85 designed to work with tiny joypad.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RF Shield Turns Arduino (And PC) Into Shortwave Radio
    https://hackaday.com/2020/02/14/rf-shield-turns-arduino-and-pc-into-shortwave-radio/

    . If you want an introduction to SDR, Elektor now has an inexpensive RF shield for the Arduino. The Si5351-based board uses that oscillator IC to shift RF signals down to audio frequencies and then makes it available to the PC to do more processing.

    Elektor SDR Hands-on Kit
    https://www.elektor.com/elektor-sdr-hands-on-kit

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Arduino Drives A 600-Character Display
    https://hackaday.com/2020/02/14/arduino-drives-a-600-character-display/

    Peterthinks] admits he’s no cabinet maker, so his projects use a lot of hot glue. He also admits he’s no video editor. However, his latest video uses some a MAX7219 to create a 600 character scrolling LED sign. You can see a video of the thing, below. Spoiler alert: not all characters are visible at once.

    The heart of the project is a MAX7219 4-in-1 LED display that costs well under $10. The board has four LED arrays resulting in a display of 8×32 LEDs. The MAX7219 takes a 16-bit data word over a 10 MHz serial bus, so programming is pretty easy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F8OdOKuIxc

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A Mini USB Keyboard That Isn’t A Keyboard
    https://hackaday.com/2020/02/29/a-mini-usb-keyboard-that-isnt-a-keyboard/

    A useful add-on for any computer is a plug-in macro keyboard, a little peripheral that adds those extra useful buttons to automate tasks. [Sayantan Pal] has made one, a handy board with nine programmable keys and a USB connector, but the surprise is that at its heart lies only the ubiquitous ATmega328 that you might find in an Arduino Uno. This isn’t a USB HID keyboard, instead it uses a USB-to-serial chip and appears to the host computer as a serial device. The keys themselves are simple momentary action switches, perhaps a deluxe version could use key switches from the likes of Cherry or similar.

    The clever part of this build comes on the host computer, which runs some Python code using the PyAutoGui library. This allows control of the keyboard and mouse, and provides an “in” for the script to link serial and input devices.

    Quickie USB Keyboard Device
    https://hackaday.com/2016/06/12/quickie-usb-keyboard-device/

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Custom Reddit Keyboard Only Needs One Hand
    https://hackaday.com/2020/03/17/custom-reddit-keyboard-only-needs-one-hand/

    Inside the 3D printed enclosure is nothing more exotic than an Arduino Pro Micro and five Cherry MX Red switches. The switches have been wired directly to the GPIO pins on the Arduino, and a simple Sketch takes care of the rest.

    [jangxx] has written the code in such a way that you can easily define the mapping of USB HID keys to physical switches right at the top of the file, making it easy to reuse for your own purposes.

    https://pastebin.com/XAbJ8ZNz

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://hackaday.com/2020/03/13/slippy-slapper-uselessly-uses-all-the-arduinos/

    The Slippy Slapper is a useless machine that turns people into useless machines using tactics like endless distraction and mild physical violence. It presses your buttons by asking them to press buttons for no reason other than killing their productivity. When they try to walk away, guess what? That’s another slappin’. Slippy Slapper would enrage us by proxy if he weren’t so dang cute.

    https://www.instructables.com/id/Slippy-Slaper-the-Overly-Attached-Productivity-Eli/

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Build Your Own Mouse For High Performance
    https://hackaday.com/2020/03/12/build-your-own-mouse-for-high-performance/

    For the dedicated gamer or hardcore computer user, there’s plenty of options for high-end input peripherals. We’ve seen plenty of makers build their own bespoke keyboards, too. Less commonly seen are custom mice, but [gipetto] has crafted just such a device to suit their tastes.

    The mouse is based on the PMW3360 sensor, prized for its 250 inch per second speed and 50g acceleration capability. Buttons are read by an ATMEGA32U4 which handles hardware debouncing for improved control.

    https://www.overclock.net/forum/375-mice/1724838-progress-fully-custom-mouse.html

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Vocal Effects On The Arduino Uno
    https://hackaday.com/2020/03/12/vocal-effects-on-the-arduino-uno/

    When one thinks of audio processing, the mind doesn’t usually leap to an 8-bit micro. Despite this, if you’re looking for some glitchy fun, it’s more than possible, as [Amanda Ghassaei] demonstrates with the Arduino Uno in this 2012 throwback project.

    https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Vocal-Effects-Box/

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Pump Up The (Windows) Volume With Physical Sliders
    https://hackaday.com/2020/03/05/pump-up-the-windows-volume-with-physical-sliders/

    So why on Earth would you put yourself through all of this when you could be pushing physical sliders on the fly like a DJ? A slider is just a potentiometer in a straight line, after all.

    These are wired up to an Arduino Nano, which sends the serial data to a Python script on the PC that changes the volume values accordingly for whatever five programs are in the config file. Thanks to a little bit of Visual Basic, the Python script can run in the background.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/fc2l3x/i_finished_my_windows_mixer_controller_thanks_to/

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This technique allows you to hijack internal potentiometer movements to read and replay servo positions.

    Teach Servo Positions with Manual Movement
    https://www.hackster.io/news/teach-servo-positions-with-manual-movement-c78b00d715c3

    This technique enables you to hijack internal potentiometer movements to read and replay servo positions.

    Programming a servo with an Arduino or other dev board isn’t the hardest thing in the world, but if you want one to travel to multiple points at different speeds, things quickly get cumbersome. With this technique by YouTuber “peterbiglab,” however, you can configure a servo by simply allowing the Arduino to record positions that you move it to.

    Peterbiglab simply breaks out this sensor wire and feeds it back into an Uno’s analog input pin, measuring the position when otherwise unpowered.

    Potentiometer values here are stored in a large array, which can then be played back as needed.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Arduino-Powered Self-Driving RC Car Is a Reminder the Future Looks Good
    https://www.autoevolution.com/news/this-arduino-powered-self-driving-car-is-a-reminder-the-future-looks-good-142426.html

    The things that an Arduino board can power are only limited by our imagination, and with a little work, this little piece of technology can end up doing amazing things.

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    IoT Tesla Coil and Cooling Fan on the Localhost © CC BY
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/kutluhan-aktar/iot-tesla-coil-and-cooling-fan-on-the-localhost-e6f310

    Develop a web application in PHP and JavaScript (w/ AJAX) to control a mini Tesla coil module and a cooling fan via Arduino Nano 33 IoT.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Hot Water Heater Thermocouple Voltage Monitor © GPL3+
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/Ryan33/hot-water-heater-thermocouple-voltage-monitor-b0ccd4

    Use Arduino and Raspberry Pi to get notified if a hot water heater pilot light goes out.

    Traditional gas hot water heaters maintain a pilot light 24×7. This pilot light heats a thermocouple which generates a small voltage (up to 30 millivolts). This voltage is used by the hot water heater thermostat to hold open a gas valve. If the pilot light blows out, the voltage stops and the gas valve is automatically closed.

    In my hot water heater, the pilot light blows out occasionally. Since this only happens around 3 times per year, I don’t want to replace the expensive hot water heater.

    My solution: monitor the voltage generated by the thermocouple. If it falls to zero, send texts and emails so I can relight the pilot light. Remember, there is no danger of gas leak here, because the gas valve will get closed whenever the thermocouple voltage drops to zero.

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    IoT Weather Station © LGPL
    Easily monitorize your garden’s environment with simple components.
    https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/Kyrpy/iot-weather-station-adbff4

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Annoyed with having to guess which 0-255 RGB value corresponds to the exact color he wanted for his projects, Thomas Burns came up with a simple solution using an Arduino, three potentiometers, and an LCD display: https://bit.ly/3c2es3W.

    Reply

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