James Kim—a biomedical student at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada—recently submitted an update on the status of an interesting prosthetic arm design project. The design features a Freescale 9S12 microcontroller and a Microsoft Kinect, which tracks arm movements that are … Continue reading →

Are you planning an IR communications project? Do you need to choose a microcontroller? Check out the information Cornell University Senior Lecturer Bruce Land sent us about inexpensive IR communication with Atmel ATmega microcontrollers. It’s another example of the sort … Continue reading →

Would you like to incorporate an electronic compass in a consumer product you’re designing or a personal device you’re constructing? If so, you’ll do well to understand as much as possible about the differences between various sensors and how certain … Continue reading →

Why shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars on various home control systems (HCS) when you have the skills and resources to build your own? You can design and implement sophisticated Internet-enabled systems with free tools and some careful planning. … Continue reading →

German engineer Jens Altenburg’s solar-powered hidden observing vehicle system (SOPHECLES) is an innovative gas-detecting mobile robot. When the Texas Instruments MSP430-based mobile robot detects noxious gas, it transmits a notification alert to a PC, Altenburg explains in his article, “SOPHOCLES: … Continue reading →