Games

Reaction Game

Make a game where people’s reaction to a stimulus is timed.

Example: A light blinks and you need to push a button as soon as you can. The reaction is timed and shown on the LCD display.

Two-Player Reaction Game

Same as above, but you are competing against someone else.

Example: Same as above with light and push button, but a sound or special light display is activated for the person who had the shortest time. This is coordinated between two game sets (arduinos) using the IR emitter/receivers.

Arcade Games

Make some retro style arcade games, perhaps involving wiffle balls, cardboard, wood, rubber bands, springs, servos as triggers….

Repeat After Me

Make a game that outputs sounds and/or light sequences. You then need to repeat the sequence. The sequences become more and more difficult as the game proceeds.

Alarms

Locked Box

Make a box which you need to know the ‘code’ to unlock the security mechanism to access the contents. Perhaps have a timed system to lock someone out if they don’t manage to unlock the box in a specified time.

Example: A certain sequence of button presses is involved in activating a servo that unlocks the box.

Alarmed Box

Same as above, but no lock. Instead, the box is alarmed and will trigger if anyone tampers with it - unless you know how to deactivate the alarm!

Aggressive Alarm Clock

Ever struggled to wake up to your alarm? Make an alarm clock that becomes more and more insistent until you finally turn it off.

Music and Sound

Beet Box

Make a musical instrument that involves playing vegetables (such as beets!). Possibility for a very nice woodworking component to this (NOTE: You can take home the wood aspects, but not the arduino/grove components themselves).

Example: https://www.instructables.com/id/Just-Veggin-with-an-Arduino-Beetbox/

Theremin

A theremin is a machine that makes very funky sounds as you wave your hands in front of it (typically controlling both pitch and volume). For this project, you will not be trying to make an actual theremin. Instead, design something that people can interact with to make different sounds.

Example: Use the ultrasonic ranger to get the distance away from a person’s hands and use that to change the tone output to a buzzer. Could also be used with lights, the LED Bar, etc.

Robots with Motors

NOTE: All of the following projects would involve using DC Motors. The motors we have are NOT grove components. They involve using a breadboard and an additional circuit board that is a motor controller. As a result, these projects are more complex in terms of the wiring than many of the other suggestions.

Distance Measuring

Design and build a robot that can measure the distance to obstacles. (You could use the tactile sensor assembly to detect an obstacle).

Remote Controlled

Build a robot that can be controlled with a remote control (IR).

Wiffle Ball Projectile Shooter

Build a robot that can shoot a wiffle ball at a target (details of a challenge will be specified later if you choose this one)l

Miscellaneous

Temperature Gauge

Using a temperature sensor, develop some creative way to show the temperature. Could involve motors, servos, lights (LED Bar, LEDs), LCD.

Try more than one thing!

Automatic Art Generator

Make a machine that automatically creates something. Could be drawings, movement, light, sound.

People Counter

Device to count how many people are in the Design & Construction room. You could attach this to Mr. Hogg’s desk (with permission).

People Greeter

Design and Build a system that will greet people when they come into the Design & Construction room.

(Possibly could involve using DC Motors and the Motor Controller board).

Teeter Totter

Design and Build a system that can roll a marble back and forth on a ramp. You would have to use motors and sensors. Challenge yourself to build a system that keeps the marble running smoothly back and forth but perhaps with a different rate (period)?

(Also will involve using DC Motors and the Motor Controller board).

Self-Levelling Surface

Design and Build a surface that will stay level even when the frame around is changed. You would start with a system that worked in one dimension only (similar to the marble teeter totter). An alternative would to construct a surface that you could use to control a marble’s movement in two dimensions on a maze?

Rube Goldberg Machine

Rube Goldberg … with electronics!