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Archive: Imaging
August 6, 2008
Fun with POV and Lissajous figures
This week, EMS Labs has a nifty piece on Lissajous figures which Windell was able to generate using an LED display on one of the EMS Labs' breakout board business cards suspended from an oscillation rig built from a file folder frame, wooden dowels, and BBQ skewers.
Lissajous figures are interesting curves that occur in systems where oscillation happens in more than one direction, for example when a pendulum hanging from a string moves in its plane. The "standard" way to play with Lissajous figures is on an oscilloscope, and the easy way is of course in a web app, but there is also something to be said for a demo that you can hold in your hands. In what follows, we build a simple apparatus that takes a persistence of vision approach to displaying Lissajous figures.
A simple persistence of vision approach to Lissajous figures
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 6, 2008 11:00 AM
Electronics, Imaging, Science |
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Build: An Electrified Zoetrope from recycled parts
This time we are going to be making a Zoetrope from a bunch of junk. What is a Zoetrope? Here is what I found on Wikipedia:
The earliest elementary zoetrope was created in China around 180 AD by the prolific inventor Ting Huan.
It consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. Beneath the slits on the inner surface of the cylinder is a band which has either individual frames from a video/film or images from a set of sequenced drawings or photographs. As the cylinder spins the user looks through the slits at the pictures on the opposite side of the cylinders' interior.
You should be able to make the Zoetrope from found or recycled parts. If you can't salvage parts like a motor or potentiometer, you local electronics shop should have them in stock.
Finding parts:
Remember all those toys the kids have outgrown, or the VCR your neighbor threw out. They all contain switches, motors and wires. It can be a lot of fun scavenging for parts. Just be careful, things like TV's and computers can have high voltages even when they are unplugged. Only scavenge for parts if you know what you are doing. In general, kids toys that are battery operated are fairly safe to rip apart.
This build is a general guide to making a Zoetrope. Make adjustments depending on what parts you find, or purchase. If you make your own Zoetrope, post it in the MAKE Flickr photo pool and send me an email. Thanks!
Supplies you need:
- (1) Old CD - Think AOL, or any demo disk
- (1) CD spindle case
- Paper - Black & white [you can paint the paper black too!]
- Small Eraser
- (1) Motor - Scavenged from a kids toy
- (1) Switch - Again, scavenged
- Some wire
Tools you need:
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife - Be careful!
- Soldering Iron
- Rosin core solder
Part 1: Finding the parts
The first thing you do is acquire some old or broken electronics to scavenge for parts. You can find a motor in many kids toys. If you don't have kids, or know any kids, then just go to the dollar store and buy something with a small electric motor. Hopefully it will have a few switches and batteries too. I bough a small orange fan for $1, and it didn't work at all. Technically the fan would spin, but there wasn't any air movement. It's a perfect candidate for ripping apart.
Disassemble the fan, or what ever recycled toy you have. A lot of times the screws are hidden under stickers so check there if it doesn't open easily.
When I was done I was able to salvage (2) AA batteries, (1) small light bulb, a nice motor, some wire and a lanyard. I'll keep whatever I don't use for another project.
In my bin-parts I had a battery holder, which was scavenged a long time ago. It holds (4) AA batteries. I thought this would be perfect, but I had to cut it in 1/2 so it held (2) AA batteries.
A quick score with a razor blade, and I could snap it in half.
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Aug 6, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Green, Imaging, Something I want to learn to do..., Toys and Games, Virtual Worlds |
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August 5, 2008
Lensless micro-microscope on a chip
Fig. 1 (a) Architecture of the optofluidic microscope (OFM); set of three arrows: illumination; single arrow: flow direction. (b) Photograph of the OFM prototype compared with a U.S. quarter. The actual nanoaperture array is 600 µm long. (c) The top view of the OFM; denotes the isolated aperture; denotes the corresponding aperture, as explained in the text. (d) Photograph of the orientation of the aperture array with respect to the channel. (e) Experimental scheme for the OFM prototype. (f) Transmission time traces from aperture and associated with the transition of a C. elegans.
DC artist, programmer, and Dorkbot DC co-overlord Alberto Gaitán tells MAKE:
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently published research inspired by eye floaters in "Lensless high-resolution on-chip optofluidic microscopes for Caenorhabditis elegans and cell imaging" by CalTech's Xiquan Cui, Lap Man Lee, et al. And as if cheap (~$10), portable, on-chip, lensless, hi-res microscopy for developing countries' infectious disease management wasn't promising enough, it also holds promise for backyard microscopists and mobile-device-mounted passive sensorwebs for biohazard detection. No telling what cool hacks await if it becomes available through Digikey!
Lensless high-resolution on-chip optofluidic microscopes for Caenorhabditis elegans and cell imaging
New Micro-Microscope Is Portable And Cheap [NPR piece on the technology]
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 5, 2008 02:00 PM
Imaging, News from the Future, Science |
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Modify a webcam into a space telescope
Here's a pretty cool tutorial on how to mod a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 to use as a mini telescope to monitor the stars and take pictures (aka "astro imaging") of the view. Check out the step by step instructions at the link below.
Instructions for Converting Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 for Telescope Use
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 5, 2008 04:00 AM
Computers, Electronics, Imaging |
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August 4, 2008
Film canister flash diffuser
When you take pictures with the built-in flash on your digital camera, it's common to get a washed-out, deer-in-headlights result from your subject. This is particularly noticeable with portraits and close-range photography. To obtain a softer, more natural look from your photographs and eliminate the glare, you need a flash diffuser to help disperse and soften the light.If you have an old white film canister and an x-acto knife, you can make a clever little flash diffuser that will slip over the flash on your typical SLR camera. Photojojo has a guide for making one. It should really take you about 5 minutes (assuming you have a canister on hand), so give it a shot. Your photographs—and your photo subjects—will thank you for it.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 4, 2008 10:00 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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July 25, 2008
HOW TO - Construct your own "Lo-fi Fisheye" lens on the cheap
Peter writes in -
Matt Hallock has a how to for building a lo-fi fisheye camera lens for around $10 using supplies found at your local hardware store. Fisheye lenses are crazy cost prohibitive for most of us, but this method gets you 90 percent of the effect, plus a little Holga-esque unpredictability to boot!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 25, 2008 04:00 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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July 22, 2008
Video software keeps an eye on the sky
The UFOCapture software records nighttime sky highlights via PC with attached vidcam. Quite handy for those alien/meteor enthusiasts who still have to hold down a dayjob - UFO@Home [via Boing Boing]
In the Maker Shed:
Astronomy Hacks
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jul 22, 2008 07:00 AM
Imaging |
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July 13, 2008
"Ghost-imaging"
Huh, so here's a good use for entangled photons.. ghost-imaging via Wired.
Investigators funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research are conducting research under the name of "ghost-imaging," where a visual image of an object is created by means of light that has never interacted with the object.The new technology may result in a more versatile use of field sensors, and have space applications.
University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, professor (Dr.) Yanhua Shih initiated ghost-imaging research in 1995, by using entangled photons. In the experiment, one photon passed through stenciled patterns in a mask to trigger a detector, and another photon was captured by a second detector. Surprisingly, an image of the pattern between the two detectors appeared, which the physics community called ghost-imaging.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 13, 2008 12:00 AM
Imaging, Science |
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July 11, 2008
IR LED glasses (anti-paparazzi)
We've covered how to make IR LED projects and how to use IR LEDs to "jam" a security camera (privacy from cameras is a hot topic, debate in the comments!)... Here's a video on how to make a pair of glasses that pumps out a little IR around your face so the cameras can't see you, the video says it's anti-paparazzi but their cameras likely won't be stopped by something like this...
More:
LED security camera disruptor.
Spotted at DEFCON - Super 44 IR LED TV-B-Gone.
Make - IR TV remote Bazooka.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 11, 2008 04:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Imaging |
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DIY: Hard disk laser scanner
Micah made this really amazing laser scanner from a few scavenged hard drives and a Parallax Propeller chip. The initial results are amazing considering how fast the actuators have to be to crate an image.
My latest tinkery hardware and embedded systems project is a homebrew laser scanner. You know, the kind you see at planetariums- sweep a laser beam around on the wall really fast, and draw vector graphics. Commercial laser scanners have been around for decades now, but buying a complete system is still really pricy, even on eBay. Besides, where's the fun in that?Read more about Making hard disk laser scanner
More:
HOW TO - $10 XY Laser scanner
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Jul 11, 2008 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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July 10, 2008
Photos "near you" with iPhone 2.0
Wow, here are some screenshots of "Exposure" a free/fee app for iPhone 2.0 -- GPS and geotag enthusiasts will love it, you tap "near me" and see all the photos that were taken... you guessed it, near you. I'm a few blocks or so from the World Trade Center area at the moment... via Daring Fireball.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 10, 2008 07:25 PM
GPS, Imaging, iPhone |
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HOW TO - iPhone 2.0 screenshots
Best unknown feature of the new iPhone firmware... screenshots!
Built-in Screen Capture Utility: With the iPhone 2.0 software installed, hold down the Home button and press the Lock button and your screen will flash--and an image of your phone's screen gets saved to your Camera Roll's images.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 10, 2008 05:28 PM
Imaging, iPhone |
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July 7, 2008
HOW TO - 3D glasses for VESA-compliant stereo ports
Mark just wasn't satisfied with 3D glasses on his SGI machine, so he adapted them to work with any video card with a VESA-compliant stereo port -
Now in all, it's not too complicated what I do here. The SGIs have around 10-12 volts on the stereo port, while (same connector, same pin-out) the VESA stereo port has 5 volts on pin 1. In short, what I do here is only taking the stereo sync signal (pin 3) of a VESA-compliant stereo port and get 12 volts and ground from a Molex-connector, so in all we have the same.Quake-time!
How-to, info, and more pics - 3D glasses for any VESA compliant stereo port
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jul 7, 2008 06:00 AM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics, Imaging |
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July 3, 2008
Orientation aware camera build info
Andrew was kind enough to post additional info on his excellent USB camera project including wiring diagram and source code.
I started this project without really having any idea where it would end up. I started off by deciding it could be interesting to build a device that would sample a 3-axis magnetometer and a 3-axis accelerometer and send that data to my computer via USB. Devices very much like that are often sold as a 'tilt compensated compass', and go for $250-500. I made mine for about $150.- Orientation Aware Camera
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jul 3, 2008 03:00 PM
DIY Projects, Imaging |
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Recycled plastic bottle sculptures resemble sea creatures
This used plastic water bottle lamp (one of a series of recycled lamps by Lisa Foo and Su Sim) resembles a sea creature from movies like "The Abyss" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". Really interesting craftsmanship with these lights that will really fool you into thinking they are made of more expensive materials. Check out really nice 2-liter bottle cap lamp on the site as well.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Jul 3, 2008 05:00 AM
DIY Projects, Imaging, Remake |
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July 2, 2008
DIY lenses for Flip cams
Flip video cameras are a good choice for quick and simple video recording but don't offer much in the expandability/department. This article runs through relatively easy methods for macro & micro lens add-ons, achieving some nice results (see macro vid above)
- DIY: A Macro Lens and Microscope for Your Flip Mino [via Hack a Day]
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jul 2, 2008 05:00 AM
Imaging |
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July 1, 2008
LED painter
"The LED Painter is a 16 channel RGB LED controller (or 48 independent LEDs) using the Texas Instrument TLC5940. This PCB is improved with a better layout that allows easy connection of independent LEDs (not just RGB), as well as the ability to daisy chain multiple boards together. The TLC5940 IC is implemented in this design because it is easy to use and can be controlled with a variety of microcontrollers. Each TLC5940 has 16 channels with 12 bit grayscale PWM control on each channel. Your microcontroller will connect to the TLC5940 using only a couple of pins and a serial like interface for controlling the intensity of each channel."
More info and videos at HackedGadgets: LED Painter - RGB Lighting System
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jul 1, 2008 11:00 AM
Electronics, Imaging |
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June 29, 2008
HOW TO - Make 3D glasses for an old Silicon Graphics box
Ever since I got myself an Octane, I've got a renewed interest in everything Silicon Graphics. And with that, my old (imaginary) list of things-to-do with such a machine has been dusted off too. One of those things was making some 3D shutter glasses (cheap). And even though I'm tinkering with SGIs for years already, I never took the time to build some stereographic glasses myself, a project which has been online for years already and I've been wanting to do ever since I read it. And now it was time to actually make my own pair. ^_^One of the official possibilities for these kind of machines is connecting CrystalEyes StereoGraphic glasses to them. Most (if not all) graphic options for SGIs have some kind of stereo capability. Now even though a lot of the SGI related goodies have become cheap (on eBay for instance), I couldn't find the glasses plus the transmitter anywhere. I could find glasses separately, but that would still mean I have to make a transmitter and well, I had these parts around for ages already so I gave it a go to finally connect cheap shutter glasses (instead of the CrystalEyes ones) to the StereoView Port of one of my SGIs.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 29, 2008 04:10 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Electronics, Imaging, Retro |
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June 25, 2008
HOW TO - Turn an instant camera into an emergency strobe
Here's an Instructable that shows you how to modify a disposable camera to turn it into a high-intensity strobe light warning flasher.
Hack a flash camera into a emergency strobe light
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jun 25, 2008 04:00 PM
Imaging, Instructables, Photography |
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Orientation aware camera
From the MAKE Flickr photo pool
Andrew from Boulder, CO created an orientation aware USB camera and imaging software to go with it -
First I built a circuit to make it so I could read a 3-axis magnetometer and a 3-axis accelerometer over USB, just for the heck of it. Then later, while trying to come up with something interesting to do with such a device, I decided it could be neat to throw a webcam in the mix.Excellent! The potential applications run deep with this one. Hope he plans to share more on the design and software. - Orientation aware camera demo
After I got everything to work, and after a while of playing around with different ideas for software to make use of all that data, I came up with the app in the video.
Update: You can now find a bunch of helpful project details here - Orientation Aware Camera info
Thanks Andrew!
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jun 25, 2008 06:30 AM
Imaging |
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