SHOW-AND-TELL LIVE VIDEO! 9/6/17 #showandtell @adafruit #adafruit

Project viEwMotion

The goal of viEwMotion is to facilitate communication for individuals who have difficulty expressing emotions due to inherent neurologic issues like Autism, Parkinsons, etc (conditions that make it hard express emotion outwardly and as a result for others to read emotion expressed by the effected individual).  viEwMotion will do this by interpreting real time physiological data acquired from a wristband which is then processed by a single board computer and displayed to allow others to see the persons emotional state.  This will have a profound effect on the ability of people to communicate effectively - changing how they experience and interact with the world around them (in effect changing the world for them and those they interact with).
viEwMotion is a wearable device (worn on the wrist like a watch), that monitors and transmits data to a mini computer which interprets the data and outputs it to a display worn by the individual.

Voight-Kampff LED Bar-graphs

Working out the LED bar graphs on the Voight-Kampff machine:

Project Voight-Kampff

My objective is to build a functional Voight-Kampff machine from the classic Sci-Fi Movie Blade Runner. 

Leon's test :

Rachel's test:

Currently, I'm working on developing the software, integration of sensors and the actual body of the machine.

I currently have this project entered in the Hackaday Sci-Fi Contest  (Voight-Kampff Project Page) and I plan to exhibit it at the Chicago 2017 Maker Faire.

I have much of the mechanics (arm raise, extension, and rotation of the eye sensor) worked out using servos and micro-controllers.

My current design calls for using a Raspberry Pi as the central processor for the VK. The sensors that I'm currently working on integrating are:

• Melexis MLX90614 Non-contact Temperature sensor (for Blush response)
• Raspberry Pi NoIR Camera Board v2
  • using software adapted from PyGaze to measure pupil dilation/constriction
• Separate hand held module for test subject containing:
  • MAX30100 pulse ox sensor
  • Galvanic Skin Response Sensor

I aim to have it all contained in the classic VK machine with read outs from the sensors going to the 3 separate monitors (and the 2 LED Bar Graphs).

Project: A Maker Loupe

This project is also published on Hackaday.io as Maker Loupe
Commercial Products that work - but don't meet goals and restrictions:

• Dental Loupes (Links Comming)

What I've tried so far:

• Simple Magnifying Glasses – hand held and fixed
  • need to be very close to object being viewed

• Reading glasses (various magnifications)
  • higher the magnification → closer you need to be to what you are viewing
• Binocular Microscope
  • works quite well but still need to be bent over the scope
  • a movable stage would improve its ease of use
• USB Microsope
  • not much experience but they can have a bit of a delay (what you see can be a fraction of a second behind what is happening at the moment).
• Video Scope – NTSC camera, lenses and composite display
  • works reasonably well
    • may be able to improve by moving view screen lower and angling it

 Project Goals/Objectives:

• Comfortably working with small parts, components, etc. without having to be bend over or bring the parts close to my face.

• More comfortable – better ergonomics
• same as above
• able to sit upright while working (not bending over)
• inexpensive (under $100 or better yet, under $50)
• hands free / wearable / light weight
• Magnification (at least 2x)
• Field of view (at least 3cm)
• Depth (about 3cm, enough that working on projects does not lead to neck strain from holding position).

Project Restrictions:

•  Price - affordable for most people
• ideal is re-purposed parts 

Updates coming soon.

Update for the Start of 2017

Sorry for the long hiatus ...

Getting to the Finals of the Hackaday Prize and trying to get my project to a functional prototype really burned me out for a little while - I needed a little rest but I'm back now.

Have a look at the winning entries for the Hackaday Prize 2016 (they are really amazing).

• Hackaday Prize
• Hackaday Prize 2016 - Submissions
• Final 10 Entries of the 2016 Hackaday Prize 
• First Place for the 2016 Hackaday Prize
• Top 5 for the 2016 Hackaday Prize

I was hoping that I might be able to make it out to the Hackaday Conference (I even submitted a proposal for a talk). Well, I didn't make the cut.  But here are links to the amazing talks at the conference:

Not that I've ever stopped making stuff, just that I took a break from working on my Universal Glucose Meter, etc... and worked on some other areas for a bit.

Here's some stuff I've been busy with since November 2016:

• Cheapo SphereBot (from salvaged parts)
  
  
  
• Portable Oscilloscope Build (from kit, mostly) 
  
• Reflow Oven (ControLeo 2, some very minor additions from me)
  
• 2 Watt LED (445nm) Laser for 3D Printer, CNC (kit build, and review)
  
• Sous Vide Build 

I'll link each of these to individual project pages with build information ASAP.