I’m teaching a Gadgeteer lab to our .NET user group next week. Each table will have a Hydra starter kit that contains:
Hydra & power module
LightSense module
7LED module
Joystick module
I’m looking for ideas to help kickstart the meeting. What would you do with only these components?
My current idea is to have each table create an optical Morse code encoder/decoder. Each table would write the code to send codes using the LED and they would be able to decode messages using the LightSense module. The game would be for each table to have a secret message that the other tables have to decipher. Other ideas?
First thing that i think of is a led indicator of light intensity, but thats ok for a “in-home hello world” type application. If you want a group of people to sit down, do some code, and verify each others results, your idea is totaly cool
Let the LED7R spin when light is cut off to the LightSense module by placing hand over the module. The spin stops when hand is removed. The idea is to stop it at the top or bottom or some other position.
The speed can be random and clockwise, anti clockwise changed.
I know that there is a name for an arcade game that this relates to . I dont recall the name.
Great idea Rajesh. The lightsense module has analog out, so you could also control the speed of the spinning LEDs with the amount of light that comes in.
These are some great ideas! Also, I forgot to list that the kit comes with a joystick. How would you incorporate it’s use?
After thinking about it, you’re probably right about decoding Morse code. We only have 1.5 hrs. Perhaps an alternative would be a simple adding machine. One device would blink sets of numbers and the other device would blink back the sum. The fuzziness of the light reading would be the difficult part for them to overcome in the time alloted.
use the push button on the joystick to change from spinning mode where moving the joystic up/down to adjust the spin speed of teh leds to a mode where as you move the joystick it lights up the coresponding LED. Lightsense module adjusts the brightness of the leds.
[quote]Let the LED7R spin when light is cut off to the LightSense module by placing hand over the module. The spin stops when hand is removed. The idea is to stop it at the top or bottom or some other position.
The speed can be random and clockwise, anti clockwise changed.
I know that there is a name for an arcade game that this relates to . I dont recall the name.[/quote]
Perhaps you could let someone use the joystick to control the speed of the spinning?
The middle position would the default speed – if moved up, then it would spin quicker, if moved down, then it would spin slower.
How bout controlling the brightness of the LED via the sensor
(no light on the sensor means brightest led, more light means less brightened led)
The current lit up led could be controlled by the position of the joystick
joystick on top means upper led lit.
If you move the joystick clockwise so will the leds lit up or be turned off.
Middle position lights up no led or the red one in the middle.
