If you like Guitar Hero and had some long hair in the 80′s that you are missing this game is for you. Tiago Martins, Ricardo Nascimento and Andreas Zingerle have been working hard on a system that will bring your headbanging memories back. Strap on the long hair wig controller, load in the game software and rock out with your hair. When you are done have a look at the performance printout to see where you need to improve. Give it a few months and there will be a hack for Headbang Hero just like there was for Guitar Hero that allows a computer to play for you.

"How does it work?

A special wig is used as a game controller, feeding motion data to the game software. The game then analyses in real time how well is the player’s headbanging following the rhythm of the music.

The game keeps track of two distinct aspects of the player’s performance. The first is the player’s (potentially heroic) sense of style and rhythm as he headbangs along to the music. The second is the amount of health damage the player is causing himself in the quest to become a hero. Opposingly to what happens in games where the player is in control of an avatar, in Headbang Hero what matters is the player’s own health.

When the game ends the player receives a printed health report based on his performance analysis. Included in this report are tips on how to improve the performance and advice on how to avoid injuries."

If you need to send some wireless data from one microcontroller to another have a look at this Cheap Microcontroller IR Data Transmission project for inspiration. It uses an IR LED, a resistor and an optional visible LED for the transmitter. The receiver is just a IR receiver with no extra components. These receivers are the same that you find in DVD players other remote controlled electronics. Rentron has some good details of what makes this simple communication method work.

Via: Make

Using some Parallax processing power Joe was able to monitor his garage doors to make sure it wasn’t forgotten in the open position. Using a Parallax Pink module the system is able to produce a Web page so that the door status can be checked from anywhere.

"Parts:
Parallax Basic Stamp 2
Parallax Board of Education
Parallax PINK
Parallax 4×20 Backlit LCD
Radioshack Project Box
Piece of Plexi Glass
4 pole terminal block
SPST Toggle Switch
DC Power Jack
DC Power supply for BS2

18 AWG Speaker Wire
12" Cat 5 Ethernet cable
2 x RJ45 Plugs
Magnetic NO Switches for doors "

If you have a spare cell phone display and are handy with a microcontroller this cool Cell Phone Display Oscilloscope by Almost There could be your next project.

"Check out these impressive specifications rivaling scopes costing twice the price (about $9 MSRP)…

• Vertical fixed at 5V full screen (or 0.5V per division, if it had divisions.)
• Horizontal Sweep fixed at (approximately) 43mS full screen when over-clocked at 8MHz (or 4.3mS per imaginary division.)
• Trigger fixed at 1/2 the peak-to-peak signal (with a time-out when there is no signal.)
• Non-portable (unless you want to carry my entire workbench some place.)
• Very Affordable (about $4.50; $3.50 for the PicAxe, $1.00 for the phone, everything else I had on hand.)
• Visible in Day Light (the LCD Backlight is not connected.)
• All Solid-State (using ultra-reliable E-Z Clip Technology.)"

This Sticky Light demonstration looks like tons of fun! It was created by Alvaro Cassinelli, Kuribara Yusaku and Stephane Perrin of the Department of Information Physics and Computing at the Ishikawa Komuro Laboratory of the university of Tokyo.

Via: Waxy Links

"As an art installation, the most interesting aspect of the work is that it promotes a reflection on the role of light as a passive substance used for contemplating a painting or a drawing. Natural light, or an artificial spot of light is always necessary to illuminate what we want to see; the quality of the light, the position and angle will modify the perception of a painting. In fact, the source of light is not really passive: it interacts and modifies the perceived work in an essential way. The installation amplifies such effect: it gives the light spot new ways of interacting with the painting; it augments its content by scanning the drawing, following the lines and bouncing on the colors. By moving on the drawing, the light spot attracts the attention of the viewer. It actually forces our sight to follow the dynamic path taken by the light."

The prize this week is a cable tester. This contest will run for one week (Aug 22 – 28, 2009) . Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, identify the item pictured above and give an example of what can be done with it.

Please do not give the answer in the comments.

Send an email to contest @ hackedgadgets.com with "Name the Thing Contest" as the subject, and the message body consisting of:

• The name of the item in the above picture
• An example of what the item pictured above can be used for

The winner will be chosen at random from all of the correct entries.

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Added Sept 4, 2009

The item to guess was the SOLENOID VALVE

The winner is Terry D. (There were 105 entries)

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Below is a picture of the prize.

(more…)

The normal iPhone docks are quite plain and simple. This nice wood dock is a piece of artwork that is sure to please. Looks like Todd has also made some out of plastic.

"I recently got a case for my iPhone and it’s the kind that precludes the use of the dock. I kind of like the dock concept, but instead of taking a Dremel to the existing dock, I spent a few minutes drawing up a replacement that could be cut from acrylic scraps on the laser cutter."