Beginning Microcontrollers: Arduino

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UPDATE:  Many thanks to Akiba of Freaklabs and Tokyo Hackerspace for helping us bring the cost of the workshop down by providing his FredBoards, they are perfect for tinkering and bear the quality of a gifted engineer.

Lots of people have an idea of something awesome that they would want to build, with the caveat “If I only knew how…”  and that one statement seems to be the only obstacle in their way.  For some the supposed complexity of programming or electronics is daunting and remains an obscure idea to very creative people.  Even just finding a topic to get your feet wet can sometimes be challenging. Learning to program and make cool automated stuff should be fun, and frankly, totally is once you can harness the initial fundamentals of it all.

Open-source Hardware projects like Arduino make the introduction to all of the coding and electronics components orders of magnitude easier to handle. With many exciting examples and learning tools, making ideas work in the Arduino environment stays fun and fulfilling. Participants in the Beginning Microcontrollers workshop will receive their own take home kits including an Arduino microcontroller, breadboard, components for experimentation, and any necessary stickers and fun swag needed for a geek to survive in the 21st Century.

 

 

Topics covered will range from downloading and installing the software to be able to program an Arduino, covering the reference and learning resources available online, looking up examples, and programming an Arduino to use sensors and control components such as servo motors or LED lights.  We’ll also be expanding the usefulness of the Arduino IDE to allow programming with the Ardublock environment, which makes the learning curve of programming a lot easier to conquer in many ways.

We would like to encourage everyone to come along and participate, so if you already have an Arduino, or would like to team up with someone to share a kit, or even just would like to watch and take notes, you are more than welcome.

If you would like to sign up and reserve your kit or spot, pleasesign up on our store page!

The Workshop is being held on Saturday, May 19th, 2012  12pm-3pm

Cost for the workshop with a kit is $54.99+tax

Includes:

-FredBoard Arduino Compatible prototyping platform

-Breadboard

-Components pack (LED’s, transistors, servos, etc.)

-Sensors:  IR Sensors, Ultrasonic, variable resistors, etc.

-Industrial Sticker Pack

-Mystery relics fit for use in your next inventions.

This workshop is produced by David Gapen for Reuseum Educational, Inc.

Here is a video showing some cool components included in the kit!

 

Circuit Basics Workshop 4/7/12

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All wired and ready to go!

Have you ever wondered how to make a robot is made? Or how to make an LED light blink?  How does an engineer design a circuit? We are very excited to bring back one of our favorite workshops of all time to answer those questions the Circuit Basics Workshop!  The truth is, once you get your feet wet, you’ll see that many electronic circuits are not only pretty easy to decipher, but can be used with many different purposes in mind.

 

Anyone looking to get their hands dirty, artists and crafters who would like to add interesting features to their creative designs, or even someone interested in DIY electronics for their tinkering hobby can gain that mastery and empowerment to build their own circuits.  Please come down on Saturday the 14th of April and introduce yourself to something new!

 

The Circuit Basics Workshop is great for people as young as 7 years old with a chaperone, and there is no soldering required!  The workshop will start at 12pm, Saturday April 7th. You can reserve your spot now by purchasing a ticket in advance via Eventbrite. Limited spots are available!

This workshop is brought to you by: Reuseum Educational, Inc.  We’re a 501 (c) (3) not‐for‐profit organization that provides materials & expertise in the support of scientific & technology education.

Junk Workshop! 3/3/2012

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We’re getting right down to business with our new educational space and we hope to bring you many great opportunities to learn in the very near future.

For our first official Reuseum Educational workshop, we’ll be combining the art of reuse with creative sculpture and some beginner basics for identifying electronics parts. We have numerous bins of components and other bits from many era’s past that are apt to be made into any form of upcycled sculpture you can make real. We’ve already had great success rendering pagers into robots (see pic) and thought we’d try to give everyone an opportunity to try their hand as some freeform.

Here are some great links of other recycled robots that might be fun to look at:

http://www.greendiary.com/entry/recycled-art-amazing-robots-made-from-trash/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0dqVQ2-m7U&feature=fvsr&noredirect=1

 

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” ~ Thomas Alva Edison.

Participants are welcome ALL DAY from 11am to 6pm on Saturday, March 3rd 2012 to make their found art ideas a reality.  There is a $10 admission per person to cover materials and tools.

Green Dots are the sign of your support

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The Donation Dots

Sales from these items benefit our cause.

Your donations have gotten us off to a great start. Some items given so far include: misc. computer parts, airbrushes, and even a working Nikon 8000 film scanner! Look for green “Re” stickers at the Reuseum Surplus Outlet Store in Garden City, ID.  eBay sales are being handled by Obtainium Technology Recyclers.  Sales proceeds fund our mission of supplying materials and expertise in the support of education.

Our First & Last Donations of 2011

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There were literally only a few days between the start-up of Reuseum Educational and the end of 2011.  During that short span new patrons wasted no time donating.

Thanks for the really nice, working Integra stereo tuner, misc. office supplies &  Bearcat radio scanner.  Thanks also for the e-scrap in the form of a drowned iPod Touch, misc. computer cables, wires & parts.

You can drop items off at the Reuseum Surplus Outlet, 7 days a week.  Check www.reuseum.com for the hours and address.  Please specify that your donation is for Reuseum Educational so we can provide you with a receipt.

 

So How Does This Work?

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Are you a teacher, instructor or professor?  Need materials, equipment or supplies? Check with us and see if we can help.  We’ll try to supply what you need for no or little cost.

Want to sponsor a science or technology workshop?  We know a lot of smart people.

We are able to help others through your donations of surplus and unwanted technology-related items.  Businesses, institutions and individuals are all welcome to participate.

It can be old, outdated or just plain broken.  We’ll either refurbish it, dismantle it for parts and/or recycle it responsibly.

Here’s just a short sampling of what we can use:

  • Manufacturing equipment and supplies
  • Test equipment
  • Laboratory equipment and supplies
  • Business equipment
  • Servers and networking equipment
  • Computers & household electronics
  • Spare parts, electronic and electrical components
  • Metal stocks, hardware and materials to make things.
You can drop items off 7 days a week at The Reuseum.  If you’re a business and want to donate a number of items, we can accommodate you on short notice.
Some of your donations are sold at The Reuseum surplus store to generate revenue for workshops and general operations.  If there’s a donation that we know can fill an immediate request, that’s where it will go.
And if an item is at the end of its useful life, we make every effort to recycle as much of it as possible.
The net effect is that people are educated, people are employed and the local economy is strengthened.