Input Devices & Application Programming

Motion Sensing

My input device for this week was a motion sensor. As part of my final project I wanted to incorporate a sensor to trigger headlights when a child was using the toy.  Prior to this point I couldn't imagine building something like this, but the more I practice milling, soldering, and designing boards, I become more and more comfortable with the process. I also start to understand the programming process.

The soldering goes fast. Little tips and tricks that I've picked up along the way allow me to feel much more comfortable adding components. In fact it has become a bit 'zen-like', and it is most certainly my favorite part of hardware.

The programming this week was a bit more difficult than the last. I spent many hours fixinng small errors and figuring out how to modify the code for this type of input.

I tried many different ways, with the help of my classmates, to view whether the motion sensor was effective. Unfortunately I had a difficult time showing a change within serial binary code. I was able to obtain a readout of the motion sensor though (as seen below)

Overall, getting through this week was a big step. It helped me understand more about input devices, and also how the files work together to make it easier for one to program these types of devices. I haven't gone one week without hitting a wall and needing help, but each week I fight through it with some amazing classmates willing to walk through the process with me.

After programming my input, I moved on to programming for my final project through arduino. You can view that process here