# data[].attributes.body
High school students need a website that helps them decide what college they would like to go to in the future

# data[].attributes.body
I want to create a website that helps high school students decide what college they would like to go to and the website can answer the any questions the student has about the college

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about a grandpa who couldn't figure out how to use the HDMI system on his TV and had to get assistance from his son.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction: Technology for Your Grandpa

How many times have you gone to your grandparents' house to help with a "technology problem" that ended up being an unplugged power cable, a dead remote battery or not being able to switch the source on their TV? I know that for me, this happens quite often. While most of their problems can be solved by simply running to the store for some new AA's, sometimes they could benefit from a more customized solution.

For example, my girlfriend's grandfather got a new television and we tried to teach him how to change the source so he could switch between DVDs and TV - but he just couldn't figure it out. He's also dealing with failing eyesight and isn't too interested in trying to remember complicated processes, he just wants to watch his shows when he wants to. After trying to calmly explain the steps during our last visit without much success, I decided I would just make him his own simple two-button remote control. This would allow him to change the input source on his television painlessly, switching between his beloved Matlock DVDs and Price is Right with ease.

Share

Recommendations

Spotless Contest

Microcontroller Contest

Space Challenge

Step 1: Materials

PhidgetSBC4 (or any single board computer like the Raspberry Pi)

Soldering Iron

Side Cutters

Wire Strippers

Jumper Wires

USB Cable

Phidget Cable

Enclosure

Through-hole headers

Heat-shrink tubing

Step 2: Planning

In order to create the remote, I needed the ability to send consumer infrared (CIR) commands to the television. I decided to use the PhigetIR for this task. The PhidgetIR is a USB controlled device that has the ability to both send and receive CIR commands. I chose this for a few reasons:

I wanted to finish this project as soon as possible and put it to use, so the thought of breaking out my oscilloscope and breadboard was not appealing. Also, how likely is it that my hand-soldered circuits would still be working in a year or two?

The PhidgetIR has the ability to "learn" CIR commands making development extremely simple.

You can use almost any mainstream programming language with the PhidgetIR. This meant I could use Java and get things finished quickly.

Finally, I work for Phidgets, so I am comfortable with the API, and there are always spare devices laying around.

Because I chose to use the PhidgetIR, I needed a computer to run it off of. I wanted this project to be a stand-alone application, much like a normal remote, so a desktop or laptop was out. I chose to use a PhidgetSBC4 (a single-board computer running Debian Linux), because it allowed me to interface with both push buttons without any additional hardware. They can simply be wired directly to the built-in VINT Hub. Note: you can also use a Raspberry Pi for this project. Finally, in addition to being functionally sound, I wanted this project to look great, so I decided that a 3D printed enclosure would be necessary.

Step 3: 3D Print

For this project, Geomagic was used to model the enclosure. There are 3D step files available for both the PhidgetIR and the PhidgetSBC4 which simplified the process. Some decisions were made during this step regarding the size and functionality of the enclosure:

The PhidgetIR has two IR LEDs that need to be pointing towards the TV in order to send commands. Instead of designing the enclosure around the PhidgetIR board, the IR LEDs could be desoldered and glued into the holes on the side of the enclosure. The PhidgetIR board could then be mounted away from the LEDs, utilizing the empty space.

The VINT Hub connectors on the PhidgetSBC4 could be bent upwards, which would still allow access for the pushbutton connections, and would also prevent having to create a larger enclosure.

I also decided to add a label for the buttons and a label indicating the direction it should face so that the IR LEDs are pointed in the right direction. I printed the enclosure localy out of black ABS plastic.

Step 4: Assembly - Remove the LEDs

The IR LEDs will eventually be glued into holes on the side of the enclosure. This means they first need to be desoldered.

Step 10: Software - Code

There is only a single Java file required for this project which you can find here. The program uses one PhidgetIR object, and two DigitalInput objects. You can create these objects like this:

The Digital Input objects are mapped to a physical pushbutton on the VINT Hub. Attach, detach, error, and state change events are also subscribed to:

The state change listener refernced above looks like this:

When a button is activated, the event code will execute and set a flag. These flags will be referenced and reset in the main loop. The main loop simply waits for a change in the button state, and then sends IR commands using the transmit function which is available from the PhidgetIR API.

Step 11: Software - CIR Commands

Here is an example of how to create a command (a volume up command in this case):

In order to get the information for this command, I simply used the PhidgetIR example that comes with the Phidget libraries. After pointing the remote towards the PhidgetIR and holding down the volume up button, the IR "learns" the code, and populates the example. This information can then simply be copied into the code.

Step 12: Running the Program

The Java file can be written and compiled on an external computer. Place PhidgetRemote.java and phidget22.jar in the same folder and run the following command:

javac -classpath .;phidget22.jar PhidgetRemote.java

macOS/Linux
javac -classpath .:phidget22.jar PhidgetRemote.java

After compiling, copy the generated class files to the PhidgetSBC4, and configure it to run on boot.

Step 13: Result

When I gave the remote to my girlfriend's grandpa and show him how to use it, he was amazed at how simple it was. Check out the video to see it in action!

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How many times have you gone to your grandparents' house to help with a "technology problem" that ended up being an unplugged power cable, a dead remote battery or not being able to switch the source on their TV? I know that for me, this happens quite often.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction: Vintage Tricycle Resurrection With Modern Technology

I am calling this a "Resurrection" not a "Restoration" as I took some liberties with materials and methods in bringing this childs tricycle back to life. But at the end of the day it is true to the spirit of the original and the smile on a little girls face 40 or 50 years ago would look the same as the smile on my god-daughters face when she saw her "new" tricycle for the first time.

My "Modern Resurrection" involved some very hi-tech features: 3D printed pedals; laser etched & cut leather seat; computer reproduced & cut vinyl fender graphics & lastly: laser cut and engraved acrylic "head badge". I personalized most of the custom parts with her initials (she now has her own logo!) and the vinyl graphics were digital reproductions of the original graphics found on the fender as I was stripping away the layers of paint. Without technology I would not have had the skills to " Make it Real" and in the process bring this tricycle back for, hopefully, another 50 years of enjoyment.

This instructable will show the steps I went through, both the hi-tech and the low tech, to resurrect the little red trike.

I have posted the 3D file to 123D - Here is the link: http://www.123dapp.com/stl-3D-Model/Vintage-Tricycle-Pedals/605620

Share

Recommendations

Microcontroller Contest

Spotless Contest

Space Challenge

Step 1: In the Beginning...

I wish I could say that this bike was passed down in our family and I could detail its history but it did not... Our paths crossed at a country auction in November 2011 when I saw this sad little bike with too many coats of bad paint and too many layers of dirt and rust sitting on the auction floor. I was able to buy it for $13 with the goal of restoring it to its original splendor for my 19 month old god-daughter. Luckily it was complete and not bent or dented in any way which says much about its sturdy vintage construction. Some parts, like the pedals, hubcaps & handle bar grips, were too far gone to save so I spent several months searching the internet and eBay looking for the right replacement parts. I found most of what I needed but with the pedals I was out of luck, they were a size that did not seem to exist anywhere anymore.

Everyone asks how old this bike is and that is a hard question to answer. When a company found a design that sold they would sell then for years or even decades. I originally thought (and hoped) that it may be 1940's because of the size of the front fender but in doing some research and based on certain finding (as I stripped away the dirt and paint) I am leaning more to the 1960's at this time. Still the little red trike survived for 50 years so it deserved this make-over.

So to begin... Disassemble and clean all the parts...

Step 2: Let the Stripping Commence...

Wanting to be a good citizen I used a Soy based Green pain stripper called "Soy-it Paint Stripper" ( http://bbdb.ca/Index.asp?MId=45) It is easy to work with and did a great job especially with removing the past "re-paints" which looked to be just regular household oil paint.

There were several things I wanted to uncover with the stripping: the original paint colour & pattern, any paint details such as highlights or pin-stripes and the "Head-badge". Almost every bike has a badge on the front support bar below the handle bars which shows the model and the manufacturer of the bike. Once you have this it is easier to date and track the history of your bike. In the early days (until the 1960s) these badges where generally metals such as brass. Higher end bikes, even today, still have intricate head-badges. Cheaper mass produced bikes starting in the 60's would use stickers for the head badge. As there were several layers of paint on my bike I could not tell what was there until the paint was stripped.

It turns out that my head badge was a metallic sticker that said "Made in Canada" & "Supreme". I could not determine a maker from this as all Google searches turned up empty. It was most likely a mass produced bike sold through a department store in the 60's or maybe early 70's and relabled as a "store exclusive" brand.

Once I got the paint off down to the original finish I was able to see that it was a originally a traditional fire-engine red trike with white highlights under the handle bars and a white graphic on each fender. I took several hi-res digital pictures of the fender graphic so that I could load them into a graphics program to be reproduced.

Add more paint stripper to get the original paint of then bring out the Dremel with a sanding wheel to take the trike down to bare metal.

Step 3: Paint...

Once all the metal was stripped and cleaned it is time to repaint. First step is a high adhesion primer. For no real reason I used two types: the yellow on the frame and the normal grey on the other parts.

After two coats of primer and a light sanding I sprayed the frame with two coats of fire engine red, another light sanding and then two coats of a metallic red. While this is not true to the original colour I still remember how much I loved my metallic green stingray bike as a kid when it sparkled in the sun so I wanted to add that extra bit of flair! The two types of red seem to give the paint an extra depth as well as the metallic red seems to be semi transparent to allow the metal flakes to shine through.

For the other parts I used a light tan color instead of pure white. This softens the bike a bit and is more vintage looking as many old cars and 30's bikes would use this color. I also masked off the front of the frame (as in the original paint scheme) to highlight the handle bar mount in the same tan color. I taped off the area and them covered the rest of the frame so that I would not get any over spray on the metallic red. After a light sanding and two coats of the tan I unwrapped everything and sprayed at least four coats of clear coat for protection.

Step 4: 3D Pedals...

I could not find replacement pedals that would fit on the trike, all of them were too wide for this small childs bike. The original pedals were cracked and worn so needed to be replaced. I had always wanted to play with 3D printing so this gave me the perfect chance. I signed up for an account on www.Shapeways.com and started researching how to do this. Google Sketchup ( http://sketchup.google.com) seemed like the easiest and cheapest (free) design option so I downloaded it and began "playing".

I tried several different types of pedals the first being a "solid block" but when I uploaded it into Shapeways and saw the price I had to rethink my design! ($1,000 for two pedals was a little steep!) After several of these iterations I settled on my design that you see in the pictures. It has my god-daughters initials on the top and is a tear drop shape which not only keeps that amount of material down but also goes with the 30's style aaero dynamical fender on the trike! The interior "web" was added to make the pedals stronger but seeing how well they turned out I probably could have even cut some of that out (If I had my own 3D printer I could have prototyped more options... hint.. hint.. ). The Initials on the top serve a practical purpose, along with the personalization, by carving the initials you use less product making the build cheaper and it also creates a textured surface so little feet do not slide off as easily. I used spray clear coat to seal the pedals against moisture and wear.

I would have loved to print these in Shapeways option of "Stainless Steel" but the cost would have been $500. I chose to print the pedals in "Red Strong & Flexible" as it seemed to have the best strength but also the right color. At the end of the day the two pedals cost me about $80 to get made but I think they are well worth it. There are two minor issues with them: the hole where the metal rod from the wheel goes through is a little tight but I am hoping that with use it will lloosen up & the balance is off (I did not think this through in the design) so the pedals are a bit bottom heavy and ass they loosen up they may droop. With my own 3D printer I could have prototyped and balanced the design. But spending another $80 to fix these two minor problems did not seem worth it.

Attached is the design file for these pedals.

Step 5: Laser Cut Leather Seat...

When I saw the bike I knew I wanted to do a leather seat. The original seat was full of Bondo to fill a big divot where the support bar was welded. I removed this down to bare metal and then filled the gap with epoxy so that it was smooth. I tossed around several seat ideas in my head from a wrap around seat to a sewn seat to just a painted seat. As the seat pan had a bit of an inset around its perimeter I figured a nice thick piece of leather could be inset and as there were three existing holes in the pan (and since I always wanted to rivet something!) I figured I could use contact cement to secure the seat in place and then rivet through the holes for a cool look and added security.

I traced the seat pan on a piece of paper and determined center lines for my curves. I then manually transferred this into CorelDraw on my computer. I then replicated the same "Logo" that I designed for the pedals (PQY - my god-daughters initials) as an etching on the leather. The version of CorelDraw I have is very old so I could not export it in the correct format for Ponoko (which had the best selection of materials and good prices) so once I created the correct shape and logo I cut and pasted the line art into inkScape ( www.inkscape.org). Once in inkScape I followed the Ponoko instructions ( http://www.ponoko.com/starter-kits/inkscape#how-this-works) to make the lines either "cut" lines or "etching" lines and made sure the sizing of the seat was correct. (Since the shape of the seat allowed for some extra area I also threw in two leather key fobs just for fun! - waste not, want not!).

I exported the final file and uploaded it to the www.ponoko.com website and chose their "2.5 mm Vege Tanned - Natural Russet Leather" as my material. The price came out to just under $30 which I thought was very fair... Nothing to do now but wait..

When my package arrived I was very impressed by the quality and thickness of the leather and the etching. (Loved the laser burns on the paper backing!) Once the seat pan was fully painted and clear coated and left for the paint to cure for several days I applied a coat of contact cement to both the seat and the bottom of the leather. After waiting 30 minutes I joined the two pieces very carefully and made sure they had full adhesion over the complete surface.

Once the glue had cured I pulled out my new rivot gun and tested it with the key fobs. It worked like a charm! so I put in the three seat rivots into the leather. I then liberally applied 4 coats of mink oil to the exposed leather to seal it against moisture.

I was very happy the way the seat turned out. In retrospect I should have added a bit of a design around the edge of the seat to soften the look (a darker edge would have blended the edge with the red paint). I have attached the design file below that I used to create the seat.

Step 6: Vinyl-cut Fender Graphics...

As I stripped away the paint I uncovered the original fender graphics which were in remarkably good shape. They were a cool retro arrow design that I really liked. I knew that I had to replicate them on the restored trike. I imported the hi-res photo of the fender graphics into CorelPaint and cleaned them up as best I could. Reduced colours, erased defects, converted to Black & White etc. This image was then imported into CorelDraw to make a vector. I hand traced the image using the line tool then deleted the original image to be left with only a vector drawing. I then cleaned up the vector to make the curves smooth and the corners sharp. Using guidelines I adjusted for the curve on the original fender photo and resized the image to match the fender. I flipped the image for the reverse side of the fender (and doubled it in case I screwed up the installation), finally I exported the vector to an Adobe Illustrator file suitable for my local sign guy.

I dropped off the file on a usb key at noon and chose a light tan vinyl that perfectly matched the paint color on the rest of the bike. 3 hours & $15 later I had the cut graphic in my hand! Application was easy just peel and stick, it went on perfect and looked amazing! Without a computer and a digital cutter this would have to have been manually cut or even worse manually painted. I cannot see any way that it would have turned out as perfect as it did without today's technology for an amateur restorer like myself.

Step 7: Laser-cut Acrylic Head Badge

As the revelation of the original head badge sticker did not reveal anything exciting or exceptional and since the sticker was in such bad shape that it would be very difficult to determine what the original would have actually looked like I pulled out my "Creative Licence" and had some fun... I was hoping to find a service that could have milled a metal head badge or etched something in brass but I could not find anything that I felt would work. I could have gone the 3D printing route as it needed to form around the curved metal of the handle bar support but I felt that was overkill for something that I just wanted to be slightly embossed.

I chose to laser engrave red Acrylic using the Ponoko service (3.0 mm Red Acrylic) then heat it up and bend it to the curve I needed. There was a minimum size sheet of acrylic that I could choose so I made two different versions one embossed, one engraved with several of each so that if I screwed one up I would have backups.

When the acrylic was delivered it had paper stuck on the front and back for protection which turned out perfect for me as I could easily spray paint the tan over the badge and it would only go where the acrylic was laser etched away. Once the paint was dry I just peeled away the protective paper and was left with shiny red acrylic with the etched area painted tan. I then needed to bend the badge. I used a kitchen creme brulee torch, a piece of copper sheet (so the flame would not directly hit the plastic) and a glass salt shaker that was the same diameter as the curve I needed.

With an oven mitt handy I heated up the back of the acrylic and then when I felt it was warm enough I picked it up, placed it over the salt shaker and pressed. I could feel it bend so I let it cool a bit and it kept the curve. I had to repeat this one more time to get the exact diameter I needed. Luckily the paint survived the heating and my badge was now complete. I used extra strength thin double sided "tape" (it was not really tape but a glue type gel with protective plastic on each side. You peel the plastic way from one side and stick it to the badge. Then peel the plastic from the other side and stick it to the bike.

The cost for this was $40 because of the minimum order size. But I now have a bunch of custom red "Pogs" for her to play with as well.

Step 8: Vintage Parts...

Not everything I needed was made new, there is a huge market in vintage bike parts and many things can be found on online shops and eBay. The handle bar grips were faded, dried up and cracked but I was lucky enough to find a pair of NOS grips (New Old Stock - grips made in the 60's that have been sitting in a box for 50 years!) These were the perfect red colour with the little finger divots and textured tops.

I was also able to find a pair of NOS Murray Hubcaps. Murray was the leading maker of tricycles in the 50's & 60's so these hubcaps fit perfectly not only size wise but also the vintage styling. And again like the grips they look brand new even though they are 50 years old.

You may notice the bell... I know it is a little big but it is a vintage "double" bell, when she hits the little lever it goes "Bbbbbrrrriiiinggggg, Bbbbbrrrriiiinggggg" just like a bike bell should not some sissy little "ting, ting" sound. I mounted the bell over a piece of sheet cork so that it would not scratch the handle bar paint.

Lastly the handle bar streamers.. you would think that red & white streamers for a kids bike would be easy to find... think again.. I could not find any online, and visited every bicycle store and toy store in a 20 mile radius and could not find any and no-one knew where to get any. So the night before trike delivery I bought a red & white vinyl "Canada" tote bag that was made out of the perfect material weight. Luckily the outside of the bag was red but the inside was white so all I needed to do was to cut it into thin strips tie the ends with some wire and poke them through the ends of the handle bar grips. I am glad I took the extra effort as one of the first things my god-daughter commented on was the streamers!

Step 9: Making It Real...

I think this little red tricycle is the perfect example of "Making it Real", without modern technology it would not be worth the investment required to get the custom parts that were needed to restore this old bike. I do not have the expertise to hand tool leather, paint stripes, forge pedals BUT with a computer and today's making technology I could do it all!

This Instructable not only used computer technology create 3D Parts, Laser-cut Leather, Laser-cut Acrylic & Computer-cut Vinyl graphics but without the internet to search for the vintage parts from around the world I would have never been able to make this trike what it is today.

And lastly and most importantly the only "Real" thing about this project that counts to me is the smile on a little girls face!

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Vintage Tricycle Resurrection With Modern Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am calling this a "Resurrection" not a "Restoration" as I took some liberties with materials and methods in bringing this childs tricycle back to life.

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about scissors that are on a plate form and you use your handut the object you want to cut

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction: Table-Top Scissors | the Cutting Edge of Technology!

Table top saws, sanders, lathes, drills, dishwashers, cookers, lamps, TVs, microscopes, telescopes, and heaters, but no Table-Top Scissors?

The idea for the table-Top Scissors came from a discussion I had at work with a colleague in the workshop. We were talking about things which could be motorized, and for reasons only known to him, he said scissors.

So I got to thinking on how best to do it......

Share

Recommendations

Make it Move Contest

Woodworking Contest

Casting Contest

Step 1: Materials & Preparations

Receipt printers have a mechanism for cutting the paper so you can walk off with your receipt without taking the entire roll of paper, and the printer along with you. Next time you go shopping listen for the blade shortly after the printing has finished. There will be a noise like the slicing of paper. It is that slicing mechanism we will be exploiting for our table-top scissors.

There are two different cutting actions, one which moves an entire blade forwards to cut the paper, and another, the one we are interested in, rotates a blade around a point at one end. The rotating action is identical to cutting with scissors and with a bit of jiggery-pokery we should be able to get as much control from the cut as you can with a pair of manually operated scissors.

I'm going to be using an old Epson M147B thermal receipt printer as the donor for this project, any receipt printer will do so long as it has the correct cutter. We'll need to strip the machine and remove all the fun parts. The two main items are the mechanical cutting blade and the fixed blade.
Scissors are sharp. Please avoid cutting yourself. Blood will stain wood, clothing, and your reputation. Take care, and keep any rocks away from the scissors.
Parts used from the Printer;

The mechanical cutting blade.

The fixed blade.

The power switch.

One large gear.

One small gear.

One Extension Spring.

Additional parts;

Tools
Searching on Google for the motor's model number (FK-180SH) brought up a datasheet detailing the motor's power specifications. Using this information I selected a 12-24v DC motor controller. Video at the end....
Please help support my work here on Instructables and on Thingiverse

by using the following affiliate links when making purchases. Thanks :)

Step 2: Prototyping

The paper-cutting mechanism is very simple; the motor, through a combination of gears, drives a pivot, which moves the cutting blade up & down. The top blade is fixed and does not move. While strictly speaking the two blades are not connected at a single point of rotation, as you would expect with a pair of scissors, the effect of the blade's up & down motion against the edge of the fixed blade is identical to the motion of a pair of manually operated scissors, i.e. paper gets cut.

By altering the angle of the main cutting blade, by lowering and raising one end, we can adjust the cutting stroke. To do this we need to find a suitable hole to fit a pivot for the cutting blade assembly, and design a mechanism for mounting the cutting blade.

I decided to use cardboard to prototype the basic design before cutting any shapes from wood.

1 | The cutting blade works by running its edge against the fixed blade. Firstly we need to position the two blades so that when the cutting blade is at the uppermost part of its movement it will have performed the longest cutting stroke. To help with the design I have placed the fixed blade, and the cutting blade on a bit of paper and drawn around their outlines.

2 | We need a find a pivot point on the cutting blade assembly which we can use to adjust the cut stroke. There is a conveniently placed hole near where the blade rotates in the assembly. I will be using this hole as the pivot point.

3 | Rotate the blade assembly down to its lowest point, using the hole as a centre of rotation. Take a measurement of the total height, allowing for room at the top where the cutting blade will protrude above the table top. Take a similar measurement for the width.

4 | Cut from cardboard a piece using the measurements just taken.

5 | Take additional measurements noting the position of the pivot hole, and the area where the motor protrudes above the assembly. Transfer those measurements to the cardboard and cut out the relating areas.

6 | So that the assembly can rotate we need to expand the cutout. Using a compass & ruler draw an outline of the area needed to be removed. Cut this excess card out and check the movement of the assembly.

We will use the cardboard template as a guide when making the first wood part. Once we have the cutting blade assembly mounted to the wood panel we can then begin to build up the table around this mount.

Before continuing on make sure you are happy with the cutting blade assembly's range of motion, that there is enough over-hang on the width & height of the card and that the blade will extend far enough above the top to give a clean cut.

Step 3: Cut Away

1 | Replicate the cardboard prototype in plywood.

By sheer coincidence the pivot hole in the cutting blade assembly matches perfectly to a spring-loaded screw used to hold down CPU heat-sinks in Laptops. Using a spring loaded screw will keep the cutting blase assembly pressed firmly against its mount.

2 | On the opposite side to the cutting blade assembly glue a matched wood panel, this will help hide the motor assembly. I have clamped it between two clamps, and a workbench (I only have two clamps!).

3 | The highest point on the cutting blade assembly is a screw and bracket which holds the motor in the assembly. I have measured an area on the backing plate which needs to be cut out so the assembly can rotate correctly. I began by drilling several holes, and then finishes the cut-out using needle files.

Drill through and enlarge the bolt hole for the pivot so that the securing nut will sit level with or below the line of the panel.

Step 6: Supporting the Fixed Blade

The fixed blade needs fixing in place. It must sit above the cutting blade assembly. I have taken my inspiration for the design from a Scroll Saw. We're going to build a large C-shaped bracket onto which we will attach the fixed blade.

Before we begin we need some rigid plywood to build with. If you already have thick plywood (8mm or more) you can probably skip steps 1 to 7. I only had 3.6mm Birch Plywood available at the time.

1 | Begin with two equally sized plywood boards. I have picked their size with guess-work on the approximate shape and size I want the C-Shape to be. The plywood I have has one good side, and one not-as-good, we'll glue to two not-as-good sides together, obviously. I have laid the two boards side-by-side on a table. The two smaller parts at each end are for balance.

2 | I don't have a fancy press to hold the boards together, but what I do have is an old coffee table, and the centre section from the dinning room table. Apply glue to one of the boards and smear it around to cover the entire side.

3 | Put the two boards together and align them approximately with each other.

4 | If you don't have a centre section from a dinning table something similar will do, the important part is that it is flat, and won't bend. Lay the heavy flat object (dinning room table centre section), on top of the two boards. Try to be as careful as possible as you don't want to upset the alignment of the two boards.

5 | Pile heavy stuffs on top. Again be careful not to alter the alignment. A little bit off is ok, too much and you will waste a lot of wood later.

6 | Wait. For the glue to dry (I left it overnight).

7 | Dismantle your impromptu press, wonder at your conjoined wood boards and marvel at your new plywood panel.

Note: Old shoes and holey old trousers are not a prerequisite of panel making.

Now that we have a solid panel to work with its time to prepare the C-Shape.

8 | Using the mount for the cutting blade assembly as a starting point, I have drawn out a C-Shape on the plywood panel. It is important to make sure the gap in the opening of the C is set to the right height, and width, for the fixed blade. I used the edges of a large washer to mark a radius on the corners. The size of the C-Shape is down to your own choice. I went with a length of 10cm, and a width of 4cm.

9 | Confirm your measurements.

10 | Using your favourite saw cut out the C-Shape. I used a hand operated electric Jig-Saw to cut out the ruff shape. I used a sanding block, needle files, and my Dremel to shape to the pencil lines.

11 | Take the cutting blade assembly cover that you made in step 5, check it is positioned on the corrected side, and then glue it to the C-Shape.

12 | Check the C-Shape assembly lines up with the cutting blade assembly mount.

13 | We will be using four counter-sunk screws to hold the fixed blade support to the cutting blade assembly mount. Taking care with your measurements drill four holes for the screws remembering to counter sink the holes. Because the rear top corner of the cutting blade assembly mount didn't provide much error for margin I left that hole until last. While the other three screws were in, and after making precise marking I drilled the final hole. To make sure I had a perfectly vertical hole I fitted my Dremel into a drill-press attachment.

14 | While the two parts are screwed together go around the edges with a set-square and check all the corners are as they should be. If you need to make any adjustments, and I did, I found it best to use a sanding block.

Step 8: Attaching the Fixed Blade to the C-Shape Support.

Before we could attach the fixed blade we had to make sure that all the other components were in their final positions. We needed to do this so we could correctly align the two blades and ensure a perfect cut. Now that the cutting blade assembly is fully installed we can now attach the fixed blade and align the two together.

The fixed blade will sit on a mount protruding from the C-Shape. We will use the spring in the wood to keep the fixed blade pressed up against the cutting blade.

Consider, for a moment, a pair of manually operated scissors and examine their blades, you will notice a slight outwards bow. This bowing of the blades helps to concentrate maximum force at a single point of contact. The effect of which is a far better cut than you could achieve with straight cutting blades. To replicate this effect we will need to angle the fixed blade to the cutting blade, we can do this by sanding an angle into the fixed blade mount.

1 | Create a block of wood to which you can attach the fixed blade. You will need to make sure that it will push the fixed blade past the cutting blade and that the two blades are not inline with each other. We will use this overlap to help press the two blades together.

2 | Before gluing the block to the C-Shape, or drilling any holes place the block and the blade against the C-Shape. They should press together at one end, and there will be a space at the other. The wood block will need to be sanded down so that there will be no gaps at either end. I found the difference, over a 5cm length, to be approximately 1mm. I used this measurement to angle the block. You can see this angle in the first photograph.

3 | The blade has several holes already in it, I will be using two to screw it to the block. When drilling the holes make sure to angle the block so that the holes go at 90 degrees to the fixed blade. If you don't do this the screws will not sit flush against the blade.

4 | Glue the block to the C-Shape.

5 | Attach the fixed blade to the C-Shape and assemble the Table-Top scissors.

6 | Check the movement of the two blades. The two blades should only contact at a single point at any given cutting blade position.

7 | When you are happy with the alignment mark up the square edges on the C-Shape and round them off to match the other curves on the C-Shape.

8 | Test the cutting motion by connecting the motor controller. I found that the fixed blade would slip off the cutting blade and the mechanism would jam. To fix this I elongated the rear screw hole and lowered the back end of the blade. You can see this slight angle in one of the photos.

If everything is setup correctly you should be able to cut paper....

Step 9: Building the Base.

To stop the whole thing from toppling over we'll need to make a base.

1 | Using the same technique from Step 6 I glued two panels together and made up a rigid board.

2 | I made a measurement of the bottom of the cutting assembly. In the centre of the board I drew the shape just measured of the base of the cutting assembly.

The exact design of the base is upto you. I kept the same 4cm width used in the C-Shape but I did away with the rounded corners and went for an angular X design.

3 | Draw your design onto the board.

4 | Cut it out.

5 | Sand down to the pencil lines.

The cutting blade mount will have two screws through it, holes need to be drilled into both the base and the mount. Check where you hope to drill the holes and make sure there will be enough clearance. I decided to use a block of wood, sat behind the 4-pin socket. The block will help hold the socket in place and give the screws something to screw into.

6 | Drill two holes into the base, and two matching holes on the cutting blade mount. On the underside of the base counter-sink the holes.

7 | Shape a wood block to sit tight against the 4-pin socket in the cutting blade mount. Drill two holes in the block matching those in the base and the cutting blade mount. Check that the screws you plan to use will screw into the holes drilled.

8 | Assemble the Table-Top Scissors, check that all the parts align correctly.

Step 10: The Foot Pedal | Gearing the Knob.

To control the speed of the cutting blade the motor controller has a speed control knob. Under normal circumstances one would adjust the speed with one's hands, but because using scissors, manually or otherwise, is a two handed job we need to add in a foot pedal to handle this task.

The motor controller has a small potentiometer with a knob on it. As the knob is too small to turn with your feet we need to make an alternative mechanism to rotate the pot. Using a series of gears and linkages we can make a pedal box to rotate the potentiometer, and to house the controller board.

1 | Remove the knob from the potentiometer.

2 | At the top of the knob, approximately 2mm from the end, cut the top off. There should be a little sleeve that comes out, it will have ridges on the inside which match those on the stub. Measure the outside diameter of the sleeve.

3 | Take the smaller gear and drill out the centre hole to match the diameter of the sleeve from the knob. Check the sleeve will fit inside.

4 | Using a small needle file cut down the inside of the smaller gear to create a slot, repeat this on the opposite side.

5 | Make similar sized slots in the sleeve, check the two match by putting the sleeve into the smaller gear.

6 | Make a small bar to fit between the slots.

7 | Slip a plastic washer over the knob's spindle.

8 | Place the small gear onto the spindle.

9 | Down the gap in the spindle slide the small metal bar so it fits in the slots.

10 | Push the sleeve down the spindle so it aligns with the bar.

11 | Place another plastic washer on the spindle.

12 | Press the assembly tight with your fingers.

The gear should now be held tightly in place. The there should be no slipping when the spindle, or gear, rotates.

13 | Rotate the knob to the maximum position is either direction.

14 | Place the larger gear against the small gear so the cogs mesh. Make note of the gears positions in relation to each other.

15 | Rotate the knob to the maximum opposite position. Make note of the movement of the larger gear during this rotation. The smaller gear will rotate approximately 270 degrees, the larger gear will move a smaller amount.

16 | Allowing for errors cut the larger gear down so there is ample gearing available for the smaller gear to complete its rotation. Make sure to keep the centre intact as we will need this when we come to mount the gears.

17 | Measure the distance between the centre holes for the larger gear and the centre of the smaller gear.

18 | Transfer these measurements to a bit of wood and drill holes to match the shaft for the knob and the larger gear's centre.

19 | Fit the geared knob, and the larger gear.

20 | Check the movement of the gears and knob. The knob should go through its full 270 degree range without coming off the larger gear.

Step 11: The Foot Pedal | Making the Mechanism

Next we need to integrate the geared knob into a foot pedal. For this to work we need to convert the up & down motion of the pedal to the rotational motion of the geared knob. We'll use linkages, hinges and springs.

1 | Begin by squaring off the wood used in the previous step. Leave at least a 1cm border underneath the smaller gear.

2 | We want a solid base for the foot pedal so I used off-cuts from the X-Shaped base we made in step 9. Begin by sanding and smoothing down the sides of the base plate.

3 | Cut a groove into the base plate so that the gear assembly will stand upright in the groove.

4 | Attach a hinge to the base plate at the opposite end to the groove.

5 | Using another off-cut from the base, or a spare bit of wood if no more off-cuts are available, and match its width to the base plate. This will be used as the foot pedal.

6 | Attach the foot pedal to the base plate using the hinge.

The foot pedal will need to be spring loaded so it will reset when you take your foot off it.

7 | Find a suitable spring, the one I used is about an inch in length.

8 | Mount the spring to a wooden spring seat. I used a small screw and a washer to hold it.

9 | The spring seat will be glued to the base plate, but you will have to find the optimum position for the spring. The foot pedal will need to rest on top of the gear assembly and just very slightly compress the spring. When you have found the sweet spot glue the spring seat to the base plate.

The next few stages will require a fair amount of guess work, and jiggery pokery. We need to connect the larger gear to the foot pedal, and spring load the larger gear to help it return to it's original position when you foot is taken off the pedal.

10 | Remove the larger gear from the gear assembly. Drill a hole at each extreme into which a screw will screw into.

11 | Make a linkage approximately 1.5cm in length. Drill two holes at each end, make them larger than the screw so the linkage will be free to move. Attach the linkage to the larger gear.

12 | Use the small extension spring taken from the printer, attach it to the larger gear.

13 | Cut down the foot pedal so the end does not hit against the gear assembly when fully compressed.

14 | Refit the larger gear to the gear assembly.

15 | Measure and cut a 1cm wide strip to match the arc of the larger spring. Glue this strip behind the larger gear to help support it.

16 | Glue a strip of wood to the foot pedal so that the linkage will align to the larger gear.

17 | Onto the base plate glue a small block to which the extension spring will attach.

18 | Connect up the gears, springs & linkage.

19 | Check the mechanism works.

Step 13: One Last Hole

The main power switch, it needs to go somewhere.

Another fluke, or consequence of my subconscious genius, you decided, is that the switch's depth is almost identical to the thickness of the C-Shape support. So we're going to cut a hole in the C-Shape and mount the switch in it.

1 | Fit the cutting blade assembly into position. Check for available space, and that the cutting blade assembly will not catch on the switch. Take note of the switch's intended position, and the switch's size.

2 | Mark a hole on the C-Shape using the measurements from stage 1.

3 | Cut out the hole marked on the C-Shape support in stage 2.

4 | Put the switch in the hole in the C-Shape support cut in stage 3.

5 | Assemble the Table-Top Scissors & The Foot Pedal, and check that all is well.

We're nearly done, but before we can cut the finish line there are still a few things to do. Firstly we need to stain the wood, and secondly there is the wiring to complete. Before we do this now is a good time to check that all the mechanics work, and that there are no missing screws, bolts, or springs.

To do this build up both the Foot Pedal and the Table-Top Scissors and check over your work before continuing.

Step 15: Interconnectedness

For there to be a tangible interconnectedness between the Table-Top Scissors & the Foot Pedal we must make a cable. The cable will feature two 4-Pin plugs at each end to match the two 4-Pin sockets on the Table-Top Scissors and the Foot Pedal.

The plugs come with their own instructions, and it was noted that the largest diameter cable they could be used with was 6.5mm. However the diameter of the 4-Core Cable I had, and the only one I could find, was 7.1mm. I checked the cable against the socket, and they are mismatched, just like the instructions indicated they would be.

Luckily, I have a plan.

1 | Cut off around 8cm (3") of shielding off one end of the 4-Core cable.

2 | Slip an 8cm length of 8-10mm diameter heat-shrink over the end of the cable, position the heat-shrink approximately 2 cm back from the end of the cable. The heat-shrink should overlap some of the cable's shielding.

3 | Heat the heat-shrink so the heat-shrink shrinks over the cable.

4 | Repeat stages 1, 2 & 3, at the opposite end of the cable.

The cable's diameter should now be small enough to fit inside the plug assembly.

Follow the instructions that came with the plugs to complete your cable.

Step 17: A Cut Above the Rest!

I printed out a sheet of test shapes to practice with before I had a go at the Instructables Robot, both are attached as .pdf files.

After a bit of trial & error, I think I finally got the hang of it....

Attachments

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Table-Top Scissors | the Cutting Edge of Technology!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Table top saws, sanders, lathes, drills, dishwashers, cookers, lamps, TVs, microscopes, telescopes, and heaters, but no Table-Top Scissors? The idea for the table-Top Scissors came from a discussion I had at work with a colleague in the workshop. We were talking about things which could be motorized, and for reasons only known to him, he said scissors.

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about people that are blind and now can use a sensor on there hand to detect near by items to help them navigate around without bumping in to something

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction: THIRD EYE FOR THE BLIND - an Innovative Wearable Technology for Blinds.

- The first wearable technology for blinds - Using ultrasonic waves to detect the obstacles - Notifying the user through vibrations/buzzer sound
Third eye for blinds is an innovation which helps the blinds people to navigate with speed and confidence by detecting the nearby obstacles using the help of ultrasonic waves and notify them with buzzer sound or vibration. They only need to wear this device as a band or cloth.

According to WHO 39 million peoples are estimated as blinds worldwide. They are suffering a lot of harder ship in there daily life.The affected ones have been using the traditional white cane for many years which although being effective, still has a lot of disadvantages. Another way is, having a pet animal such as a dog, but it is really expensive. So the aim of the project is to develop a cheap and more efficient way to help visually impaired to navigate with greater comfort, speed and confidence.
Watch the video of it's working. Watch the video that came in a news channel (Malayalam language)
Novelty of the project
This is the first wearable technology for blinds which resolves all the problems of existing technologies. Now a days there are so many instruments and smart devices for visually impaired peoples for navigation but most of them have certain problems for carrying and the major drawbacks is those need a lot of training to use. The one of the main peculiarity of this innovation is, it is affordable for everyone, the total cost being less than $25 (~1500INR). There are no such devices available in the market that can be worn like a cloth and having such a low cost and simplicity. When used on a large scale, with improvements in the prototype, it will drastically benefit the community.

Share

Recommendations

Science of Cooking

Pocket-Sized Contest

Microcontroller Contest

Step 1: Existing Systems

1.White cane

2.Pet dog

3.Smart devices (eg : Vision a torch for blinds)

Problem of the Existing Systems:
* White cane - May easily crack/break,The stick may get stuck at pavement cracks of different objects.

* Pet dog - Huge cost. (~$42,000 / 280000Rs )

* Common Disadvantages (Including the the smart devices) Cannot be carried easily, needs a lot of training to use...
The features of Third eye for blinds:
By wearing this device they can fully avoid the use of white cane and such other devices. This device will help the blind to navigate without holding a stick which is a bit annoying for them. They can simply wear it as a band or cloth and it can function very accurately and they only need a very little training to use it.

Step 2: Full Description of the Project

I have designed a special wearable device based on the arduino board which can be worn like a cloth for blinds. This device is equipped with five ultrasonic sensors, consisting of five modules which are connected to the different parts of the body. Among them, two for both shoulder, another two for both knees and one for the hand. Using the five ultrasonic sensors, blind can detect the objects in a five dimensional view around them and can easily travel anywhere. When the ultrasonic sensor detects obstacle the device will notify the user through vibrations and sound beeps. The intensity of vibration and rate of beeping increases with decrease in distance and this is a fully automated device.

The entire project can be made in the form of jacket, so that the device doesn't need to be wear one by one. Use of specially designed boards instead of arduino and high quality ultrasonic sensors makes faster response which make the device capable of working in crowded.

Step 3: Tested Successfully With the Help of a Visually Impaired Person.

Read more about this here in the Awards won for this innovation.

1. 1st price for PPT innovation award

2. 2nd price in state level science fair. (Conducted by Government of Kerala)

FB post by our school science teacher.

Step 4: Prototyping of the Idea - Parts Used

Materials

5 x Arduino pro mini

5 x Ultrasonic sensor

5 x Perfboard

5 x Vibrating motor

5 x Buzzers

5 x Red LEDs

5 x Switches

Male and female header pins

4 x Jumper cable

One power bank

One 3.3 volt old mobile battery

Some elastics and stickers(to make it as a band for wearing)

Step 5: Circuit Diagram

Wiring instruction.
Ground of LED, buzzer and vibration motor to GND of arduino

+ve of LED and middle leg of switch to Arduino pin 5

+ve of Buzzer to first leg of switch

+ve of Vibration motor to third leg of switch
Ultrasonic sensor
Ultrasonic sensor pin VCC - Arduino pin VCC

Ultrasonic sensor pin GND - Arduino pin GND

Ultrasonic sensor pin Trig - Arduino pin 12

Ultrasonic sensor pin Echo - Arduino PIN 12
The switch used here is for selecting the mode. ( buzzer or vibration mode.)
Figure 2 - Powering the modules - Connect the 4 arduino pro mini to a USB male pin and connect to a power bank. For the module in the hand use a small lithium battery.

Step 6: Making the Modules

1. First cut the pref board in 5 X 3 cm dimension and solder the female headers for the arduino to the board.

2. Then solder the buzzer.

3. Then connect the vibrating motor using the glue gun and solder wires to it.

4. Then connect the LED.

5. Then connect the switch.

6. Then connect header pins for ultrasonic sensors and for battery input.

7. Then solder everything as shown in the circuit diagram.

8. Now connect the arduino and ultrasonic sensor to the board

Also connect the elastic band to all the modules.
3 more modules are to be made in the same way us described above, but for the one in the hand, there is a little difference. visit the next step before making that last module.

Step 7: Code + Making the Module for the Hand

1. Connect the ultrasonic sensor to the board by using 4 jumper cables.

2. Then connect a 3.7 volt mobile battery to this module.

3. Then connect the elastic band as shown in the figure.

At last upload the code to each arduino board and power the 4 other modules using a power bank.
Code used in the arduino -
  //VISIT : www.robotechmaker.com

  const int pingTrigPin = 12; //Trigger connected to PIN 7
  const int pingEchoPin = 10; //Echo connected yo PIN 8
  int buz=5; //Buzzer to PIN 4
  void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(buz, OUTPUT);
  }
  void loop()
  {
  long duration, cm;
  pinMode(pingTrigPin, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(pingTrigPin, LOW);
  delayMicroseconds(2);
  digitalWrite(pingTrigPin, HIGH);
  delayMicroseconds(5);
  digitalWrite(pingTrigPin, LOW);
  pinMode(pingEchoPin, INPUT);
  duration = pulseIn(pingEchoPin, HIGH);
  cm = microsecondsToCentimeters(duration);
  if(cm<=50 && cm>0)
  {
  int d= map(cm, 1, 100, 20, 2000);
  digitalWrite(buz, HIGH);
  delay(100);
  digitalWrite(buz, LOW);
  delay(d);
  }
  Serial.print(cm);
  Serial.print("cm");
  Serial.println();
  delay(100);
  }
  long microsecondsToCentimeters(long microseconds)
  {
  return microseconds / 29 / 2;
  }

Attachments

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
THIRD EYE FOR THE BLIND - an Innovative Wearable Technology for Blinds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first wearable technology for blinds - Using ultrasonic waves to detect the obstacles - Notifying the user through vibrations/buzzer sound Third eye for blinds is an innovation which helps the blinds people to navigate with speed and confidence by detecting the nearby obstacles using the help of ultrasonic waves and notify them with buzzer sound or vibration.