Zebraspot is pleased to offer prototyping services for hardware/software hybrid projects. Not sure what this means? The same skills that we've been offering for problem solving in the software realms, we are now applying to the real world. We can build custom hardware solutions for a wide variety of real world problems, help you launch into the Internet of Things era, or create dynamic eye-catching, or fascinating machines for special occasions.
As founder and chief instigator at the Diyode Community Workshop, Simon has spent years voraciously learning the latest available prototyping techniques. From CNC milling and machining, laser cutting, and 3D printing, to the latest in microcontroller technology, we're up to date with it all.
This system was developed for the Diyode Community workshop, and is intended to track inventory purchases by members. It integrates iButton technology, magnetic locks, a TFT touch screen, and a web-services back end to track and bill members who make purchases from Diyode inventory.
After deciding that I wanted to try teaching arduino basics to my daughter's grade 4 class, I became quite aware of how daunting that task would be with the current best practices. We needed a way to get the kids interest quicker, and keep them excited throughout the process. Most of the roadblocks when being introduced to this exciting technology are to do with breadboarding, electronics theory, and trying to do too much without feedback. We designed the CodeShield to solve this problem, and have found it effective for introducing kids as young as 9 to the joy of electronics. The Codeshield is now available in many fine hobby electronics stores around the world, including MakerShed and SpikenzieLabs. You can read more about it at the Codeshield website.
In May of 2013, we decided to take the CodeShield to the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo, California. But, having a table with a few little circuit boards didn't sound that exciting. We decided to build a fully function 10x scale codeshield for the show. This involved casting giant LEDs out of resin, building giant potentiometers, rotary encoders and servo motors, and even giant resistors, diodes and transistors. And it all had to work just like the little one. The CodeShield Grandé is glorious, and won us a Best of Show ribbon from Make Magazine.
Built for the Felt Lab in St. Jacobs, Ontario, these are status indicator lights built on Intel Galileo boards. They drive a set of 12 RGB LEDS behind a custom laser-cut grille. The lights respond to the avatar greeter and Kinect camera at the entrance to the lab. As the visitor to the lab indicates interest in the different stations around the room, a socket server interfacing with the Kinect camera tells the various different lights to activate or deactivate, presenting the visitor with a way to interact with the entire room.
An arduino-based system that interfaces with the Diyode membership management website to decide who gets to come into the shop, locks out the people who haven't paid their membership, and announces peoples arrival on the hackerspace's IRC channel. The system uses iButton keyfobs to identify members.
Environmental Sensors - Light, temperature, humidity, magnetic fields, we can detect them all.
LED Strip and pixel board - Make beautiful displays and dynamic, interactive light shows.
Accelerometers - Detect motion and respond to it.
EL Wire - Wire that glows. Think TRON suits.
Laser cutting - Extremely accurate cutting of wood, acrylic, leather, paper, and many others.
3D printing - Design or scan 3D objects, and print them out of plastic.
CNC machining - Accurate, reproducible cuts in wood and metal.
Woodworking - oooh, wood is nice!
Vinyl cutting - Many uses other than just sign making.