I’ve been looking at several Internet of Things (IoT) cloud platforms to support a new series of connected projects. The ideal platform would have a no-subscription (free) option as well as an affordable paid tier that offers expanded resources when a project requires more. My intended audience of students, makers, scientists and artists will want […]
IoT Platforms for Makers Read Post »
I created the Digi XBee Sensor Lab for Embedded World 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany. The XBee Sensor Lab is a fun, hands on demonstration of XBee Cellular, edge computing, and Digi Remote Manager Data Streams, with complete over the air access. By implementing smart sensors for different commercial and industrial use cases, the XBee Sensor
Live Demo – Digi XBee Sensor Lab Read Post »
The four Digi Earth Rovers that I built made their debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January of 2022. There’s a full post about it on the Digi site. EXCERPT The Earth Rover is a STEM educational robot that demonstrates the power of cellular IoT for remote devices. It is
Digi Earth Rover: Inspiring STEM Robotics Read Post »
We have liftoff. My first Balloon Environmental Sensing test successfully “slipped the surly bonds of earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings” sending data back the whole time. First flight was at the Digital Naturalism Conference in Gamboa, Panama, featuring 10+ sensor values streaming from the balloon to an online data collection system and
Balloon IoT Environmental Sensing Takes to the Air Read Post »
Last month we did range testing on a new LoRaWAN radio network installation in Gamboa, Panama. The network, which covers the entire center of town is part of the Digital Naturalism Lab’s commitment to supporting wildlife and environmental research. Gamboa, where the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s laboratory is located, is surrounded by the SoberanÃa National
Gamboa, Panama – LoRaWAN Radio Range Test Read Post »
Rust is gorgeous. We marvel at its endless shades of ochre, red, orange and sienna. We appreciate the organic shapes created as right angles collapse and edges decay into jagged landscapes. Rust is poetic, photogenic, artistic and melancholy. It grows on its own and famously, never sleeps. As an agricultural species, we love to garden.
It’s easy to do environmental sensing at ground level. But how about up in the air over our heads? If we could somehow reach it inexpensively and safely, can we directly explore what lies above, perhaps making our own discoveries? One of my projects for Dinacon 2019 will create a party-balloon platform for inexpensive aerial
Balloon Environmental Sensing Read Post »
Maybe you’ve struggled with coding for time zones, local calendars or historical time changes. Or perhaps you’ve wondered why a software developer went pale when you asked them to add local time calculations to an app and wondered why? In this classic review, Tom Scott explains how a seemingly simple measurement calculation becomes a “twisty-turny
The Trouble With Time Zones Read Post »
I’ve been writing hands-on examples for using MicroPython on XBee radios. MicroPython is an open-source programming language based on Python 3, modified to fit on small devices, and optimized for microcontrollers. By using MicroPython, an easy-to-learn scripting and programming language, you can rapidly prototype intelligent behaviors at the edges of your network. Cryptic sensor readings can be
MicroPython Examples for XBee Read Post »
Here’s a fun project I created for Digi International a while back. I just wrote up for them as an Instructable so that anyone can make their own. All materials, steps, diagrams and necessary code are included in the instructions. You can get started right away. The Digi XBee3 Cellular SMS ActivityBot is an educational
Text Message-Controlled Robot Read Post »
