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Processing the Danger Shield - February 4th, 2012
People love games, interactive stories and simulations, now you can learn how to create them while gaining programming skills in the process. In this class we use SparkFun’s DangerShield to teach how a Micro-Controller can be used as an interface for a computer program. Students will learn the basics necessary to create programs such as graphical interfaces, data logging visualizations, games and animations using the free programming environment called Processing. Processing is based on Java so students will learn 21st century programming skills that are immediately transferable to college and the workplace.
By the end of the class students will understand how to use analog and digital sensors as input to effect something on the computer screen and how to use the computer as input to effect physical outputs in the real world, such as LEDs. Due to the heavily supported community nature of Processing, once the basics are understood a whole new world of creation and learning are available.
**Concepts covered in this class: **
- Drawing simple shapes in Processing
- Importing images in Processing
- Creating functions in Processing
- Creating classes in Processing
- Passing variables
- Serial handshake between Arduino and Processing
- Effecting Processing images depending on Arduino input
- Effecting Arduino output depending on Processing input
Materials Included in this class:
- 1 x Arduino Uno
- 1 x Danger Shield
- 1 x 6' USB A-B Cable
Prerequisites: Intro to Arduino or the equivalent. Please bring a laptop, SparkFun has 15 laptops on a first come first serve basis. Please contact Education@sparkfun.com to reserve a laptop.
Note: Class registration is fully refundable until Friday, January 27th, at 5:00pm MST. Please call to do so. If you wish to cancel after that time, or miss the workshop for any reason, we will transfer the amount you paid to SparkFun store credit, but cannot issue refunds. Thanks for your understanding!
Date: Saturday February 4th, 2012
Time: 9 AM – 5 PM (with a break for lunch from 12 - 1)
Location:SparkFun
Instructors: Ben Leduc Mills, Lindsay Craig, Jeff Branson and more TBD
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Customer Reviews
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Please, for the love of God, come up with a way for us non Boulder residing folks to buy the classes online, and watch it either live HD streaming or as a pre-recorded session. I love the sparkfun products but I want to love the classes more!
This has been mentioned by several people for every class we have and each time we announce new classes. We are working on it and will let everyone know when we have a good method for doing this.
yes, maybe you guys could do some sort of live video feed like the monitor turn off prank? I would love just seeing the class, especially for programming help. But I'm not sure how you could get profits....
it's not at all about profits. we don't intent do make money necessarily. buy the logistics of showing the class would mean several cameras, video feeds much more robust than u-stream, and extra people to monitor them.
suffice it to say, we're working on it and there will be much fanfare when it's ready.
How about mounting a Pan Tilt Bracket with a webcam on the Rover 5 and handing over control to a remote student? I don't know how practical it is but it sure would be fun!
online classes should correspond to robots with monitors and webcams and arms, so we can actually participate from far away. When done, you could ship us the stuff we broke. lol.
The class was great. Everyone was patient and helpful and I learned lots. But I have a question on the Danger Shield itself. Once home I played around with the shield some more and discovered I cannot get the output of the temperature sensor to vary at all. Watching the serial output, the value from the temp sensor doesn't move from around 570, even with an ice cube sitting on it. A friend who attended is having the same issue with his. I doubt multiple hardware failures. Is there any chance there's a problem in the sketch we were provided? I certainly don't see anything obvious but I am a noob.
The example code on the Danger Shield page appears to be more complete. Give that a try: http://dlnmh9ip6v2uc.cloudfront.net/datasheets/Dev/Arduino/Shields/Danger_shield_V16.zip
It was a great class, and went through controlling a processing program with an Arduino really well. It would be nice to see some information and examples on sending data the other direction though. I would love to learn how to control an Arduino driven system with a processing based GUI.
It was a great class, and went through controlling a processing program with an Arduino really well. It would be nice to see some information and examples on sending data the other direction though. I would love to learn how to control an Arduino driven system with a processing based GUI.
I also would be very happy to see online versions of your courses, even if I had to pay for them!
Do we need the 1.0 Arduino IDE loaded on our computers before this class? Or is 022 OK? I don't want to risk breaking all my ongoing projects...
I'm assuming that we will also need to have Processing on our computer.
ahh yes free online classes would be most beneficial- upload to you tube or something (especially with spark fun exclusive products) and people will flock to the site and order the cool warez (myself included)
If I already have an Uno, would the cost change? Or would I end up with a Dos?
you'll need more than one eventually, so dos is good. I now find having at least two on hand is a necessity.
Danger Shield comes preassembled.
Is the Danger Shield preassembled or is building the kit part of the class?