Elevator TARDIS Tutorial

Engineer Mike Grusin turns the SparkFun elevator into something much more awesome.

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Here at SparkFun, we have been known to use our products to play pranks on each other from time to time. You've probably noticed some of our shenanigans in the weekly product videos.  While riding our elevator one day, SparkFun Engineer Mike Grusin decide to make the ride a little more interesting.

If you’re not already a fan of the British science-fiction show Doctor Who, this project won’t make much sense to you. For the rest of you, the signature sound of the Doctor’s time and space machine, the TARDIS, is instantly recognizable. Mike set out to have the SparkFun elevator instantly transform into TARDIS anytime someone went for a ride.

 

Using a combination of a  3.3V Arduino Pro, an MP3 Shield, a microSD card some stackable headers, an ADXL345, and a host of other parts (you can see the whole wishlist here), Mike recreated the TARDIS right here in the SparkFun building. You can read more about the project at Mike's tutorial and learn how to create your own TARDIS elevator. Great work, Mike!


Comments 21 comments

  • Ranos / about 12 years ago / 4

    Shouldn't that Police box be blue ?

  • another-dave / about 12 years ago * / 3

    only a tardis that is bored and has allowed herself to be 'kidnapped' to get some adventure in her live makes that sound. It the sound of a tardis being used by a untrained operator who doesn't know how to release the brake.

  • Blacklab1 / about 12 years ago / 3

    Some one needs to take off the brake!

  • Zaphod / about 12 years ago / 3

    Fancy inventory list!

  • Odlid_Dave / about 12 years ago / 2

    Great Project, only one question....... Any details on the amplifier?

    • MikeGrusin / about 12 years ago / 1

      How about 1.4W into 8 Ohms, ~90% efficient, runs at 3.3V or 5V, and on a board 0.8" square?

      It's in the manufacturing pipeline, so you should see it in a month or so.

  • Oladon / about 12 years ago / 2

    I can add from experience that Mike's endeavor was a huge success. It really does sound like the TARDIS... and if you aren't expecting it, it's rather creepy.

  • Yvan256 / about 12 years ago / 2

    First things first, but not necessarily in that order.

  • NotDavid4JustDavid / about 12 years ago / 2

    I'm waiting for the Dalek project. Oh wait....

    "You will be exterminated!"

    Maybe not....

  • MBB / about 12 years ago / 1

    Ahh... Doctor Who! I lived slightly to the left of the middle-of-not-much in the UK when I was a kid. We had no TV, just a radio (I still love The Goonshow!!). My mom was a big SF fan and happened to catch the very first Doctor Who broadcast one Saturday afternoon... and by the next Saturday we had a TV in the house!

    The Tardis 'engine' sound always brings back great memories.

  • Troy Johnson / about 12 years ago / 1

    Which parts make the inside larger than the outside? I want to do that to my garage!

  • HungryMaggot / about 12 years ago / 1

    usually the sense of humor on these posts is such freaky boring it makes me lol

  • longs for star trek.

  • gordonmx / about 12 years ago / 1

    Fake! The Doctor's Tardis is BLUE.

    • another-dave / about 12 years ago / 1

      nonsense! a fully functional tardis will empathically change her appearance to match it's surroundings. This one obviously landed at sparkfun, so turned red upon arrival. If it can't be found anymore, look for an extra SMT pick and place machine or an object of similar size.

  • sgrace / about 12 years ago / 1

    It would have been more appropriate to use the Star Trek teleporter sound.

  • Wow that's really cool! can we have a video of it in action?

  • UnReconstructed / about 12 years ago / 1

    Now THATS terribly cool......I can think of a few somewhat more nefarious things to do with this.....and a great illustration of using a few shield boards together.....

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