Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster

Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster

by Bryce Bigger
Released July 2013
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
ISBN: 9780071802765

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Book description

Design and build your own robotic, Arduino-powered sentry blaster!

Break out the big daddy blaster--and teach it to act on its own! Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster walks you through cool DIY projects, such as working with motion sensors, remote monitors, and facial detection software, all while building up to the ultimate goal: a robotic NERF weapon that finds and fires on its targets! Have some serious fun along the way as you learn about creative coding with Processing and Arduino.

Step-by-step instructions show you how to:

  • Construct and mount a servo, NERF blaster, and webcam in harmonious alignment
  • Program Processing to receive video, search it for a face, and then pass instructions to your Arduino board via USB cable
  • Configure Arduino to process the message and instruct the servo to move to a new position
  • Specify your target radius in Processing and, when met, send the message to Arduino that it's time to "open fire!"

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Build Your Own Autonomous NERF® Blaster: Programming Mayhem with Processing and Arduino™
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. 1 Tinkering
    1. Tinkering Is Not a Waste of Time
      1. Tinkering with Game Boy Advance
      2. Tinkering with MAME Arcade
      3. Tinkering with 3D
      4. Tinkering with Arduino
    2. Tinkering Can Get You a Job
  9. 2 Building a NERF Niche
    1. The Sentinel Project
    2. The Design
    3. The Blaster
    4. The Base
    5. The Code
  10. 3 Processing Crash Course
    1. What’s Processing?
    2. Getting Processing
      1. Installing Processing on Mac OS X
      2. Installing Processing on Windows
    3. Hello, Circle!
    4. More Circles!
    5. Save the Ellipses!
    6. Don’t Skimp on Structure
    7. Let’s Draw
  11. 4 Arduino Crash Course
    1. What’s a Microcontroller?
      1. So Use a Desktop or Laptop, Right?
      2. What Connects to Microcontrollers?
    2. Types of Arduino Boards
    3. Anatomy of an Arduino
    4. Dream, Create, Deploy
    5. Getting Started
      1. It’s Go Time!
    6. What You’ll Need
    7. Installing the Software
    8. Blinky Blink
    9. Wiring an Arcade Button
    10. What You’ll Need
    11. Making Things Move
    12. “Awesometer”
    13. What You’ll Need
      1. But Wait. There’s More!
    14. Awesome. We’re Done
  12. 5 Motion Detection
    1. What You’ll Need
    2. Motion-Sensing Methodology
      1. PIR Sensors
      2. Image-Based Detection in Processing
      3. Computer Vision
      4. Facial Detection with OpenCV
  13. 6 Tinkering Pays Off
    1. Project Blueprint: The MailChimp Feces Flinger
      1. The Concept
      2. Project Requirements
      3. Design and Build
      4. Software and Video Streaming
      5. Delivery
    2. The Takeaways
      1. The Feces Flinger—What Went Right
      2. The Feces Flinger—What Warranted Another Look
      3. The Feces Flinger—Lessons Learned
  14. 7 Foam Dart Blaster Hackery
    1. Components
      1. Optional Upgrades
      2. Analog Tools
    2. Blaster Selection
    3. The Big Chart
    4. Weight Removal
      1. Option 1: Lithium-Ion Battery Modification
      2. Option 2: Make the Battery Tray External
      3. Option 3: Power-Adapter Modification
    5. Fire Control
  15. 8 Blaster Brains and Eyes
    1. Autonomous Turret, Assemble!
      1. Pan as in Rotation System
      2. It’s Webcam Time
      3. Down to the Wiring
    2. Mouse Movement = Servo Movement
      1. Blaster Coding for Processing
      2. Blaster Coding for Arduino
  16. 9 Autonomous Avenger Armed
    1. All Systems Enabled
      1. HUDs, GUIs, and FUIs
      2. Tips and Tricks
  17. 10 Leveling Up
    1. Cutting the Cords
      1. Manual Control
      2. Death Blossom
      3. Even More Awesome
  18. A Parts List
  19. B The Sentinel Project Build
    1. Instructions for the Prototype Build
      1. Building the Base
  20. C Applied Warfare Tactics
    1. Flanking
    2. Diversion
    3. Choke Point
  21. D Tales from the Toolbox
    1. Save Time, Save Money
    2. Board Up Your Toolbox
    3. Upgrade to a Combo?
    4. Powering Your Project
    5. Blaster Augmentation
    6. Alternate Input
    7. Fancy Up
  22. Index

Product information

  • Title: Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster
  • Author(s): Bryce Bigger
  • Release date: July 2013
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
  • ISBN: 9780071802765