This article is part of Interesting Arduino Projects Ideas and Topics.
We compiled a list of 19 Arduino projects that would be cool to design. If you have an Arduino lying around or are planning to buy one, these should definitely come in handy. All you need is an Arduino board and some basic electronics supplies. However keep in mind, these are electronics items, so safety first.
1. Arduino-based Earthquake Sensor
This list of Arduino projects starts off with an earthquake indicator. A highly-sensitive ADXL335 accelerometer is presented that can indicate vibrations. If the motion is violent enough during an earthquake and crosses a certain threshold, a local alarm light (LED) glows, a buzzer sounds and a relay energizes. With certain modifications, this can be turned into a knock-and-shake detector for ATMs, vehicles, or door-break alarms.
2. DIY Greenhouse
Another idea would be to build a greenhouse for yourself. You can have your own kitchen garden built inside a wrapped enclosure. Mark Watney (Matt Damon in Martian) will definitely be proud. Let’s take a look at the project before your shuttle malfunctions. In this slideshow, the designer takes you through the entire details of building an Arduino project. The project is easy to build and the software and hardware details are provided within the presentation. So go ahead with building a greenhouse for yourself.
3. Automated Plant Watering System
Once you are all set with your greenhouse, how does an alarm system for watering your plants sound? This next project could be an addition to your greenhouse as well. You can use both of these arduino projects together to have your own automated kitchen garden. This project is a simple and exciting plant watering system that you can build yourself in just a few hours. With efficient use of moisture sensor and downloadable component layout and source code, this could fit in perfectly for potted plants, be it on your terrace or the balcony or the front lawn. It works everywhere.
This video takes you through a very similar system that would be very helpful in understanding the project.
4. DIY Walkie Talkie
Walkie-talkies have always fascinated me. I use to wonder why didn’t they just use their phones. Turns out it makes much sense to use a walkie-talkie for them. These are bi directional modules dedicated for conversation between just them. How about you make one for yourself? This next arduino project uses a bluetooth for communication. All you’ll need are basic electronics supplies and an arduino board. Hopefully if your frequency crosses over with mine, we might talk?
5. DIY Inverter
How much does an inverter cost? A basic with a single battery costs about 20-25K. How about you just go about buying the battery and use this next arduino project for your inverter. Money aside, you get to have fun while building it. Who knows, this very practical solution could generate interest in electronics for you.
6. Fingerprint Lock using Arduino
Once you have all this electronic stuff around, you can’t let just about anybody into your workshop. This Fingerprint door lock helps you in keeping unwanted people away from your workshop. You want some engineer to access the workshop, you can add his credentials to the database and he would have access as well.
7. Secret Knock Detector
If updating the fingerprint sensor becomes tiring for you, there is always another system of a secret door knock. However, things are not like the secret seven now. Using the arduino project, you can turn your regular door lock into a smart door lock. A good opportunity to work with morse code to come up with knocks. Or you could just “say friend and enter” (Ref. Lord of the rings). You could create multiple arduino projects with similar rigs.
8. Secret Knock Gumball Machine
A variant of the secret knock detector could be a gumball machine that dispenses only to limited people. You could have a machine setup in your home and have fun with your family. You could also punish others by changing the knock (just an idea).
9. Air Quality Controller
Some reports stated Bengaluru to be unlivable in the next 5 years. Top reason listed in the report was high air pollution. How about you build something for yourself that helps you in keeping the air clean at least in your home. The outside can be taken care by planting more trees, which is a longer process. You go ahead with building a air quality control system for yourself.
10. Turn Signalling Jacket
Taking your zeal to make the air clean inside your apartment, we would also suggest you build this next jacket which signals left or right turning for two wheelers. Left or right turning indicators are often missing in bicycles, and most of the other people don’t use them. This jacket could come in handy for such people. The blinking LED’s indicate left or right turning movements.
11. Tree Climbing Robot
This next project goes up a tree with ease. Unlike Naruto, this Sasuke (Ref. Naruto anime) keeps climbing a tree and this goes all the way. Trees with long stalk and no branches could be very well scaled with this little bugger. Build it and see it go all the way.
12. Personal Phobos
For this next one, we would not advise taking it up at home, but at a safe and secure environment with zero flammable components. A flamethrower is underrated, using arduino, you can also build a fire breathing animal. Makers of this project build it into a horse, but the final design is up to you. Khaleesi had dragons which breathed fire, you could have a horse. Hephaestus would be proud…
13. Lawn Mower
This next project could come in handy the next time you have to mow the lawn. Playing with remote controlled small helicopters has always been funny. However, if you could get work done in the same play time, that would work out great. The grass would be cut, you could’ve had some fun. With this project, you could have a lawnmower, and a mini dump truck, into one. Work just became interesting.
14. Automatic Tying Shoelaces
Lawn mowing might be a bothersome task at times, but this next project is just straight up lazy. However if you are that lazy, this next project might be the one for you. Statistics report a majority of people are uncomfortable with tying shoelaces, with about half of these don’t know how to. The effort taken to put your feet in tighten the laces and tie the knot might be too much. This next project built around arduino does that for you. After Nike’s self tying shoes, yours could be the one to hit the market. What do you think?
15. Halloween Decorations
This next project takes dancing at your fingertips to the next level. Using arduino the designer was able to make an animatronic hand, that can be controlled by a user wearing specially designed gloves. Added advantage, it’s wireless. So keep the animated hand out in your garden, while wearing the glove and scare trick or treaters. Remember, Halloween’s coming…
16. Splashing Photography
This next one is for all the photographers out there. Splash photography is a very interesting form of art to lo at. The camera timing might not be able to get just right with a manual photographer at the helm. However, if you have an automated system operating that high resolution camera for you, it truly works wonders. With this next arduino project, you can design your very own rig and have a high speed flash photography setup in no time.
17. Find the Rat
The move to smart has now affected the rat trap too. This next project builds a rat trap using an arduino. Seems like a suitable project to build and set up for those little thieves.
Click through to prevent any more of these buggers from making anymore holes in your celery boxes or rice bags.
18. It’s Bond, James Bond
This next James Bond device could be a double-edged sword. With the help of an Arduino, this surveillance camera is fitted into a coffee cup. Every time you pretend to drink coffee, the tilt sensors in the module take an image for you.
Make sure the base of the cup is pointed in the right direction.
19. Washing Machine Alarm
A washing machine beeps once it finishes washing your clothes. However often this sound does not reach you due to many reasons. Imagine if you could have this alarm come to your mobile phone. This next project takes care of your washing machine alarms. You don’t have to listen to the beep of the machine, as the notification will show up in your mobile.
Arduino is doing miracles I must say! What you can think of can be implemented with Arduino. Amazing technique. And Projects based on Arduino like the Greenhouse one are so useful and innovative that no one can deny on that. Thanks for enlighting Arduino in such an awesome way.
And Projects based on Arduino like the Greenhouse one are so useful and innovative that no one can deny on that. Thanks for enlighting Arduino in such an awesome way.