Wednesday, June 5, 2013

DIY Infrared Night Vision Device

To quickly summarize how our device will work, it is simply a camera that can see infrared light that is invisible to the naked eye, and can utilize the infrared light like a flashlight. Usually a form of display is required. Often times, the use of a viewfinder from an old camcorder is used for this purpose, however these are hard parts to find without buying an entire camera, and I didn't have any cameras lying around, and I certainly wasn't going to waste money on an entire camera that I was only going to use for a viewfinder. So I used an LCD screen for this purpose instead. Here are the parts you'll be needing for this project:

Cost:
I spent about $60-$70 on electronic components for this project (excluding replacing a part that I ruined), and around $25-$30 for the boxes for the enclosure. If you build your own enclosure, you can probably save a lot of money. If you build this exactly like I did, you'll probably expect to spend around $100 give or take.

Electronics (Prices as of 5/16/13):
-3.5" TFT LCD screen....... $20.00
(http://www.amazon.com/3-5-Inch-TFT-Monitor-Automobile/dp/B0045IIZKU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1O1ZIWOSSBYGI&coliid=I3T7G8S5HAVZ7F)

Takes 12V, has two video inputs- yellow and white. The white input will override the yellow making the white input suitable for other external axillary usage for other AV equipment.

-Low lux video camera module...... $31.40
(http://www.amazon.com/SecurityIng-Surveillance-Security-Degrees-Support/dp/B005FE88VE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1O1ZIWOSSBYGI&coliid=I1M69IMZSUVC2I)

Other cameras will work so long as they can connect to the RCA video input on the screen. This camera is .008 lux rated. The lower the lux rating, the better it will see in the dark and the easier it will be able to detect IR light. I wouldn't go any higher than .008 for this, as the camera won't be sensitive enough to pick up the IR light effectively to create an image.

-30 LED Infrared illuminator..... $13.95
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P2E4U4/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

IR illumination is usually available in 840nm and 940nm wavelengths and the intensity is measured in watts, not lumens. 840nm IR light will also produce a visible red glow when viewed with the naked eye, however 940nm IR is completely invisible and undetectable. I chose a near infrared illuminator because it was easier to find, and it was more affordable than other IR illuminators.

I also picked up a Cree Ultrafire WF-501b Infrared Torch (850nm, so there is a red glow)..... $19.96
http://(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RL0KS6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I ended up getting one of these for my rifle to use in addition to the infrared illuminator for longer distance viewing. Remember, more IR = more viewing distance.

-12V Battery

I was able to get an 8 AA battery holder that adds up to 12V for a few bucks at Radioshack. So long as you use 12V DC, you'll be fine.

-5V voltage regulator.....$1.99 from Radioshack

This is very important because the camera will only accept 5V DC power. Any more voltage than that will fry it and cost you another $30 camera. Trust me, it's not a good feeling to realize that you accidentally ruined your camera and have to buy another one. That's why this instructable is here for you, so you can learn from my mistakes and save money...and probably some profanity as well.  :)

-Male to male RCA video adapter:

You'll need this because both the screen and the camera have female plugs for video and need to be connected. You can find one of these at Radioshack for around $5.

-Switches: You'll need a  switch for turning on the camera and screen and for turning on the infrared illuminator. Switches are cheap and usually only a buck or two a pop.

Tools/Hardware:

-Multimeter
-Screwdriver
-Soldering iron
-Solder
-Wire strippers/cutters
-Wire
-Heat shrink tubing
-Lighter or heat gun
-Electrical tape
-JB weld
-Hot glue/Hot glue gun
-Drill and bits or access to a drill press
-Dremel tool and cutting attachment
-Black spray paint

Enclosure: This step is completely up to you. I used several ABS project boxes in various sizes from my local Radioshack electronics store and mounted them together to create my enclosure. The sizes I used were 5x2.5x2", 6x3x2", and 8x4x2". You could probably use PVC pipe, wood, plastic containers, etc and it would work just fine.

Completely optional, I also used some cheap 3M full-seal chemical protection safety goggles (lab goggles) to make the faceplate of the viewer and to help prevent light from the LCD screen from leaking and giving my position away (as if the glowing red IR LED's weren't enough). Plus....it does improve the look of the finished unit a bit.  :)


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Makedo Juice Carton Bird Feeder

Makedo-Bird-Feeder-Hero-IMG_8753.jpgBirds are fascinating creatures, and we want to help you get close to them! Birds are not only integral to our ecosystem but provide us with great pleasure in our daily lives with their cheerful songs, intriguing movements and broad spectrum of colours. So this week we decided to pay a little homage to our feathered friends.

Discover the different species that live in your neighbourhood by building this simple Makedo bird feeder. We've made ours using a reclaimed juice carton and Makedo parts available from mymakedo.com.

What you need.jpgTo make this friendly bird feeder, you will need a large milk or juice carton (we painted ours!), a few pencils, some bottle lids, cupcake liners, a plastic container lid, some string, cardboard, two Makedo Lock-hinges, and nine Makedo Re-clips.

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Crispy Pig Ears

I know what some of you are thinking! Ewww! That's what I thought the first time I realized pig ears were even edible. My husband and I were dining at one of our favorite restaurants in Oakland. We always go for the chefs tasting menu and sure enough, third course in we were presented with a pig ear salad. It was one of the best things we had ever tasted! No, seriously! 

If you like churros, you are going to love these! They taste like pork stuffed churros. Crispy on the outside, slightly chwey on the inside with a rich pork flavor and a spice blend of cinnamon, sugar, chinese five spice & fennel. 

With full respect for the Nose to Tail Movement, (utlilizing every part of an animal in cooking instead of discarding the parts people aren't used to eating ) these Crispy Pig Ears make the perfect fried food!

CRISPY PIG EARS
preparation adapted from latimes.com

Ingredients

3 Pig Ears: available at asian markets, butcher shops or your local farmer

Cinnamon- 8tbsp

Cinnamon Sticks- 3 or 4

Sugar- 2-3 cups

Chinese Five Spice- 3-5 tbsp

Fennel - 1/2 tsbp- some chinese five spice blends already have fennel in them. Mine didn't so I added some

Flour- 2 cups

Milk- 2 cups

4 gallons of water

Vegetable Oil- enough to cover the pot until it comes up the sides by 3''

Recipe:

Make sure your pig ears don't have any hair on them. Mine were really clean. If you see some stragglers, just use a razor to trim them off. Place your pig ears in a stock pot and add two gallons of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Strain the ears and return to the pot with 2 more gallons of water. Add the cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 3 hours. 

After three hours, strain the ears. Place them on a dish or baking sheet and put them in the refrigerator overnight so they can dry out. 

The next day, remove the ears from the fridge. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Heat up the oil. Place the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or wok. I used a wok. Bring the oil to 350 degrees before frying. Set up a work station with the flour, milk and 1/2 cup of the spice mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the cinnamon spice mixture to the flour and stir to combine. Dredge each ear in milk and then in flour. Place on a plate until the oil is heated. 

Have a splatter guard ready and a baking sheet lined with paper towels to remove leftover grease .Once the oil is heated, use a pair of tongs and gently place the ear into the wok. Let it fry for for 4-6 minutes or until it is lightly golden brown. Use a pair of tongs and pick the ear up and gently shake off any excess oil back into the wok. Place the ear on a paper towel. Sprinkle the ear generously with the cinnamon sugar spice blend. Turn it over and repeat. I recommend frying one ear at a time. Use a sharp knife to cut the ears into thin bite size strips. 

Serve immediately while warm. These can be reheated for 30-60 sec in the microwave or in the oven, but best served right away. 

Enjoy!


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Do You Print Photos Anymore?

Most department stores and pharmacies still have photo labs and kiosks that let you print your photos. Just pop in an SD card or a USB drive, select the photos you want to print, and out they come, in whatever size you choose and on whatever paper you prefer. We have to wonder though: Who does that anymore?

With everyone sharing photos online, whether it's via Facebook, Google+'s new photo features, or the freshly overhauled Flickr, we're not sure people still print out photos and put them in photo albums these days. Sure, there's always a place for a well-printed photo in a frame on the wall, one your desk, or as a gift. Still, photo printing kiosks and apps that promise to let you print from home and pick up at the pharmacy are easy to find. Do you use them?

Photo by Infrogmation.

3D Printed Photograph

IMG_0032 copy.jpgThe 3d printer in our office (an Objet Connex500) prints with a rigid, semitransparent white material that can be used to create these unique black and white photographic prints.  These prints may be indecipherable when viewed from the side, but when backlit with a diffuse light, they recreate images with surprisingly high precision and even add some subtle dimensionality and texture to the scene.

Some will remember Beer's law from high school chemistry; it states that the absorption of light by a material varies linearly with the distance light travels through the material.  By varying the thickness of a region of this semitransparent print you can control the amount of light that is able to pass through, thereby controlling the brightness (thinner regions of material will appear brighter and thicker regions darker).  In this project, I've mapped each individual greyscale pixel value of an image to thickness, allowing me to precisely reproduce any greyscale image.  The photos I've printed include an adorable picture my mom took of our cat Teddy (fig 4), Saturn and its moon Titan taken by the Cassini space probe (fig 5 and 6), and a huge print (19x16") of Mt. Williamson by Ansel Adams (fig 1, 2, and 3).

print.jpgAll of these 3D models were generated algorithmically from Processing using the ModelBuilder library by Marius Watz.  This library allows you to save 3D geometries in the STL file format, STL files that form a watertight mesh can be printed by a 3D printer.

To get started using this code yourself, download the latest version of the ModelBuilder library, unzip the file, and copy the folder into Processing's "libraries" folder.  If you have installed the predecessor to the ModelBuilder library (called the Unlekker library), you will need to delete it.  Once this is done restart Processing.

//3D printed photograph//by Amanda Ghassaei//May 2013//http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Photograph//* * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or * (at your option) any later version.*///librariesimport processing.opengl.*;import unlekker.util.*;import unlekker.modelbuilder.*;import ec.util.*;String name = "YOUR_FILE_NAME.jpg";//name of file//storage for dimensionsint widthRes;int heightRes;float widthDim = 8;//width dimension (in inches)float widthScaled;float heightScaled;float zDim = 0.1;//max vertical displacement (in inches)float thickness = 0.02;//base thickness (in inches)boolean invert = true;//if true, then white areas are lower than black, if not true white areas are tallerPImage img;//storage for imagefloat pixeldata[];//storage for pixel arrayUVertexList v1,v2,v3,v4;//storage for verticiesUGeometry geo;//storage for stl geometryvoid setup(){ img = loadImage(name);//load image //get dimensions of image widthRes = img.width; heightRes =img.height; size(widthRes,heightRes,P3D);//set dimensions of output image(img, 0,0);//display image loadPixels();//poad pixels into array pixeldata = new float[widthRes*heightRes];//initialize storage for pixel data for(int index=0;index 0) name = name.substring(0, dotPos); geo.writeSTL(this,name+".stl"); exit(); println("Finished");}Copy the Processing sketch above and save it.  Processing will automatically put this file inside a folder of the same name.  Copy any greyscale images you want to convert into this folder.

To run the sketch, replace the part in quotes in following line:

String name = "YOUR_FILE_NAME.jpg";

with the name of your greyscale image. I believe .gif, .jpg, .tga, and .png files will all work fine, but I have only tested .jpg so far.  Run the sketch, after a minute or two Processing will tell you that it is writing an STL file and eventually it will tell you that it is finished.  The resulting file will be located in the sketch's folder named "NAME_OF_ORIGINAL_FILE.stl"

You can open the stl file with a variety of CAD software and stl viewers, I like MeshLab for simple viewing (it's free and open source).

By default my sketch will scale images to 8" wide, with a base thickness of 0.02" and feature thickness of up to 0.1", you can change these setting by adjusting the variable at the top of the sketch.


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Gawker Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Faggot: Inside Marine Corps Boot Camp | Lifehacker How Can I Set Up My

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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