L8 Smartlight Uses 8-Bit Graphics To Inform You Of Smartphone Alerts

You know those single-purpose notification gadgets home tinkerers have been making since Arduinos were unleashed to the mass market?  Someone finally came up with a multi-purpose one that even regular mopes might find useful: the L8 Smartlight.

What is it?  It’s basically a box with an 8 x 8 matrix of LED panels right on its face.  Each square can be programmed to light up in a different color, forming 8-bit shapes and characters.  When paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth, that matrix can be used as a graphical tool for alerting you of various events that take place, so you can put your phone on silent without ever missing a single alert.

The L8 Smartlight measures 2.4 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches, so it should be small enough to sit on a corner of your desk without getting in the way of your work.  Aside from responding to smartphone events, the device can respond to temperature, luminosity and proximity changes, with corresponding sensors for them installed right inside the box.

It comes with software that lets you program the device to display specific 8-bit patterns according to simple “if-then” rules, complete with a graphical interface that makes the process usable for even the most programming-averse individuals.  For example, you can make it display a Twitter logo if you receive a new DM; you can have the LEDs blink in an epileptic frenzy if you receive a call;  or you can turn all the LEDs off as soon as it senses you’ve left the room. The gadget is open to developers, too, so more dedicated tinkerers can have a field day creating custom uses for it.

Currently listed as a Kickstarter project, the L8 SmartLight is about halfway through being funded.  A $69 pledge will reserve you one unit.

RAPIRO: The affordable robot kit for your Raspberry Pi

Shota Ishiwatari has just launched RAPIRO, his custom designed Raspberry Pi Robot. The robot is easy to assemble, and comes with RGB LEDs, 12 servos, and an Arduino-compatible servo control board. And the best part is it will only set you back £229 (US$354).
Shota isn’t new to robotics. His fledgling company, Kiluck Corp., created a robot mascot for a Japanese television channel, and helped design those crazy robot cat ears we covered last year. Now he wants to bring the fun of robotics to as many people as he can with RAPIRO.
He designed the robot in CAD, and worked with JMC (a 3D printing bureau) to fabricate the prototype. Each of its 12 joints are powered by a small, inexpensive servo. They keep the cost down to a fraction of other hobby robots, but don’t expect amazing performance out of them. That said, the robot can move its head, arms, open and close its gripper hands, and waddle around.
Its exoskeleton will be made from high quality injection molded parts, but if you want to change something about the robot you’ll be able to. The robot’s CAD file will be provided on the company’s website so you can tinker with it to design and 3D print your own parts.

Of course, RAPIRO is designed to work with the Raspberry Pi and its camera module, but these aren’t included with the kit. The Raspberry Pi is a tiny computer that runs Linux, and can be connected to a PC display, speakers, and USB devices like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Possible applications include Facebook or Twitter notifications, or game controller support.
The robot can also be outfitted with a PSD distance sensor and speakers, which must be purchased separately. The PSD sensor (which commonly runs at about $15) fits into a slot on the robot’s chest and is pointed toward the ground. The distance data it provides could be used to stop the robot from falling off a ledge. These are just some of the potential uses for the robot, and hopefully the RAPIRO community will share more ideas.
Considering humanoid robot kits begin at about twice the asking price of the RAPIRO, it seems like a pretty good deal. Just be prepared to learn to do some of the programming work on your own!
You can watch the Kickstarter campaign video below, or head to Shota’s YouTube channel to check out other videos. You can also follow its development on Facebook.