Despite the resemblance to an alien robot that might rebuild your house from scratch, this is actually the first mod for a solar yard lamp that I’ve seen. By adding a brighter LED, a couple of tubes, a laser printed transparency and a lens, you end with with a relatively inexpensive image projector that can project custom graphics from odd locations. [via]
Oh that’s a wonderful hack!
I have a couple of solar lights in the shed with bad batteries. They are okay other wise.
I guess I’m going to have to cobble something together for myself now!
This site is incredibly inspiring!
Posted at 8:23 am on May 2nd, 2008 by strider_mt2k
Fascinating.
I wonder, if you added an OLED screen instead of the transparency, how well would that project?
Then you could add something like that to the back of a laptop. Or a handheld PDA.
Posted at 9:01 am on May 2nd, 2008 by Skyler Orlando
Batteries not included?????? =)
Posted at 11:25 am on May 2nd, 2008 by crouton976
I saw stuff like this in Silicon Chip magazine out here. They basically suggested using a PIC microcontroller with a temperature sensor, running off power from one of these. Add a radio link and you’ve got remote monitoring of your garden.
Posted at 1:05 pm on May 2nd, 2008 by TheKhakinator
@3 Skyler: OLED screens make light, using one with a lamp behind it would just wash it out. An LCD screen would, however, work.
@Will O’Brien: If that is a “Batteries Not Included” reference, they didn’t rebuild from scratch, but instead the rubble or peices of whatever was broken. (with the exception of their children of course)
Posted at 3:12 pm on May 2nd, 2008 by tom61
Been there done that years ago at MIT.
Better upgrade for it is to replace the NiCd batteries with LiIon they will give you more power.. Most of the NiCd’s in those sets are cheezy cheap and are fully charged by noon if in direct sun. also adding a PIC so that you can make it not turn on until it is darker also helps a huge amount and uses less energy. (I also flashed mine at 15hz to extend the power way farther, als o you can nail the LED with over current to make it brighter that way.)
Posted at 3:24 pm on May 2nd, 2008 by fartface
Wizkids, it’s just a cool little hack.
It’s clever and it’s simple and it’s fun.
Make your own and send it in like i’m gonna do.
talk is cheap ladies.
Posted at 6:58 am on May 3rd, 2008 by strider_mt2k
You dinguses are so wrapped up pointing out how it isn’t a starship that you can’t appreciate the fact that it’s just some simple garden magic!
smell the flowers
enjoy the pretty lights
(MIT, LOL)
Posted at 7:02 am on May 3rd, 2008 by strider_mt2k
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Posted at 4:14 am on Jul 14th, 2008 by DengEva
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that’s really clever, and you don’t have to waste power ^_^
Posted at 2:16 am on May 2nd, 2008 by tjhow