ThingamaKIT: Make Your Own Thingamagoop


Bleep Labs’ Thingamagoop is a small synthesizer packed with wacky controls for generating unique sounds; you can now build an expanded version yourself with the ThingamaKit. Made “because there are not nearly enough beeping, zapping, bixxerfouping, anthropomorphic synthesizer monsters in the world,” it generates sounds of different pitches depending on the type and intensity of light hitting a photocell on the front panel. It’s most unique feature, is its LEDacle, which is something like a tentacle with an LED on the end. This can be pointed towards the photocell to modulate the sound. Output is through a 1/4″ audio jack.

Bleep Labs sells fully assembled Thingamagoops for $100, but the new DIY kit is available for half price. The kit version of the Thingamagoop has more controls, two photosensors, and two LEDacles. You can buy it with or without the case, and it doesn’t require any complex wiring. Look after the break for video of some Thingamagoops in action.

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Ardupilot: Arduino Based UAV Autopilot


A short while back, [Chris Anderson] released an Arduino based autopilot. It rings in fairly cheap and being open source, you can tweak away. To add more functionality, he’s releasing a dual core version. Thanks to the second processor, it no longer requires an external hardware co-pilot. It uses an on-board GPS and features an ATtiny based fail safe. It’s still under development, but he’s made the design files available.