Sometimes form can make a project more attractive than its simple function. [Mohit Bhoite]’s free-form builds are great examples of this. His latest effort is a gorgeous little device that displays environmental readings, and it’s shaped like a lunar lander. (Nitter) Just exquisite!
The device is based around a Seeedstudio XIAO nRF52840 dev board. It’s hooked up to a BME280 sensor which delivers temperature, humidity and air pressure readings from the immediate environment. These readings are displayed on a tiny 128×32 OLED display, along with the current time. Power is via a compact 14250 lithium cell.
So far, so simple, but the real magic is in the housing. It’s a wireframe lunar lander lookalike which [Mohit] put together using brass wire and some careful soldering. It adds so much to the build, which wouldn’t be nearly as attractive if just assembled on a PCB. It’s not his first rodeo, either. He previously built a cute device (Nitter) with an animated face in 2019 using similar techniques; it used a CCS811 gas sensor to detect air quality.
Often, we find ourselves falling most in love with devices that please the eye. [Mohit] certainly demonstrates a great skill in building things that fit this brief. Sometimes, it only takes a bit of thought and careful application of the mind to bring a beautiful aesthetic to your projects, and the results can be most rewarding. Try his Hackaday Supercon talk if you want to learn more.
New year, new lander 🚀 Meet Cumin!
Cumin is a little lander built around the @seeedstudio XIAO nRF52840 dev board. It measures temperature, humidity, and pressure using a BME280 sensor and displays it on a 128×32 OLED. The whole thing is powered by a single 14250 Lithium Ion… pic.twitter.com/pkqYRnj9BT— Mohit Bhoite | मोहित भोईटे he/him (@MohitBhoite) January 15, 2024
This is art!
Better still, it actually performs a useful function.
Standing ovations!
Me gusta!
I can’t decide if its bad or good, as I think it looks really great, and has practical function however its going to be a nightmare to dust so probably look like a dark grey fuzzball inside before long.
Kudos!
Needs custom glass PCBs for uber awesomeness. There are HAD articles on that tech too.
Saw some of these little guys at the West Coast Maker Faire on Mare Island last year.
They were fascinating, and one point that’s not quite clear from the article is that the brass structural wires are often part of the circuit, as well.
https://nitter.net/MohitBhoite