The Inventor Spot

Contests and Resources For Inventors

Instructables has regular contests: https://www.instructables.com/contest/

Present your ideas in the form of an Instructable.

Here's a sample of the latest contests (April 2023):

Tech Briefs Magazine launches the Create the Future Design Contest (2023):

Some other entries in the NASA Innovative Advanced Studies Contest:

Getting to other planets:

An entry in the NASA ideas contest that has reached phase II.  The idea (see pdf) is partially about sending out functional spacecraft on a wafer, allowing us to reach distant objects at much faster speeds. Cool.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/deep-in-directed-energy-propulsion-for-interstellar-exploration/

Getting around on other planets:

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2018_Phase_I_Phase_II/Shapeshifters_from_Science_Fiction_to_Science_Fact/

https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fdirectorates%2Fspacetech%2Fniac%2F2021_Phase_I%2FReachBot%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNF4e_FxA2EtdsFytHAtIhoVwYrW8A

Drilling on other planets:

Autonomous Robotic Demonstrator for Deep Drilling (ARD3)

 Doesn't always work as planned:

https://in.mashable.com/science/21955/nasas-mole-tried-to-dig-into-mars-it-didnt-go-as-planned

The EW Project Challenge, July-Dec 2021


Challenge for Creator / Maker in all of us.

Prizes worth INR 150,000/- (~$2000)

Design a project that helps the world, and publish it!  Get ready for The EW Project Challenge 2022!

The 2021 Winners:

https://www.electronicwings.com/contest/2/ew-project-challenge-2021#winners


https://www.electronicwings.com/contest/2/ew-project-challenge-2021

The Rules

EW's Node MCU Tutorial: https://www.electronicwings.com/nodemcu/basics

Mousers recommended Sensors: https://www.electronicwings.com/sensors-modules/sensors-modules

Electromechanical Sustenance of Biological Systems:  IOT Aquarium (mine) (Jan update: 2nd place judges).

Judges 5th: Automelette - Automated Omelette Cooking Articulated Robot  

Honorable Mention by me: The Autofarmer Autonomius Farming System. 

Last year's winner. Made great use of gas sensors. 

NodeMCU V3 IOT Wifi Module


The NodeMCU ESP8266 with Arduino programming. Awesome! Fun and inexpensive Internet of Things

Compatable with a large variety of inexpensive sensors. Easy to connect anything to the internet, Alexa, etc.

           Flash the NodeMCU8266 with Arduino Programming:  https://www.theinventorspot.com/home/nodemcu

           Give it a webpage and connect it to your internet: ESP8266 Async Web Server with Port Forwarding 

           Add sensors and accessories: Add Sensors to the ESP8266 

           Live Demo using a Dallas One-Wire temperature sensor, a PH probe, and remote switches:   myfishtankonline

Data Collected by Evan Robinson   Email: ganymede2029@gmail.com

M5Stack

Impressive collection of small IOT devices for the inventor and Arduino compatible controllers. https://m5stack.com/. 



Impressive list of 289 parts at Mouser:  https://www.mouser.com/c/?m=M5Stack    

https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-accessories?page=2

Each uses a Grove style connector for easy connect to Grove devices from seeed. 

Here is seeed's Arduino Uno Shield:

Multiple devices can share the same I2C ports on controllers by using different addresses in the code.

https://www.seeedstudio.com/blog/2016/03/09/tutorial-intro-to-grove-connectors-for-arduinoraspberry-pi-projects/


May need an extender to extend I2C longer distance.  https://seeeddoc.github.io/Grove-RJ45_Adapter/

https://shop.switchdoc.com/products/grove-cable-extenders-pair

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Seeed-Studio/103020011?qs=1%252B9yuXKSi8CAFUtDiXRsiQ%3D%3D