willie, you rock.

I have a question. Have you successfully managed to get the extra pins to work with Max/MSP yet?

(because I haven't...   )

Will you be supplying them to Robotshop in Quebec?

Oh my god! Finally! I've been waiting for 6 months for something like this while trying to build my own and failing!

How can I get this item over in Canada? Will you be supplying them to Sparkfun in the US?

Does the unit come with an Xbee, or do I supply my own?

holy s***

I never noticed that!!

I wonder how hard it would be to learn to code them...

That's neat. So it cuts down the polling of your objects, but hey, who cares.

The trick is getting the software you write in sync with it, I guess?

I love the one free minute project. Really cool concept!

Oh really?

Let's keep in touch over email. I think we might find ourselves picking eachother's brains...

I think bluetooth is too limited a range (10m for class 1, 100m for class 2, but there's very few class 2 devices out there)

xBees are something like 400m for the pro version, and 100m for the regular. Cut that in quarter (because theatre has SO MUCH interferance from the dirty power in the lighting grid), and the Xbee pro is what I think i'm going to use.

Here's my biggest hangup. The Arduino only has 8 analog ins... Do I use 2 arduinos? Or do I just find another similar device? Is there any way of getting more inputs out of the unit? (before I go ordering them this week...)

I'm planning on using the Arduino as an interface for my analog-ins to control an interface with a live performing artist (IE: a Dancer) on stage.

I gather so far:
- If I use the Arduino Mini, I get a total of 8 analog ins (0-5v) suitable for sensors.
- If I use an xBee (pro), I can go from USB >> xBee ~~~~~~~ xBee >> Arduino Mini >> Sensors.
- I can also use the onboard PWM digital outs to fade LEDs and other response devices.

Is this all true. Has anyone tried something similar?

... is anyone willing to be my mentor over the next 2 months as I build & program my Thesis, using Max/MSP, Jitter, Processing, etc...

You'll be credited publicly on my site, as well as in my final paper to my professors.

Let me know!
-Scott McLeod
Ryerson University THFP 2007
scottmcleod@gmail.com
http://framebyframe.ca

To make something similar...

You'd need:
4 - "4x4" Digital LED Display ($19.99/ea)
1 - Multiplexer (for inputs) - Like the one on the punching bag, that had 64 force sensors
1 - Matrix LED control (for output LED's, nevermind dealing with colours...)
64 - Tricolour LED's ($1.79/ea for 10+)

Oh, and of course, someone passionate enough to write code for it.

... man, why am I getting tempting thoughts right now? Oh, wait, I still suck too badly at coding to do this.

Anyone wanna take a jab? It's doable...

(I'd probably pay about 100-125$ for one.)