Hi, I am thinking of getting a servo to use with my arduino, has anyone got any ideas of what I could use it for ?
Thanks.
Just get one and learn to control it with your sketch code. I'm sure an idea will come to you later. 
Lefty
Hi, thanks for the quick reply, I am thinking I could use the servo to control one of those little guns that fire rubber disks (I saw it somewhere, can't remember where) but if anyone has some other ideas please say ! I wan't this to be a fun project that is easy to expand on e.g. make it web controlled...
Thanks.
One thing I've been wanting to do is attach a servo to my window blinds, so that I can have them open in the morning and close at night--either based on a timer, or based on the input from a photocell. If you had one photocell between the blinds and the window and one inside the room, you could have it open the blinds if it's lighter outside than inside, and have it close the blinds when it's lighter inside than outside. Seems like a cool project and energy-efficient, as well.
You could incorporate web-based control, or maybe a better use of the web control would be to attach it to the switch of a porch light or something, and that way you could turn the light on before you came home from work, or something similar.
Or, what I did, tie two servos and a cheap laserpointer togehter.
The two servos make X and Y-axis, mith a resistor on your laserpointer (which are mostly driven by 3V or so) you can control the laser with a pwm output.
I started this way and expanded mine until now I got a safty-plug that shuts down the laser if not connected, power and status leds, a jumper for external power supply, I salvaged a touchpad of a palm device to control the laser via stylus. Latly I've moved up in my personal league of programming and microntrollers and wrote a processing-script to control the laser with the mouse.
And you could still expand this to use a burning laser and program it to cut something out of black paper (watch your eyes! (and the eyes of other peole!))
you see, lots of fun 
cheers!
p.s. as a platform I used an old cd-spindle, they're very easy to cut through.
Or, what I did, tie two servos and a cheap laserpointer togehter.
That's awesome! Sounds like a job for a Nintendo DS touch screen ! 
I love 3 dollar gadgets!
Cool ! Thanks for the ideas, I will defiantly consider these ideas, especially the one that opens the blinds because it sounds like something perfectly possibel
Or, what I did, tie two servos and a cheap laserpointer togehter.
Id be interested to know more about this (and im sure others would to!). Do you have a write up anywhere with more details?
mmh, I will post some pictures and my code into the exhibition section this evening.
cheers!
With 2 servos you can make a (joystick controlled) pan/tilt mechanism for a (web) camara
I am thinking about doing a "TEMPOMAT" (that's how we call it) ... by using a servo motor control the GAS in your car ... then, you could set by a var. resistor what kind of RPM you want (or speed in current gear) ... and to make it more secure ... use a sensor to monitor, if you press.put your foot on the pedal (to turn it off).
That's my idea - what I'm going to do ... just waiting for the motor shield.
zholy
Thanks for all the replies ! I'm thinking maybe some kind of robot using a servo as steering, I would base it on this tutorial - http://letsmakerobots.com/node/2164 . Keep coming up with ideas though !
Hey! Great choice! A robot!
I would have suggested that but it was my impression that you were looking for something simpler. Anyway letsmakerobot.com is a great place to start. My favorite website actually. Lots of good robots to copy and learn from
Hi, I have anther question ... Is it possible to convert a standard DC motor to a servo so I can control it with the arduino ?
Thanks !
It IS possible, but maybe not worth. A servo encloses:
-One DC motor
-One position sensor (usually a potentiometer)
-Electronics to compare desired position (input in PPM coding) with actual position (potentiometer) and generate output signal for DC motor to correct deviation.
If I were you, I would:
a) Look for a servo which complies with your power and speed requirements.
b) Use a stepper motor or a DC motor with a power bridge to be controlled.
Hi, thanks for the reply ! I have decided that I will almost definitely buy a servo as it looks far to confusing to make my own. Especially considering I want a reliable one .... 
Nice decission! You have a very wide range of types, and there are locator tables around in the web so once you know the torque and speed you need, you can choose the model you need.
Check the store at www.dealextreme.com, they have several types of servos and they charge 0 for delivery.
Hi, thanks for the link ! I currently don't know anything about servo's though so how much torque do you think I would need to turn the steering of a r/c car that is carrying a breadboard, arduino and 6 batteries ?
Thanks
Not much... This is one of the most typical use of RC servos. You can order this one: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12832. It is 11 US$ (or 7.4 ?). No shiping cost.
Good luck.
Eduardo
Hi, thanks for the advice. Do you think that this one http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20087 would be okay ? Its got 2.1kg torque but I don't know if that's enough.