Photo Credit: wikipedia.org
Have you ever wished your coffee maker would have a fresh brewed pot ready when you walked in the door? With an Arduino microcontroller, you could send a tweet to your coffee maker telling it to do just that. Arduino is an open-source platform used for building electronics projects consisting of both a physical programmable circuit board (microcontroller) and software that runs on your computer which is used to write and upload code to the physical board. The Arduino microcontroller and software was designed for artists, designers, hobbyists, hackers, and anyone who wants to create interactive objects or environments. It can be programed to interact with buttons, LEDs, motors, speakers, GPS units, cameras, the internet, a coffee pot, and even a smart phone or TV.
Here’s the week at a glance
at the Nyack Library.
Monday
- FREE Assistance with NYS Health Insurance Programs, 5p
- Nyack Library Board of Trustee’s Meeting, 7:30p
Tuesday
- Fiction Writers Workshop – New members welcome, 11a
- Cuentos, Canciones y Artesania, 1p
- Nyack Toastmasters, 6:45p
Wednesday
- The Healing Power of Being Mindful in Daily Life, Registration required, 10:45a
- Introduction to the Arduino Microcontroller, Registration required, 6:45p
- The Revised SAT: The Format and Content of the New Test, Registration required, 7p
Thursday
- Little Shanti Yoga, Registration required, 1:30p
- Paying for College – For Parents and Students, Registration required, 7p
Friday
Introduction to the Internet, Registration required, 10:30a
Saturday
Magic: The Gathering Independent Play, Registration required, 1p
Sunday
A Musical Journey Celebrating Jews on Broadway, Registration required, 2p
The Arduino boards use circuit expansion boards called shields to provide motor controls, GPS, Ethernet, LCD, or breadboarding (prototyping) and multiple shields can be stacked together for various projects such as creating a talking clock, a keyboard lock, a thermostat, a pollutant sensor, or a crystal mood ball. The possibilities are endless and there are many online tutorials to get you started.
If you’re interested in building your own Arduino microcontroller, Dr. Duncan Bell, a professional developer of research robots, will teach you how to write code for the Arduino microcontroller on Wednesday, October 14 at 6:45p at the Nyack Library. In this two-hour session you will learn how to use the microcontrollers along with plug-in shields to communicate with smart phones, read sensors of temperature and light intensity and magnetism. The devices will turn on motors, lights, fans and other neat stuff. All materials will be provided. Registration is required.
A Musical Journey Celebrating Jews on Broadway, Sun at 2p
Jewish composers, lyricists and librettists played a major role in transforming the musical theater from a foreign-influenced genre into a one that was truly American. Amazingly, some were themselves foreign-born, but were attuned to the influences of their adopted land, including African-American musical styles. We will explore these pioneers of musical theater through live piano music and film clips. Registration is required.
Have a question or a fun fact you want to know? We’re looking for suggestions for our weekly Did You Know fact. Write to info@NyackNewsAndViews with your suggestions.
Did You Know comes to you each Monday on NyackNewAndViews, sponsored by the Nyack Library.
