Published October 8, 2019

Musical Manatee

This projects utilizes the onboard accelerometer of a Circuit Playground Express from Adafruit.

BeginnerShowcase (no instructions)4 hours492

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Adafruit Circuit Playground Express

Software apps and online services

Microsoft MakeCode

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Sewing Machine

Story

What is it?

This project is an object that protests the status of manatees as an endangered species. It is a handsewn stuffed manatee with a pocket attached to its belly in order to hold the circuit board which produces sound.

Circuit board located in pocket on belly

Front view of stuffed manatee

What does it do?

The circuit board located in the pocket on the manatee's belly plays a sound when shaken. I was able to utilize the onboard accelerometer on the Circuit Playground Express because it detects changes in gravity. When you shake the manatee, it plays "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. This object protests the need for protection for manatees in the wild. Every year, manatees are hurt and killed by humans. It's important to remember while although they may look cute, they are wild animals and deserve to be treated with respect.

Side view of manatee

How does it work?

By utilizing the onboard accelerometer I was able to create some code that was able to execute when the circuit board is shaken. I was able to edit the code provided by the "Make It Shake" tutorial on Adafruit: https://learn.adafruit.com/make-it-shake-rattle-and-roll

Images of Project Development

Creating sewing pattern

Labeled pattern

Cutting fabric

Youtube Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L60fD44B-Fw

Project Code

input.onGesture(Gesture.Shake, function () {
    music.setVolume(255)
    music.playTone(523, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.playTone(466, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.playTone(415, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.playTone(392, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.playTone(349, music.beat(BeatFraction.Whole))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Sixteenth))
    music.playTone(349, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
    music.playTone(349, music.beat(BeatFraction.Whole))
    music.rest(music.beat(BeatFraction.Sixteenth))
    music.playTone(349, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half))
})
let rot_x = 0
let accel_x = 0
input.setAccelerometerRange(AcceleratorRange.TwoG)
forever(function () {
    accel_x = input.acceleration(Dimension.X)
    rot_x = input.rotation(Rotation.Pitch)
})

Credits

Heather Parrett

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Musical Manatee

Musical Manatee

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

What is it?

What does it do?

How does it work?

Images of Project Development

Youtube Link:

Code

Project Code

Credits

Heather Parrett

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