Summary of Universal Air Slide Whistle 1000
The project builds a Universal-Air-Slide-Whistle-1000: a wearable air slide whistle that uses an ultrasonic distance sensor to control pitch and a push button to trigger sound. It can play different uploaded sound clips, includes decorative NeoPixel LEDs, and was made with a HexWear kit and Sparkfun Bluetooth Mate. The guide lists parts, assembly tools, and steps for installing Arduino IDE libraries and uploading the provided code.
Parts used in the Universal-Air-Slide-Whistle-1000:
- 10K Resistor
- Sparkfun Bluetooth Mate
- Hexaware Wearable Electronics Kit
- Fabric Glove
- Hot Glue Gun
- Laptop
- Adafruit NeoPixel Digital RGBW LED Strip
- Male to Male AUX Cord
- Fabric Wrist Band
- Momentary Push Button Switch – 12mm Square
- Solder
- Soldering Iron
- Speaker
- Thin Circuit Board
- Three AAA Batteries
- Twist Ties
- Ultrasonic Range Sensor (HC-SR04)
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Strippers
- Wires
In this post, we will learn how to make Universal-Air-Slide-Whistle-1000: The slide whistle is a musical instrument often used for comedic effect due to its silly sound. In this instructable, we teach you how to make an air slide whistle! What is an air slide whistle? It follows the same idea as air guitar where you mimic the movement of playing a guitar without actually playing a real guitar.
In our case, we created a device that functions similarly to the slide whistle, except a distance sensor replaces the rod and a push-button replaces the user having to blow into the whistle. The reading on the distance sensor changes the pitch of the noise and the push button activates it. The LED light is just for show. What makes our air slide whistle “universal” is that you can upload different sounds to it besides a whistling noise (i.e. Wookie noise, trombone, didgeridoo, or any other sound bit you want)! We made this project in collaboration with the Femineers of Fremont Academy for our Electronics class at Pomona College.
Steps how to make Universal Air Slide Whistle 1000
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
1. 10K Resistor
2. Sparkfun Bluetooth Mate: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/sparkfun…
3. Hexaware Wearable Electronics Kit: http://hexwear.com/
4. Glove (fabric)
5. Hot Glue Gun
6. Laptop
7. Adafruit NeoPixel Digital RGBW LED Strip: https://www.adafruit.com/product/2824?length=1&fbc…
8. Male to Male AUX Cord
9. Fabric Wrist Band
10. Momentary Push Button Switch – 12mm Square: https://www.osepp.com/accessories/components/29-mo…
11. Solder
12. Soldering Iron
13. Speaker
14. Thin Circuit Board (like the one in the link): https://www.alliedelec.com/product/vector-electron…
15. Three AAA Batteries
16. Twist Ties (recommend circular twist ties like the one in the link): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013LCUQIE/ref=sspa_dk_d…
17. Ultrasonic Range Sensor: https://www.amazon.com/HC-SR04-Ranging-Detector-Ul…
18. Wire Cutters
19. Wire Strippers
20. Wires (different colors are best, one is fine though)
Step 2: Setting Up the Arduino Code
Step 1: Download the Arduino IDE from the following site: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
Step 2: You may have to download the following libraries. Sketch > Include Library > Manage Library. Search for “HexWear HexLED”, “SoftwareSerial”, and “Wire”. Click the box they’re in and click “Install”
Step 3: Download the attached Arduino code!
- What is an air slide whistle in this project?
It is a device where an ultrasonic distance sensor controls pitch like a slide whistle and a push button activates the sound instead of blowing. - How does the distance sensor affect the sound?
The reading from the ultrasonic range sensor changes the pitch of the noise. - Can the Universal-Air-Slide-Whistle-1000 play sounds other than a whistle?
Yes, you can upload different sound bits such as Wookie noise, trombone, or didgeridoo. - What activates the sound on the device?
A momentary push button switch activates the sound. - What is the LED used for in the project?
The NeoPixel LED is decorative and used just for show. - Which libraries need to be installed for the Arduino code?
Install HexWear HexLED, SoftwareSerial, and Wire via the Arduino IDE Library Manager. - Where do you get the Arduino IDE?
Download the Arduino IDE from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software as instructed. - What batteries power the project?
The project uses three AAA batteries. - What ultrasonic sensor model is referenced?
The HC-SR04 ultrasonic ranging detector is referenced in the parts list.
