When I first started looking for IoT platforms I never ever anticipated coming across something as simple as Makey Makey. I know you all are excited to know what exactly this thing is and how it works.
What is MaKey MaKey?
Touted as the 21st Century’s invention kit by inventors Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum, Makey Makey turns every object into a touchpad key. The real magic starts when it used these real objects turned touchpads to operate machines usually a computer and access internet.
Now this is where Makey becomes part of internet of things. Using simple alligator clips, USB cable and Makey Makey circuit board a host of IoT projects can be developed.
Makey Project Background
Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum both MIT students started this project under advisorship of Mitch Resnick at MIT Media Lab. The circuit board of Makey is designed in collaboration with Sparkfun one the leading electronic circuit designers and the whole project was Kickstarter funded.
Anyone who loves to do art and has a knack for engineering this kit is an ideal starting point. From beginners to experts and everyone inbetween loves MaKey for its creative and imaginative approach.
Make + Key = MaKey MaKey!
Makey Makey Piano
A simple example to understand working of the kit is the Makey Makey Piano. All you have to do is to connect yourself and a banana, yeah a banana to the alligator clips and load a piano in computer. When you touch the banana you generate a signal. Makey sends this signal to the computer. For your computer it’s a regular signal as generated by a keyboard or a mouse.
The keys work on the simple physics of electricity flow. Therefore any object that has least of conductivity can work as the touchpad. It can be pencil graphite, a banana, ketchup, a cat, anything wet and a lot more.
You can see Makey Makey Piano in working here:
Makey Makey Ideas
There is no limit to what all can be achieved using Makey. It all depends on the computer program you use to work with it. Piano is just one of the examples, you can play online Pacman without a joystick or access Facebook or Google.
Words from creators
Before Makey, its creators have worked known invention kits like Drawdio and Singing Fingers. In their own words the motive behind developing Makey is-
We believe that everyone is creative, inventive, and imaginative. We believe that everyone can create the future and change the world. So we have dedicated our lives to making easy-to-use invention kits. We believe that the whole world is a construction kit, if we choose to see it that way.
We strongly believe Internet of Things is not a domain only for businesses or enterprises but for everyone who has a knack for engineering and above all #connectivity.
We will keep exploring the IoT domain and bring you more examples of #IoT #innovation taking place.
