Build Your Own Autonomous Nerf Blaster: Programming Mayhem with Processing and Arduino

Design and build your own robotic, Arduino-powered sentry blaster!

Break out the big daddy blaster–and teach it to act on its own! Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster walks you through cool DIY projects, such as working with motion sensors, remote monitors, and facial detection software, all while building up to the ultimate goal: a robotic NERF weapon that finds and fires on its targets! Have some serious fun along the way as you learn about creative coding with Processing and Arduino.

Step-by-step instructions show you how to:

• Construct and mount a servo, NERF blaster, and webcam in harmonious alignment
• Program Processing to receive video, search it for a face, and then pass instructions to your Arduino board via USB cable
• Configure Arduino to process the message and instruct the servo to move to a new position
• Specify your target radius in Processing and, when met, send the message to Arduino that it’s time to “open fire!”

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Tinkering
Chapter 2 Building a NERF Niche
Chapter 3 Processing Crash Course
Chapter 4 Arduino Crash Course
Chapter 5 Motion Detection
Chapter 6 Tinkering Pays Off
Chapter 7 Foam Dart Blaster Hackery
Chapter 8 Blaster Brains and Eyes
Chapter 9 Autonomous Avenger Armed
Chapter 10 Leveling Up