electronics

I am developing an internet enabled FM radio for my 3rd year Electronics project.

What does that mean?

Well, you take the standard FM radio and and connect it to the internet, this allows the radio to get extra content for the user including text and images. It also allows it to push information back to radio stations and other web services.

I will be implementing a new technology called RadioDNS.

RadioDNS is open technology that lets broadcast radio and the internet work together: enhancing the listener experience, and making radio better.

This new technology is based on the DNS system that holds the internet up, allowing you to resolve URIs pointing to online content to support radio listening.

By the end of the project, I want to create a usable product that will have some form of user input(s) and of course visual and audio outputs. It will try and be as portable as possible making use of Wi-Fi and/or 3G connectivity, while maintaining main functionalities even when offline.

We have 3 lectures next week to give us final details on how the projects run and then I have free reign over what I do then.

This semester, I am working on the Arduino Platform to design and make an embedded system. We have been given free reign (as long as Dr Evans things it's do-able within the time limitations) to make whatever we like.

In the labs, we have been learning the basics of the platform, getting familiar with the IDE and code libraries.

My first idea was some kind of remote control doing various things, but then I remembered my Electronic Clothing idea I had last year! So, I am currently toying with this idea:

Introducing the MAC: Multimeda Access Coat

From the fantastic sketch, you can see I am hoping to have a screen and keypad in each sleeve, earphones, possible connected to an iPhone dock type thing, temperature and wind sensors, GSM receiver (so that you can text the coat), maybe GPS?

Although in the early stages of development, I have invested in an £8 coat from Primark.