What Are Creative PIC18 Microcontroller Project Ideas?

[IronBrain]

Please, do not tell me to go google this, and searching these forums. I am perfectly capable of doing so. However, I am posting here to hear unique ideas something google cannot find, to me at least, as any good hobbyist/engineer are always having random sparks of creativity anywhere, any time. This is for a team project, but I am taking the most initiative in doing this, since I enjoy it the most.

Some Information

Micontroller: PIC18

Ideas to incorporate for a successful project and fun but challenging to some degree

- A system that incorporate somewhat real time data analysis
- A system where components won't cost a fortune (college student here)
- A system where we interface external, quite obviously, duh, lol.

A good idea that come to mind for me, is a current weather conditions machine/display. I've seen on spark electronics they have a IC for measuring barometric pressure, and leaving it up to us for to find other components or develop a system to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, and possible precipitation which leads to us being able to bring the system outside and detect current conditions and if its raining well obviously we are going to have to create a design to protect the system but keep an accurate measure of the conditions without the protection interfering.


Any other ideas? I know berkman enjoys this stuff, as well.

 

[berkeman]

Google is your friend...

J/K. Couldn't resist.

I think to make it really challenging, you should mix in real-time control at a fairly high and taxing bandwidth. Autonomous robot stuff comes to mind. 4 wheels for simpler control, and fewer wheels or legs for more challenge...

 

[berkeman]

Maybe an autonomous GPS centric RC-size helicopter?

 

[waht]

How about something TCP/IP based. You can connect the PIC over the network and access it anywhere in the world using the internet?

In case of a weather station, it could unload all the telemetry into a web browser.

 

[IronBrain]

Ah, yes berkman that would be very challenging.
I also like the last idea allowing the PIC weather station to connect to a wired or wireless network where It can upload the new data every so often, say every 5 minutes. Only that sucks I am probalby the most knowledge programmer in the group, even though area of speciality is in C++, I don't know C, yet. ASM just scares me lol.

 

[Mike_In_Plano]

Talk of Telnet sparks a concept that I'm endeared with - multiprocessor apps. If you have a processor that's banging away to work over the internet (which is in an app note at microchip.com) then you probably don't have much left in the way of resources.
Given a boss processor and slaves opens up possibilities in processing power.

 

[Moffitt]

Use two potentiometers and a small lcd screen to create an etch-a-sketch