Here is something really geeky for this Halloween, DIY spooky Pumpkin with a Capacitive Touch Sensor. Is that getting too geeky for you??? Let me explain a bit. A Capacitive Touch Sensor is fixed inside a bowl with some other electronic stuff. So, now if any trick or treater lingers around in its proximity, this rig starts glowing automatically. The awesome thing is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to put together this DIY, as this proximity sensor is made using nothing, but a NerdKit Micro-controller, two pieces of aluminum foil, and some paper clips!
The actual sensor used to detect the presence of a hand in explained in detail in the video, but here is an overview. Our sensor operates on the same principle that a capacitive touch sensor works on your laptop touchpad. These capacitive touch sensors work on the premise that humans are mostly water. When you get near an electric field you alter the capacitance enough to be noticed by the sensor.
Via: Hacked Gadgets
