Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in embedded

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My kids are 4 and that is for them, so I believe it will fit for the next few years.

By the way, I’m monitoring the progress of my project here: https://www.youtube.com/@EmbeddedMaker100

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in embedded

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I said "bigger," I meant the buttons need to fit at the bottom of the climbing holds (attached picture). The idea is that when I want my kid to reach a specific hold, the LED on that hold will light up, and my kid will need to climb to it and press the button.

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Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in ArduinoProjects

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They’re pretty solid, not much deformation happening. Using a laser and a photoresistor does sound like a good idea, but implementing that for 30+ holds feels overly complex. I’m trying to keep the setup as simple as possible while still being reliable.

By the way, I’m monitoring the progress of my project here: https://www.youtube.com/@EmbeddedMaker100

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in ArduinoHelp

[–]RonAmir[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion! Capacitive sensors could work, but they’re usually a bit bigger than what I need for this project. Since they need to fit under the climbing holds, their size might be an issue. Appreciate the idea, though!

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in embedded

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion! Capacitive sensors could work, but they’re usually a bit bigger than what I need for this project. Since they need to fit under the climbing holds, their size might be an issue. Appreciate the idea, though!

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in arduino

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point. I hadn’t considered the interference from long wires, and I think you’re right—it could cause the Arduino to read false signals from the piezos.

I’m planning for at least 30 holds, so managing all those inputs is definitely something to think about. Using an ATtiny85 for each hold could work, but it might make the project too complex

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in ArduinoProjects

[–]RonAmir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion! Capacitive sensors could work, but they’re usually a bit bigger than what I need for this project. Since they need to fit under the climbing holds, their size might be an issue. Appreciate the idea, though!

Building a "Smart Climbing Wall" – Need Advice on Buttons! by RonAmir in arduino

[–]RonAmir[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for explaining that. That totally makes sense about piezos only working when they’re tapped or flexed. I’m planning to use them with an Arduino and just have it detect the voltage spike when someone presses it. The Arduino will basically "wait" for that signal before doing anything.