Arduino based geocaches

[+bflentje]

And this one has been fairly successful..

 

Fire and Ice

[+djwhouse]

http://coord.info/GC54V3Z

 

FWIW, I made an attempt at a computer (Arduino) controlled geocache. It was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I hope to try for another two this winter.

 

djwhouse

[+Mimhs.gr]

GC5EC0A

[+djwhouse]

Here are some (my) Arduino geocaches you can add to your bookmark.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC54V3Z_wired-02-knock-knock-9-volt

 

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5JGKB_wired-03-remember

 

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5NHDJ_wired-04-pocket-change

 

Dave / djwhouse

[+Mimhs.gr]

Please add those three: GC4Y51A - GC5PVXT - GC5JY42.

[+Mimhs.gr]

I have an idea for an arduino-powered traditional geocache I already posted in the arduino forum. I'd love to do this myself, but since I'm in the middle of a big city I can't find the right spot to pull this off anywhere near me where I could maintain it.

 

Here's the idea:

 

You make a plastic cache-container that can close with a servo from the inside like my reverse geocache. You'll add an arduino, some kind of display mounted in the lid and an rfid reader with the antenna on the bottom of the container. For power supply I'd add a 9V battery holder that can be accessed from the outside.

 

Then you hide the cachebox in a place from where you can see two distinct landmarks (a bench, some kind of tree stump, etc.). In the cache listing you'll tell the people to bring a 9V battery.

 

When the cacher finds the cache it won't open. They insert the 9V battery and the display says 'put me on the red mark on the bench behind you'.

I have an idea for an arduino-powered traditional geocache. I'd love to do this myself, but since I'm in the middle of a big city I can't find the right spot to pull this off anywhere near me where I could maintain it.

 

There's an rfid card glued under that spot and when the cacher puts the box there the reader sees the rfid and the display says 'Put me on the treestump 200 meters north of here - you have 40 seconds... '. A countdown from 50 begins.

 

If the cacher does't put the box on the rfid chip in the tree stump within the 50 seconds he has to start over (put it on the bench). If he makes it the box says 'Now back to the bench, you got 35 seconds' and the countdown starts.

 

If he makes it back to the bench in time the box opens. To close it again he has to take out the battery and put it in again or put the box on a third rfid chip.

 

Would be real fun if you would install that somewhere where you could watch the people running around

 

You could also add more rfid stations or make them run faster. If you find a spot where there's something like a grid with different field on the ground (like these giant chess boards in parks) you could also make out a kind of puzzle where you have to place the box on different fields with rfids buried in them due to hints on the display. Like just displaying 'A3-D5-F3' with the chess board.

http://coord.info/GC5JY42 - GC4Y51A

Needed parts:

1 atmel328 μcontroller (1.5 euro)

1 84x48 Pixel LCD Module Blue Backlight Adapter LED PCB For Nokia 5110 Arduino (2 euro)

1 AAx1 battery holder

1 Mini PFM Control DC-DC USB 0.9V-5V to 5V dc Boost Step-up Power Supply Module (3 euro)

1 16mhz crystal- 2 capacitors - 2 resistors etc (1 euro)

Common to both caches.

For the RFIDuino I needed also 125Khz RFID Mini Module Kits KeyCard ID Card (9 euro). 4 rfid cards where also included in kit (so the four steps cost me 0 euro)

It took me some time to program them (I am more of a builder than a programmer!) but the final devices are small enough to fit inside a wooden tea box and this in to a Decon (military watertight box). Even have space for a lexan protecting window and a switch for the yes and no answers for the second cache.

Cards are placed on some big rocks and a thick (1/2 inch) of cement mix, that causes no interaction problem. On the cement I draw a G sign that is easy to see and place the device over it to read the next stage's coordinates. If anyone needs plans or program for them just send me an email.

[+Lenu_]

On 3.11.2010 at 9:41 PM, MikeB3542 said:

 

Still a bit unclear on the concept -- seems to be sort of programming language. (It didn't come up when I googled.) Is the novelty that the cache container does novel things when opened or what? Perhaps an interface directly with my GPSr or handheld?

 

Please be gentle, we aren't all techies. Perhaps you can describe HOW this app is actually being used in the referenced caches. (It won't help me with these puzzles, since I'm over 2000 km from them. Still, not looking for you to be a spoiler.)

 

An arduino is an Open Source board. You can program it via your computer and make it blink an LED for example. They are also often used in geocaches for example in a Gadgetcache: Puzzle Games, Reaction Game(Press the button as fast as you can[eg]) and the limitation is up to you...
1 of my caches uses an arduino. It creates a Bluetooth beacon that you can connect your Phone to. For that you need a custom App I made (unfortunately just android). The coords of the cache are not exact. So the Checher moves around as the Bluetooth signal gets better. When they reach the maximum proximity. You arrived at the cache.

For that I used a cheap HC-06 bluetooth module of of banggod for around 3$(link: https://bit.ly/2JYxJ90) and a arduino for arround 5$ of of Banggood.