Arduino-Powered Cicada Warning System by @WNYC’s @Radiolab

Our neighbors at WNYC’s Radiolab are working on a cicada tracker. Here on the Eastern Seaboard, one particular breed of cicada, Magicicada Breed II (I’m not making that up), emerges every 17 years from their hibernation period, makes a lot of noise all summer long, and then dies. The last time this happened was 1996, which means we’re due for another Cicada Summer this year.

To help track the cicadas as they emerge from hibernation, Radiolab has crafted some custom hardware, built around an Arduino, and shared the instructions online.

You can learn more about the project by watching the video above. There’s also this discussion yesterday from the Brian Lehrer Show with NPR’s John Keefe.

You can find many of the materials required to make this circuit in our ARDX kit. We also sell a suitable thermistor.

This is a great project to do with your kids — and the opportunity will only come around once every 17 years, so get tracking!


Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 38,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 11/15/2024 Featuring Adafruit bq25185 USB / DC / Solar Charger with 3.3V Buck Board! (Video)

Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: A New Arduino MicroPython Package Manager, How-Tos and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

Adafruit IoT Monthly — The 2024 Recap Issue!

Maker Business – Adafruit Daily — Apple to build another chip at TSMC Arizona

Electronics – Adafruit Daily — SMT Tip – Stop moving around!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !


No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.