Retired software program developer and classic electronics fanatic Michael Gardi has introduced again a Star Trek tie-in toy from the golden period of the unique sequence: MEGO’s Star Trekulator, a handheld digital calculator with little resemblance to something seen on-screen, now that includes a working touch-screen show.
“Within the ’70s MEGO was identified for making Star Trek toys, together with a cassette participant that (sorta) seemed like a tricorder and communicator styled walkie-talkies,” Gardi explains of the unique {hardware}. “One in all these merchandise caught my eye. Launched in 1976 the Star Trekulator was a working six operate calculator with a Star Trek themed ‘look.’ It would not seem to correspond with any precise artifact from the sequence however to drive the purpose house it featured a cool nonetheless picture ‘display screen’ that includes Kirk, Spock and Uhura plus some blinken lights for impact.”
Spot the distinction: the reproduction Star Trekulator, left, subsequent to MEGO’s 1976 unique. (📷: Michael Gardi)
Having tracked down an unique — no imply feat, because it was not a best-seller — Gardi set about recreating it utilizing trendy {hardware}, together with two customized PCBs and a controlling Espressif ESP32-WROOM-32 microcontroller module. Whereas a 32-bit microcontroller with wi-fi connectivity might seem to be overkill for a easy calculator, Gardi’s recreation goes past the unique: that faux “display screen” of MEGO’s imagining has been changed with a 3.5″ full-color 480×320 touchscreen panel — the type of know-how that, on the creation of the unique Star Trekulator, would have actually been science fiction.
The PCBs are housed in a 3D-printed chassis designed to copy the unique, full with calculator keypad and a numerical show beneath the now-real viewscreen. There’s additionally a built-in amplified speaker — and in case you use the touchscreen to poke at a personality’s face you will hear a randomly-selected quote from the sequence, whereas buttons alongside the aspect of the display screen set off sound results or a slideshow mode.
“The contact display screen can be utilized to implement some cool interfaces,” Gardi provides. “For example one thought I had was to implement some scientific calculator capabilities utilizing the contact display screen so as to add buttons to set off these new capabilities whereas persevering with to make use of the seven-segment show for outcomes. Or how about including a Tricorder like interface. The sky is the restrict as they are saying.”
Gardi has revealed a information to constructing your individual Subsequent Technology Star Trekulator on Instructables, with supply code, 3D fashions, and PCB design recordsdata obtainable on GitHub beneath the reciprocal GNU Normal Public License 3.
