Step 5 – Modify, Adapt, Extend

Now it’s your turn to be creative! Your current Tiny Sorter is the starting point — think of it as a platform you can adapt, upgrade, or rebuild to match your own ideas.

Inspiration: What Could You Add?

  • LED Indicators:
    Add LEDs that show which class was detected (e.g., red for class 1, green for class 2). Let the Tiny Sorter “light up” for each action.

  • Physical Buttons for Control:
    Integrate buttons to start, stop, or pause sorting—put yourself in control!
    Imagine a button to trigger a new sort even when the ML model is silent, or to force a pause/reset if needed.

  • Display with Counter:
    Connect an OLED or LCD display to show how many objects have been sorted (per class or total). Combine with a reset button to zero out the count.

  • Improve or Retrain Your ML Model:
    Try training on new objects or more classes—maybe coins, colored items, or something totally different.

  • Audio Feedback:
    Add a piezo buzzer or speaker to play a sound for each action or error.

  • Other Sensors/Actuators:
    Try controlling a motorized conveyor, a fan, or anything else with digital or analog pins!

Build, extend, remix—make it truly yours, and have fun exploring creative hardware!

Take a look at the video below for some inspiration from a previous build with Arduino-Microcontroller:

Video: Arduino Advanced Sorter Example

In this build, I integrated buttons to start and stop the sorting process, as well as a dedicated button to reset the counters. Additionally, a display was added to show the live count for each class directly on the screen.

💡 Need Support? Use the DTI Workshop Helper!

Programming microcontrollers with new features can be challenging, especially under time pressure.
Don’t struggle alone! Use the DTI Workshop Helper AI Tutor for:

  • Inspiration: See what’s possible and brainstorm new features.
  • Coding assistance: Get help writing or fixing CircuitPython/Arduino code.
  • Troubleshooting: Solve errors, pinouts, or logic issues—fast!

Or, as always, just ask our workshop instructors for real-world help on the spot.