One man has devised a clever way to turn an ordinary maths calculator into a high-tech cheating device.
Using a regular TI-84 calculator, YouTuber ChromaLock added a Wi-Fi-enabled microcontroller, turning it into something far more advanced.
His first challenge was that the microcontroller runs on three volts, while the calculator uses five volts.
So, to fix this, he added a level shifter to protect the microcontroller and built a custom circuit board to make sure everything worked smoothly.
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Being a programmer, ChromaLock took joy in coding many 'applets' for the calculator menu.
"The microcontroller is set up to be impersonating another TI-84 which means that our applet can just use the built-in 'send and get' commands to send or receive variables from the microcontroller," he described.
Here, there is a list of commands that allow the device to connect to Wi-Fi, display images, and even send messages to ChatGPT.
To show how it works, ChromaLock connected the calculator to his phone’s Wi-Fi which he mentioned maintained a 'pretty stable connection.'
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He then put the calculator to the test by inputting simple equations.
"ChatGPT is actually reasonably good at answering algebra problems," he admitted.
"Basic definitions and common facts aren't a problem for it at all."
The content creator demonstrated asking: 'What is the powerhouse of the cell?' to receive the correct answer of 'mitochondria'.
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"And it's way better than trying to navigate a web browser on a low-resolution screen," ChromaLock added.
However, for more complex, wordy problems that would be a 'nightmare' to type into the calculator, ChromaLock devised a solution.
Well, it's not that promising but the 'chatroom' applet allows users to message others with the same setup, of course, if they have a smart friend to help.
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Otherwise, the YouTuber suggests using the 'image browser' tool which can display a 'visual cheat sheet or other reference photos.'
But this calculator isn’t just about solving problems.
The 'app browser' can store and download notes even after the memory is cleared: "It also functions as a cheat sheet downloader."
Or it can even serve as a mini gaming console with classics like Snake for passing the time after a test.
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The revolutionary calculator has left viewers amazed.
"Poor teachers, they don't even know what's gonna hit em," wrote one viewer.
Someone else said: "If you are smart enough to make a device like this, you deserve to pass the exam".
Another added: "The ironic thing is to make this device you’re probably smart enough to do really well on the SAT or whatever test it is!"
One YouTube user predicted: "I guess students will just have to take their math tests in a Faraday Cage now".