RSSArchives: September 2007
September 30, 2007
Best of CRAFT
Here are some of my favorite posts from the CRAFT blog this week:
- CRAFT's Harajuku Punk Shirt Project on HP's Community Wiki - Link.
- HOW TO - Make a Pitcher Plant Terranium - Link.
- Craft Biz Q+A: Susie Ghahremani of boygirlparty- Link.
- Cardboard Box Lamps - Link.
- DIY Recycled Paper Curtain - Link.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 30, 2007 06:00 PM
Crafts |
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End of the weekend - Are you making a walkotron?
Did you get a chance to learn how to make your own walkman mellotron this weekend? Make sure to check it out and subscribe to get all of them downloaded automatically!
Watch the video - Link
Read the pdf - Link
Subscribe in iTunes - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Sep 30, 2007 03:04 PM
DIY Projects |
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Paraglider made from storage bags
By way of the awesome AfriGadget site comes this Wired story about a paraglider builder/flier from South Africa:
Cyril is the only black South African currently registered with the sport's ruling body. And it all started with a glider he made from plastic bags, purloined rope and baling wire, a glider that flew -- sort of -- though it both amazed and horrified the professional paragliders who saw it.
Freedom Flight: Kid's Homemade Paraglider Leads to Fame - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 30, 2007 01:12 PM
DIY Projects, Flying |
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September 29, 2007
Desktop "Strandbeest" walker
The work of Dutch physicist-turned-artist Theo Jansen has inspired many, including us here at MAKE. His amazing "Strandbeest" (beach animals), giant wind-driven walking sculptures, are staggeringly cool. A number of miniature machine and robot builders have tried to incorporate some of Jensen's ideas into their own work. Here, a Japanese maker has built a tabletop walking machine that uses a leg configuration similar to the Strandbeest.
Strandbeest-Desktop (Theo Jansen´s mechanism) - Link
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 29, 2007 09:51 PM
Arts, Robotics |
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Robot Jockey, the sport that never was
Before BigDog and LittleDog, Boston Dynamics Director Martin Buehler was messing around with single-leg motility, here via the Robot Jockey, a sort of semi-self-balancing pogo stick under a motorcycle frame. On Buehler's website, you can see the evolution, from these monoped prototypes up to the four-legged critters we see bouncing around in BD test videos today. With the rider in full motorcycle regalia and the Van Halen soundtrack, this looks like some sort of misguided extreme sport that never quite got off the ground... er so speak.
Martin Buehler - Link
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 29, 2007 03:51 PM
Robotics |
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SensorBib upright bass augmentation
Spencer Russell created a "sleeve" for his upright bass to house electronic sensors which detect his position relative to the instrument. The sensors use an Arduino board to communicate with a computer running PD (PureData) to translate the sensor information into sound. He used Blender and QCad to make a 3D model of his bass in order to create a pattern for his fabric sleeve. He'll be at October's Dorkbot NYC if you want to see this in person. Link.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 29, 2007 10:00 AM
Arduino, Arts, DIY Projects, Electronics, Music, Open source hardware, Wearables |
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Walkotron - PDF Cast
The walkotron is a simple project that you can make to create your own musical instrument. Gather your walkmans, some switches, wire and a speaker and you've got a basic melloman made out of walkmans. If you're feeling ambitious, download the code and fire up an arduino to make a sequencer! - PDF Link
Note: That's a photo of Eric playing the walkotron at Handmade Music Night!
Download the code - Link
Watch the video - Link
Subscribe - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Sep 29, 2007 09:39 AM
MAKE PDF, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects |
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New in the MAKE store - the MAKE bomb defuser
Small enough to fit on your key chain, the MAKE Bomb Defuser is the perfect companion for mobile fixing, hacking. saving the world and MacGyvering. This is a limited offering with custom "MAKE: bomb defuser" laser etched with care using a 35w laser. It's a Leatherman Squirt E4 (electronic version) and come with a lifetime warranty.
Features
- Electrical Wire Cutters (spring loaded)
- 20, 18, 16, 14, and 12 gauge wire strippers
- Straight Knife
- Tweezers
- Extra-Small Screwdriver
- Small Screwdriver
- Phillips Screwdriver
- Wood/Metal File
- Bottle Opener
- Lanyard Attachment
- Length: 2.25 in. / 5.5 cm closed
- Weight: 1.8 ounces / 52 grams
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 29, 2007 07:00 AM
Announcements, MAKE Store |
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September 28, 2007
Robotic flowers respond to SMS and web input
Matt Gardiner's recent incarnation of his "Oribotics" (robotic origami flowers) project adds a networked component that allows visitors to send SMS messages to the cyborg buds from their cellphones as well as input control messages through a web-based interface. Says Matt, "At the moment we are working with compact computers (about the size of a greeting card), Micro Linear Actuators, designing flowers from water bombs, and using some of the strongest sticky tape in the world... If all that sounds a little odd, then you'd better read the blog." The flowers go on display October 9th at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Check it out if you happen to be down under.
Gardiner's "Oribotics" site -Link
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 28, 2007 02:15 PM
Arts |
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Make a mellotron out of walkmans - Weekend Projects Podcast
This week Eric Beug joins me this week to make a musical instrument out of walkmans. The mellotron is an instrument that uses taped audio through a keyboard interface. Finding inspiration in Mike Walters' Melloman, we hacked together a simple circuit to trigger loops of tape to make a super simple sampler. We had originally thought to use getlofi's parallel port sequencer, but ended up going with the arduino instead. I'll have the pdf, including the program that goes on the arduino, available for download Saturday. - Subscribe Link
We got the walkmans for two bucks apiece on the west end of Canal Street in New York City and there were still a lot left there.! If you need an arduino, we sell them now in the Make: Store - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Sep 28, 2007 09:00 AM
Electronics, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects |
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Robothon 2007 results
Robothon 2007 is over. The results from the fifteen different competitions, from 12 lb combat robots to micro-mouse to mini-sumo, are now posted on the Robothon site. Multi-category winners included Team Xbot, Pete Miles, and Cathy Sexton.
Robothon 2007 Results - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 28, 2007 07:00 AM
Events, Robotics |
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MAKE NYC & Handmade music night! JAM PACKED!!
The first ever MAKE NYC meeting was amazing - Ryan and Matt did a great job with the 555 timer session, the slides are here. We then all headed up to ETSY for the Create Digital Music, ETSY & MAKE Handmade music night - WOW! What a turn out, thank you everyone! Here are the first batch of photos, enjoy! Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 28, 2007 06:00 AM
Events |
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MicroDrones with hand motion control
Video of cool of German-made four-prop micro-drones with such features as hand-motion control, GSM networked communications (swarms!), GPS mapping, mounted cameras, and more.
MicoDrone - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 28, 2007 06:00 AM
Flying, Gadgets, GPS |
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Wi-Fi antenna extender hack
You know that someone is going to cry fraud any time there's a how-to on extending wi-fi range. And this one is no exception (read the Comments). I don't know why people doing these projects don't show before and after readings on a signal strength meter to prove their claims. I'm not a radio engineer or a ham, so I can't really judge without trying this out for myself on a spare antenna. I'd be interested to know what MAKE readers think who have experience in this area.
WIFI Antenna Hack! - Link
Related:
- Other wif-fi antenna coverage on MAKE: Blog - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 28, 2007 05:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Wireless |
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September 27, 2007
Jacob's Ladder project
Here's a brief piece on creating a high-voltage Jacob's Ladder from a neon sign transformer, some insulators, and wire electrodes. Just in time for Halloween.
Oh, and this is high-voltage, so don't mess with it if you don't know what you're doing.
Make a Jacob's Ladder - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 27, 2007 08:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Clock tells time as a conversation
The "It's about time" clock turns time into a conversation rather than just hours, minutes, and seconds. Maybe version 2.0 will sync to your calendar software and tell you how late you are.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 27, 2007 05:33 PM
Electronics |
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iRobot previews ConnectR telepresence unit
IRobot released their new Looj gutter-cleaning robot ($99) today and showed off their forthcoming ConnectR, a telepresence bot built on (literally) the success of the Roomba line of bots. The ConnectR has the same basic form-factor as Roomba with a webcam mounted on it. It can be controlled over the Web and offers remote audio and video for what iRobot has dubbed "virtual visiting." Can't wait to how this one gets hacked up. First order of business might be extending that camera on a stalk. Somehow, I don't see granny and gramps getting down on the rug for your once a month "virtual visits."
The ConnectR will be released next year and retail for $499. The company is taking candidates for a beta-test program now which'll allow you to get the bot for $199.
iRobot ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot - [via] Link
Related:
- Your next robot domestic - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 27, 2007 04:00 PM
Robotics |
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Yet another device charging station
There are a number of these neat n' tidy multi-device charging station projects floating through the interwebs. This one uses a cheap Ikea storage tub and features switches for each charger.
IKEA Power Charging Box with individual switches - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 27, 2007 03:00 PM
Cellphones, DIY Projects, Instructables |
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Color-coded user-serviceable radio, circa 1948
Boing Boing Gadgets points us to this fascinating piece from the January 1949 issue of PopSci for a consumer radio that sports color-coded components that can be easily swapped out by the user. A harbinger of the consumer electronics revolution to come. In fact, it was SO easy to repair that even "Mother Could Fix This Radio" (ouch).
Mother Could Fix This Radio (Jan, 1948) - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 27, 2007 02:00 PM
Modern Mechanix, Retro |
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Autonomous Sailboat Racing
I've always been curious about autopilots and autonomous sailboat racing takes that to a higher level. Coming next year there will be an autonomous sailboat competition accross the Atlantic! Pictured above is the roboat, winner of the Aberystwyth race. [via] Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Sep 27, 2007 12:00 PM
Makers |
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Features and more @ MAKE!
DIY Halloween contest at MAKE! In honor of the best DIY holiday ever, we're having a party -- and everyone's invited! Elaborate costumes for the whole family, gadgets that go "zzzZAP!," gross-looking foods, creepy decorations that turn your house into a forbidding castle, and spooky jack-o-lanterns guarding your front door: these are the things we look forward to all year.
DIY HALLOWEEN from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that's made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects. Get it at the Maker Shed store!. And lastly, our Animated Ghost Kit. Grab this cool kit for Halloween. Sound activated, the ghost flashes his little red LED eyes, vibrates and makes scary sounds! Easy and fun to build. Hack it! Get it at the Maker Shed Store!
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Makezine authors!
Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
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Gareth Branwyn
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
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Becky Stern
Mike Dixon
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Current Podcast
Weekend Project: Hot Glue Web Gun
Make a spooky spider web shooter from a hot glue gun that will spread the creeps all over your haunted house! Thanks go to Edwin Wise for the original article in Make: Halloween.To download Hot Glue Web Gun MP4...
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