Schlagwort: Nano
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This beastly DIY bench power supply will satisfy any requirement
Reading Time: 2 minutesEvery maker should have a bench power supply in their possession, ready to provide whatever voltage a project or particular component requires. But not all bench power supplies are created equal. Some only have a single output, some have a limited voltage range, and some can’t handle much current. In an attempt…
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A shift register is all you need to build an Arduino Nano-based retro computer
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you’ve ever tried to produce an analog video signal with an Arduino, then you know that it isn’t easy. That’s a bit counterintuitive if you think of analog video as “old” and assume that generating an analog video signal would be trivial with our powerful modern hardware. But there are many…
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A three-year journey to build a reaction wheel
Reading Time: 2 minutesHow do unstable things stay upright? True passive balancing is very difficult and isn’t dynamic, so it doesn’t help when there is movement. Active balancing is all about inertia and this is how a tightrope walker can traverse a chasm by making small adjustments with a long pole. This is the same…
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Don’t ignore single-axis joysticks
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhen you hear the word “joystick,” you probably think of the standard dual-axis joysticks that we see on video game controllers. As the name implies, those move and provide signals for two axes (X and Y). But there is no reason that a joystick needs two axes and, in fact, that may…
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DIY “Staccato” controller drives Tesla coils
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Tesla coil, patented by legendary inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891, is a kind of resonant transformer circuit capable of producing sparks of high-voltage alternating-current electricity. They don’t have many practical uses today beyond novelty, but they were commonly used in spark-gap radio transmitters in the early 20th century. The sparks generated by…
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Build yourself this simple app-controlled robot dog
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you have an interest in robotics, it can be really difficult to know where to start. There are so many designs and kits out there that it becomes overwhelming. But it is best to start with the basics and then expand from there after you learn the ropes. One way to…
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A single stepper motor drives this mechanical seven-segment display clock
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is amazing how much technological progress humanity has achieved over the past few centuries. But while our capability with electronics has shot ahead, it seems that we’ve almost regressed when it comes to mechanical and electromechanical design. Watches and clocks are great examples of this, as pre-digital craftsmen were capable of…
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This kinetic light installation illuminates the Finnish snow
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you’re ever driving through rural Finland about an hour south of Jyväskylä, you might come across the Haihatus art center. That includes KITA, “the house of kinetic arts.” You’ll recognize it right away by its bold swaths of vibrant paint. And if you come by at night, you’ll see the snow…
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Motion control interface facilitates robot operation for those with paralysis
Reading Time: 2 minutesHenry Evans suffered a brain-stem stroke 20 years ago that left him paralyzed with quadriplegia. He can move his head, but other than a small amount of movement in his left thumb, he can’t control the rest of his body. To help Evans live a more independent life, researchers from Carnegie Mellon…
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A gaming platform tailored to those with special needs
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs a society, we have decided to enact some measures to make our world more accessible to those with disabilities. Wheelchair ramps, for example, are often legal requirements for businesses in many countries. But we tend to drop the ball when it comes to things aren’t necessities. For instance, entertainment options are…
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This DIY Jurassic Park pinball machine is a T-Rexcellent use of Arduino
Reading Time: 2 minutesPinball machines are prime examples of the dizzying heights achieved by engineers in the electromechanical era before digital electronics came along. But while those classic pinball machines are extremely impressive from an engineering standpoint, they required an immense amount of expertise and were therefore unapproachable to most. By utilizing modern digital components…
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This classic weather station prioritizes the essentials
Reading Time: 2 minutesWeather stations are very popular projects for people new to Arduino. They’re complex enough to help a person learn new skills, but they’re simple enough to be approachable. However, that popularity has led to something of an arms race, with many makers attempting to design the most impressive weather stations on the…
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This gorgeous LED matrix display will wow you
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you only care about showing content as clearly as possible at the lowest cost, then you’ll want to turn to LCD or OLED technology. But a project’s display gives you an opportunity to get creative with the aesthetic, which opens up a whole world of different display types. If you want…
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Affordable fixed-belt CNC plotter runs on Arduino
Reading Time: 2 minutesDesign paradigms are the norm in every industry and automated machine tools aren’t any different. Most 3D printers, for example, function in a similar way: each axis rides on rails, with belts pulled by fixed motors. Pen plotters tend to utilize similar kinematics. But sometimes we see builds that ignore established paradigms,…
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OpenAutoLab lets you automatically develop photos at home
Reading Time: 2 minutes20 years ago, you could walk into any pharmacy or big box store with your rolls of film, then get developed photos back within 24 hours at a reasonable price. But that industry is dead and life is much more difficult for film photographers today. While big chain pharmacies still have developing…
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The user’s heart beat controls this drum machine
Reading Time: 2 minutesEvery holiday season, several of YouTube’s most prominent makers get together for a Secret Santa gift exchange. It is always fun to see what kind of tailored gifts they create and this year is no different. Sam Battle of the LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER YouTube channel drew Ali Spagnola in the most…
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Stairway stopwatch tracks climb time
Reading Time: 2 minutesWith Christmas just around the corner, you may start reminiscing about childhood races down the stairs to rip open presents under the tree. You’ll likely never do be any faster than you were when you were 12, but why not turn stair racing into an event anyway? Jared Dilley made that possible…
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Add an inexpensive digital readout to your drill press
Reading Time: 2 minutesA drill press is a very useful tool that lets you slowly drill holes that are perfectly perpendicular to the work piece. And good drill presses give you a readout that lets you drill to a precise depth. But the cheap drill press stands for hand drills make that difficult. To solve…
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This DIY tool automates LED testing and current limit calculations
Reading Time: 2 minutesGPIO pins on most microcontrollers operate at low voltages, typically between 3.3V and 5V, and are unable to deliver much current — oftentimes stopping at 20-40mA. This is why, when setting up an LED, series resistors are used to limit the amount of current draw and prevent damage to the pin. Mirko Pavleski created…
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This simple machine quickly dispenses labels
Reading Time: 2 minutesMost of us don’t use label stickers very often, so we can afford to spend several minutes fumbling around with corners to try and peel the labels from their backing paper. But if you’re handling many of them a day, like putting “fragile” stickers on shipping boxes, then that inefficient fumbling will…
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Electronics embedded in elastomer enabled this exotic dress
Reading Time: 2 minutesIntegrating electronic components into textiles is usually a challenge, as they are rigid and most textile applications require flexibility. But new materials and fabrication processes are changing that dynamic. FashionTech designer Anouk Wipprecht and Chromatic 3D Materials were able to take advantage of those to develop this futuristic, motion-activated dress illuminated by…
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GreatScott! childproofs his lab with a fingerprint-reading smart lock
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs one of YouTube’s most prolific makers, GreatScott! has a lab full of equipment that we love. But a lot of that equipment represents a potential hazard to children and GreatScott! has a newborn at home. Before that baby becomes a curious and ambulatory toddler, he decided to restrict access to his…
