Schlagwort: Nano
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Building a school bus ride to buy a toddler’s love
Reading Time: 2 minutesWe all know that a child’s love can be bought. But how can working class parents compete with the lavish gifts that wealthy parents can afford? The answer is simple: by building toys that aren’t purchasable. Not only will a DIY gift have far more meaning, but it will impart a sense…
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This payphone provides access to a speakeasy STEM library
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you live in a nice neighborhood that has a sense of community, you may have come across a Little Free Library. Those are small cabinets filled with books that anyone can take. Ideally, people will also leave books for others. They’re usually situated next to sidewalks where passersby can stumble across…
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RoboCup is an assistive drinking device for people living with cerebral palsy
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the many realities of living with cerebral palsy is limited upper body dexterity, as almost every activity requires the help of a caregiver. That includes something that most of us take for granted: drinking water. To restore at least that little bit of independence, Rice University engineering students Thomas Kutcher…
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The KhordUino is a DIY badminton racquet stringing machine
Reading Time: 2 minutesTennis and badminton racquets look pretty simple; just string woven around a hoop like a basket, right? But those strings are under massive tension, which is necessary to get good rebound on the ball or shuttlecock. Maintaining string tension while weaving the string usually requires a big and expensive machine. But the…
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A gorgeous escape room puzzle with an Alien theme
Reading Time: 2 minutesAlien is an icon of the sci-fi horror genre and it owes its status to the legendary design work of H. R. Giger. He was responsible for the very original xenomorph and much of the set design throughout franchise. Alien and its sequels have a distinct visual aesthetic that inspired Redditor Wired_Workshop to build this…
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The Treat Trough of Terror spits out Halloween candy
Reading Time: 2 minutesWe’re only a few short weeks away from Halloween and that means we’re starting to see the creative projects that makers come up with to celebrate the holiday. Movement, lights, and sound effects are the name of the game when it comes to Halloween decor and the Treat Trough of Terror is…
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A simple non-contact lap timer for RC car racing
Reading Time: 2 minutesRemote control cars have been popular toys for children and adults alike for decades now. And while there is plenty of fun to be had cruising around, a little bit of healthy competition can add another layer of enjoyment. To race or practice racing, you’ll want some way to time your laps.…
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DIY digital VU meter with analog vibes
Reading Time: 2 minutesA volume unit (VU) meter is a simple gauge that indicates the amplitude of an audio signal, so higher decibels move the needle further. They’re common in the field of audio engineering and music production, with traditional VU meters being analog. But tuning an analog gauge is a challenge, so Mirko Pavleski…
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Building a rodent-friendly catch-and-release mousetrap with Arduino
Reading Time: 2 minutesRodents, including mice, are problematic. They can cause significant damage to your home by chewing up wires, walls, and insulation, while leaving behind unsanitary droppings that present a health hazard. But those of us who love animals are reluctant to utilize traditional mousetraps. Not only are those fatal, but they can also…
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Adding an LCD interface to an old file server
Reading Time: 2 minutesServers don’t usually need monitors, keyboards, or mice. Because the user only interacts with servers through separate devices under normal conditions, a server can just be a box with with a processor, RAM, storage, and network adapter. But that becomes an issue if something is wrong with the server that requires direct…
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A beautiful minimalist rainbow LED lamp
Reading Time: 2 minutesIndividually addressable RGB LEDs like the WS2812B models are popular because they’re so easy to drive and don’t require any complex wiring. Each LED in the chain passes a signal on to its neighbor and you only need to know the position of an LED in the chain to control its brightness…
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Tiny Tesla go-kart gains self-driving autopilot
Reading Time: 2 minutesA few years ago, Austin Blake built an electric go-kart that looked like a Tesla Model S. It had the plastic shell from a kid’s Radio Flyer ride-on vehicle, but on top of a custom go-kart frame with a powerful electric motor. That looked like a Tesla, but it didn’t really act like one…
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This wearable device uses air to provide directions
Reading Time: 2 minutesMost people today rely on technology to navigate through the world. That is practical thanks to the reliability of modern GPS. But receiving directions can be difficult for people with certain disabilities. People who are blind, for instance, cannot look at a map on a smartphone. People with missing limbs may not…
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Arduino-powered pickpocket trap catches thieves red-handed
Reading Time: 2 minutesPeople living in small towns and rural areas may not realize it, but pickpocketing is a genuine issue in big cities. Real-life pickpockets aren’t magic like those in movies, but they can pull an item like a wallet from your pocket without you noticing — it is surprisingly easy to do. The…
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Testing fast charging damage to smartphone batteries
Reading Time: 2 minutesMost people leave their phones on their chargers overnight, but sometimes you end up at 5% halfway through the day and need to top off your battery. Fast charging is very convenient in such circumstances, but it may be damaging your smartphone’s battery and reducing its capacity over time. To find out…
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DIY EMF detector scans for ghosts and appliances
Reading Time: 2 minutesElectromagnetic Field (EMF) detectors are popular pieces of ghost hunting equipment. The idea is that paranormal apparitions emit a noticeable EMF that proves their existence. But in reality, those EMFs come from electric and electronic devices. And an EMF from you microwave may, for example, interfere with your Wi-Fi network and cause…
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Mysoltrk is a low-cost solar panel tracking system
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile a solar panel installed on the top of a roof, lamp post, or the side of a building will produce power, it is nowhere near optimal for achieving the maximum efficiency possible. To get better results, panels are often mounted to pivots and linear actuators/servo motors that continually move to always…
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Jumperless breadboard makes prototyping a breeze
Reading Time: 2 minutesMost makers start their initial electronics prototypes on a breadboard, which is great for quickly setting up temporary circuits. But forming the connections requires jumper wires and even a basic project quickly becomes a rats’ nest of wiring that is difficult to manage. Tracking down issues within that tangle of wires is…
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Magic office gadget encourages coworkers to solve problems
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhether it’s budget issues, lack of time management, or simply not having any ideas for solving the issue at-hand, dealing with coworkers who bring up these problems is a pet-peeve of element14 Presents host Mark Donners. In response, he built a simple wall-mounted ornament consisting of a series of magic wands that prods coworkers to…
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Small PoV display uses CD drive motor for high-speed rotation
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe human brain and eyes are imperfect, so your visual perception has a limited “frame rate.” That is somewhere between 30 and 60 frames per second (fps). Most films are 24fps, which is part of the reason they don’t quite look like real life. Once you reach the upper limits of the human visual…
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This timer uses a rolling ball to count the seconds
Reading Time: 2 minutesBefore we had fancy digital clocks — or even spring-driven mechanical clocks — most methods for measuring short periods of time relied on gravity moving something in a consistent, repeatable way. Both water clocks and hour glasses work under that principle. But it isn’t very fun to watch grains of sand fall,…
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This electronic compass guides you using LEDs and OLED display
Reading Time: 2 minutesOf all the tools humanity has developed for navigation over our history, the humble compass is arguably the most important. A compass is cheap to produce, reliable, and incredibly useful for every kind of navigation. But standard mechanical compasses aren’t perfect; they can stick, are easy for people to misread, and don’t…
