Make Technology On Your Time Vol 37 Homegrown Drones
Make Technology On Your Time Vol 37 Homegrown Drones
Make Technology On Your Time Vol 37 Homegrown Drones
The Drawdio circuit is based on the classic 555 timer chip. To save
space on batteries, we’re using a more modern low-power version of the
555 that will run on 3 volts, but otherwise it behaves just like a standard
555. Wired like this, the 555 operates in so-called astable mode,
outputting a continuous stream of pulses from pin 3. The frequency of
those pulses can be controlled by changing the values of the resistors
and capacitors connected to pins 2 and 7. Since the contacts are
arranged to put the user’s body into the resistive loop, the frequency
output by the 555 naturally varies depending on what she or he is
touching. The transistor amplifies those pulses, which emerge from the
speaker as audible sound.
—Sean Michael Ragan, MAKE Technical Editor; Michael Colombo, MAKE
Online Contributor
ADVERTORIAL
1. Test-fit the components on the perfboard.
Parts list:
Electrical tape
Perfboard
0.1μF ceramic disk capacitor
Battery, AAA (2)
TLC555/TLC555CP LinCMOS timer (8-pin DIP)
Thumbtack, flat, metal
PNP amplifying transistor
Battery holder, 2 x AAA
Resistors 1/4W - 10M, 270K, 10K, 10 Ω
8 Ω mini speaker
Double-sided foam tape
Hookup wire, 22AWG solid
100μF 35V 20% radial-lead electrolytic capacitor
Pencil, flat with soft lead
560pF disc capacitor
Tools checklist:
Pliers, mini long-nose
Wire stripper / cutter
Soldering iron and solder
Scissors
Utility knife
Straightedge
Green florist’s foam (optional)
FEATURES
Shifting Gears
A student-built, world-class race car.
Radically Cheap
Building machine tools from car parts to save the world.
Inkjet Maniac
Hacking printers for the sake of art.
DRONES
FLIGHT OF THE DRONES Here's looking at you: new platforms
for aerial imaging.
Flight of the Drones
The multicopter revolution is coming. Are you ready?
Anatomy of a Drone
Find your way around a modern multirotor UAV.
Aerial Videography
Make fantastic videos from your multicopter or drone.
World of Drones
Drones are already hard at work, from the pyramids to the polar ice.
Quadcopter Photogrammetry
R/C aircraft helping restore historic buildings in Cuba.
HandyCopter UAV
Build a cheap quadrotor airframe with video and autonomous flight.
Drone Buyer's Guide
Take a peek at the new wave of drones available to buy now.
FPV Fundamentals
Pilot your drone by seeing what it sees, with first person view.
Custom-Crafted Multicopters
Homegrown drones — you can build your own!
No Man's Land
The legal gray area facing drones and their pilots.
Quad Squad
These expert drone pilots are making quadcopters even cooler.
SKILL BUILDERS
Finding Your Way with GPS
Precision location data, via satellite.
Calling Out Around the World
Communicate with your projects anywhere they can see the sky.
Sensor Smörgåsbord
All-in-one sensing devices are cheaper & easier to use than ever.
PROJECTS
Luminous Lowtops
Snazzy sneakers with full-color LEDs that respond to your moves.
Library Box
A mobile, anonymous wi-fi file server from off-the-shelf hardware.
Zombie Flashlight
Revive a dead battery to make this powerful pocket flashlight.
License Plate Guitar
A “resonator” guitar with a hand-wound electromagnetic pickup.
Remaking History
Build the simple plane that defined modern aircraft.
Three-Day Kimchi
Piquant, fiery, and fast to make.
123: Glider Launcher
An inexpensive launcher that yields impressive flights.
The Amateur Scientist
Track heat islands with data loggers and DIY sensors.
Chameleon Bag
An interactive messenger bag that reacts to your RFID-tagged objects.
Toy Inventor's Notebook
Stop ants from getting into the hummingbird feeder with a DIY moat.
Enough Already
Use an Arduino to mute annoying celebrities on your TV automatically.
Bass Bump
Build this circuit to boost low frequencies and make your MP3s go boom.
123: Self-Filling Pet Water Bowl
Keep your pet happy and hydrated with this simple build.
Bamboo Hors d’Oeuvre Tray
A few clever cuts and you’ll be serving in style.
Mini Blind Minder
Train your blinds to automatically open when it's cold and close when it's hot.
GPS Cat Tracker
Find out exactly where kitty wanders all day.
CNC Air Raid Siren
It's loud, annoying, and fun!
Glow Plug 3D Printer Extruder
Make an extruder by hand using only a few tools and a diesel glow plug.
Howtoons
Build a nifty ripcord rotor copter with an emery board propeller.
Homebrew: Pinball Machine
One man's journey to build a pinball machine from the ground up.
TOOLBOX
Tool Reviews
MAKE's recommendations for useful maker tools and materials.
Books
Text tools for your bench or bedside table.
New Maker Tech
On the horizon for 3D printing, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi.
“One finds limits by pushing them.”
—Herbert Simon
Make:®
FOUNDER & PUBLISHER
Dale Dougherty
[email protected]
PRESIDENT & COO
Greg Brandeau
[email protected]
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Mark Frauenfelder
[email protected]
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Mike Senese
[email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR
Cindy Lum
[email protected]
PROJECTS EDITOR
Keith Hammond
[email protected]
SENIOR EDITOR
Goli Mohammadi
[email protected]
SENIOR EDITOR
Stett Holbrook
[email protected]
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Sean Michael Ragan
[email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Laura Cochrane
STAFF EDITOR
Arwen O’Reilly Griffith
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Craig Couden
COPY EDITOR
Laurie Barton
SENIOR EDITOR, BOOKS
Brian Jepson
EDITOR, BOOKS
Patrick DiJusto
DIGITAL FABRICATION EDITOR
Anna Kaziunas France
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
William Gurstelle, Charles Platt, Matt Richardson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jeffrey Blank, Phil Bowie, Andy Brown, Ken Burns, Ryan Calo, Alex Carrillo, Eric
Cheng, Adam Conway, Marque Cornblatt, Larry Cotton, Len Cullum, William
Grassie, Jason Griffey, Saul Griffith, Mikal Hart, Gregory Hayes, Ross Hershberger,
Steve Hoefer, Mister Jalopy, Janet Jay, Chad Kapper, Adam Kemp, Laura Kiniry, Bob
Knetzger, Tom Kuehn, Tod Kurt, Andrew Petersen, Logan LaPlante, Steve Lodefink,
Kathryn McElroy, Forrest M. Mims III, Mike Outmesguine, John Edgar Park, Bob
Parks, Clayton Richter, Polly Robertus, James Rutter, Rick Schertle, Jason Short, Paul
Spinrad, Matt Stultz, Skyler Tiffin, Wendy Jehanara Tremayne, Don Undeen, Marc
de Vinck, Craig Wilson, Chester Winowiecki, Joseph Zinter
WEBSITE
DIRECTOR OF WEB DEVELOPMENT
Parker Thomas
WEB DEVELOPERS
Jake Spurlock
[email protected]
Cole Geissinger
WEB PRODUCERS
Bill Olson David Beauchamp
WEB DESIGNER
Amy Woods
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Nick Dragotta, Andrew Goodman, Viktor Koen, Rob Nance, Peter O’Toole, Damien
Scogin, Peter Strain, Julie West
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS
James Burke
ONLINE CONTRIBUTORS
Alasdair Allan, John Baichtal, Meg Allan Cole, Michael Colombo, Jimmy DiResta,
Nick Normal, Haley Pierson-Cox, Andrew Salomone, Andrew Terranova, Glen
Whitney
INTERNS
Paloma Fautley (engr.), Sam Freeman (engr.), Andrew Katz (jr. engr.), Brian Melani
(engr.), Nick Parks (engr.), Eloy Salinas (engr.), Wynter Woods (engr.)
VICE PRESIDENT
Sherry Huss
[email protected]
COMMERCE
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCE
David Watta
DIRECTOR, RETAIL MARKETING & OPERATIONS
Heather Harmon Cochran
[email protected]
MAKER SHED GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Uyen Cao
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Rob Bullington
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Heather Brundage
SENIOR CHANNEL MANAGER
Ilana Budanitsky
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER
Eric Weinhoffer
PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGER
Michael Castor
MARKETING
MAKER FAIRE
PRODUCER
Louise Glasgow
MARKETING & PR
Bridgette Vanderlaan
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Sabrina Merlo
CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER CARE TEAM LEADER
Daniel Randolph
[email protected]
Manage your account online, including change of address: makezine.com/account
866-289-8847 toll-free in U.S. and Canada 818-487-2037, 5 a.m.–5 p.m., PST
Comments may be sent to: [email protected]
Visit us online: makezine.com
Follow us on Twitter: @make @makerfaire @craft @makershed On Google+:
google.com/+make On Facebook: makemagazine
PUBLISHED BY
Copyright © 2014
Maker Media, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Printed in the
USA by Schumann Printers, Inc.
Tom Kuehn
Author, My Own Pinball Machine, p. 112
My ultimate fantastic contraption would be to build a house from the
ground up. The house would be powered by renewables, have smart
adaptive energy control with sensors to detect and predict your
habits, and be centrally controlled and web aware. Also there would
be trap doors, bookcase levers, and rotating fireplace doors!
Skyler Tiffin
Author, Self-Filling Pet Water Bowl, p. 93
My contraption would be called the Pack ‘em Up. It would put my
homework into my backpack at school when I close my locker. When
I open up my locker again, my books would be in my bag and I could
go home without having to pack my stuff up.
Mikal Hart
Author, Finding Your Way with GPS, Use the Iridium Satellite Network
in Your Project, p. 58
In the late 1970s I was swept into the (brief) rolling ball clock fad.
Ever since, I’ve been enthralled by rolling ball and mechanical
sculptures. I want to make a big timekeeping device that involves lots
of ping pong balls being blown up into, and falling out of, arrays of
overhead PVC tubes, gated by servo-controlled arms.
Chad Kapper
Author, The HandyCopter, p. 44
I love blending old style tech with new ideas. A steam powered
quadcopter with a vintage plate camera would be a fun challenge!
Clayton Richter
Author, Luminous Lowtops, p. 66
A fantastic contraption that I would like to make is a pen that records
what you draw and displays it using persistence-of-vision if you wave
it back and forth.
William Grassie
Author, Quadcopter Photogrammetry, p. 42
As far back as I can remember I have always been enamored of flight.
I would love one day to build my own custom-designed aircraft.
Spacecraft Studios invites you to
launch to launch creativity
Allison Merrick's Spacecraft Studios is a unique blend of a workroom
studio space and retail shop with handcrafted gifts and DIY kits. The
studio offers classes including sewing, knitting, screen printing, jewelry-
making, papermaking, soap-making, glass etching, soldering, metal
stamping and many more.
The studio is equipped with the traditional tools and supplies you'd
expect in a crafting space, as well as a digital fabric printer, additive 3D
printer and digitizer — and now the Handibot Smart Tool. Allison
explained, ''I want to learn all I can about the Handibot tool so I can
help others integrate it into making.'' Her husband, Dan Bradley, a
software engineer, is fascinated by the possibilities of app development
for the Handibot tool.
WHERE Charleston, SC
BUSINESS SpaceCraftStudios.com
SHOPBOTTOOL Handibot® Smart Power Tool
photos by Rone
What’s a Handibot?
The Handibot Smart Tool is a subtractive digital fabrication tool for
cutting in woods, plastics, soft metal and more. Unlike "traditional"
CNC tools, it's easy to take to any jobsite; you just bring the tool to
your work. And it can be run by apps from smartphones or tablets.
You can put the Handibot to work with no previous training in CAD
or CNC.
ShopBot handibot®
Handibot® and the Handibot logo are trademarks of ShopBot Tools, Inc.
WELCOME
Not everybody likes the word drone — industry and military experts
avoid using the “D word” in public. They prefer the term “unmanned
aerial system or vehicle” and associated acronyms UAS or UAV. Despite
plenty of misgivings about military and spy drones, the word drone has
become widespread and popular, used with great enthusiasm by
hobbyists who hang out on the DIY Drones site and by professional
aerial photographers like the L.A.-based Drone Dudes. So what is a
drone?
The original meaning of drone is a male bee. The body of a drone is
bigger than all other bees (except the queen), but what physically
distinguishes a drone is a larger pair of compound eyes. Yet drones have
no real work to do but reproduce. They make late afternoon flights to
what is called a congregation area, where drones gather looking to mate
with a virgin queen. Once these bees succeed, however (and they
perform this act in mid-air), the drones fall out of the sky, having left an
essential body part behind. That’s all that drones do.
The notion that a drone doesn’t have much work of its own leads to a
secondary definition of a drone as someone who lives off the work of
others — a parasite. In fact, at the end of summer, the worker bees kick
the remaining drones out of the hive. They eat too much and do too
little. They can be replaced in the spring.
This helps set up the problem. We not only need to figure out a
definition for drones, we also have to figure out what they’re going to
do — and not do. While some agree that drones are unmanned, others
point out that they’re piloted, preferring the acronym RPA for
“remotely piloted aircraft.” That wouldn’t differentiate drones from
remote-control aircraft, but it emphasizes that a human, who can be
held responsible, is at the controls. A drone can be operated manually or
it can be programmed to follow a fixed flight plan.
The distinguishing feature of a drone seems to be the promise of
autonomy. Today, a typical flight consists of switching between manual
flight and autopilot. How much further might it go? Given the right
instrumentation and the ability to process that data, could a drone be
programmed to make context-aware decisions, particularly ones that
humans are not very good at? A drone might detect problems before
they occur, such as responding to gusts of wind or avoiding unexpected
obstacles. A drone might also be able to communicate with other
drones.
Can a drone be considered a robot, able to obey Asimov’s Three Laws
of Robotics? We need drones that explicitly avoid harming humans and
can act to protect themselves from destruction. We should expect this
much from any fully autonomous vehicle. A drone then might be said to
have a mind of its own.
Until such time, however, that responsibility falls on the person flying
the drone. When you fly a drone, you aren’t just a user — you’re a pilot.
You must protect your equipment, yourself, and most importantly, other
people. A bad or incompetent pilot can injure people or invade their
privacy. It’s not a lot different from owning a pet or a car.
Good pilots, like the Drone Dudes, worry that bad or careless pilots
will garner the public’s attention, create a climate of fear, and cause
governments to restrict or eliminate drones for commercial or
recreational use. The reason we need better technology is that few of us
are very good pilots.
For makers, the most interesting challenge isn’t just building drones
or flying them. It’s discovering what drones are good for, what creative
uses they have, and what tough problems they might solve. Otherwise,
planes and quadcopters will be sold only as toys, not tools, and many
people will discard them once they lose interest in their playthings.
We’re hoping drones become platforms for developing compelling
applications that will push the technology forward and adjust the
balance between the light and the dark side of drones.
» Thanks for the great tutorial (Volume 36, page 132, “Kitchen-Table
Cider Making”). My notes from one batch of apple cider and two
batches of pear:
First, the filtration bag gets heavy. I made the apple cider without the
bucket with holes and the bag slipped off the larger bucket and fell in,
causing me to have to strain everything again. Second, my brewing bag
gets clogged up pretty fast. Strains really well, but requires a lot of
squeezing at the end to get all the juice out. Third, the bottled cider
flavor really reflects what you put into it. The apples, for example, were
tarter than my pears. Fourth, the sugar added beautiful little bubbles.
Haven’t sampled the non-sugared bottles, yet.
Without the suggestion of using a juicer, I might not have made any
cider this year. But your instructions provide a clear and easy path for a
first-timer. Well done.
—Matt Friedrichs, via the web
» I gotta admit, I’ve really been enjoying these practical examples of 3D
printing that you guys have been kicking out lately (Make: Ultimate
Guide to 3D Printing 2014, page 14, “10 Cool 3D Printed Objects,”).
We’ve seen years of 3D printers kicking out the same Yoda heads. I’ve
frankly been rather skeptical about the “3D Printing Revolution” that’s
been prophesized, and still am somewhat, but these posts are changing
my thinking bit by bit.
—Andy Tanguay, Ann Arbor, Mich.
IN RESPONSE TO THE B9 CREATOR REVIEW IN THE
MAKE: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 3D PRINTING 2014 (PAGE
93):
Peter Strain
DON UNDEEN
is the manager of the Met's MediaLab, which aims to explore the
impact technology can have on the museum experience by bringing
the creative technology community into close conversation with
museum expertise.
@donundeen
Seize the Moment
How I hack my education by learning hands-on skills
from the makers in my community.
Written by Logan LaPlante
Luke Jacobsen
ALTARED REALITY
DAYOFTHEROBOT.COM
On a trip to Mexico, artist Chad Meserve fell for the playful and quirky
skeleton dioramas of the Día de los Muertos ofrenda — a traditional
altar with offerings for the deceased. Once home again in Burbank,
Calif., he began to extrapolate the ofrenda’s post-apocalyptic
descendents: scenes starring robots in place of skeletons. This series of
miniature sculpted figures depicting day-to-day human activities is Day
Of The Robot.
After a normal day’s work immersed in other filmmakers’ worlds,
Meserve retreats to the workbench to create his own. Starting each new
scene from scratch, he makes every figure, costume, and prop by hand.
Lamenting that the classic diorama has become “an art form
marginalized by mandatory school projects,” he knew his debut scene
had to be something universally recognizable and accessible, and so he
created the Robot Nativity. After receiving a rare positive Regretsy nod,
that first Nativity sold almost immediately, and things took off. After
that, “I focused on everyday human moments. I imagine all these robots
stuck in the world we created, the world they took from us. They didn’t
count on needing meter maids and bicycle repairmen. These otherwise
autonomous machines wind up enslaved to our inane habits and
outdated technology.”
—Gregory Hayes
Agnes’ arms contain electric motors salvaged from old desktop printers.
Gerardo Cid
ROBOT BALLERINAS
BLACKLABELROBOT.COM
The geometric frames and Arduino-controlled servos of Brooklyn-
based Ricardo Cid’s Robot Ballerinas don’t bear a strong physical
resemblance to human ballerinas, but the concept behind them is
similar. Cid poses a question: Can writing a piece of code be equivalent
to writing a piece of choreography?
—Andrew Salomone
TRANSFORMED: Hetain Patel mutates the humble Ford into a looming 8-foot-tall
sculpture with the help of his father, Pravin Patel.
MAGNIFICENT MAZE
ORIGAMATA.COM/PROJECTS/BIGBALLMAZE
If you visited Maker Faire Bay Area the past two years, you may have
happened upon this amazing Big Ball Maze Game by locally based
maker David Thomasson. The game gives the defamiliarization
treatment to the traditional handheld maze game by making it too big
to be handheld and, to give the user a whole new experience, there are a
multitude of Arduino-controlled interfaces, including: video game
controller, smartphone, body position, brainwave headset, and visual
feedback.
—Andrew Salomone
BRICKS FROM THE BEYOND
WORLDOFODAN.BLOGSPOT.COM
New York-based graphic designer and artist Mike Doyle is a Lego
master known for thinking outside the brick. He first caught our
attention in 2011 with his beautifully rendered, black-and-white, eerily
dilapidated Lego Victorian houses.
His latest piece, titled Contact 1: Millennial Celebration of the Eternal
Choir at K’al Yne, Odan, employs more than 200,000 bricks, took over
600 hours to build, and stands 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Images of the
piece are so unreal that they leave the viewer wondering if they aren’t
renderings. Doyle responds, “The project is built and then
photographed. 90% of the saucers are connected to the model with
black Lego hoses. These mostly disappeared against a black screen.”
Contact 1 is the first in Doyle’s Contact Series, large-scale, sculptural
storytelling based around the mythical world of Odan, “celebrating
spirituality, peaceful ET contact, and fantastical worlds.” Doyle is
currently working on the next piece in the series: The Great Temple of
Odan. He navigates Lego like such a lifelong pro, it’s hard to believe he
began working with Lego as an alternative art medium merely three
years ago. Doyle’s new book, Beautiful Lego, takes an in-depth look at
exceptional works born out of the Lego artist community.
— Goli Mohammadi
Nemo’s fish tank home is controlled by a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino.
MACQUARIUM
HAYDENKIBBLE.COM/THE-INTERNET-ENABLED-FISHTANK
What has your fish tank done for you lately? U.K.-based Hayden
Kibble decided to transform an old Mac G5 into a super-smart home
for his goldfish, Nemo. After exhibiting it at Manchester Mini Maker
Faire in 2012 and getting feedback from fairgoers, he made
improvements.
Now, the futuristic fish tank has automatic feeding, timed LED
lighting, water depth monitoring, a digital thermometer, an underwater
fish-cam, an LCD status display, a servo-controlled filter and bubbles,
and best of all, can display your text message on the scrolling matrix
display or read it aloud with a computerized male voice. A tidy web
interface allows Nemo’s caretaker to monitor the system from afar.
—Laura Cochrane
TURNING TIDES
PROJECT: BUILD YOUR OWN PEPPYTIDE AT
MAKEZINE.COM/PROJECTS/PEPPYTIDES
To make it easier for students to understand the protein folding
pathways of polypeptides, scientist Ronald Zuckermann and his
colleague at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular
Foundry, Promita Chakraborty, created Peppytides — physical models
of polypeptide chains made of 3D-printed parts, screws, and magnets.
“Although computer graphics provide beautiful 3D representations,”
says Zuckermann, “you really lose the sort of tactile feel and the
intuitive sense of the flexibility of these chains, which fold into
structured proteins, without something you can hold and play with.”
In a hands-on session at a nearby college, “four out of five students
were able to fold it,” says Chakraborty. “It’s a big achievement given that
the chain is so complex.”
The two are now looking at human-computer interaction. “With
some augmented reality-type hardware and software,” says
Zuckermann, “you may soon be able to link a Peppytide to a computer
so that as you twist and fold it, the computer can be tracking your
movements and then use that information to perform calculations or
compare its similarities to say, hemoglobin.”
—Laura Kiniry
REWIND: It’s April 29, 2011, two days before the competition.
The Yale University team, Bulldogs Racing (BDR), is at an off-campus
site testing their race car one last time. Tears of joy stream as thousands
of man-hours from a small but dedicated team of about a dozen students
is finally realized — the beast is in motion and it’s looking good!
Minutes later those tears shift from joy to despair. In the most
improbable of scenarios, a single bolt had come loose, jamming the
engine, and tearing the transmission to shreds. With not enough time
left to source a new transmission, a year’s worth of work is gone. Game
over. Sorry, Yale.
Unfortunately, the 2012 season wasn’t much better for the Bulldogs.
Long story short, they didn’t even come close to making it to
competition. The team was a little light, and in a way it’s
understandable. Not only did Yale have a poor history of even getting a
car to the competition, they never did very well when they did make it
there. Getting students to trade every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
night of their college experience for something that has a strong
likelihood of failure is a pretty tough sell. Imagine the recruiting poster:
“Compromise your grades, miss out on social opportunities, sleep less
than you ever thought was possible! Join Bulldogs Racing!”
6. On the final day of testing, things are looking solid for the BDR team.
In talking with other teams, the Yale race car had one of the lowest top
speeds around.
The competition requires teams to maintain the same gearing for all
events, so the Yale team quickly recognizes they're in serious trouble,
since autocross accounts for twice as many points as the acceleration
run. After a quick team huddle, they decide to change their gearing, but
at this point, they only have about 45 minutes to do it. The adrenaline is
seriously pumping, and a year’s worth of work in on the line.
“It was like a NASCAR pit stop without the tools you need,” said Alex
Carrillo, a freshman who wore two important hats on the team: control
systems lead and comic relief. In an absolute fury they jack up the car,
and remove the body and the sprockets on the engine and motor. They
are organized, ready, and on track to make it to the line in time. They
shorten the chains and loop them around the newly installed sprockets.
“We have a problem,” says Joe Belter, a graduate student in
mechanical engineering and the resident mechanical guru. It only takes
seconds for the gravity to set in. The new sprocket configuration is such
that they can’t get both the motor and engine chains to be safely
tensioned. “Half link,” barks Zinter. “We don’t have one — they don’t
exist for this size chain,” says another team member. “I know, make a
half link,” says Zinter. In true MacGyver fashion, with only a vice and
angle grinder, sparks fly. In less than five minutes, greasy, shaking hands
create and install the fix. After a quick reinspection, the team dashes the
car to the starting line of the acceleration event, with only seconds to
spare before disqualification.
Fingers are crossed, and the team is praying the car makes it down
the track in one piece. Belter is behind the wheel. He rolls to the line,
gets the thumbs up, and roars down the straightaway. The crowd is
cheering, and all eyes shift from the car to the clock. The collective jaw
of BDR drops as they hear the announcer: “At 5.283 seconds, Yale resets
fast time for the day.” The unlikely Yale would end up winning the
acceleration run.
The elation was short-lived, as the autocross event was just around
the corner. After having calmed the butterflies, a quiet confidence is
starting to set in on the BDR team, the type you would expect from a
well-oiled machine that has been running nonstop for a year.
They roll the car to the line. Adam Goone, a senior in mechanical
engineering, is behind the wheel. Goone is one of two seniors who had
stuck with BDR for the entirety of his college career, and the day he’d
dreamed of is finally here. Despite having been through a physical and
emotional roller coaster in those four years, he's as cool as ice, a born
driver.
He gives the crowd and thousands of people watching online quite
the show when the rear end slips out from behind him around a tight
turn. He loses it and is headed for the grass. Hearts stop, but after an
amazing recovery, he continues to tear up the track, and ultimately
claims victory in the autocross event.
Yale would end up winning the endurance event as well, sweeping the
competition and coming in first place overall: International SAE
Formula Hybrid Competition champions. Oh, and the custom half link
held up just fine.
It was a motley crew if ever there was one. Quite a few team members
didn’t know the difference between a nut and a bolt when they started,
the engine tech and welder was an anthropology major, and the chief
engineer didn’t have a driver’s license. When you think Yale, you
probably don’t think engineering or making, but this small team on a
shoestring budget (while dodging deliveries on a loading dock) was able
to build a world-class car. It just took a little gumption, a few sacrifices
along the way, and a strong desire to make.
Pat Delany
Radically Cheap
TEXAN BUILDS MACHINE TOOLS FROM CAR PARTS
TO SAVE THE WORLD.
Written by Paul Spinrad
Jeffrey Braverman
THE MULTIMACHINE
About 13 years ago, Delany decided to build himself a horizontal
milling machine on the cheap. He was stuck on finding the right parts
until he came across the article “Build the ‘Engine Mill’” by G. A.
Ewen, in an issue of Machinist’s Workshop. Ewen’s handy little DIY mill
was built from a four-cylinder car engine block — a solid chunk of
metal that’s sourceable from any junkyard — but has the strength,
weight, and precise geometry to make an ideal frame for a small
machine tool. As Delany explains in the documentation for his now-
famous project, “cylinder bores are bored parallel to each other and at
exact right angles to the cylinder head surface.”
Delany expanded on Ewen’s engine block idea to create an all-
purpose metalworking station that he called the MultiMachine (see page
26). It’s a creative mashup of old designs, new ideas, and cheaply
available parts that functions as a combination lathe, mill, and drill
press. Delany has used it to resurface a neighbor’s brake rotors, among
other things. Naturally, he continued experimenting with the
MultiMachine and improving it after he first got it working. He put a
chop saw blade on the spindle, for example, and found that it also makes
a great saw.
PAUL SPINRAD
is a broad-spectrum enthusiast, writer, maker, and dad who lives in
San Francisco. He hatches schemes at investian.com.
TOOL OF EMPOWERMENT: Built entirely from scrap car and truck parts, Delany's
open-source MultiMachine is a complete machine shop in one tool, with no
electric power necessary. The implications for developing countries are immense.
Learn how to make your own and read about his other open source machines at
opensourcemachinetools.com.
MAKING A MULTIMACHINE
Delany’s MultiMachine is built on two engine blocks. The six-
cylinder block in back (A) uses one bore to hold the mill’s spindle (B)
and another above it to hold an overarm (C), which extends out to
hold a tailstock for using the machine as a lathe. The block is held up
on a wheeled engine stand (D). Driving the spindle, and mounted
around it, are a fast motor, a slow motor, and three pulley clusters (E),
all of which allow the user to run the spindle at a range of speeds and
torques by swapping belts around. These drivetrain components are
bolted to existing mounting holes on the block, like for the oil filter
or to angle iron brackets (F) bolted to new holes drilled and tapped in
the block. The spindle itself is just a piece of pipe that rotates inside
bearings salvaged from a car differential.
Key to his design is what he calls the “adjuster,” a small ring around
the spindle that acts like a bike axle ball bearing adjuster. A variety of
tools — like a lathe chuck, end or horizontal mill, drill, saw with
blade up to 14", grinding wheel, sanding discs — can be attached to
the end of the spindle, enabling the MultiMachine to do virtually all
metalworking operations. The overarm can be replaced with a shaper
or slotter.
The worktable (G) is a metal plate bolted flat atop a four-cylinder
engine block (H) that sits beside the main block. Each block has a
vertical plate bolted to each side (I), and these pairs of plates interlock
and serve as a slide mechanism that lets the work surface be raised
and lowered by an automotive jack that supports the lower block.
After you jack the table, you keep it in place by clamping the vertical
plates together. And by applying a bit of jack pressure, releasing the
clamps, and tapping the lower block with a hammer, you can raise the
table just a few ten-thousandths of an inch, a level of precision that
Delany calls “amazingly repeatable.”
LOST WISDOM
Developing the MultiMachine, Delany drew from an overlooked source
of high-quality practical knowledge that is now his hallmark: how-to
articles and books from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Numerous
maker publications flourished during this time span, to serve a handy
population with limited product options. Many of these books were
reprinted by Lindsay’s Technical Books, which advertises in the back of
hobbyist publications. “Lindsay is a cranky old man like me,” Delany
remarks. “Several of my best ideas came just from his ads. I could never
afford to buy most of his books.“
More, Google Books has published full-scan archives of old Popular
Mechanics, Popular Science, and The Mechanics’ Magazine, and archives of
other titles exist elsewhere online. Delany’s MultiMachine plans include
a DIY design from an 1925 issue of Popular Mechanics for a hand-
cranked cross-slide to move workpieces across the table (although his
own machine uses a commercial version). The plans also show how to
make a cutting point for lathing from a broken drill bit (Popular
Mechanics, 1925); how to make a chuck from an engine flywheel
(Machinery Magazine, 1916); and how to cut screw threads without a
lathe or die by using a stretched spring as a master (Scientific American,
1910).
Unfortunately, Delany also had an accident while building his
MultiMachine. The suspended engine block came loose and knocked
him through a window, seriously injuring his back. Now he describes
himself as “a crippled inventor guy — the kind that rides a scooter in
the supermarket.”
THE PHOTOGRAPH
Around the same time that Delany suffered his back injury, a friend told
him about the fateful photograph, which showed a missionary with a
farmworker in the developing world. The farmworker held a machete
with a blade that looked only about 4" or 5" long, and Delany’s heart
went out to him for having to rely on such a meager tool. As an inventor
with a lifetime of practical machine experience, he realized that he
wanted to help.
Old car parts and scrap metal are available in much of the developing
world, and if you build your own practical machine tool, then you will
know exactly how to use, modify, and fix it. A MultiMachine outfitted
with a chop saw blade and a grinding wheel could turn car leaf springs,
or even body panels, into ample and effective machete blades for
farmers everywhere. Even if you make just $2 a day, you can use the
machine to start your own business and to make more tools,
empowering yourself and your community.
And so, from his home in Texas, Delany entered the world of
Appropriate Technology. He tried contacting dozens of large
nongovernmental organizations involved in development work, as well
as some university engineering departments in Texas, to tell them about
the MultiMachine and its potential for the developing world. Even the
simplest version of his machine, he noted, can resurface brakes and
clutches, a job that needs doing anywhere there are cars. But Delany‘s
front-door knocking proved unfruitful. “The NGO people had no
interest in anything technical, and the university people seemed to be
inflicted with ‘not-invented-here’ syndrome,” he recalls.
OPEN-SOURCE HARDWARE
Having struck out finding institutional backing, Delany went the DIY
route. He started a MultiMachine Yahoo Group in 2004 to collaborate
on open-source machine plans, and it started to gain a following. Many
others, in a broad range of ages, also wanted to build their own radically
cheap machine tools and help marginalized communities around the
world free themselves from poverty and dependence. He was
encouraged to pursue his vision. In one forum thread from April 2005,
Delany responded to a message from member George Ewen by writing:
Have you bought ink for your printer lately? If so, you probably felt a
little annoyed with the manufacturer. For starters, there’s the
horrendous cost — a full round of inkjet cartridges at Staples runs
nearly half the cost of the printer itself. Printers are one of those famous
loss-leader products like razors and kerosene lamps; you pay almost
nothing for the gadget, then they gouge you on the supplies. Analysts
estimate that the three big printer makers — Canon, HP, and Epson —
make roughly two-thirds of their revenue from supplies.
But beyond the economics of ink, there’s also a lock on creative
control. As long as the inkjet has existed, adventurous users have been
able to peek under the hood, manipulate the driver software to create
weird effects, manually tweak settings to eke out a higher quality, or
even delve into the chemistry of ink itself. But that window’s closing.
Since the inclusion of embedded microchips on ink cartridges, hacking
these beige monsters is increasingly tough. A programmer needs to find
the digital code on the cartridge in order to use bathtub ink and
software, and that code is now harder than ever to access. Only 15% of
users refill ink because of the hassles involved.
So it’s interesting to meet a professional inkjet printmaker who faces
many of the same technical challenges but has to overcome them in
order to stay in business. Someone like Jon Cone, 52, the inkjet pro
behind art prints by artists such as David Bowie, Wolf Kahn, and
Richard Avedon. The whole point of printing at the fine art level is to
work with the artist to create a signature look.
The thick handmade paper is affixed to a carrier sheet. Any lint or stray fibers are
carefully removed prior to printing. This sheet costs about $500.
This triple-thick handmade print is being printed on a 64" Roland printer that has
been modified to accept the paper and 12 of Cone's custom inks.
Jon Cone
BOB PARKS
is a frequent contributor to MAKE, Runner’s World, and Wired
magazines. He lives in Vermont with his wife and two children.
bobparkswriter.com
SPECIAL SECTION: DRONES
makezine.com/homegrown-drones
B. “PUSHER” PROP
These contra-rotating props exactly cancel out motor torques during
stationary level flight. Opposite pitch gives downdraft.
C. MOTOR
Usually a brushless electric “outrunner” type, which is more efficient,
more reliable, and quieter than a brushed motor.
D. MOTOR MOUNT
Sometimes built into combination fittings with landing struts.
E. LANDING GEAR
Designs that need high ground clearance may adopt helicopter-style
skids mounted directly to the body, while designs with no hanging
payload may omit landing gear altogether.
F. BOOM
Shorter booms increase maneuverability, while longer booms increase
stability. Booms must be tough to hold up in a crash while interfering
with prop downdraft as little as possible.
G. MAIN BODY
Central "hub" from which booms radiate like spokes on a wheel.
Houses battery, avionics, cameras, and sensors.
I. FLIGHT CONTROLLER
Interprets input from receiver, GPS module, battery monitor, and
onboard sensors. Regulates motor speeds, via ESCs, to provide steering,
as well as triggering cameras or other pay-loads. Controls autopilot and
other autonomous functions.
J. GPS MODULE
Often combines GPS receiver and magnetometer to provide latitude,
longitude, elevation, and compass heading from a single device.
K. RECEIVER
Often a standard R/C radio receiver unit. The minimum number of
channels needed to control a quad is 4, but 5 is usually recommended.
L. ANTENNA
Depending on your receiver, may be a loose wire whip or helical
“rubber ducky” type.
M. BATTERY
Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries offer the best combination of energy
density, power density, and lifetime on the market.
N. BATTERY MONITOR
Provides in-flight power level monitoring to flight controller.
O. GIMBAL
Pivoting mount that rotates about 1, 2, or 3 axes to provide stabilization
and pointing of cameras or other sensors.
P. GIMBAL MOTOR
Brushless DC motors can be used for direct-drive angular positioning,
too, which requires specially-wound coils and dedicated control
circuitry that have only recently become commercially available.
Q. GIMBAL CONTROLLER
Allows control of direct-drive brushless gimbal motors as if they were
standard hobby servos.
R. CAMERA
GoPro or other compact HD video unit with onboard storage. Real-
time streaming is possible with special equipment.
GETTING STARTED WITH AERIAL
VIDEO
How to make fantastic videos from your
multicopter or drone.
Written by Eric Cheng
Julian Cohen
Aerial shot of Vakaeitu, Tonga, September 2013.
Eric Cheng
Multirotors from 3D Robotics are also a great choice. They offer kits
(such as the 3DR Quad Kit, Maker Shed item #MK-3DR01,
makershed.com) and RTF models (including a new Phantom
competitor called the Iris), all running their open-source, open-
hardware flight platform for the ultimate in hackability.
Adventurous makers will likely want to build their own multirotor
aircraft, which have the advantages of being (potentially) more budget
friendly (see "The HandyCopter UAV," page 44) and allowing you to
tailor components to your specific needs. A DIY quadcopter or
hexacopter consists of an airframe, flight controller, electronic speed
controller (ESC), motors, propellers, batteries, radio, and receiver.
Entire kits are available for less than $200. Of course, to do
videography, you'll also need a camera, which leads us to...
Photogrammetry Tips
1. A digital camera with fixed focal length is best.
2. Make sure your photos overlap 60% to 80%.
3. Take the photos horizontal to your object and at a uniform
distance.
4. Uniform lighting is important for creating good models.
5. Process the images in Agisoft PhotoScan.
6. Low-quality models can be generated on a laptop. High-quality
models require multi-GPU systems with 128GB of RAM.
7. For small models you can get away with 30 to 60 photos. Larger
models (like buildings) may require several thousand images. The
more photos, the better detail you can achieve.
MY SETUP
MULTIROTOR: Custom built using parts largely from
rctimer.com with an APM 2.5 controller board from
diydrones.com. It has 30-amp SimonK ESCs (electronic speed
controls) and 900kV motors with 10×4.7" carbon-fiber props.
There are essentially two configurations for a quadcopter: the “+” frame
and the “X” frame. Here we’ve chosen to build an X frame so your
onboard camera can have a clear forward view. We’ll take you all the
way from building the airframe to adding autonomous flight capability
with ArduPilot. Once you’ve got it working, you could program this
drone, for instance, to automatically visit a series of landmarks or other
waypoints and take pictures of them.
Materials
FOR THE AIRFRAME:
» Conduit clamps, 1½" (4)
» Square dowels, wood, ½"×36" (2)
» Machine screws: flat-head M3×6mm (8); M3×20mm (12); M3×25mm (4)
» Hex nuts, M3 (8)
» Flat washers, M3 (4)
» Thread-locking compound
» Liquid electrical tape
» Polycarbonate sheet, 0.093"×8"×10"
» Zip ties, 4” (100-pack)
» Flexible PVC coupler, 1¼" to 1¼"
» Aluminum bar, ⅛"×¾"×36"
» Hook/loop strap, ½"×8" (2)
» Hook/loop tape, ¾"×18"
» Weatherstrip tape, foam, ⅜"×12"
» Double-sided tape, 1"×5'
» Wire, stranded insulated, 12 AWG, 12" red and 12" black
FOR THE AVIONICS:
» Copper pipe reducer, 1" to ½"
» Gimbal motors (2) iPower 2208-80
» Gimbal controller iFlight V3.0
» Flight controller 3D Robotics Ardu-Pilot Mega 2.6
» GPS module 3D Robotics LEA-6H
» R/C transmitter, 5+ channels
» R/C receiver, 5+ channels
» Motors, 850kV (4) AC2830
» Propellers, Turnigy 9047R SF (2)
» Propellers, Turnigy 9047L SF (2)
» Electronic speed controllers (4)
» M/M servo leads, 10cm (5)
» Camera GoPro Hero3 White Edition
» LiPo battery, 2,200mAh, 3S 20C
» Battery monitor APM Power Module with XT60 connectors
Tools
» Computer with printer
» Straightedge
» Plastic scoring knife
» Drill and bits: ⅛", 3/16", ¼", 5/16", ⅜"
» Wood saw
» Phillips screwdrivers: #1 and #2
» Pliers
» Wire cutters / strippers
» Hacksaw
» Soldering iron and solder
» Scissors
» Pencil
» File
» Hobby knife
5c. Slip the power hub between the top and bottom body plates and
route the ESC power leads out along the 4 booms. If you bought
motors and ESCs from the same manufacturer, there’s a good chance
they came with preinstalled “bullet” connectors. In this case, simply
plug the motor leads into the ESC leads and coil any slack under the
boom. Or you can solder the motor wires directly to the ESC boards for
a cleaner build. Secure the motor leads, the ESC power leads, and any
leftover slack tightly against the booms with zip ties.
5d. Use wire cutters to snip off one side of each of 4 conduit clamps,
leaving a J-shaped foot behind. Smooth the cut end with a file, then file
or grind 2 small notches beside the remaining mounting hole as shown.
Attach a foot to the end of each boom, just inside the motor mount,
using a zip tie run through these notches.
The gimbal and battery shelf are attached via 2 shock mounts cut from thick
flexible rubber tubing, which helps isolate the camera from propeller vibrations and
adds a bit of space, above, to mount the gimbal controller board.
7b. Accurately locate, mark, and drill a centered row of three ⅛"-
diameter holes on the short leg of the shelf and pitch brackets, and on
both legs of the roll bracket. In each case, the outermost hole should be
3mm from the bracket end on-center, and the holes themselves 9.5mm
apart on-centers. Finally, step-drill the center hole in each row up to ⅜"
to provide clearance for the motor shaft.
7c. Use two M3×6mm screws to attach the bottom of a gimbal motor
to the shelf bracket, and then 2 more to attach the top of the motor to
the longer arm of the roll bracket.
7d. Attach the bottom of the second motor to the free arm of the roll
bracket, and its top to the pitch bracket, in just the same way.
7e. For the gimbal motors to operate smoothly, the camera must be
balanced along both axes. Weaken the adhesive on a piece of double-
sided tape by sticking it to your shirt and peeling it off. Remove the
backing and apply the exposed side to the pitch bracket, then use the
weakened side to hold your GoPro in place while you adjust it to find
the balance point. Once you’ve got it, use an elastic band or a velcro
strap, in addition to the tape, to hold the camera securely in place.
8a. With the frame upside-down, balance the camera, brackets, and
battery across the 2 shock mounts on the underside of the frame. Adjust
the position of the whole assembly forward and backward along the
frame until the entire quad balances evenly between your fingertips,
centered on either side of the body.
8b. Once you’ve got the CG right, fix the shelf bracket to the shock
mounts with 2 sets of crossed zip ties. Apply hook-and-loop tape on top
of the shelf bracket and on the underside of the battery, and fix the
battery in place. Add a hook-and-loop strap around both bracket and
battery as an added precaution.
TIP:
Though the GoPro is a tough camera, you may want to build a
“dummy” version having the same weight, and approximately the
same size, to mount during your maiden and subsequent shakedown
flights.
WARNING:
If you need to reverse a motor, be sure to swap the motor control
leads only, not the ESC power hub leads. Don’t ever reverse the
power connections on an ESC!
Once the props are balanced, install them on the shafts and tighten
the nuts. You’ll use 2 conventional airplane “tractor” props and 2
reverse-pitched “pusher” props. Motors 1 and 2 take tractor props, and
motors 3 and 4 take pusher props. (If you’re not using the APM flight
controller, your prop configuration may be different.) Once you’ve got
it right, mark the number and direction of rotation for each motor on
its boom for easy reference.
Test Builders: Nick Parks, Brian Melani, and Sam Freeman, MAKE
Labs
For complete parts spec, templates, wiring diagram, and ArduPilot
tutorials, go to makezine.com/the-handycopter-uav Share it:
#handycopteruav
A DRONE OF ONE’S OWN
Five commercial quadrotors ranging from
toys to tools.
DJI Phantom
$480–$1,200 dji.com
At press time, the Phantom leads the pack among “prosumer” quads.
We're not crazy about the manual, but love how it flies: It’s fast,
powerful, and has a very long range. Onboard GPS provides waypoint
hovering and a "panic" function that automatically returns and lands if
the transmitter link breaks. Accessibly priced, but the add-ons are
spendy (gimbals, landing skids), and after a few flights, you’re gonna
want ’em.
3D Robotics Iris
$750–$1,300 3drobotics.com
Shipping in late December with the new Pixhawk PX4 flight controller,
the Iris is a sweet R/C platform, but really shines when flying itself — it
can land, take off, loiter, circle, capture video, navigate waypoints, and
perform scripted missions on its own. Avionics and software are
completely open-source. If you’re more interested in “true drones” than
hobbycoptering, this is probably your best “one box” bet.
FPV FUNDAMENTALS
Put a camera on your 'copter and yourself
in the pilot seat.
Written by Steve Lodefink
Watching your rotorcraft or fixed-wing R/C plane fly is always fun, but
the experience really comes to life when you get to peer directly
through the “eyes" of your aircraft, as if riding along inside it.
In R/C circles, this is called “First-Person View,” or more commonly,
FPV. It refers to piloting a model aircraft from the perspective of the
aircraft itself, via an onboard video camera, wirelessly linked to a ground
station, streaming real-time video to be displayed on goggles worn by
the pilot.
There are several ways to set up FPV on your rig; this guide should
help you understand the general requirements and get you quickly up to
speed.
Camera
The most popular cameras for FPV are small security-type “board
cameras,” which typically come as caseless circuit boards, with lens
assemblies screwed right to the PCBs. It may be tempting to use a
cheap, 480-line camera, but for a really satisfying experience, it’s best to
spend a bit more. $50 will get you a 600-line board camera from a
trusted brand like Sony.
Not only will the higher resolution greatly improve visibility, but
these slightly pricier cameras have dynamic exposure features that
cheaper models often lack. Most importantly, “Wide Dynamic Range”
(WDR) exposure compensation will allow you to see skies and
shadowed ground features at the same time, without blown-out
highlights or underresolved shadows. This is more than just an aesthetic
concern; these features can make a big difference in your ability to
navigate.
Besides "board" types, any number of small lightweight commercial
video cameras could potentially be adapted for FPV drone use. As long
as you can figure out power and signal connections, the only really
critical requirement is low weight.
Ground station
Your ground-based equipment is collectively referred to as a “ground
station,” and includes the video receiver, antenna, monitor or goggles,
battery, and often a tripod, case, or backpack to house everything.
Ground station designs vary greatly. A good one will be easy to
transport, quick to set up and take down, and difficult to trip over.
Frequency
A variety of low-cost miniature video transmitters and receivers are
marketed with FPV in mind. Common frequencies include 5.8GHz,
2.4GHz, 1.2GHz, and 900MHz. There are several factors to consider
when choosing a frequency.
3) What frequency do your controls use? Most R/C radios now operate
at 2.4 GHz; to prevent interference, you may want to avoid that band
for your video equipment.
Power
Most entry-level video transmitters radiate 100-500 mW. If you want to
fly long-range flights, you may have to get a more expensive, higher
power unit. Unlike airplanes, FPV multirotors tend to fly shorter-
ranged missions, so you can still have lots of fun, even without a 10-mile
range.
Antennae
The last thing you need when flying FPV is an unreliable video link.
The little “whip” antenna that came with your video transmitter is
useless. You will want to build or buy a better one. Three or four-lobe
omnidirectional “cloverleaf” or “egg-beater” antennas are a good choice
and are easy to build and cheap to buy.
Many people also choose high-gain (but also highly directional)
planar “patch” antennas for ground station use, and the best-equipped
systems employ “diversity” setups that consist of two or more separate
receivers, using different types of antennas, to get the best of both
worlds. Special switching circuitry sends you the best available signal at
any given time.
On-Screen Display
An On-Screen Display (OSD) is a little video processor installed in the
signal path between the camera and the video transmitter. It takes
information from its sensors and injects a graphical data display into the
video stream. OSDs range in capability and cost, with the fancy ones
featuring compass, GPS, barometers, telemetry, multiple battery voltage
monitors, etc.
While usually considered an “advanced” FPV system component, you
can get a simple OSD for about $10 that does one very important thing:
monitor and display the battery voltage. Knowing when you are about
to run out of juice is pretty important for any FPV rotorcraft pilot.
Video Display
Some FPV pilots use an LCD monitor. I've found that piloting through
video goggles makes for a much better, more immersive experience.
There are video goggles made specifically for the FPV hobby, notably
those by Fat Shark. Some models even have a video receiver built right
into the goggles.
I use a pair of MyVu Crystal goggles, which are general-use video
glasses intended for watching video from an iPod, etc. I modified them
by adding top and bottom shades of rigid foam, and a strap from a pair
of sports goggles.
As with cameras, you need to pay attention to resolution when
goggle-shopping. There’s no sense using a 600-line camera with cheap
400-line goggles. As a rule of thumb, you'll want a pair with at least
640×480 resolution. If you use an OSD, chances are you won’t be able
to read the text on the display at a lower resolution.
Georgi Tushev's head-mounted FPV ground station sports a large flat high-gain
“patch” antenna.
Nina and Georgi Tushev
CUSTOM-CRAFTED MULTICOPTERS
These open-build designs fly above the
crowd. Make one!
Written by Anna Kaziunas France
In 2011, Team BlackSheep pilot Raphael Pirker flew this drone over the campus of
the University of Virginia. Because of that, today he faces the first-ever legal battle
with the FAA regarding civilian drone flights.
Hollywood Heights
Jeffrey Blank & Andrew Petersen
Drone Dudes
dronedudes.com
We are a unique collective of filmmakers, designers, and flying robots.
Using a fleet of custom multirotor UAVs and custom camera gimbals,
we offer our services as aerial cinematographers for feature films,
commercials, music videos, and sporting events around the world. We
feel fortunate to be supported by a network of amazing people and look
forward to seeing where this exciting new technology will take our
business and our art.
See aerial shots from the Drone Dudes’ copter and more from our gathering:
makezine.com/homegrown-drones
Our systems provide a cost-effective, safe, dynamic alternative to
traditional aerial videography, making them an attractive substitute for
producers considering conventional methods like manned helicopters
and cranes.
Each UAV is designed with a different camera weight class in mind.
Our heavy lifting octocopter was built to mount high-end cameras (like
the RED Epic) that can produce the super high-resolution imagery the
film industry now expects from professional camera operators. The
RED camera, in fact, is the industry standard and flying it was our first
big goal.
Now, with pro-quality HD cameras getting smaller and cheaper every
day, we believe that the future of cinema drone technology is in a more
compact system. Our new UAV design (the D2) comes equipped with
everything a professional aerial video team would ever need for a shoot:
onboard GPS, a custom three axis brushless gimbal, full HD video
downlink, wireless follow focus, and even dual parachutes for those "oh
sh*t" situations. With great agility and response time, we expect the D2
to find a comfy spot at the top of the cinema-drone food chain.
We originally got into flying drones because they can capture shots
that are not practical using any other camera platform. Now we’ve had a
glimpse of what's possible, and are striving to constantly develop our
technology. The complex, rapidly evolving intersection between
technical development and artistic expression is what makes this
business so much fun.
Rules of Flight
Flying a UAV makes you a pilot, and like any pilot, you are
responsible for the safe operation of your aircraft. The Drone
Dudes share their rules of engagement.
• Know your equipment inside and out, and always double-check
that everything is in perfect working order before each flight.
• Charge those LiPo batteries inside fireproof bags in a safe location
with proper ventilation. Understand the hazards and science of LiPo
battery charging, and keep an eye on the cell voltages, yourself, as
you charge or discharge your batteries.
• Choose a safe fly zone away from buildings and highly populated
areas. Think about what could happen if your aircraft fails mid-
flight.
• Understand how changing weather conditions like temperature,
altitude and wind will affect your overall flight performance.
• Check your onboard fail-safes and have a coordinated emergency
plan with everyone in the flight area.
• Keep a safe distance from subjects and onlookers and always allow
for unexpected drift from your plan.
• Keep a clear, safe zone for takeoff and landing.
• Make sure your payload is perfectly balanced on your airframe.
• Fly safe and stay alert. Listen to your gut and fly within your
means. Do not let distractions divert your attention and don't hand
the controls to anyone without proper training.
• Always fly line-of-sight so you can see what's going on. Do not
solely rely on your GPS or flight controller to do the work for you.
These tools can fail and you need to be prepared for that. If you are
flying in a FPV mode (first-person view), use a spotter with
binoculars to keep visual orientation of your aircraft for you.
• It’s a good idea to always fly with a telemetry module that can relay
live info about your aircraft. Watch your battery voltages for any
irregular performance and keep your flight times modest, always
flying on the safe side.
• Clear communication is essential. Make sure you have a reliable
team supporting you and that everyone knows the predetermined
flight path before you take to the sky.
SKILL BUILDER+
Learning new tricks every issue
Tell us what you want to learn about: [email protected]
EASY
COUNTING STARS
One evening I built a little Arduino/GPS test gizmo to spy on
the GPS satellite constellation. I was able to count all 32 distinct
satellites over a 24-hour period, with as many as 13 visible at
once. For more info: makezine.com/gps
3 SINCE THE U.S. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
(GPS) HAS A PUBLISHED GOAL of being usable everywhere
on Earth, the system must ensure that at least four satellites —
preferably more — are visible at all times from every point on the
globe. There are currently 32 GPS satellites performing a
meticulously choreographed dance in a sparse cloud 20,000
kilometers high.
HOW IT WORKS
1 A GPS MODULE IS A TINY RADIO RECEIVER that
processes signals broadcast on known frequencies by a fleet of
satellites. These satellites whirl around the Earth in roughly circular
orbits, transmitting extremely precise position and clock data to the
ground below. If the earthbound receiver can “see” enough of these
satellites, it can use them to calculate its own location and altitude.
FUN FACT: GPS could not work without Einstein’s theory of relativity, as compensation
must be made for the 38 microseconds the orbiting atomic clocks gain each day from
time dilation in Earth’s gravitational field.
MIKAL HART
(arduiniana.org) is a senior software engineer at Intel Corp. in Austin,
Texas. He is the inventor of the Reverse Geocache Puzzle and a founder
of The Sundial Group. He has written about electronics development
and prototyping for MAKE and for several books.
The Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout board. A typical GPS interface, assuming both
module and main board run at compatible voltages, is as simple as connecting four
wires.
First, connect ground and power. In Arduino terms, this means
connecting one of the microcontroller GND pins to the module’s
GND, and the +5V pin to the module’s VIN.
To manage data transfer, you also need to connect the module’s TX
and RX pins to the Arduino. I’m going to arbitrarily select Arduino pins
2 (TX) and 3 (RX) for this purpose, even though pins 0 and 1 are
specifically designed for use as a “hardware serial port” or UART.
Why? Because I don’t want to waste the only UART these low-end
AVR processors have. Arduino’s UART is hard-wired to the onboard
USB connector, and I like to keep it connected to my computer for
debugging.
Materials
» Arduino Uno or compatible microcontroller / single-board computer. Maker Shed
item #MKSP99, makershed.com
» GPS module such as Adafruit's Ultimate GPS Breakout. Maker Shed #MKAD47
Tools
» Computer PC, Mac, or Linux. Laptop preferred.
» Soldering iron and solder may be required to attach header pins to your GPS
module
» Solderless breadboard
» Jumper wires
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#define RXPin 2
#define TXPin 3
#define GPSBaud 4800
#define ConsoleBaud 115200
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(ConsoleBaud);
ss.begin(GPSBaud);
void loop()
{
if (ss.available() > 0) // As each character arrives...
Serial.write(ss.read()); // ... write it to the console.
}
NOTE:
The sketch defines the receive pin (RXPin) as 2, even though we said
earlier that the transmit (TX) pin would be connected to pin 2. This
is a common source of confusion. RXPin is the receive pin (RX) from
the Arduino’s point of view. Naturally, it must be connected to the
module’s transmit (TX) pin, and vice versa.
Find the codes and full steps at makezine.com/gps Share it: #makegps
MODERATE
Time Required: 1–2 Hours Cost: $300–$400
Link three boards to build a global tracking beacon.
Materials
» RockBlock satellite modem Available in noncommercial, commercial, bare-board,
and waterproof ruggedized forms from Rock Seven Mobile Services,
rock7mobile.com
» Arduino Nano or compatible 5V microcontroller
» GPS module such as Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout, Maker Shed #MKAD57,
makershed.com
» USB cable to fit your microcontroller
» Breadboard (optional)
» USB external battery pack (optional)
Tools
» Computer PC, Mac, or Linux. Laptop preferred.
IRIDIUM FLARES
Jerry Lodriguss
There are almost 100 Iridium satellites in low orbit. Each has
three large polished flat antennae, which frequently reflect fast-
moving spots of sunlight onto an area of Earth’s surface about
16 km2. These “flares” are easily visible to the naked eye, and
are entirely predictable. To find out when the next one will
happen near you, visit heavens-above.com.
Getting Started
Follow the bundled instructions to set up your RockBlock account, then
connect the modem to your Arduino, and your Arduino to your GPS
module, as shown in Figure B. Visit makezine. com/iridium, download
the sketch GlobalBeacon. ino and the necessary libraries, plug in your
Arduino, and upload the code.
Each RockBlock ships with a 10-pin JST-terminated cable that snaps onto the board and
exposes the various signal lines client devices can connect to. The simplest setup,
shown here, is what Iridium calls a “3-wire” TTL serial interface, with signal lines for
TX, RX, and Sleep. (To connect your Arduino and GPS as shown, see page 59.)
Gunther Kirsch
You’ll probably need to take everything outside to get a GPS fix and
an Iridium link. Open the Arduino IDE’s Serial Monitor window at
115,200 baud and follow along as the code first establishes a GPS fix,
then uploads it to the Iridium network, then puts the hardware into
low-power “sleep” mode. Left alone, it will “wake up” every hour and
repeat this process. Log on to the Rock Seven web portal to read the
received messages and set up message handlers.
Going Further
This is just a simple proof-of-concept system powered by the USB
connection. The first step toward a real-world application would likely
be untethering it from your computer, perhaps with an off-the-shelf
USB external battery pack or solar charger.
Don’t forget that the RockBlock can both send and receive messages,
opening up a world of possibilities beyond basic tracking and
monitoring apps. Want a robot that travels to some remote location,
reports back on conditions there, and waits for instructions on how to
proceed? This technology makes it not just possible to do that, but
relatively cheap and easy. The sky — quite literally — is the only limit.
EASY
The mass production first of automobiles, and now of
smartphones, has resulted in a surplus of inexpensive sensor
modules. Devices are trickling down rapidly into the hobbyist
market, with industrial surface-mount components installed on
breakout boards for easy soldering. I'm in the process of
researching the sensors section for my new book, Make: More
Electronics, but wanted to take a break and share a few of my most
interesting finds.
Magnetic Fields
CHERRY MP201701 REED SWITCH $3 : jameco.com
One of the most basic, versatile sensors is a magnetically operated
switch. The easiest to use is a reed switch, containing two magnetized
strips that bend and make contact when exposed to a magnetic field. If
you have a home alarm system with pairs of screw-on modules that
signal when doors or windows are opened, one module probably
contains a magnet while the other contains a reed switch. Many reed
switches are contained in thin, fragile glass capsules, but you can also
buy them sealed in tough plastic.
Luminous Lowtops
Take light-up sneakers to the next level
with full-color LEDs that respond to your
moves.
Written by Clayton Richter
Jeffrey Braverman
Use a needle (with thread that matches your shoes) to sew the LED
strip to the shoe. To do this, loop the thread from the inside of the shoe,
out through the edge of the LED strip, and back through the opposite
edge of the strip into the shoe (Figure 2b). Pull this loop tight and tie a
knot.
Repeat this process about once every inch along the shoe’s perimeter.
Tools
» Scissors
» Drill or high-speed rotary tool such as a Dremel
» Wire cutters / strippers
» Soldering iron and solder
» Duct tape or packing tape
» Hot glue gun (optional) to mount the Arduino
» Computer running Arduino IDE free download from arduino.cc
The wires from the Arduino to the LED strips need to be about half
the length of the shoe; the wires to the force sensors should be about
three-quarters of the length of the shoe. Cut them longer than you
think you need; you can always shorten them later (Figures 4b and 4c).
Don’t solder directly to the force sensors, as they are plastic and could
melt. Instead, solder to a 3-pin female strip header, and then plug the
force sensor into the header (Figures 4d and 4e). The middle pin of the
force sensors isn’t used.
While you’re at it, solder the included headers to the FTDI breakout
board.
5. Program the Arduino
Download the project code from makezine.com/luminous-lowtops and
open it in the Arduino IDE: » If you’re using SparkFun or NeoPixel
LEDs, use the Neopixel.ino sketch and download Adafruit’s Arduino
library for NeoPixel LED strips from
github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel. » If you’re using Adafruit #306
LEDs, use the 8806. ino sketch and Adafruit’s library for LPD8806
LED strips from github.com/adafruit/LPD8806.
Under the Tools → Board menu, choose Arduino Mini
w/ATmega328. Also, under Tools → Serial Port, select the serial port
that your board is plugged into.
Plug the FTDI breakout board into your computer and plug its
header pins into the corresponding 6 pins on the end of the Arduino
Pro Mini (Figures 5a and 5b).
Count the LEDs on your shoe and update the nLEDs variable in the
sketch with that number. (The default is int nLEDs = 40.) Click
Upload in the Arduino IDE. Unplug the Arduino board.
Repeat for the second Arduino Mini.
The Arduino should lie flat, just forward of the battery pack but
tucked close to it, so that the batteries take your weight, not the
Arduino (Figure 7b). Cover it with a bit of cotton padding or a cotton
ball to protect it and to prevent it from poking you. Once you’re sure
the shoes are working great, you can seal the Arduino in with hot glue.
Or you can stash it in an empty 2×AAA battery pack for extra protection
(Figure 7c).
Replace the insole to cover the electronics and battery pack. Though
you’ve thinned it out, it still offers a bit of a cushion.
If your shoes don’t have room for these components under the heel,
you can mount them on top of the tongue, above the area where your
foot flexes (Figure 7d). Again, you can protect the Arduino by hiding it
in an 2×AAA battery pack.
8. Power up the shoes
Charge the 6 NiZn AA batteries and place them in the battery pack of
each shoe.
Put the shoes on, lace them up, and watch as they react when you
walk, run, jump, and dance (Figures 8a, 8b, and 8c)!
The basic code loop reads an analog input from the front and rear
force sensors (their resistance changes linearly with the amount of force,
and they’re connected to the Arduino with pull-down resistors). It then
takes those force values and scales them to the color space of the LEDs
based on some general estimates of the maximum and minimum
resistances of the force sensors.
Once the code has calculated the corresponding colors for the front
and rear LEDs, a for loop produces a color gradient of sorts for all the
LEDs in between.
Finally, the code sends these color values to the individual LEDs.
Going Further
To improve the fit with the components mounted inside the shoe, try
excavating a cavity in the top of the sole to accept the battery pack and
Arduino.
Try modifying the getColorFromForce function in the code so that
the default color (with no weight on the sensors) is your favorite color.
You might also save power (and extend run time) by switching the
default from blue to red.
You could easily apply the techniques and code from this project to
modify other kinds of shoes, like these light-up high heels (Figure 9),
or other garments altogether. What about light-up elbow or knee pads?
Light-up gloves? Pants?
Watch Clayton Richter’s original Luminous Lowtops in action at
makezine.com/go/lowtops.
LEN CULLUM
(shokunin-do.com) is a woodworker living in Seattle, where he specializes in building
Japanese-style garden structures and architectural elements. When not woodworking,
he teaches at Pratt Fine Arts Center, writes, and dreams of a robot that would sharpen
his chisels..
1. Make the center hole. As with most of my projects, the first step is
to find center. On the 2" face of the block, measure and mark 1" in from
each side and 3" in from each end. You are making the point that the
cover will pivot on, so take the time to make sure you’ve found dead
center (Figure 1).
Using the drill press and a ¼" bit, drill a hole on this center point
about 1" deep.
2. Cut the coves. You can do this in different ways, but I like the
smooth round and the minimal cleanup that a Forstner bit can give.
Since I’m using a 1¾" Forstner bit for the salt and pepper wells, I’ll use
the same to cut the coves. Because drilling a half-round would remove
too much of the block, I drill these holes off-center, using a sacrificial
piece of 2×4 to act as the fence and to stabilize the drill bit while it cuts.
If you don’t have some kind of wooden top on your drill press table,
now would be the time to add one. I use a piece of MDF held on with
double-stick tape.
Materials
» Hardwood block, 1½"×2"×6" I used cherry.
» Hardwood dowel, ½" dia., 4" long
» Hardwood dowel, ¼" dia., 3" long
» Wood glue
» Paste wax
» Scrap wood, 2×4, about 2' long This is sacrificial; don’t worry about appearance.
Tools
» Drill press
» Drill bits: ¼", 5/16", ½"
» Forstner bit, 1¾"
» Handsaw
» Tape measure
» Clamps
» Sandpaper and/or files
» Square
» Top guide bearing from a ½" router bit with ¼" shank
BIT OF A TRICK A router bit bearing turns your drill press into a mini lathe. See
how on page 73.
Using a square, make a reference line near the center of the 2×4, then
make a mark ⅜" in from the edge. This is the center point for the 1¾"
bit. Center the 2×4 beneath the bit and clamp it in place. Now align the
centerline of the block to that on the 2×4 and clamp it in place (Figure
2a). Smoothly drill through to the table (Figure 2b). Repeat on the
other side.
3. Cut the lid. Mark a line 5/16" from the top, all the way around the
block. Using a handsaw, cut the lid piece away (Figure 3).
Lightly mark the top of the lid, to help you orient it during final
assembly. Clean up the saw marks with sandpaper or, like I did, with a
plane.
4. Drill the wells. On the cut face of what is now the bottom piece,
make 2 marks centered 1⅛" from either end and drill the two 1¾" well
holes about ⅞" deep (Figure 4a). Use sandpaper to soften the edges of
the holes (Figure 4b).
5. Make the handle blank. The handle is made from ½" dowel, with
its bottom portion narrowed down to ¼". Because this portion acts as
an axle and holds the whole project together, it’s important that it be a
fairly accurate ¼". However, I’ve found accuracy to not be one of the
features of my lathing method, so I like to insert a ¼" dowel into the
end of the ½" one. Here's how to center it:
Clamp the 2×4 to the drill press and drill a ½" hole all the way
through. Insert the ½" dowel. It should be a good fit with little or no
wobble. (If it wobbles, give the dowel an even wrap of tape.)
Chuck up the ¼" bit, and drill ½" to ¾" into the end of the dowel
(Figure 5a).
Glue the ¼" dowel into the end and set it aside to dry (Figure 5b).
7. Turn the handle. Cut off the ¼" dowel 1" below the shoulder. Mark
the ½" dowel: You want the handle to be about 2" long, so make a
reference mark there to indicate the top, and another at ¼" to indicate
where to start the handle’s little base curve.
Chuck the ½" dowel in the drill press. Make sure everything is locked
down, then turn on the drill press and turn the handle as described in
the Skill Builder, cutting the basic shape with rough sandpaper or a file
(Figure 7a), then smoothing the surface with finer-grit paper. Stop the
drill press on occasion to check your progress. When you’re happy with
it, remove the handle and cut it to length (Figure 7b).
9. Finish it. When the glue has set, let the sanding begin! Soften the
corners and smooth all the exterior faces. I like to chamfer the top with
a knife (Figure 9).
For an exterior finish, I like paste wax or butcher block oil. But avoid
getting any on the inside — it might give your salt and pepper an odd
flavor or, worse, go rancid and make the well unusable.
You’re done. Prepare to picnic!
+SKILL BUILDER
USE A DRILL PRESS AS A LATHE
makezine.com/drillpresslathe
2. Mount the bearing. Clamp a scrap of 2×4 to your drill press table
and drill a hole to fit your bearing, about ¼" deep. (I prefer a
Forstner bit, but a twist bit is fine.) Then drill a clearance hole 1/16"
wider than your shaft width (in this case 5/16") through the center of
the first hole, all the way through the 2×4. Insert the bearing into the
hole. It should fit snugly; if it's loose, give it a wrap of tape.
3. Mount the workpiece in the drill press. Tighten the chuck, but
not enough to crush the wood. Lower the chuck so the end of the
workpiece goes through the bearing, then use the depth stop on the
press to lock it in place. Turn on the drill press. Your workpiece
should spin smoothly.
4. Turn and shape your workpiece. For initial shaping, I use either
a file or an aggressive-grit sandpaper (60 or 80) wrapped around a
dowel. Take your time, stay focused, and avoid getting your fingers or
the tip of the tool too close, as this can cause it to kick. Pressing too
hard will only clog your file or, worse, throw the dowel off center.
Once you’ve worked the piece down to shape, fold a strip of finer-
grit paper (120–220) and smooth the surface.
Library Box: Portable Private Digital
Distribution
Want to share files and bypass the internet? Build a
mobile, anonymous wi-fi file server with off-the-shelf
hardware.
Written by Jason Griffey Photographed by Jason
Griffey and Bo Baker
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A
LIBRARYBOX?
The real strength of LibraryBox is its portability and low-power
nature. Anywhere there is limited or no internet connectivity but still
a need to deliver digital files, LibraryBox can do it.
JASON GRIFFEY
is an associate professor and head of Library Information Technology at the University
of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has written extensively for the ALA on topics such as
personal electronics in the library, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property. He
spends his free time with his daughter Eliza, reading, obsessing over gadgets, and
preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. jasongriffey.net
MATERIALS
» 3G router, TP-Link model MR3020
» USB to Mini-B cable included in MR3020 package
» Ethernet cable included in MR3020 package
» USB thumb drive, FAT32 formatted any capacity that will hold the material you
wish to distribute
» Computer with internet connection
» Router with open Ethernet port
» Terminal program for telneting and SSHing into the MR3020. We suggest using
Putty on a Windows PC, and just Terminal on OSX or Linux.
» Battery pack with USB output (optional) to run your Library-Box on the go
Zombie Flashlight
Build a powerful pocket flashlight with reclaimed
parts and an “undead” battery!
Written by Chester Winowiecki
Use It. To use a LibraryBox in the wild, people simply connect their
devices to the “LibraryBox — Free Content!” SSID and open any
webpage in their browser. The device acts as a captive-portal,
redirecting the request to its internal pages. The default install also
includes a Chatbox where users can communicate anonymously.
LibraryBox has been tested on a range of mobile phones, laptops, and
tablets. Just about any device with wi-fi and a web browser can connect
and download files from LibraryBox.
I’ve even designed two 3D-printable enclosures for it: a small one for
very low-profile USB drives like the Sandisk Cruzer Fit, and a larger
one with more room. Find both at thingiverse.com/griffey.
Much of the world has intermittent internet access at best. But the
mobile phone is becoming ubiquitous, and LibraryBox can bring
education information, health information, and entertainment to the
parts of the world where smartphones outstrip web access.
Version 2.0
The LibraryBox Project recently completed a successful Kickstarter
campaign to fund the v2.0 release, currently in development with
Matthias Strubel (lead developer for PirateBox). It will include many
upgrades, from SFTP content updating and mesh network content
sharing to a revised UI based on Bootstrap, plus a hugely simplified
installation. To keep up with LibraryBox, visit librarybox.us.
Many thanks to Dr. David Darts, Matthias Strubel, Matt Neer, Ross
Singer, and Andromeda Yelton.
Andrew Goodman
MATT STULTZ
is the leader of the 3D Printing Providence group, founder of
HackPittsburgh, and a MakerBot alum, with experience in
multimaterial printing and advanced materials.
JAMES RUTTER
is the labs manager at AS220 Labs in Providence, R.I. When he’s not
fixing machines, he enjoys playing music with his band.
IN MAKE VOLUME 04, ED VOGEL SHOWED US HOW TO
MAKE A DIY GUITAR OUT OF A CIGAR BOX AND JUNK
FROM THE HARDWARE STORE, AND ELECTRIFY IT
WITH A CHEAP PIEZOELECTRIC PICKUP. In Volume 21,
Mark Frauenfelder gussied it up with a traditional high-quality neck,
frets, and tuning machines.
In this project we’re going to turn it up to 11, with the help of an old
license plate and a few components from RadioShack.
The License Plate Guitar is easy to make. You’ll wind your own
electromagnetic pickup and mount it on a homemade soundbox made
with an old automobile license plate for the metal top — kind of a low-
budget version of a resonator guitar. Then add a potentiometer and
volume knob and get ready to rock that classic electric blues sound.
Here’s an overview of how to do it — for full step-by-step photos and
video, visit the project page at makezine.com/license-plate-guitar.
Materials
» License plate, automobile
» Hardwood lumber, 1"×3", about 40" length
» Guitar neck with headstock, for cigar box guitars We chose a fully fretted neck,
CB Gitty #37-002-02F (cbgitty. com), but you can also go for a nonfretted model,
or build your own.
» Bone nut such as CB Gitty #31-053-01
» Tuning machines (4) such as CB Gitty #31-077-01
» Wood glue
» Wood screws, #10, 1½" long (2)
» Wood screws, pan head, #8 or #10, ¾" long (4)
» Hardwood scraps (optional) for mounting license plate; see Step 4
» Plywood, ¼", about 6"×6" and 12"×6"
» Machine screws, #8-32, 1¼" length (4) with nuts
» Magnet wire, 22 gauge, about 40' length RadioShack #278-1345
» Rare-earth magnets, round, 3/16" dia. (4) RadioShack #64-1895
» Cyanoacrylate glue aka super glue
» Potentiometer, 100kΩ, linear taper RadioShack #271-092
» Audio jack, ¼", mono RadioShack #274-255
» Audio cable, shielded RadioShack #278-513
» Volume knob RadioShack #274-407
» Guitar strings, electric (4) not acoustic. Buy 1 pack at a local music store or online.
» Wood screws, countersunk head, ¾" (4)
Tools
» Nibbler such as RadioShack #55010716. If you’re working with sheet metal, the
nibbler will become your best friend.
» Coping saw
» Miter box and saw
» Drill and drill bits for both wood and metal
» Corner clamps
» Screwdriver
» Metal files (optional) to clean up rough edges
» Sandpaper
» Soldering iron and solder
1. Build the guitar body box
Miter-cut the 1×3 boards to build a “picture-frame” box the same size as
your license plate. Glue and clamp it overnight.
PICK ME UP
An electric guitar uses an electromagnetic transducer known as a
pickup to capture the mechanical vibration of the strings and convert
it into an electrical signal that’s sent to the amplifier. It’s basically a
coil of wire and some magnets; vibration of the metal guitar strings
creates fluctuations in the magnetic field, which are picked up and
converted to a small alternating current.
Tuning and Playing
There are numerous free apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac
that will allow you to tune the guitar. Choose the scale you’d like, and
then tune each string to the proper pitch. Now plug your new guitar
into your amp and rock on!
A popular tuning for small guitars like this is called open G tuning. As
Mark wrote in Volume 21, “Many of the original blues guitar players
used open G, and it’s a favorite with Keith Richards of the Rolling
Stones.”
For more tips and lessons on playing your License Plate Guitar, look
for Keni Lee Burgess and Shane Speal at Cigar Box Nation
(cigarboxnation.com) or on YouTube.
Andrew Goodman
Jeffrey Braverman
WILLIAM GURSTELLE
is a contributing editor of MAKE. The new and expanded edition of his book Backyard
Ballistics is available in the Maker Shed (makershed.com).
Materials
» Wire, 18 gauge solid, 24" length
» Spruce or balsa wood: ⅜"×⅜"×36" (1) for the fuselage ⅜"×⅜"×36" (3) for 36"
wing spars (2), 3¼" wing ribs (6), 6" center wing rib (1), and 2" tail blocks (2)
» Balsa wood, ⅜"×1/16": 12" (2) and 10½" (2) for tail pieces
» Cable ties, 5" or longer (7) aka zip ties
» Bolt, #10×2½", with 3 nuts
» Silk fabric, tissue paper, or Mylar, 4–6 sq. ft.
» Thread or ribbon
Tools
» Knife or small saw
» Hot glue and glue gun
» Soldering iron and solder
» Drill
Damien Scogin
2. Tailpiece. Cut and glue the tailpiece out of ⅜"× 1/ " balsa,
16
overlapping the joints. Cover the tail with fabric using glue.
3. Wing. Cut and glue the wing frame out of ⅜"×⅛" balsa or spruce.
Butt-joint the 6 wing ribs inside the two 36" spars, then glue the center
rib on top. Let the glue dry.
Flip the wing over and hot-glue the 7 cable ties to the spars, opposite
each rib. To form the curve of the wing, glue one end of the tie, bend it
into a gentle arc ⅜" above the rib at midpoint (use a scrap of ⅜" balsa as
a gauge), then glue the other end and trim it neatly (Figure B).
4. Wing fabric. Carefully cover the wing with silk, tissue paper, or
Mylar using glue. The wing surface should be smooth and taut on both
sides.
5. Tail blocks. Glue the tail blocks, one atop the other, to make a ¼"
high block. Glue it atop the fuselage, 2" from the end.
6. Weight bolt. Place 3 nuts on the #10×2½" bolt and hot-glue the tip
of the bolt to the nose of the fuselage.
7. Assembly. Use thread or ribbon to lash the long center ribs of the
wings and tail to the fuselage. Center the wing 8" back from the nose,
and align the back edge of the tail with the middle of the tail block.
Insert the rudder’s pin and lash it on too.
Fly It
Hold the glider lightly and give it a level toss. If it nosedives, untie the
wing and move it back a little. If it rises too steeply and then stalls,
move the wing forward.
You can make fine attitude adjustments by moving the horizontal
tailpiece forward or back, and by spinning the nuts on the nose bolt.
You can control yaw (left or right direction) by adjusting the rudder.
A well-made glider can travel a surprisingly long distance —
experiment!
Materials
» 1 head of your favorite cabbage
» 1lb carrots
» 8 cloves chopped garlic or chopped onion
» 2 Tbsp minced ginger
» 2 Tbsp sesame oil or fish oil
» 2 tsp salt
» ½ tsp dry red pepper flakes
» juice of 2 limes
» 1 pint whey from kefir, yogurt, or live cheese. Making cheese and other dairy
products produces a byproduct called whey, a protein-rich liquid full of probiotics.
» Mason jars with lids
» Airlocks (optional)
1. Shred cabbage and carrots and fill mason jars with the mix. Press
them down with the back of a spoon to pack the jar tight.
2. Mince the garlic and ginger in a bowl with sesame oil, salt, red
pepper flakes, lime juice, and kefir whey that has been inoculated with a
spoonful of kefir culture. (Any whey that contains a live culture will do:
Try yogurt, live cheese, or kefir.)
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the vegetables so that they’re
completely covered. Leave a little space at the top for expansion. Cap
tightly and store at room temperature, away from sunlight.
4. After about 24 hours, the lid will pop up from pressure. Refrigerate
to slow fermentation.
Finishing: After 3 days in the fridge, the culture has fermented the
vegetables and spices in the jar, and your kimchi is ready to eat. Serve
over rice.
+ Excerpted from The Good Life Lab © Wendy Jehanara Tremayne. Used
with permission of Storey Publishing.
Yogurt
Turn a crockpot into a yogurt bot using an Arduino.
Cider
Juice, strain, and bottle your own hard apple cider.
123 Jumbo Hand-Launcher for
Folding Wing Glider
Written by Rick Schertle Illustrations by Julie West
Use It
Hook the notch on the bottom of the glider onto the rubber band, pull
the plane down along the length of the stake, make sure your face is
clearly out of the way, and let it rip! Be sure to launch along the stake,
not toward it, or you may break the plane. If wind is a factor, make sure
you're launching on the downwind side. With this much stretch, the
rubber bands tend to wear out quickly. Keep a supply on hand for quick
replacement.
Electronic Thermometers
Stand-alone temperature loggers are available from Onset Computer,
Lascar, Extech, and others. Data are downloaded through USB or
optical ports; software converts the data into graphs.
You can modify an Onset Pendant logger for temperature transects
by boring an entry hole through its cap and an exit hole in its base, to
allow air to flow over the thermistor, a tiny resistor whose resistance
varies rapidly with temperature.
While temperature loggers work well, they require you to note times
and locations during a transect so you can analyze the data. No notes
are needed with a Vernier LabQuest 2 (vernier.com). This 12-bit, fully
programmable logger has three analog inputs for external sensors, and a
built-in GPS that records the location of every measurement. Best of
all, it displays a realtime graph of temperature as it’s measured (Figure
1). After making a transect, you can send up to 1,000 measurements to
Vernier, which will return a Google map with a color-coded line that
indicates the temperature along the route. While the LabQuest 2 is
expensive ($329), mine has become essential. Figure 3 shows my Excel
plot of 942 nocturnal temperature measurements across San Antonio,
logged with my LabQuest 2 and a thermistor installed on my pickup.
Figure 4 shows the same data on the map generated by Vernier.
Suitable Temperature Sensors
Dedicated temperature loggers have a built-in sensor. The LabQuest 2
works with many external sensors, including a Vernier temperature
sensor ($23).
If you already have a voltage logger, you can use it to measure
temperature with the help of a thermistor.
CAUTION:
MAKE SURE YOUR TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS SECURELY MOUNTED TO
YOUR VEHICLE AND DOESN’T POSE A HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS OR
BECOME A DISTRACTION TO YOUR DRIVER. COME TO A COMPLETE STOP
IN A SAFE AREA BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE EXPERIMENT.
The Chameleon Bag
Make an interactive messenger bag that
reacts to your RFID-tagged objects.
Written by Kathryn McElroy
Jeffrey Braverman
KATHRYN MCELROY
is a designer and photographer living in NYC. She's in her thesis year of an MFA in
Products of Design at the School of Visual Arts. Kathryn is a talented maker in
many mediums including: sewing, electronics, baking, papercraft, and graphic
design.
NOTE:
IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE PROGRAMMING THE BOARDUINO, TRY
MOVING THE JUMPER OVER ONE PIN.
Open the project code in the Arduino IDE software, select Tools →
Board, and select Duemilanove with ATmega328. Upload the code to
the board and launch the Serial Monitor by clicking the icon in the
upper right-hand corner. It should tell you that no RFID reader is
attached.
Kathryn McElroy
1b. Next, set up the RFID reader using the Adafruit tutorial
(makezine.com/adafruit-rfidtutorial). Solder the two 3-pin strips, but
don’t solder the 8-pin strip. Follow the directions to connect the RFID
reader to the included 4050 level-shifter pin. Mount the 4050 onto the
small breadboard, and temporarily connect it to the RFID reader and to
the Boarduino with jumper wires, using Figure 1 for reference.
1c. Now you’ll test the RFID reader with some RFID tags. First, reload
the code and open the Serial Monitor. It should now recognize that the
reader is attached; if not, check your connections.
1d. Each RFID tag has a unique number, and you’ll see these numbers
flash onto the Serial Monitor when you place a tag within 4" of the
reader. Copy and paste these tag numbers into a text document for
reference. In the project code, about halfway down, change the
cardidentifier variables to your unique tag numbers to choose what
animation or colors you’d like to see when the reader reads that
number. Then reload the code to your Boarduino. Now you can label
your RFID tags to keep track of which tag launches which display.
1e. You’re ready to set up the RGB LEDs. Refer to the Adafruit tutorial
(makezine.com/adafruit-rgbled) for the specific wires. You’ll need to
power the LEDs with the 5V plug-in power supply while testing so they
don’t try to pull 5V through the Boarduino. Connect the other wires
temporarily to the Boarduino as outputs. With the Serial Monitor open,
test the RGB LEDs by trying the tags you’ve assigned colors to. You
may need to troubleshoot if something is not properly connected.
1f. Once you’ve gotten all the components to work together, you’re
ready to make these connections permanent! Arrange all your
components onto a 2"×4" protoboard. Use the 16-prong socket for the
RFID reader’s 4050, and two 15-pin strips of female headers to make a
strip for each side of the Boarduino. Solder the socket and female
headers in place. Solder all the connections between the 4050 and the
Boarduino.
1g. Cut extra long wires for the connection between the 4050 and the
RFID reader, and solder the wires to the protoboard, waiting to attach
the reader until we determine the length we need. Cut extra long wires
for the RGB LEDs as well, about twice as long as the RFID wires.
1h. Now you can solder the power connections for the RGB LEDs and
the RFID reader. We’ll be using 4 AA batteries for our power supply to
the Boarduino. The RFID reader needs 3.3V, so connect one of the 5V
pins to the 3.3V voltage regulator, then connect it to the 4050 and the
reader. The LEDs need 5V connected to 2 different wires; since there is
only one 5V pin left, connect that to the RGB LEDs, then connect the
Vin (total voltage from the batteries) to a 5V regulator before
connecting it to the other power wire.
Materials
» Boarduino microcontroller Adafruit Industries item #91, adafruit.com
» FTDI cable, USB, 3.3V
» RFID reader Adafruit #364
» Breadboard, small for testing
» RGB LED strips (2) Adafruit #738
» Power supply, 5V DC for testing
» RFID tags Adafruit #365
» Protoboard, 2"×4"
» Female headers, 0.1"
» DIP socket, 16-pin, 0.3"
» Voltage regulator, 3.3V, LD1117V33
» Voltage regulator, 5V, 3A, 3-pin
» Battery holder, 5V, 4xAA
» Jumper wires for testing
» Luan plywood, ⅛"×11"×14"
» Electrical tape
» Upholstery foam, 1"×26"×20” non-yellowing
Tools
» X-Acto knife
» Computer with Arduino IDE free download from arduino.cc
» Laser cutter or drill
» Foam cutter
» Soldering iron and solder
» Sewing machine
2. Sew a bag or repurpose one
When you want a break from the electronics, start sewing the
messenger bag — or repurpose an existing bag — following the
instructions and templates at makezine.com/chameleon-bag.
3. Assemble
3a. Using the downloadable template (at the URL above), laser-cut or
drill holes in the thin plywood to fit the RGB LEDs and hold them in
place in a grid pattern. (If you’re repurposing a bag, adjust the template
to fit into your bag’s front flap.) Then push each LED into a hole, and
use electrical tape on the backs to hold them in place.
3b. Cut your upholstery foam into two 13"×10" rectangles (or the size
of your repurposed bag), one for the back panel and one for the front
panel that will cover the LEDs. On the back foam panel, cut out cavities
(not all the way through) to hold the electronics. On the front foam
panel, use an X-Acto knife to cut Xs where the LEDs will push into the
foam. The foam will diffuse the LEDs’ colors and make them flow
together.
3c. Insert the electronics in the spaces you cut out in the back foam
panel, then trim and solder the wires to the RFID reader. Cover the
LED board with the front foam panel and insert it into the white front
flap of the bag. Measure where the other half of the magnetic snaps
should go on the bottom of the front flap and attach them. Measure and
finalize the wire lengths from the Boarduino to the LEDs, take the
electronics out of the bag, and solder the final wires in place.
3d. Put all the electronics back into their respective bag parts. Insert the
front flap’s extra fabric down into the back of the bag.
Fold the raw edges of the back panel into itself and pin everything
together. Sew the panel together, taking care not to damage the
electronics or break your machine’s needle on the LED wires.
3e. Unzip the back zipper, insert the battery holder, plug it into the
Boarduino, and test. Now your Chameleon Bag can tell what‘s missing,
express how you’re feeling, or just match your outfit.
Get busy with the project code, downloadable templates, sewing
instructions, and video at makezine.com/chameleon-bag
Share it: #chameleonbag
Toy Inventor's Notebook
ANT-FREE FEEDER
Invented and drawn by Bob Knetzger
Peter O’Toole
Materials
» Arduino Uno microcontroller Maker Shed item #MKSP99, maker shed.com, or
compatible controller
» Power supply for Arduino Maker Shed #MKSF3
» Video Experimenter Shield by Nootropic Design, Maker Shed #MKNTD7
» Composite video cables (2)
» Infrared LED such as Adafruit #387, adafruit.com
» Infrared sensor such as Adafruit #157, for IR tutorial
» Breadboard and jumper wires Maker Shed #MKKN2 and MKSEEED3, for IR
tutorial
Tools
» Computer with Arduino IDE software free download from arduino.cc
» USB cable, Standard-A to Standard-B for programming Arduino
» Screwdriver, small flat-head
1h. Adjust the larger potentiometer on the shield until you see the
flickering bits displayed on the top of your TV screen.
1i. Check the Serial Monitor and you’ll see the text coming in. (Imagine
what else you could do with this data!) Adjust the smaller potentiometer
with your screwdriver if the formatting of the text looks odd, or if you
see other data such as the title of the program.
2. Learn your IR mute command
Adafruit Industries has an excellent tutorial on how to use infrared
commands with your Arduino. You just need a breadboard, an IR
sensor, some jumper wires, and your TV remote control. Follow along
at makezine.com/adafruitir to adjust the project code’s SendMute()
function to match your TV remote’s mute command.
3c. With the composite video cable from your video source going into
your Video Experimenter Shield, connect a power supply to the
Arduino, and your Enough Already is ready to go. Point the infrared
LED toward your television and enjoy the silence!
To shut them up, get the project code and full illustrated step-by-step
instructions at makezine.com/enough-already.
Share it: #enoughalready
Bass Bump Headphone Amp
Build this circuit to boost low frequencies
and make your MP3s go boom.
Written by Ross Hershberger
Jeffrey Braverman
THE BASS BUMP HEADPHONE AMP WILL IMPROVE ALL YOUR PRIVATE
MUSIC LISTENING. The custom bass-enhancement circuit lets you boost
the music’s critical low-frequency spectrum to your taste, and it has
enough power to give clear sound and punchy dynamics through most
any headphones, or even small speakers.
This amp sounds better than the headphone driver circuits in most
smartphones and MP3 players because it has a lower source impedance
and much higher drive current. This means the sound from your
headphones is unaffected by long cables or impedance mismatches.
Build one and you’ll hear the difference right away.
You’ll solder the circuit on a twin perfboard to create two identical
channels — left and right — each adjusted by its own bass control
potentiometer. Each channel splits the low from the high frequencies at
about 100Hz, passes the low through the adjustable boost, then
recombines them before feeding them into the amplifier chip. At the
output, a Zobel network keeps the impedance low at high frequencies
and damps any oscillations. It’s all done with a handful of resistors,
capacitors, and two LM386 audio amplifier chips. All the parts are easily
sourced at RadioShack.
I chose the LM386 because it’s easy to build with — it’s widely
available, will run on a single power supply as low as 5V, and requires
few external components. There are higher-performance amp chips, but
they’d require a dual power supply, making the circuits much more
complex. The LM386 performs well and keeps it simple.
The Bass Bump Headphone Amp is powered by a rechargeable
battery for mobile use, but you can also power it via USB using a
custom cable. We can show you how to make that too.
SKYLER TIFFIN
is a 12-year-old student at The Harley School in Rochester, N.Y. She
enjoys being creative, building things, and playing sports like soccer and
basketball.
LARRY COTTON
is a semi-retired power-tool designer and part-time math instructor who
loves music, computers, electronics, furniture design, birds, and his wife
— not necessarily in that order.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN GRASS AND WOOD ON GOD’S CELESTIAL
MATERIALS LIST, BAMBOO IS EXCEPTIONAL STUFF. Lightweight, strong,
elastic, and durable, it’s one of mankind’s earliest building materials. It
works, bonds, and finishes well. It’s such a perfectly renewable resource
that you can almost watch it grow — often between 2 and 4 feet a day.
Here’s an eye-catching hors d’oeuvre tray you can make with just
bamboo, a little glue, and a few clever cuts. Bamboo poles are available
from such sources as calibamboo.com or bambooandthatchetc.com, or
you may find some growing locally. Harvest it after it loses its foliage
and thoroughly dries to a nice beige.
You’ll need about 6 running feet to yield four 9" pieces that each
include a node, with 5½" of hollow tube on one side of the node and
about 3½" on the other. You’ll split these lengthwise, then make three
simple jigs from scrap: a cutting guide for the 45° angles needed, a
thickness gauge to even up the segments, and a peg for fitting and
gluing the segments together. Then just sand your tray and finish it
with food-safe polyurethane.
The tray is perfect for serving party snacks, and it also makes an
interesting wall decoration, hung either side out, when you’re not using
it to feed your hungry, green-minded friends.
Greener Surfboard
“Fiberglass” this board with bamboo fiber cloth and epoxy resin.
Mini Blind Minder
Opening and closing your blinds constantly? Build
this gadget to enslave your slats and tame the sun.
Written by Steve Hoefer
Jeffrey Braverman
Time Required: 1–2 Days Cost: $40–$60
STEVE HOEFER
is the inventor of MAKE’s popular Secret-Knock Gumball Machine,
Indestructible LED Lanterns, and other projects — and the host of the
MAKE Inventions video series.
How It Works
» In Manual mode, the LED turns white and you operate the blinds by
pushing Up or Down buttons.
» In Automatic mode, the Minder opens and closes the blinds based
on room temperature. The LED indicates room temperature in relation
to the thermostat setting: green when it’s the same temperature, red
when the room is hotter, blue when it’s colder. Up and Down buttons
set the thermostat between 10ºC (50ºF) and 30ºC (86ºF).
» When it’s powered off, the Minder automatically remembers the
thermostat temperature and the position of your blinds.
Guther Kirsch
Fetch-O-Matic
Craft your own automatic tennis ball launcher for dogs.
CNC Air Raid Siren
It’s loud, annoying, and fun. Cut the parts
on a CNC router, then motorize them with
a cheapo bench grinder!
Written by Dan Spangler
Learn a bag of tricks to design and CNC cut clever joints in plywood,
acrylic, and other sheet stock.
AIR RAID SIRENS FASCINATE ME, ESPECIALLY THE ONES FROM WORLD
WAR II. The infamous wail indicated danger but also sounded the all-
clear, inspiring both fear and relief. They’re also just awesomely loud.
Nowadays there are electronic sirens, but most civil-defense sirens are
still the mechanical kind — basically blowers designed to make as much
noise as possible.
I saw DIY sirens online and instantly thought of our ShopBot CNC
router as an elegant solution — it could cut a perfectly balanced rotor
every time. So I designed this siren for CNC cutters. Here’s how I made
it, and how you can too.
Hear it wail, download the CAD files for CNC cutting, and get step-
by-step build instructions at makezine.com/cnc-air-raid-siren.
Share it: #cncairraidsiren
Glow Plug 3D Printer Extruder
Make an extruder by hand using only a few tools and
a diesel glow plug from the auto parts store.
Written and photographed by Adam Kemp
Balloon-Powered Helicopter
by Dr. Konrad Walus thingi verse.com/thing:152804 Print and assemble, then
attach an inflated balloon and watch it fly.
TARDIS Transformer V2
by Andrew Lindsey thingi verse.com/thing:113117 Time Lords, transform!
Assembled using snap-on pieces to take on evil foes.
MAKE A RIPCORD ROTOR CHOPPER
MATERIALS:
• SPONGE EMERY BOARD
• WOODEN DOWEL, 3/8" DIAMETER, 7" LENGTH
• KITE STRING, 3'
• PVC PIPE, 1/2" DIAMETER, 6" LENGTH
• GLUE
TOOLBOX
Gadgets and gear for makers
Tell us about your faves: [email protected]
Jeffery Braverman
TIPS TO SNAKE A REPLACEMENT CABLE
When changing a wire, tie a pull string to the faulty line to help feed
in the replacement. Sometimes, however, you'll need to send the
string through manually. It’s often tricky to do, but these pointers can
help.
Use a Shop-Vac to suck a cotton ball tied to fishing line through the conduit.
Drive an RC car across ceiling tiles with the string tied behind it.
Shoot a crossbow or airgun dart across a gap with a string tied to it (just like the
movies!)
James Burke
Gunther Kirsch
Cuttlebug
$60 : cuttlebug.ca
The Cuttlebug is a nonelectronic die-cutting and embossing tool for
paper crafts. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and compatible with
embossing folders and dies from most manufacturers. I am an avid
papercrafter and scrapbooker, make all my own greeting cards, and use
my ‘bug more than any other tool.
YouTube shows lots of ways to use it for various techniques, including
letterpress. I’ve had mine for about 10-12 years, use it at least weekly,
and am still using the same cutting plates it came with. It’s more
intuitive to use and more compact when folded up than competing
brands I’ve tried. Dies and embossing folders are available in any craft
store, but you can also create your own embossing designs with leaves,
lace, etc., using rubber mats made by the Spellbinders and Scor-Pal
companies.
—Polly Robertus
Jake Spurlock
8V Impact Screwdriver
$40 : blackanddecker.com
I used to think you couldn’t beat a corded ½" drill for hardcore
screwdriving, but I’ve just changed my mind. I recently built a wooden
gate, driving a few dozen deck screws with my drill — careful, slow
work. Then, I got my hands on the new Black & Decker 8V Max
Lithium Impact Screwdriver. I can’t believe how much better this
compact, solid tool is for the job. Instead of risking stripped screw
heads, it drives like a dream. The percussive rat-a-tat becomes a loud —
but welcome — sound as it turns screws with terrific torque and speed.
It comes with a charger, magnetic hex bit storage, and integrated LED
light.
—John Edgar Park
Kimwipes
kcprofessional.com
Kimwipes look like tissue paper, but they’re quite different. These
low-lint wipes are used in labs throughout the country, but they’re
also great for makers. I use them mostly for cleaning 3D printer
beds with acetone. Since they’re also low-static, I use them with a
horsehair brush and alcohol for cleaning PCBs. The wipes are also
strong enough to scrub off adhesive gunk when using a solvent like
Goo-Gone. Cheaper than lens wipes, they’re great in a pinch for
cleaning all kinds of optics, from microscope slides to magnifier
lenses, and even your eyeglasses. They’re not bad as LED diffusers,
too.
—TK
Photographs by Gunther Kirsch
SENSE 3D SCANNER
$399 : cubify.com/sense
Version 2.0 of the 3D printing revolution is upon us, and the Sense
3D scanner is primed to lead the next wave in rapid manufacturing.
Simply purchasing a 3D printer will only get you so far. The real
challenge is modeling and scanning what you’d like to print. The
Sense allows anyone, with a simple magic wand-like wave, to scan in
color and print to almost any 3D printer. At $399, it’s also a bargain.
You can read more about Sense 3D Scanner on the Cubify website.
—Marc de Vinck
Gunther Kirsch
STICKNFIND STICKERS
$50 (2-pack) : sticknfind.com
These quarter-sized Bluetooth-enabled discs can be attached to pets,
luggage, phones, key chains or other easily misplaced items. The
StickNFind companion smartphone app can identify and locate any disc
within 100 feet. If a disc is out of sight, you can remotely activate its
buzzer and light. It also works as a virtual leash — if a sticker moves
past a specified distance from your phone, your phone sounds an alert.
—MF
BLUEFRUIT EZ-KEY
$20 : adafruit.com
Any device that can take Bluetooth keyboard or mouse input will be
at your command with Adafruit’s new Bluefruit EZ-Key. The 12
digital input pins on the small board can be programmed to each
send a specific key press, mouse movement, or mouse click
wirelessly to a device. If you’ve dreamed of making your own
wireless game controller or making technology more accessible for
the disabled, the Bluefruit EZ-Key enables to you make custom
wireless input devices without much hassle.
Maker SHED
makershed.com
WILDFIRE
Typically, connecting your Arduino project to the internet requires at
least one shield and far more work than it should. Thankfully, Wicked
Device has a single-board solution, the WildFire. This Arduino-
compatible microcontroller comes with the TI CC3000 wi-fi module
and a ceramic antenna built in. A free mobile app from TI makes it
possible to connect your WildFire to your phone right out of the box,
and the ATmega 1284p processor has a hefty-sized memory, making it
easier to build connected devices with greater data requirements.
MKWD11 $90
BEER MAKING KITS FROM BROOKLYN BREW
SHOP
If your passion is craft brewing, you’re in luck! The Shed carries a slew
of products that will kickstart a hobby in beer making. We have
Bruxelles Blonde, Chestnut Brown Ale, and Everyday IPA (for folks
who like a little extra hoppiness in their brews). Each kit contains all the
supplies needed for the fermentation of one gallon of delicious beer.
Though the supplies for bottling are not included in the kit, Brooklyn
Brew offers a supplemental pack that contains a bottle capper and 50
bottle caps. Start saving your (sterilized!) beer bottles, and you’ll be
brewing your own beer in no time.
MKBBS6 (Bruxelles Blonde) $40
MKBBS7 (Chestnut Brown Ale) $40
MKBBS1 (Everyday IPA) $40
Make:Makerplace
HOMEBREW
Kelly Short
TOM KUEHN
is a mechatronic engineer from Newcastle, Australia. He loves tinkering with
electronics, mechanics and everything in between.