Just like the garage computer explosion of the 70’s through the 80’s, which brought us such things as Apple, pong, Bill Gate’s hair, and the proliferation of personal computers, the maker movement is the new garage hardware explosion. Today, 135 million adults in the United States alone are involved in the maker movement.
Enthusiasts who want to build the products they want, from shortwave radios to personal computers, and to tweak products they’ve bought to make them even better, have long been a part of the electronics industry. By all measures, garage-style innovation remains alive and well today, as “makers” as they are called continue to turn out contemporary gadgets, including 3D printers, drones, and embedded electronics devices.
Making is about individual Do-It-Yourselfers being able to design and create with tools that were, as of a decade or two ago, only available to large, cash-rich corporations: CAD tools, CNC mills, 3D printers, low-quantity PCB manufacturing, open hardware such as Arduinos and similar inexpensive development boards – all items that have made it easier and relatively cheap to make whatever we imagine. For individuals, maker tools can change how someone views their home or their hobbies. The world is ours to make. Humans are genetically wired to be makers. The maker movement is simply the result of making powerful building and communication tools accessible to the masses. There are plenty of projects from makers that show good engineering: Take this Arduino board with tremendous potential, developed by a young maker, as example.
The maker movement is a catalyst to democratize entrepreneurship as these do-it-yourself electronics are proving to be hot sellers: In the past year, unit sales for 3D printing related products; Arduino units, parts and supplies; Raspberry Pi boards; drones and quadcopters; and robotics goods are all on a growth curve in terms of eBay sales. There are many Kickstarter maker projects going on. The Pebble E-Paper Watch raises $10 million. The LIFX smartphone-controlled LED bulb raises $1.3 million. What do these products have in common? They both secured funding through Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website that is changing the game for entrepreneurs. Both products were created by makers who seek to commercialize their inventions. These “startup makers” iterate on prototypes with high-end tools at professional makerspaces.
For companies to remain competitive, they need to embrace the maker movement or leave themselves open for disruption. Researchers found that 96 percent of business leaders believe new technologies have forever changed the rules of business by democratizing information and rewiring customer expectations. - You’ve got to figure out agile innovation. Maybe history is repeating itself as the types of products being sold reminded us of the computer tinkering that used to be happening in the 1970s to 1990s – similar in terms of demographics, tending to be young people, and low budget. Now the do-it-yourself category is deeply intertwined with the electronics industry. Open hardware is in the center in maker movement – we need open hardware designs! How can you publish your designs and still do business with it? Open source ecosystem markets behave differently and therefore require a very different playbook than traditional tech company: the differentiation is not in the technology you build; it is in the process and expertise that you slowly amass over an extended period of time.
By democratizing the product development process, helping these developments get to market, and transforming the way we educate the next generation of innovators, we will usher in the next industrial revolution. The world is ours to make. Earlier the PC created a new generation of software developers who could innovate in the digital world without the limitations of the physical world (virtually no marginal cost, software has become the great equalizer for innovation. Now advances in 3D printing and low-cost microcontrollers as well as the ubiquity of advanced sensors are enabling makers to bridge software with the physical world. Furthermore, the proliferation of wireless connectivity and cloud computing is helping makers contribute to the Internet of Things (IoT). We’re even beginning to see maker designs and devices entering those markets once thought to be off-limits, like medical.
Image source: The world is ours to make: The impact of the maker movement – EDN Magazine
In fact, many parents have engaged in the maker movement with their kids because they know that the education system is not adequately preparing their children for the 21st century. There is a strong movement to spread this DIY idea widely. The Maker Faire, which launched in the Bay Area in California in 2006, underlined the popularity of the movement by drawing a record 215,000 people combined in the Bay Area and New York events in 2014. There’s Maker Media, MakerCon, MakerShed, Make: magazine and 131 Maker Faire events that take place throughout the world. Now the founders of all these Makers want a way to connect what they refer to as the “maker movement” online. So Maker Media created a social network called MakerSpace, a Facebook-like social network that connects participants of Maker Faire in one online community. The new site will allow participants of the event to display their work online. There are many other similar sites that allow yout to present yout work fron Hackaday to your own blog. Today, 135 million adults in the United States alone are involved in the maker movement—although makers can be found everywhere in the world.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/191142-analog-lorenz-attractor-computer
Tomi Engdahl says:
CMOS Homemade Operational Amplifier
https://hackaday.io/project/191138-cmos-homemade-operational-amplifier
CMOS Homemade Operational Amplifier module and a photo detector using it.
Operational amplifiers using the CMOS process are now widely used because of their low power consumption. Since the insulated gate of MOSFETs in the CMOS op-amps serves as the signal input, their input resistance is extremely large compared to operational amplifiers using bipolar transistors, and their bias current is extremely low. This time, I will explain how I boldly simplified its internal structure and built my own CMOS op-amp module using discrete MOSFETs to deepen my own understanding of its internal operating behavior and applications. I will also present an example of a self-made evaluation unit that allows experimentation with a non-inverting amplifier circuit, and a photo-detector circuit using a transimpedance amplifier.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Big Tactile Button Is Silly But Cool
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/18/big-tactile-button-is-silly-but-cool/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/18/supercon-2022-andy-geppert-is-bringing-core-memory-back/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/18/toothbrush-speed-controller-secrets-revealed/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Go In All The Directions With Omniwheeled ESP32 Bot
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/18/go-in-all-the-directions-with-omniwheeled-esp32-bot/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D printed BLDC servo with 30Nm torque ($60)
This is a high-torque yet affordable servo motor
including a low KV BLDC motor, 3d printed planetary gearbox, and BLDC driver
https://hackaday.io/project/189339-3d-printed-bldc-servo-with-30nm-torque-60
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/01/30/1000-aluminium-cans-cast-into-a-guitar/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/01/30/converting-a-sink-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner/
Tomi Engdahl says:
RF Spectrometer Sees Inside
https://hackaday.com/2023/01/30/rf-spectrometer-sees-inside/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/01/30/classic-calculators-emulated-in-browser/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/01/31/let-this-minimal-desktop-weather-display-point-the-way/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/19/custom-glove-guides-wearers-dreams/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/19/building-a-giant-vacuum-tube-smart-lamp/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/19/3d-printing-blueprints-and-other-wall-art/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/20/op-amp-challenge-mosfets-make-this-discrete-op-amp-tick/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/20/espclicker-an-elegant-solution-for-integrating-dumb-devices-into-home-assistant/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/190629-the-positivity-pusher
Tomi Engdahl says:
EyeBREAK (Morse Blink BLE Keyboard)
EyeBREAK: EyeBlink Realtime ESP32 Assistive Keyboard
https://hackaday.io/project/191119-eyebreak-morse-blink-ble-keyboard
Tomi Engdahl says:
The easiest way to neuroscience with PiEEG
RaspberryPi to measure and easy study EEG, ECG, EMG and EOG with Shield PiEEG
https://hackaday.io/project/190326-the-easiest-way-to-neuroscience-with-pieeg
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for Everyone
Explore the magnetic properties of hydrogen with this build guide
https://hackaday.io/project/191192-nuclear-magnetic-resonance-for-everyone
Tomi Engdahl says:
CMOS Homemade Operational Amplifier
CMOS Homemade Operational Amplifier module and a photo detector using it.
https://hackaday.io/project/191138-cmos-homemade-operational-amplifier
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/21/pill-dispenser-to-keep-you-on-track/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/191192-nuclear-magnetic-resonance-for-everyone
Tomi Engdahl says:
Deluxe A.C. Current Limiter
https://hackaday.io/project/191175-deluxe-ac-current-limiter
Convert a $30 Aliexpress Lamp tester into an advanced A.C. current limiter with 4 switched bulbs, fuse, and voltage/current/power meter
Several sellers on Aliexpress sell an ~$30 advanced light bulb tester with 4 E25/E27 *switched* light sockets, dual wiring-block, plus power switch, fuse, and a digital meter that measures voltage, current, power, and time-on-test.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/remote-controlled-hypercar-slices-through-air/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/bike-camper-with-retro-flair/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/handle-sheet-metal-with-the-power-of-microwave-oven-electromagnets/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/gyroscope-walks-the-tightrope/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/smart-pants-sound-alarm-when-your-fly-is-undone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/whats-black-white-and-red-on-20-sides/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/handheld-pc-looks-great/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/design-for-3d-printing-hack-chat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/hoverboard-rides-on-eddy-currents/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/bringing-the-pio-to-the-fpga/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/the-wizard-of-semiconductors/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/building-circuits-flexibly/
Tomi Engdahl says:
SDO Milliohm Meter v1
A minimal 4-wire milliohm meter with 4.5 digit display
https://hackaday.io/project/191204-sdo-milliohm-meter-v1
Here’s a milliohm meter with following specifications:
- self-contained,
- low-cost “jellybean” parts,
- battery-powered: 3xAA/LR6 cell,
- 4-wire Kelvin sensing mode only,
- 100mA sense current,
- fixed 1Ω range with 20% overrange,
- ±1mΩ accuracy within 15°..35°C operating temperature,
- 4.5-digit digital display with 0.1mΩ resolution, 3Hz update rate,
- 1V/Ω non-isolated analog output,
- battery state indicator with three indications: 3.5V
- supply voltage range from 3V to 5V.
It is intended for bench or portable use, as a relatively high-performance instrument in spite of its simplicity and low cost.
The primary motivation is to demonstrate that a very basic circuit can perform well in practice. It is meant as an exploratory step for future improvements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automatic Water Bottle
Learn How to Create A Switch Adapted Water Bottle
https://hackaday.io/project/191241-automatic-water-bottle
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hall Sensors Offer Drop-In Replacement For Drifting Game Console Joysticks
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/hall-sensors-offer-drop-in-replacement-for-drifting-game-console-joysticks/
No bananas were harmed in the making of this Hall effect drift-proof joystick replacement. OK, not really — two bananas were turned to mush. But it’s OK, they’re just bananas, after all.
Why bananas, you ask? Because [Marius Heier] uses them to demonstrate what we all intuitively know — that rubbing something over and over again tends to wear it away — but engineers seem to have forgotten. Wear such as this, with resistance material rather than fruits, is what causes the dreaded drift, a problem that the world collectively spends $20 billion a year dealing with, according to [Marius].
Beating the $20B Joystick Drift Problem, and giving it away for free
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAsrLxaAkY0
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Art And Science Of Making Beautiful Transparent Ice
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/the-art-and-science-of-making-beautiful-transparent-ice/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Own More Than One ‘Scope? You’ve Got Nothing On This Guy!
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/own-more-than-one-scope-youve-got-nothing-on-this-guy/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery Bot Makes Sure Cordless Tool Packs Are Always Topped Up
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/battery-bot-makes-sure-cordless-tool-packs-are-always-topped-up/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automatic Coin Sorter Brings Order To Your Coin Jar
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/automatic-coin-sorter-brings-order-to-your-coin-jar/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printing Bio-Inspired Microphone Designs Based On Moth Ears
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/3d-printing-bio-inspired-microphone-designs-based-on-moth-ears/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Glass Robot From A Solarpunk Future
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/24/glass-robot-from-a-solarpunk-future/
You may have heard of a heart of glass or have a glass jaw, but have you ever seen a glass robot?
[Simone Giertz], has taken two of her favorite things, stained glass and robotics, and fused them into a single project. Using an existing metal robot arm as a template, she cut and soldered her stained glass panels before reassembling the robot with its new solarpunk limbs. During testing though, one of the glass panels repeatedly failed at a solder joint.
Can you make a robot out of glass?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_38fsHe8Ws
Tomi Engdahl says:
Photonic IC Brings High-Performance Reconfigurable Filtering to Microwave Signals
May 18, 2023
Using an innovative photonics topology, researchers developed an integrated microwave filter with ultra-wide dynamic range and low noise.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/components/article/21266270/microwaves-rf-photonic-ic-brings-highperformance-reconfigurable-filtering-to-microwave-signals?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230519073&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
SENZ
Ankle-foot orthosis that integrates a stimulation system through sensors that improve the function of the user to provide rehabilitation.
https://hackaday.io/project/190700-senz
Tomi Engdahl says:
clOCkTAL
Because binary coded decimal clocks are too easy to read.
https://hackaday.io/project/181418-clocktal
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/190651-portable-sound-visualization-ar-device