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.
7,114 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/27/2019-as-the-hardware-world-turns/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open-Source Analytical Balance Pits Gravity Against Electromagnetism
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Circuit Sculpture Teaches Binary, Plays PONG
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A Car That Runs On Homemade Chemical Reactions
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/25/a-car-that-runs-on-homemade-chemical-reactions/
Tomi Engdahl says:
CNC Hot-Wire Cutter Gives Form To Foam
https://hackaday.com/2020/02/01/cnc-hot-wire-cutter-gives-form-to-foams/
Rapid prototyping tools are sometimes the difference between a project getting off the ground and one that stays strictly on paper. A lightweight, easy-to-form material is often all that’s needed to visualize a design and make a quick judgment on how to proceed. Polymeric foams excel in such applications, and a CNC hot-wire foam cutter is a tool that makes dealing with them quick and easy.
https://howtomechatronics.com/projects/arduino-cnc-foam-cutting-machine/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Companion Bots Definitely Are The Droids You’re Looking For
https://hackaday.com/2020/01/31/companion-bots-definitely-are-the-droids-youre-looking-for/
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https://hackaday.com/2020/02/01/what-everyone-else-did-with-eight-bits-the-germans-did-with-only-one/
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Growing Human Neurons Hooked Up To Electrodes
https://hackaday.com/2020/02/02/growing-human-neurons-hooked-up-to-electrodes/
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The Quest To Find A Second Life For Electric Vehicle Batteries
https://hackaday.com/2020/02/01/__trashed-13/
A Recycling Renegade Is Out of Prison—and Ready to Tackle the Electric Vehicle Battery Crisis
https://gizmodo.com/a-recycling-renegade-is-out-of-prison-and-ready-to-tack-1840417556
Tomi Engdahl says:
Drill Thrice, Solder Once
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/27/drill-thrice-solder-once/
Buried Pad PCB Fixing
https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkx/blog/3127
Checkout how we drilled through the back of a PCB in order to solder to the hidden pads under a cellular module.
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Now Even Your Business Card Can Run Linux
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/24/now-even-your-business-card-can-run-linux/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Foam Board, Old Electronics, And Imagination Make Movie Magic
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/31/foam-board-old-electronics-and-imagination-make-movie-magic/
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https://hackaday.com/2019/12/31/a-soft-robotic-insect-that-survives-the-fly-swatter/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/01/01/magnetic-circuits-are-more-attractive-than-breadboarding/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Learn How to Turn Anything Into a Piezo Instrument
https://www.hackster.io/news/learn-how-to-turn-anything-into-a-piezo-instrument-84fd60fb517e
One amplification method is with a piezo pickup, which you can use to turn just about anything into an amplified instrument.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ploopy Has a 3D-Printable SMD Component Feeder for Pick-and-Place Machines
https://www.hackster.io/news/ploopy-has-a-3d-printable-smd-component-feeder-for-pick-and-place-machines-1d3bbf9cd1e0
PloopyCo has an open source, semi-automatic component feeder design that you can 3D print and use with your PNP machine.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kryptor FPGA Adds Open Source Encryption to Arduino and Raspberry Pi Projects
Add complex encryption with a simple serial-based API.
https://www.hackster.io/news/kryptor-fpga-adds-open-source-encryption-to-arduino-and-raspberry-pi-projects-eb63b889cb74
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nash Reilly Aims to Build a Funky Function Generator — bFunc — by Open Hardware Summit 2020
https://www.hackster.io/news/nash-reilly-aims-to-build-a-funky-function-generator-bfunc-by-open-hardware-summit-2020-10283f281868
Reilly’s STM32-based bFunc is designed to teach him the platform, and USB, while producing a useful, open source device at the end.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This PCB Reference Ruler Is Ideal for the Raspberry Pi Enthusiast
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-pcb-reference-ruler-is-ideal-for-the-raspberry-pi-enthusiast-c30e29316cfa
Having failed to find a PCB reference ruler that ticked all the boxes, Ian Dunn created his own — with an eye on the Raspberry Pi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Snopf Is a DIY USB Password Token
Build your own USB device to generate and remember strong passwords.
https://www.hackster.io/news/snopf-is-a-diy-usb-password-token-b4f2c1c6d41d
https://github.com/snopf/snopf
snopf is a very simple, yet effective and easy to use USB password tool. The snopf USB device creates a unique and strong password for every service from the same 128 bit secret which never leaves the token.
Whenever snopf is plugged into the computer you can make a password request and then the red LED will light up. If you press the button within 10 seconds snopf will imitate a keyboard and type the password for the requested service.
So far there are four tools that can send requests to the device:
snopf_cmd, a command line tool
snopf_manager, a graphical user interface
A browser extension for firefox (and soon also Google chrome)
An Android App
Bill of materials for the SMD version:
ATTINY85-20SU SO(1)
Resistor 10k 0603 (1)
Resistor 220R 0603 (1)
Resistor 1k 0603 (1)
Resistor 1k5 0603 (1)
Resistor 68R 0603 (2)
Capacitor 18pF 0603 (2)
Capacitor 100n 0603 (1)
Capacitor 4u7 0805 (1)
Crystal 12 Mhz 4 Pin (1)
LED red 0603 (1)
USB connector (1)
Zener Diode 3,6V Mini Melf (2)
Button Panasonic EVQQ2 (1)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Make Your Own Set of Night-Vision Goggles
You can build your own set of night-vision goggles for surprisingly little money.
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Hacking RC Car To Drive With a Musical Keyboard
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Tomi Engdahl says:
You can start this LED candle with an actual flame: http://bit.ly/2HWrgMa
Start This LED Candle with an Actual Flame
Literally hold a lighter or match up to this LED candle assembly to make it glow.
https://www.hackster.io/news/start-this-led-candle-with-an-actual-flame-effd0ee82899
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The Role of Open-Source Hardware in the Modern Era
https://www.eetasia.com/news/article/The-Role-of-Open-Source-Hardware-in-the-Modern-Era
Arduino Uno arrived in 2005. Many things have changed since then, but the best way to know Arduino is to interview its CEO, Fabio Violante.
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Scott Baker Builds a Remotely-Controllable Programmable DC Load Powered by a Raspberry Pi
Controllable via network or using a clever front panel with VFD, Baker’s DC load is a smart alternative to commercial options.
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OSHdata Launches Its Inaugural “State of Open Hardware” Report
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Harris Kenny and Steven Abadie’s open data platform bears fruit with the first in a planned series of reports on the open hardware industry.
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Kerry Wong Turns to the ODB-II Port for a Reliable, Easy-Build Solar Trickle Charger
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With a single diode, an off-the-shelf 10W solar panel can be converted for use with a car’s ODB-II port — trickle-charging the battery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Soldering Device Makes It Easy to Dispense Paste Without the Mess
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This low-cost, 3D-printed paste dispenser features a mini DC motor and gearbox along with an M3 shaft secured by a pair of axial bearings
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Underwater “Smart Glue” Can Be Detached in Just Seven Seconds with the Press of a Button
https://www.hackster.io/news/underwater-smart-glue-can-be-detached-in-just-seven-seconds-with-the-press-of-a-button-e5bd4448f174
The simple application of 9V allows an otherwise extremely strong adhesive to detach — and researchers are working on reversing the process.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Easy Plastic Reconstruction and Repair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1meoZaHYZo
Julkaistu 29.8.2019
Using Super Glue and Baking Soda you can easily rebuild broken plastic!
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT’s 3D-Printed CurveBoards Are Breadboards for Wearable, Unusually-Shaped Project Prototyping
https://www.hackster.io/news/mit-s-3d-printed-curveboards-are-breadboards-for-wearable-unusually-shaped-project-prototyping-85282b9a0b0a
Printed in flexible silicon, the ShapeBoards allow for breadboard-style prototyping better suited to wearable projects.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Spectrum Analyzer Sputnik Shines a Light on the Sounds Around
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-spectrum-analyzer-sputnik-shines-a-light-on-the-sounds-around-bea1607af3e8
Looking like something straight out of a sci-fi film, this steampunk Sputnik sculpture shines out in response to the sound around it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Redditor Designed Their Own Fantastic DIY Electronics Bricks for Prototyping Circuits
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-redditor-designed-their-own-fantastic-diy-electronics-bricks-for-prototyping-circuits-3d58f213a926
Project PocKit is a modular, plug-and-play electronics platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A crisis can have a positive impact on innovation and, in return, these innovations can help solve problems caused by the crisis
Innovation management, Innovation trends
How a time of crisis accelerates innovations
https://innovationcloud.com/blog/how-a-time-of-crisis-accelerates-innovations.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=innovation_in_a_time_of_crisis_look_fi
Tomi Engdahl says:
OpenTOFLidar Ditches Laser Range Finders in Favor of Conventional Optics
https://www.hackster.io/news/opentoflidar-ditches-laser-range-finders-in-favor-of-conventional-optics-a058f77b4955
The OpenTOFLidar is designed for fast 2D scanning and features a pair of conventional optics instead of laser range finders
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-redditor-designed-their-own-fantastic-diy-electronics-bricks-for-prototyping-circuits-3d58f213a926
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/21/the-fart-box-a-synthesizer-not-quite-like-others/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Engineer shares how to build an electric vehicle from the ground up: Design choice
https://www.edn.com/engineer-shares-how-to-build-an-electric-vehicle-from-the-ground-up-design-choices/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stephen Hawes’ Piggyback Board Adds Control for Up to 32 Feeders to Any OpenPnP Pick-and-Place
https://www.hackster.io/news/stephen-hawes-piggyback-board-adds-control-for-up-to-32-feeders-to-any-openpnp-pick-and-place-f59e20c51be8
Based on an ATmega32U4 microcontroller and “a whole bunch of I/O expanders,” the Piggyback is a powerful OpenPnP add-on board
Tomi Engdahl says:
Magnets Turn Flexible PCB Into Electric Grasshopper
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/31/magnets-turn-flexible-pcb-into-electric-grasshopper/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using A Vending Machine Bill Acceptor With Arduino
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Autonomous 3D Rover With Tank Tracks Rules The Fields. Almost
https://hackaday.com/2020/04/02/autonomous3d-rover-with-tank-tracks-rules-the-fields-almost/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Making PCBs With A Vinyl Cutter
https://hackaday.com/2020/04/01/making-pcbs-with-a-vinyl-cutter/
You might assume that you need a lot of expensive stuff to make your own PCBs, but that isn’t the case: you can do it with a vinyl cutter and a few common chemicals and tools. [Emiliano Valencia] has laid out the entire process. While we’ve seen plenty of make your own PCB guides before, this one goes a bit further as it covers using the vinyl cutter to make solder masks, so you can use it for surface mount designs.
https://www.instructables.com/id/TinyDice-Professional-PCBs-at-Home-With-Vinyl-Cutt/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fire Alarm Electronic Circuit by UTSource
https://hackaday.io/project/170259-fire-alarm-electronic-circuit-by-utsource
A small but useful circuit, which is easily built, detecting any flames with a 10K thermistor, an amplifier IC and other passive components.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can Solder Paste Stencils Be 3D Printed? They Can!
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/27/can-solder-paste-stencils-be-3d-printed-they-can/
Tomi Engdahl says:
NASA Spinoff Prints Electronics
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/27/nasa-spinoff-prints-electronics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Soldering LightSaber For The Speedy Worker
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/28/a-soldering-lightsaber-for-the-speedy-worker/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Printed Door Handle Turns Key With A Servo
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/30/printed-door-handle-turns-key-with-a-servo/
[Madalin Valceleanu] had a somewhat unique problem. He wanted to make his front door a bit “smarter”, but none of the IoT door locks he found were compatible with the style of reinforced door he had. So he set out to design and 3D print his own Internet-controlled door handle.
Now we say handle and not lock because the internal mechanisms haven’t actually been replaced. Those aren’t exactly the kind of parts that lend themselves to being recreated in PLA, after all. The printed components simply replace the original plate and handle on the interior of the door.
https://medium.com/hackernoon/my-smart-home-2bfc9da635c1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Equipping A Workshop Using Plywood And Handheld Power Tools
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/24/equipping-a-workshop-using-plywood-and-handheld-power-tools/