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://circuitdiagrams.in/mini-project/amp/
http://danyk.cz/index_en.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.lookmumnocomputer.com/projects
Tomi Engdahl says:
PurifyMyWater
An Open source Hardware & Software design for places where there isn’t clean water for drinking purposes
https://vacmg.github.io/PurifyMyWater/
Here you can read about the hardware & software being used to bring to the world with a cheap DIY water purification system which can be assembled without great expenditures in expensive components. Our goal is to make purified water more accessible to those in dire need of it.
About us
This project is being developed by @vacmg with the support of the ALUMNOS SOLIDARIOS initiative of JOYFE’s school in Madrid.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TURNING A WAFFLE IRON INTO A REFLOW STATION
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/10/turning-a-waffle-iron-into-a-reflow-station/
There are a ton of ways to go about building your own reflow oven. Most of these builds start with, well, an oven — usually a toaster oven — with a small but significant minority choosing to modify a hotplate. But this might be the first time we’ve seen a waffle iron turned into a reflow oven.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build an AC Current Detector Using a Pair of Transistors and Junk Drawer Items
https://www.hackster.io/news/build-an-ac-current-detector-using-a-pair-of-transistors-and-junk-drawer-items-31e3df163490
The Wireless AC Current Detector was designed using several transistors, a ballpoint pen spring, LED, and a 9V battery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/24/a-big-set-of-logic-gates-for-teaching-the-basics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open hardware provides a better chance for scientific reproducibility
https://journalopenhw.medium.com/open-hardware-provides-a-better-chance-for-scientific-reproducibility-829ed23bb71d
Scientific instrumentation built on open source hardware (OSH) is a compelling infrastructure for science. It not only allows anyone to replicate or reuse hardware design files for free, but also establishes a community framework where physical equipment can be rapidly reproduced, refined and improved on.
Scientific reproducibility has multiple meanings across different disciplines. For example, it might mean that an experiment should be repeatable by the same researcher using the same methodology and instruments, that data is reproducible by different researchers with the same methodology and instruments, or that certain parts of the experiment — which could be the instrumentation itself — can be reused in another experiment to make new observations. This final aspect of reproducible research requires scientific instruments to: (i) be accessible to other researchers, (ii) give accurate and reproducible readings, and (iii) have adequate support for reuse in other experiments. OSH can increase the chances of all three requirements being met.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PasswordPump v2.0 Can Manage Credentials for Up to 250 Accounts
The USB device is outfitted with a pair of removable EEPROM chips that store credentials using AES-256 encryption.
https://www.hackster.io/news/passwordpump-v2-0-can-manage-credentials-for-up-to-250-accounts-25f126b10de2
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://sites.google.com/view/270-mini-electronics-project
Tomi Engdahl says:
“But many of the hardware hold-ups we’ve witnessed – from production line bottlenecks to parts shortages – could be avoided in the future by applying an ‘open source’ ethos to the world’s production of hardware.”
(via The Conversation)
Making hardware ‘open source’ can help us fight future pandemics – here’s how we get there
https://theconversation.com/making-hardware-open-source-can-help-us-fight-future-pandemics-heres-how-we-get-there-153280
An ‘open’ approach to hardware could make production bottlenecks a thing of the past.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/02/dvd-optics-power-this-scanning-laser-microscope/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/01/it-costs-what-a-sounding-into-hearing-aids/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/02/alexa-stop-listening-to-me-or-ill-cut-your-ears-off/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Metal Plating Plastic Or Metal Parts
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/01/metal-plating-plastic-or-metal-parts/
Like most of us, [Clem] wants to 3D print in metal. Metal 3D printers do exist, but they are generally way out of reach for most of us garage hackers. As an alternative, [Clem] uses a homebrew electroplating system to get prints with a metallic coating.
The setup is quite simple. Small glass jars to act as the plating tanks and the machine uses an Arduino controller along with a PCB to hold things like a relay to control the 24V used for electroplating. To keep everything tidy, [Clem] designed a 3D printed box that stores all the cables and chemicals when you aren’t using them. Since the parts might get hot, the plastic is PETG.
https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-95956/l/episode-477-metal-plate-your-3d-prints-with-a-diy-galvanizing-machine?CMP=SOM-YOUTUBE-PRG-E14PRESENTS-EP477-METAL-PLATE-3D-PRINTS-DIY-GALVANIZING-COMM
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Injection Molding Press
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/01/diy-injection-molding-press/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Domino Layer Lets You Focus On Toppling
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/01/domino-layer-lets-you-focus-on-toppling/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Checking In On Low-Cost CNC Machines
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/02/checking-in-on-low-cost-cnc-machines/
Low cost 3D printers have come a long way in the last few years, but have entry-level CNC machines improved by the same leaps and bounds? That’s what [ModBot] recently set out to find. Despite getting burned pretty badly on a cheap CNC a few years back, he decided to try again with a sub $400 machine from FoxAlien. You can see his full review after the break.
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Arduino And A CD-ROM Drive Makes A CD Player
https://hackaday.com/2021/01/03/an-arduino-and-a-cd-rom-drive-makes-a-cd-player/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cupcake Machine Makes Tasty, If Weird, Creations
https://hackaday.com/2020/12/31/cupcake-machine-makes-tasty-if-weird-creations/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Automated Wire Prep Machine Cuts And Strips The Wire
https://hackaday.com/2020/12/09/this-automated-wire-prep-machine-cuts-and-strips-the-wire/
Tomi Engdahl says:
GNU/Linux Open Hardware PowerPC Notebook Project Publishes First Motherboard Gerber Files
Major milestone reached, but the source files are in a proprietary format — and more funds are required for prototype production.
https://www.hackster.io/news/gnu-linux-open-hardware-powerpc-notebook-project-publishes-first-motherboard-gerber-files-65374c829e96
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build a Cheap Mouse Jiggler to Keep a Computer From Falling Asleep
This guide will walk you through how to build a cheap mouse jiggler using a Digispark board.
https://www.hackster.io/news/build-a-cheap-mouse-jiggler-to-keep-a-computer-from-falling-asleep-6143af90a289
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Handy Control Box Works with All of Your Video Conferencing Software
Memestra’s handy control box works with a variety of video conferencing software and they have instructions so that you can build your own.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-handy-control-box-works-with-all-of-your-video-conferencing-software-493b2e0ffd35
Tomi Engdahl says:
LAUNCHING AN OPEN SOURCE KEYBOARD; SYSTEM76 HAS PUBLISHED THEIR DESIGN FILES
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/20/launching-an-open-source-keyboard-system76-has-published-their-design-files/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Homebrew Magneto-Resonance Imager (MRI) Pushes the Limits of Open Source Hardware
Working its way through the prototype stage now, this custom MRI is scaled for small animals and human hands.
https://www.hackster.io/news/a-homebrew-magneto-resonance-imager-mri-pushes-the-limits-of-open-source-hardware-7eec930679f6
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://github.com/xecus/opensource-mri-project
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/01/machining-a-honing-jig-will-keep-skills-sharp/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/28/reliable-frequency-reference-from-gps/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/26/3d-printed-printing-press-turns-you-into-gutenberg/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/176110-multibot-cnc-v2
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D-Printed Macro Pad Ditches The PCB With Slick Wiring Guides
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/02/3d-printed-macro-pad-ditches-the-pcb-with-slick-wiring-guides/
Reddit user [duzitbetter] showed off their design for a 3D-printed programmable macro keyboard that offers a different take on what can be thought of as a sort of 3D-printed PCB. The design is called the Bloko 9 and uses the Raspberry Pi PICO and some Cherry MX-style switches, which are popular in DIY keyboards.
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ls5gvv/keypad_with_3d_printed_pcb/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Keeblet
Minimal macro keyboard
https://hackaday.io/project/175326-keeblet
Designing and building your own keyboards is great fun and usually results in better keyboards than money can buy, but the fact that mechanical switches are rather expensive and an average keyboard contains a lot of them makes the prospect a little bit scary for beginners. That’s why I decided to make a “minimal viable prototype” keyboard that demonstrates most of the challenges and lets you try your skills without breaking the bank.
As you can see, there are only six keys. That means you probably won’t be able to type with it, unless you invent some aggressive chording scheme, but you can use it for things like volume keys, switching workspaces, switching keyboard layouts or dedicated arrow keys.
The board runs CircuitPython, so that it is easy to program it and to explain how the programs work. Of course nothing stops anybody from programming it in C or Arduino or anything else, it’s just a regular SAMD21 microcontroller.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/169985-pfsense-routerfirewall-install
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Homage To Daft Punk In Fan-Made Helmets Through The Years.
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/02/an-homage-to-daft-punk-in-fan-made-helmets-through-the-years/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Sony screwed up 15 years of goodwill with developers and open-source users by removing Linux support from its console.
How Sony Forged, Then Squandered, Its Relationship With Linux Users
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7mqy4/how-sony-forged-then-squandered-its-relationship-with-linux-users
How Sony screwed up 15 years of goodwill with developers and open-source users by removing Linux support from its console—support hacked back in anyway.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/09/full-diy-a-unix-clone-on-ttl/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is #OpenSourceHardware a lost opportunity? #software #RISCV #technology
https://buff.ly/38y4k3A
Tomi Engdahl says:
THE DIY E-BIKE SCENE IS OBSESSED WITH SPEED AND CLOUT
It’s more than just a hobby, with some enthusiasts hoping to strike it rich
https://www.theverge.com/22296195/electric-bike-ebike-diy-youtube-conversion-kit-cost
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Telescope Courtesy Of IKEA
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/12/diy-telescope-courtesy-of-ikea/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Motorcycle Needs Custom Latching Switches For Turn Signals
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/13/motorcycle-needs-custom-latching-switches-for-turn-signals/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D-Printed Press-Forming Tools Dos And Don’ts
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/13/3d-printed-press-forming-tools-dos-and-donts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Anti-Tamper Mesh Plugin For KiCad
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/14/an-anti-tamper-mesh-plugin-for-kicad/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery Of The Future, Now Buildable Yourself
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/13/battery-of-the-future-now-buildable-yourself/
Ionic liquids for energy storage and conversion – DIY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARaWq5YMbeY
Tomi Engdahl says:
Custom Dummy Load With Data Logging
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/15/custom-dummy-load-with-data-logging/
While it might seem counterintuitive on the surface, there are a number of cases where dumping a large amount of energy into a resistor simply to turn it into heat is necessary to the operation of a circuit. Most of these cases involve testing electronic equipment such as power supplies or radio transmitters and while a simple resistor bank can be used in some situations, this active dummy load is comprised of different internals has some extra features to boot.
https://sites.google.com/site/hobbydebraj/dummy-electrical-load-v2-0
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/20/machinists-precision-vs-woodworkers-precision/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is open-source hardware a lost opportunity?
https://www.edn.com/is-open-source-hardware-a-lost-opportunity/
The last decade was defined by open-source innovations in various technology fields. The software stack’s publicly accessible nature empowered the developer community to exchange code and realize ideas to build collaborative masterpieces beyond the organizational boundaries. The wider community didn’t recognize the trend for a very long time. Eventually, the sheer volume and quality won many advocates, and open-source became the de-facto gold standard for software, but what about open-source hardware?
While the software was growing, hardware development remained siloed and company-focused to create a competitive advantage. The history of hardware is full of non-collaborative movements leading to the emergence of divergent specifications. There are so many examples where siloed innovation ultimately led to a fragmented market. Instead of becoming a sustainable business advantage, the proprietary nature became a bottleneck and eventually led to the end of that standard. Sony BlueRay was one such example.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP
Do It Yourself Open Source Hardware and Software Modular Hacker’s Friendly Laptop
https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP
TERES-I is a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Free/Open Source Hardware (FOSH) and Software (FOSS) laptop. Stylish, elegant and lightweight, TERES-I is a convenient travel companion and is great for playing videos, browsing the web, or using a plethora of development suites. It runs Linux on 64-bit ARM64 and x86 processors.
NOTE: TERES-I is currently considered an evaluation board and not yet an end-product.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/06/you-otter-be-able-to-stream-that-audio-open-hardware-eclipses-chromecast-audio/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/01/jit-vs-am-is-additive-manufacturing-the-cure-to-fragile-supply-chains/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/02/finger-bend-is-a-textile-flex-sensor-you-can-sew-at-home/