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.
7,076 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/03/auto-aiming-nerf-gun-to-give-you-the-edge-in-battle/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/03/adding-a-laser-blaster-to-classic-atari-2600-games-with-machine-vision/
https://github.com/nickbild/laser_blaster
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/06/automated-sentry-turret-for-your-secret-lab/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/06/aquarium-plotter-shows-sisyphishs-submerged-sand-stripes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ryobi Power Packs As Ebike Batteries
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/07/ryobi-power-packs-as-ebike-batteries/
By now, the process of creating custom lithium-ion battery packs is well-known enough to be within the reach of most makers. But it’s not a path without hazard, and mistakes with battery protection and management can be costly. Happily for those who are apprehensive on the battery front there’s a solution courtesy of a group of engineering students from the University of Pittsburgh. Their project was to convert a pedal bicycle to electric assisted power, and in doing so they didn’t make their own pack but instead used off-the-shelf 40V Ryobi power tool packs.
DIY EBike Battery System
Use common power tool batteries to power your ebike!
https://hackaday.io/project/180098-diy-ebike-battery-system
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/07/triangle-tiles-form-blinky-networks-using-clever-interconnects/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/07/at-mit-clothing-fiber-watches-you/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Reuse Old RAM Modules: 7 Things You Can Do
BY CHRISTIAN CAWLEY
UPDATED FEB 15, 2021
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/reuse-old-ram-modules/
Can old RAM modules be reused? Can you recycle RAM? Just what can you do with old memory? Try these ideas for reusing old RAM sticks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Replicating the Classic “Mystifier” Toy
Brent Hauser replicated Eicocraft’s classic EC-700 Electronic Mystifier toy using modern components.
https://www.hackster.io/news/replicating-the-classic-mystifier-toy-37b125f80984
Tomi Engdahl says:
OLD DSLR LENS BECOMES USEFUL SOLDERING MAGNIFIER
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/09/old-dslr-lens-becomes-useful-soldering-magnifier/
Soldering tiny stuff is hard, if not impossible, without some optical assistance. [Ad_w00000] was having just this problem, so built himself a soldering magnifier to help.
The magnifier uses a variety of components [Ad_w00000] had lying around. For the optical side of things, an old Canon DSLR zoom lens was pressed into service as the main magnifying element. The lens was then fitted with an old laptop webcam, which was glued into an old lens extender to avoid modifying the main lens itself. The webcam is hooked up to an Asus Tinkerboard fitted with a touchscreen display to show the images. The whole lens assembly is then fitted onto an old TV stand to enable it to sit far enough above the work surface to focus properly.
https://www.instructables.com/Soldering-Microscope-From-SLR-Zoom-Lens-and-TV-Wal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pick and place using a camera.
https://github.com/abstractguy/TSO_project
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://lygte-info.dk/info/BatteryDisassembly9VAlkaline%20UK.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Laser People Counter Is Very Affordable
This ESP8266-powered device will help you keep track of how many people enter or exit your business
https://www.hackster.io/news/diy-laser-people-counter-is-very-affordable-acb85f6f4c22
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://makezine.com/2021/06/01/soldering-with-a-hand-tremor-the-camera-gimbal-hack/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/14/friendly-webcam-robot-keeps-an-eye-on-privacy/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Custom Firmware Teaches USB Relay Board New Tricks
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/14/custom-firmware-teaches-usb-relay-board-new-tricks/
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to control a few devices from your computer, a cheap USB relay board might be the ideal solution. These are fairly simple gadgets, consisting of little more than a microcontroller and a handful of relays. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement, and as [Michał Słomkowski] recently demonstrated, flashing these boards with a custom firmware allows the user to modify their default functionality.
Automatic USB mains switch for USB-controlled power strip
https://slomkowski.eu/projects/automatic-usb-mains-switch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Alexa, Bring Me A Beer!
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/14/alexa-bring-me-a-beer/
Voice controlled home assistants are the wonder of our age, once you’ve made peace with the privacy concerns of sharing the intimacies of your life with a data centre owned by a massive corporation, anyway. They provide a taste of how the future was supposed to be in those optimistic predictions of decades past: Alexa and Siri can crack jokes, control your lights, answer questions, tell you the news, and so much more.
But for all their electronic conversational perfection, your electronic pals can’t satisfy your most fundamental needs and bring you a beer. This is something [luisengineering] has fixed, an he’s provided the appropriate answer to the question “Alexa: bring mir ein bier!“. The video which we’ve also put below the break is in German with YouTube’s automatic closed captions if you want them, but we think you’ll be able to get the point of it if not all his jokes without needing to learn to speak a bit of Deutsch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiSOdX2-6xU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gesture-Detecting Macro Keyboard Knows What You Want
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/13/gesture-detecting-macro-keyboard-knows-what-you-want/
[jakkra] bought a couple of capacitive touchpads from a Kickstarter a few years ago and recently got around to using them in a project. And what a project it is: this super macro pad combines two touchpads with a 6-pack of regular switches for a deluxe gesture-sensing input device.
Inside is an ESP32 running TensorFlow Lite to read in the gestures from the two touchpads. The pad at the top is a volume slider, and the square touchpad is the main input and is used in conjunction with the buttons to run AutoHotKey scripts within certain programs. [jakkra] can easily run git commands and more with a handful of simple gestures.
https://github.com/jakkra/Gesture-Detecting-Macro-Keyboard
Tomi Engdahl says:
Today’s Challenge Is All About Work-From-Home Life
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/14/todays-challenge-is-all-about-work-from-home-life/
You sure do learn a lot when life suddenly makes it impossible to go into the office and asks that you instead do the same work remotely. Sure, there are the obvious challenges like needing a device to do the work on and an internet connection that’s not going to melt down when family or roommates are trying to Zoom at the same time as you one-on-one with the boss. But there’s way more to it. The Refresh Work-From-Home Life challenge takes this on as the next phase of the Hackaday Prize gets under way this morning.
Rethink, Refresh,
Rebuild.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/14/building-blocks-relating-mechanical-elements-to-electronic-components/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://rcrowley.com/ComClone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/15/a-smart-light-bulb-running-doom-is-a-pretty-bright-idea/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Modular Box Design Eases Silicone Mold-Making
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/16/modular-box-design-eases-silicone-mold-making/
Resin casting is a fantastic way to produce highly detailed parts in a wide variety of colors and properties, and while the process isn’t complicated, it does require a certain amount of care and setup. Most molds are made by putting a part into a custom-made disposable box and pouring silicone over it, but [Foaly] was finding the process of making and re-making those boxes a bit less optimized than it could be. That led to this design for a re-usable, modular, adjustable mold box that makes the workflow for small parts considerably more efficient.
The walls of the adjustable box are four identical 3D-printed parts with captive magnets, and the base of the box is a piece of laser-cut steel sheet upon which the magnetic walls attach.
https://silica.io/modular-mold-box-for-resin-casting/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Art With Technology Hack Chat
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/15/art-with-technology-hack-chat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cheap, Expandable Floor Piano Plays With Heart And Soul
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/15/cheap-expandable-floor-piano-plays-with-heart-and-soul/
Ever since we saw the movie Big, we’ve wanted a floor piano. Still do, actually. We sometimes wonder how many floor pianos that movie has sold. It’s definitely launched some builds, too, but perhaps none as robust as this acrylic and wooden beauty by [FredTSL]. If you want more technical detail, check out the project on IO.
The best part is that this piano is modular and easily expands from 1 to 8 octaves.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNybJQdQCUP8S-HmZQKztqo40btIAdcI2_fk9eUWWsHTYyf08V0Zn2o5SokNYYsuw?key=a1NZdm9pc0NNNnRpVjNvdl91aWlmNmZTalNXTHV3
Tomi Engdahl says:
Doom now runs on an Ikea smart light bulb
Everything’s a console these days
https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/14/22533512/doom-ikea-tradfri-smart-light-bulb-hack
Fun
https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1201678-it-runs-doom
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/20/a-mini-usb-display-for-your-pc-desktop/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/20/tiny-tesla-valves-etched-in-glass/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/22/print-your-own-flexures/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/23/big-spinning-disk-makes-a-small-color-video-display/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/25/a-custom-clock-with-led-filament-hands/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/26/random-numbers-from-a-smoke-detector/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/26/can-the-solenoid-engine-power-a-car/
Tomi Engdahl says:
PiNet — One Small Project Grows Unexpectedly
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/25/pinet-one-small-project-grows-unexpectedly/
A few years ago, [Gregory Sanders] aka [Dr Gerg] had one simple wish in mind when he started what is now the PiNet project — to know whether his garage door was open or closed. Instead of searching out off-the-shelf solutions, he looked at the project as a learning opportunity. After picking up Python, he built a system from a Raspberry Pi, a 12V gel cell battery, and a power supply / charger circuit. Thus project Overhead Door (ohd) was complete (see the ohd GitHub repository) and [Dr Gerg] was done.
https://drgerg.com/the-pinet-pages/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/27/mechanical-7-segment-display-uses-a-single-motor/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video De-shaker Software Measures Linear Rail Quality
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/27/video-de-shaker-software-measures-linear-rail-quality/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/28/measuring-plancks-constant-with-leds-and-a-dmm/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/28/we-all-need-a-win-sometimes-so-make-them-yourself/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/28/lego-microscope-aims-to-discover-future-scientists/
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED Pocketwatch
An LED watch custom built into a late 1800s / early 1900s pocketwatch case.
https://hackaday.io/project/180540-led-pocketwatch
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/29/petbot-turn-pet-bottles-into-filament/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/29/ball-cvt-drives-robot-from-a-constant-speed-motor/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/30/robotic-ball-bouncing-platform-learns-new-tricks/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/29/just-how-vulnerable-to-accidental-erasure-are-eproms-anyway/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bring Back the Nostalgia with These Large DIY Split-Flap Displays
Display time and text in a retro way with Dave Madison’s DIY split-flap design that uses motors to rotate characters into position
https://www.hackster.io/news/bring-back-the-nostalgia-with-these-large-diy-split-flap-displays-48defe887494
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/07/03/wifiwart-linux-pentesting-device-gets-first-pcbs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/07/01/sub-mm-mechanical-3d-scanner-with-encoders-and-string/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/07/01/wiggling-screen-and-dlp-power-this-volumetric-pov-display/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/07/01/automate-the-farm-with-acorn/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/07/01/quick-and-simple-morse-decoder/