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:
Glad you can profit from the open sourced equipment designed for fundamental research.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/21/make-your-own-chain-link-fencing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/21/bubble-lights-made-from-scratch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/21/shake-with-your-new-robot-hand/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/21/ground-effect-aerodynamics-on-an-rc-car/
Tomi Engdahl says:
You Can 3D Print A Working Reciprocating Steam Engine
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/22/you-can-3d-print-a-working-reciprocating-steam-engine/
3D prints aren’t typically known for their heat resistance. However, [Integza] noted that using the right techniques, it was possible to 3D print parts that could handle steam heat without failing. Thus, the natural progression from there was to build a piston-type steam engine.
Resin prints are key here, as the melting point of such parts is much higher than that of those turned out by typical FDM printers. Try this same build using PLA for the hot parts, and you’ll quickly end up with a pile of molten goo.
Transparent Steam Engine (3D Printed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmOL2oB1d6w
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech In Plain Sight: Primitive Engineering Materials
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/22/tech-in-plain-sight-primitive-engineering-materials/
It isn’t an uncommon science fiction trope for our hero to be in a situation where there is no technology. Maybe she’s back in the past or on a faraway planet. The Professor from Gilligan’s Island comes to mind, too. I’d bet the average Hacakday reader could do pretty well in that kind of situation, but there’s one thing that’s often overlooked: materials. Sure, you can build a radio. But can you make wire? Or metal plates for a capacitor? Or a speaker? We tend to overlook how many abstractions we use when we build. Even turning trees into lumber isn’t a totally obvious process.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Forge A Skillet From Scratch
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/22/how-to-forge-a-skillet-from-scratch/
Cookware isn’t something we typically build ourselves; you’d want a well-equipped metal shop to do the job and do it right. [Torbjörn Åhman] has just that, however, and set about forging a stout-looking skillet from scratch.
The build starts with a round disc of steel serving as a blank for the project. The blank is spun up and the outer perimeter ground down thinner with an angle grinder in what looks like a moderately sketchy operation. A forge is then used to heat the blank so that it can be shaped into a pan using a hammer. Slowly, as the metal is beaten one way and then t’other, the skillet begins to form.
Blacksmithing – Forging a skillet / frying pan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36BqMeeRpgM
In this video I show how I make a skillet or frying pan, whatever you like to call it. This is by no means THE way to make a pan, I just used tools and techniques available to me at the moment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Motorized Light Bulb Changer for That Hard-to-Reach Chandelier!
Light pole adapter allows for light bulb changes from a (horizontal) distance.
https://www.hackster.io/news/a-motorized-light-bulb-changer-for-that-hard-to-reach-chandelier-6e39ca3026ce
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turning an Old Mouse Into a Custom Measurement Device
By upcycling an old computer mouse’s optical sensor, this device can measure distance with an impressive level of accuracy.
https://www.hackster.io/news/turning-an-old-mouse-into-a-custom-measurement-device-6a466a8ab5fc
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trailblazing women who broke into engineering in the 1970s reflect on what’s changed – and what hasn’t
https://theconversation.com/trailblazing-women-who-broke-into-engineering-in-the-1970s-reflect-on-whats-changed-and-what-hasnt-167502
Tomi Engdahl says:
See How Zack Freedman Built a Head-Mounted Holographic Display with the Latest Hardware
https://www.hackster.io/news/see-how-zack-freedman-built-a-head-mounted-holographic-display-with-the-latest-hardware-c7ac087c917c
Take a look at how the YouTuber was able to replace his old display unit with a completely revamped and upgraded one
Tomi Engdahl says:
These Pico-Powered Smart Glasses Capture Images and Wirelessly Transmit Them
https://www.hackster.io/news/these-pico-powered-smart-glasses-capture-images-and-wirelessly-transmit-them-6bc3f0e6de35
This special pair of custom glasses contains an RP2040 chip from Raspberry Pi and a tiny camera module, along with Bluetooth connectivity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to make an adjustable power supply in 5 minutes
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9GfzG-hX8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kerry D. Wong Takes a Pocket-Size Spot Welder Apart to See Just What Makes It Tick — and Weld
Designed to be portable, this pocket-size welder is clever — but as Wong found out, you should handle it with care.
https://www.hackster.io/news/kerry-d-wong-takes-a-pocket-size-spot-welder-apart-to-see-just-what-makes-it-tick-and-weld-c087879fdcc3
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/11/snip-your-way-to-diy-pcb-castellations/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/bzqp/simple-christmas-tree-7362b6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Load Resistor Box
The selectable load resistor box, 1 to 127 Ohm 50W with integrated wide-bandwidth current sensor
https://hackaday.io/project/181229-load-resistor-box
Tomi Engdahl says:
21 Popular Hackster Projects From 2021
https://www.hackster.io/news/21-popular-hackster-projects-from-2021-43734c6433e9
As we get ready for 2022, let’s take a look back at some awesome projects uploaded to Hackster over the last 12 months
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to make a led chess set from epoxy resin
https://fb.watch/a9RaqoCjm7/
Partner: CraftStation: youtube.com/channel/UCepKVhON-6wvgwZ19JtoFpg/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Self-made EL segment displays
How to make your own display with almost any configuration just using a paintbrush
https://hackaday.io/project/183165-self-made-el-segment-displays
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/24/flybrainlab-google-earth-but-for-a-drosophila-flys-brain/
https://flybrainlab.fruitflybrain.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
When Hacking And Biosensing Collide
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/24/when-hacking-and-biosensing-collide/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tiny 3D Printed Magnets Show Patterns
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/24/tiny-3d-printed-magnets-show-patterns/
You normally associate a double helix with DNA, but an international team headquartered at Cambridge University used 3D printing to create magnetic double helixes that are about a 1,000 times smaller than a human hair. Why do such a thing? We aren’t sure why they started, but they were able to find nanoscale topological features in the magnetic field and they think it will change how magnetic devices work in the future — especially magnetic storage devices.
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-3d-nanomagnets-unveil-world-patterns.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/24/a-cmos-ring-modulator-pedal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do You Need A Cycloidal Drive?
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/do-you-need-a-cycloidal-drive/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Prints With A Mirror Finish
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/3d-prints-with-a-mirror-finish/
As anyone who has used a 3D printer before knows, what comes off the bed of your regular FSD printer is by no means a mirror finish. There are layers in the print simply by the nature of the technology itself, and the transitions between layers will never be smooth. In addition, printers can use different technology for depositing layers, making for thinner layers (SLA, for example). With those challenges in mind, [AlphaPhoenix] set out to create an authentic mirror finish on his 3D prints.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCuUQOTehqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCuUQOTehqw
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/mini-linear-actuators-from-dvd-drive-parts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/3d-printing-gets-tiny/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cast Your Own Holiday Chocolate Bunny, Or Rather Mouse
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/cast-your-own-holiday-chocolate-bunny-or-rather-mouse/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/25/diy-high-flow-3d-printing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Voice Command Made Mostly Easy
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/27/voice-command-made-mostly-easy/
Speech commands are all the rage on everything from digital assistants to cars. Adding it to your own projects is a lot of work, right? Maybe not. [Electronoobs] shows a speech board that lets you easily integrate 255 voice commands via serial communications with a host computer. You can see the review in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCEYxSdYBcA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Single Bit Computer From Vacuum Tubes
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/27/single-bit-computer-from-vacuum-tubes/
Culminating a year-long project, [Usagi Electric] aka [David] has just wrapped up his single-bit vacuum tube computer. It is based on the Motorola MC14500 1-bit industrial controller, but since [David] changed the basic logic unit into an arithmetic-logic unit, he’s dubbing it the UE14500. Built on a wooden panel about 2.5 x 3 rabbit lengths excluding power supply. [David] admits he has cheated a little bit, in that he’s using two silicon diodes instead of a 6AL5 dual diode tube in his universal NOR gate on which the computer is based — but in his defense he notes that plenty of vacuum tube computers of the era used silicon diodes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Printable, It’s Programmable, It’s E. Coli
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/27/its-printable-its-programmable-its-e-coli/
Well, whaddya know? It seems that E. coli, the bane of Romaine and spinach everywhere, has at least one practical use. Researchers at Harvard have created a kind of 3D-printable ink that is alive and made entirely of microbes produced by E. coli. Although this is not the first so-called living ink, it does hold the title of the first living ink that doesn’t need any additional polymers to provide structure.
Programmable microbial ink for 3D printing of living materials produced from genetically engineered protein nanofibers
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26791-x
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/23/lisp-in-436-bytes/
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/27/whipping-together-a-little-ray-tracer-racer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
BIOS Flashing Journey Writeup Puts Tutorials To Shame
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/26/bios-flashing-journey-writeup-puts-tutorials-to-shame/
Tomi Engdahl says:
OpenCV Knows Where Your Hand Is
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/23/opencv-knows-where-your-hand-is/
We have to say, [Murtaza]’s example game in his latest video isn’t very exciting. However, the OpenCV technique he uses to track a hand and determine its distance from a single camera is pretty interesting. The demo shows a random button on the screen and you have to use your hand to press the button which then moves so you can try again. The hand measurement seems accurate to a few centimeters which is good enough for many applications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGQgRH2_kq8
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/26/hackaday-links-december-26-2021/
If you like the look of low-poly models but hate the work involved in making them, our friend and Hack Chat alumnus Andrew Sink came up with a solution: an online 3D low-poly generator. The tool is pretty neat; it uses three.js and runs completely in-browser. All you have to do is upload an STL file and set sliders to get rid of as many triangles as you want. Great stuff, and fun to play with even if you don’t need to decimate your polygons.
https://andrewsink.github.io/3D-Low-Poly-Generator/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/event/181910-resin-printing-hack-chat
Tomi Engdahl says:
Making a Table From Broken Circuitboards and Reclaimed Wood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Ctjb1BFKE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Plastic Injection Molding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMjtmsr3CqA
Bill details the key engineering principles underlying plastic injection molding. He describes its history and, then, reveals the intricate details of the process. He shows viewers where to found, on any injection-molding product, the markings created by injection molding. He closes with a description of the one of the finest examples of the injection molding: the Lego brick.
Build your own Injection Molding Machine for around $200
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoSVPHVESiE
This video will show you how to build your own Injection Molding Machine for around $200. We provide step by step instructions as well and build of materials and other resources to get you started.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turing Ring Is Compact
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/turing-ring-is-compact/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/quantum-atomic-interferometer-for-precision-motion-sensing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Infrared Calculator Printer
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/diy-infrared-calculator-printer/
[Ziggurat29] had been playing around with infrared protocols, and realized he had a spare point-of-sale printer kicking around in his junk box. So he decided to whip up his own calculator infrared printer by bolting on an STM32 Blue Pill module and an IR receiver. [Ziggurat29] initially thought such a homemade printer would be cheaper than a commercial HP 82240 IR printer, even a used one. In hindsight, these point-of-sale printers can be pricey. If you don’t have one laying around, it may be cheaper to buy one, but not as fun as building it yourself.
HP 82240B IR Receiver and Printer Interface
https://hackaday.io/project/25616-hp-82240b-ir-receiver-and-printer-interface
This is an IR receiver and interface for adapting a commodity receipt printer to be 82240B-compatible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/enter-the-matrix-with-this-custom-pc-side-panel/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/clear-off-the-coffee-table-its-pinball-time/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/28/1950s-vacuum-tube-computer-replica-communicates-through-usb/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is Bearing? Types of Bearings and How they Work?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q25EUszBSI
What is Bearing? Types of Bearings and How they Work?
Generally, all types of machinery are provided with supports for rotating shafts, the supporting device is known as a bearing. In other words, a bearing is a machine element that constrains relative motions and is used to reduce the friction between moving parts.
Bearing employs to support, guide, and restrain moving the element. This is a stationary member and it carries the load.
The common applications of bearings are:
Shafting in workshops,
Spindles of a machine tool such as a lathe, drilling, milling machine, etc.
The crankshaft of engines, and axles of automobiles, etc.
Types of Bearings
Following are the different types of bearings:
1) Rolling Element Bearing
2) Plain Bearing
3) Fluid Bearing
4) Magnetic Bearing
5) Jewel Bearing
6) Flexure Bearing
—- Time Stamps —
00:00 – Intro
00:44 – Types of Bearings
00:57 – What is the Purpose of Bearings?
01:30 – Rolling Element Bearing
02:10 – Ball Bearing
02:51 – Types of Ball Bearings
04:11 – Roller Bearing
04:46 – Types of Roller Bearings
06:14 – Plain Bearing
06:54 – Fluid Bearing
07:26 – Magnetic Bearing
07:56 – Jewel Bearing
08:31 – Flexure Bearing
09:16 – Wrap Up
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Brake Pads are Made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1WXlHONorw
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Infamous Mini Lathe!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05vUCdzhoe4
Variable Speed Mini Lathe! There is a game plan here, but for now, let’s have a look and kick the tires on the infamous mini lathe.
Lathe Leveling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkb-x35fwc
Covering an old classic: Leveling a lathe so it turns concentric parts.