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.io/project/180884-4-joystick-6-axis-6-dof-game-controller
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/183013-attiny555
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/06/7-tent-heater-provides-comfort-on-a-budget/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/05/servo-plotter-needs-nothing-exotic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/04/uv-resin-perfects-3d-print-but-not-how-you-think/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://arinkorinkorjaus.blogspot.com/2014/12/muovikorjaus.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/mrnicethings-takes-his-love-of-laptop-keyboards-to-the-next-level-with-an-stm32-usb-converter-board-a26776e821c7
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/07/psylink-an-open-source-neural-interface-for-non-invasive-emg/
Tomi Engdahl says:
TDK Launches Sensor-Packed Open Source SmartRobotics RoboKit1 with Full ROS, ROS 2 Support
All-in-one dev board includes Raspberry Pi support, on-board motor controller, and a range of sensors — plus drivers for ROS and ROS 2.
https://www.hackster.io/news/tdk-launches-sensor-packed-open-source-smartrobotics-robokit1-with-full-ros-ros-2-support-0364ba84bbcd
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transform a DC Motor Into a Stepper with Driver and Servo Functionality
The DIY hybrid motor uses a pair of PCBs stacked behind the motor assembly with an STM32 and Hall effect sensors to control rotation.
https://www.hackster.io/news/transform-a-dc-motor-into-a-stepper-with-driver-and-servo-functionality-678d15fe052a
Tomi Engdahl says:
Release Your Stress with This Punchable Device
Work stress got you tense? Release that tension with Erika Choe’s Adafruit-powered One Minute Punch Break device.
https://www.hackster.io/news/release-your-stress-with-this-punchable-device-933e647989a3
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP8266 DS18B20 Temperature Sensor with Arduino IDE (Single, Multiple, Web Server)
https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp8266-ds18b20-temperature-sensor-web-server-with-arduino-ide/
This is a in-depth guide for the DS18B20 temperature sensor with ESP8266 using Arduino IDE. We’ll cover how to wire the sensor, install the required libraries, and write the code to get the sensor readings from one and multiple sensors. Finally, we’ll build a simple web server to display the sensor readings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
View Music in Real-Time with This Minimalistic Desktop Spectrum Analyzer
https://www.hackster.io/news/view-music-in-real-time-with-this-minimalistic-desktop-spectrum-analyzer-587ee3a7cf5f
This desktop spectrum analyzer unit features 10 frequency bands as well as Wi-Fi connectivity to control it from anywhere.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Build an Easy Oscilloscope at Home Using an Arduino and PC/Laptop
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1kXKRiPaIfM
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/08/hidden-shaft-and-gears-make-this-hollow-clock-go/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/08/adding-an-audio-jack-to-classic-headphones-is-a-nifty-upgrade/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/09/powering-up-a-135-scale-panther-tank/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/09/automated-mushroom-cultivation-yields-delicious-fried-goodies/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/09/macropopsicle-melts-on-your-desk-not-in-your-mouth/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Follow along with LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER and you’ll be making music on your MIDI keyboard in no time!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wY1SRehZ9hM&feature=youtu.be
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.lookmumnocomputer.com/projects#/super-simple-midi-keyboard
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fan Dimmer
This module regulates Fan (AC Appliances).
https://hackaday.io/project/182227-fan-dimmer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronic Drum Toy Built From Scratch
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/11/electronic-drum-toy-built-from-scratch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/11/honda-ignition-coils-sing-the-song-of-their-people/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printed Sensor For Finding Wind Direction And Likely Much More
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/11/3d-printed-sensor-for-finding-wind-direction-and-likely-much-more/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Wire EDM Machine | Cut through anything (conductive) with our CNC Electrical Discharge Machining
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ewSbI52ICc
DIY Wire EDM is finally a reality! This has been on our DIY CNC machine radar for quite some time, and finally we have done it. We added this attachment onto an old DIY CNC Machine. After all, it’s an extremely rigid epoxy granite CNC machine with a perfectly fine X Y Z motion system. We hope that getting a good working Wire EDM machine will help us produce better tolerance cuts in metals for our DIY homemade shop.
While this was just our first round of prototyping, we will continue to work on this DIY Wire EDM machine and turn it into a proper homemade CNC EDM Machine.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/14/this-diy-microscope-design-is-all-wet/
Tomi Engdahl says:
STOUT PERISTALTIC PUMP FABRICATED FROM SCRATCH
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/12/stout-peristaltic-pump-fabricated-from-scratch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Add a Rad CPU Load Graph to Your PC Case
If you want to see exactly how hard your CPU is working, you can add this rad TurboLEDz 88s CPU Load Graph to your PC case.
https://www.hackster.io/news/add-a-rad-cpu-load-graph-to-your-pc-case-0c7e1ac22f2f
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-powerful-but-tiny-arm-chip-lets-you-get-to-grips-with-your-old-favorite-hitclips-04b7696f97d0
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hotmelt.fi/tuoteteknologiat/liimat/kuumaliimat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/16/aeroponic-cell-grows-garlic-forwards-cellsol-packets/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/16/coin-sorter-is-elegant-and-beautiful/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/recycling-soda-bottles-into-filament-to-print-smaller-soda-bottles/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/improve-your-front-panels/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/14/3d-printering-getting-started-with-universal-bed-leveling/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/14/smart-sutures-become-wise/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/14/travel-guitar-hacked-with-digital-fx-setup/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Doing The Right Thing The Wrong Way: Dumping STM8 Firmware With 555 Timers
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/doing-the-right-thing-the-wrong-way-dumping-stm8-firmware-with-555-timers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Glitch Your Way To Reverse-Engineering Glory With The PicoEMP
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/glitch-your-way-to-reverse-engineering-glory-with-the-picoemp/
Most of our projects are, to some extent, an exercise in glitch-reduction. Whether they’re self-inflicted software or hardware mistakes, or even if the glitches in question come from sources beyond our control, the whole point of the thing is to get it running smoothly and predictably.
That’s not always the case, though. Sometimes inducing a glitch on purpose can be a useful tool, especially when reverse engineering something. That’s where this low-cost electromagnetic fault injection tool could come in handy. EMFI is a way to disrupt the normal flow of a program running on an embedded system; properly applied and with a fair amount of luck, it can be used to put the system into an exploitable state. The PicoEMP, as [Colin O’Flynn] dubs his EMFI tool, is a somewhat tamer version of his previous ChipSHOUTER tool. PicoEMP focuses on user safety, an important consideration given that its business end can put about 250 volts across its output. Safety features include isolation for the Raspberry Pi Pico that generates the PWM signals for the HV section, a safety enclosure over the HV components, and a switch to discharge the capacitors and prevent unpleasant surprises.
https://github.com/newaetech/chipshouter-picoemp
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/serial-studio-one-year-on/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Does it Matter for Makers and Hackers?
https://www.ai6xg.com/post/electrostatic-discharge-esd-does-it-matter-for-makers-and-hackers
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a subject that can inspire a lot of discussion, head shaking and some misunderstanding. ESD damaging semiconductor devices is real. For Makers and Hackers, a couple simple steps will protect your semiconductor devices in most cases. In this blog I will explain what is ESD, how it is generated, how it can affect semiconductor devices, and what Makers and Hackers should do about ESD. This is from my experience as a semiconductor production quality and reliability engineer that has implemented and audited ESD systems in production environments and helped design ESD protection networks in integrated circuits (IC).
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/15/hacking-is-hacking/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazing tricks that will take you to another level of work – Tips and tricks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rcki-30FY4
Amazing handyman tricks that will take you to another level of work – Tips and tricks.
I hope you enjoy these DIY ideas and life hacks
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Nobody Will Tell You About Oscillating Multi-Tools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN8dlNku0vk
Leah demonstrates how to use a carpenter’s pencil as a scribe, as a measuring tool, as a precision marking tool, and more!
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printed Magnetic Switches Promise Truly Custom Keyboards
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/17/3d-printed-magnetic-switches-promise-truly-custom-keyboards/
While most people are happy to type away at whatever keyboard their machine came with, for the keyboard enthusiast, there’s no stone to be left unturned in the quest for the perfect key switch mechanism. Enter [Riskable], with an innovative design for a 3D printed mechanism that delivers near-infinite adjustment without the use of springs or metallic contacts.
The switching itself is performed by a Hall effect sensor, the specifics of which are detailed in a second repository. The primary project simply represents the printed components and magnets which make up the switch mechanism. Each switch uses three 4 x 2 mm magnets, a static one mounted on the switch housing and two on the switch’s moving slider. One is mounted below the static magnet oriented to attract it, while the other is above and repels it.
https://github.com/riskable/void_switch
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/17/electromyography-hack-chat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audio signal tracer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyJhnI6Fan8
Here is how to make a audio signal tracer that is very useful when you are troubleshooting amps or anything that has an audio signal. I have also included a high pass filter that will only pass signals that are above 15HZ. This will effectively eliminate any DC voltage from being passed into your probes.
Things you need:
1. Audio amp (just get a used one)
2. Multimeter probes or even a wire will work
3. Audio jack
4. Soldering iron and solder.
Tomi Engdahl says:
20 Oscillating Multi-Tool Tips for Beginners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RPJaSxMcoM
20 Multi-Tool Tips for New DIYers
We have had a lot of new people come into the DIY community, and we want to help them learn their new tools. Many of these tips are simple but I would have loved to know these back when I started working with a Oscillating Multi-Tool.
This is an underutilized tool that more people should know about.
How to Choose the Right Blade for an Oscillating Tool or Multi-tool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPJhjSITLnk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazingly Cheap DIY ● Oscillating Saw Blade !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgCam8t3670