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:
Turn Any Fixed Voltage Adapter to Variable Voltage Output (3V – 24V)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnsCD3T6luA
Hello friends, today in this video I’ve shown how to turn your power adapter to a variable voltage output
Turn your mobile charger to variable output (3 – 12v)
https://youtu.be/XDUSVWsM84k
Tomi Engdahl says:
How does a mobile charger work? SMPS with Opto-Coupler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N_T7VFymFg
This is an animated video on the working of a mobile/smartphone/cellphone charger that converts 220 Volts AC to 5 Volts DC with the help of an optocoupler using Switch Mode Power Supply(SMPS).
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/18/ultra-cheap-pcb-wrenches-make-perfect-kit-accessory/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/18/electronic-lead-screws-not-just-for-threading-anymore/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/18/threeboard-short-on-keys-long-on-documentation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
12V SMPS to Variable Lab Bench Power Supply (3V to 25V)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqOYusTNVas
Hello friends, today in this video I’ve shown how to make a mini variable lab bench power supply using existing 12v smps adapter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/18/a-diy-cad-mouse-you-can-actually-build/
Tomi Engdahl says:
UV programmable lamp
https://hackaday.io/project/183552-uv-programmable-lamp
A programmable UV lamp with timer and power control to be used to expose PCBs, curing glue, sterilisation, etc
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adding WiFi Remote Control To Home Electronics? Be Prepared To Troubleshoot
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/19/adding-wifi-remote-control-to-home-electronics-be-prepared-to-troubleshoot/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/19/arduino-meets-quantum-computer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Difference between Drill Drivers & Impact Drivers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVMwp4Hm7OQ
In today’s video I will be explaining the difference between Drill Drivers and Impact Drivers!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Few People Know About This Jigsaw Feature! Hidden Features of Jigsaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzugADJefI0
Everyone who does DIY and woodworking has a jigsaw. Few people know the features of this jigsaw! In this video called jigsaw hidden features, we show you the jigsaw’s hidden features, tricks, cheats and tricks. If you are using a jigsaw, be sure to watch this video.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Impact Wrench vs Impact Driver – What’s The Difference?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da2VSYitUkM
Impact tools can help get you through a variety of projects, but not all impact tools are created equal. The two we highlight today are impact drivers and impact wrenches, both very good at what they do, but designed for totally different applications, so which one should you buy? We cover the polarity of drive size, torque, speed, recommended applications and many more topics lost in the grey area between these two styles of impact tools. Let’s jump in with Pro Tool Reviews’ Managing Editor, Kenny Koehler, to find out the true differences between Impact Wrenches and Impact Drivers. We’ll use products from Milwaukee Tool to illustrate.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/19/drill-does-well-in-double-duty-as-well-drilling-drill/
Tomi Engdahl says:
MeArm – Open Source Robotic Arm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfSHKs4DVg
Made this MeArm at only ~600INR or ~9$ which includes
acrylic cost, laser cutting and four 9g servos.
The MeArm is a Robot Arm. It’s a project started in February 2014, which has had a fantastically fast journey to its present state thanks to it Open Development as an Open Hardware project. You can download the drawings and after laser cutting them, assemble the arm. Just four servos and a micro controller is required.
MeArm Robotics Labs
Open Source, build it yourself robotics platform, for physical making and code.
https://mearm.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/20/setup-menu-uses-text-editor-hack/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/20/bringing-the-power-of-edm-to-the-home-shop/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/20/all-about-mecanum/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/20/ntp-server-gets-time-from-space/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Manchester Baby Emulator Operates Over ICMP Ping Packets — Because Why Shouldn’t It?
Dubbed “BabyPing,” this emulator blends the height of 1940s technology with a protocol first introduced in 1981.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-manchester-baby-emulator-operates-over-icmp-ping-packets-because-why-shouldn-t-it-c3eb2d7258c3
Tomi Engdahl says:
Detect Solar Flares and Gamma-Ray Bursts for Less Than $100 Monitor space weather by tuning into signals sent to submarines
https://spectrum.ieee.org/detect-solar-flares-and-gamma-ray-bursts-for-less-than-100
Tomi Engdahl says:
Supplino is a variable benchtop power supply that you can build yourself
https://blog.arduino.cc/2022/01/20/supplino-is-a-variable-benchtop-power-supply-that-you-can-build-yourself/
Working with electronics requires access to stable power in a variety of voltages. Some components require 3.3V and others require 5V. Still others need 9V or 12V — there are many possibilities. You could keep a variety of wall warts on hand, but a variable benchtop power supply is a more convenient option. Supplino is one choice and this guide from Giovanni Bernardo and Paolo Loberto will walk you through how to build one.
Supplino can accept anything from 4 to 40 volts and can output anything from 1.25 to 36 volts, with a maximum of 5A. An XH-M401 module with an XL4016E1 DC-DC buck converter handles the voltage regulation. Technically, you could use that alone to power your components. But the addition of an Arduino Nano board (or Nano Every) makes the experience far friendlier. It monitors the power supply output and drives a 1.8″ 128×160 TFT LCD screen, which displays the present voltage, amperage, and wattage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP8266 webserver controlled relays
https://youtu.be/DTv-OtQ1fwk
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/21/pen-plotter-from-pcb-panels/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://muovia.com/materiaali/perusmuovit/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here is simple DIY electronic project. Keychain flashlight made from pcbs. You can design your own with your name on it or you can order these pcbs I designed. Fun and easy to make. Whole video is here : https://youtu.be/QB4q2CinZSY
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/27/robotic-xylophone-makes-music-with-midi-magic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/26/pocket-sized-doom-is-actually-playable/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turn On Sarcasm With The Flip Of A Switch
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/26/turn-on-sarcasm-with-the-flip-of-a-switch/
Sarcasm is notoriously difficult to distinguish in online communities. So much, in fact, that a famous internet rule called Poe’s Law is named after the phenomenon. To adapt, users have adopted several methods for indicating implied sarcasm such as the /s tag, but more recently a more obvious sarcasm indicator has appeared that involves random capitalization througout the sarcastic phrase. While this looks much more satisfying than other methods, it is a little cumbersome to type unless you have this sarcasm converter for your keyboard.
The device, built by [Ben S], is based around two Raspberry Pi Pico development boards and sits between a computer and any standard USB keyboard. The first Pi accepts the USB connection from the keyboard and reads all of the inputs before sending what it reads to the second Pi over UART. If the “SaRcAsM” button is pressed, the input text stream is converted to sarcasm by toggling the caps lock key after every keystroke.
https://twitter.com/BenSommerf/status/1486143183000014851?s=20
Tomi Engdahl says:
Monitor For Bedridden Patients Aims To Improve Care
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/26/monitor-for-bedridden-patients-aims-to-improve-care/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/25/better-car-hinges-by-3d-printing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/25/building-a-lightsaber-and-scoring-a-world-record-too/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Strange Computer Languages: A Hacker’s Field Guide
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/26/strange-computer-languages-a-hackers-field-guide/
Ketoxide says:
Very great visual appeal on this site, I’d rate
it 10.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/benchoff-s-linux-swiss-army-knife-computer-costs-only-15-sort-of-432597c9597e
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/25/an-entire-computer-in-icmp-packets/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Sarcasm Converter Extends Shift Key Life
“i WaS bEiNg SaRcAsTiC!” you say. Well, then you need to check out Ben Sommerf’s sarcasm converter box.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-sarcasm-converter-extends-shift-key-life-a57c828cd3e9
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sugarboat, an Open Source Digital Hydrometer
https://www.hackster.io/news/sugarboat-an-open-source-digital-hydrometer-9fb7bc89860f
An open source digital hydrometer. The main use case is measuring the amount of sugar in liquids during the process of beer and wine making.
Have you ever wanted to estimate the amount of sugar in the water during the process of brewing beer? Raphael Baron shared about his journey in making a digital hydrometer that can achieve that!
Background
A hydrometer is a device used to determine the relative density of a liquid solution. It floats on top of it and we can tell something about the liquid’s density by investigating exactly how it floats.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Air Football
Fan of football but like to play air hockey? Air football is the perfect combination for you!
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/silas_hansen/air-football-cabfb7
Order Regal Keto says:
Woh I enjoy your posts, saved to fav!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Retro Gaming With Retro Joysticks
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/30/retro-gaming-with-retro-joysticks/
One of the biggest reasons for playing older video games on original hardware is that emulators and modern controllers can’t replicate the exact feel of how those games would have been originally experienced. This is true of old PC games as well, so if you want to use your original Sidewinder steering wheel or antique Logitech joystick, you’ll need something like [Necroware]’s GamePort adapter to get them to communicate with modern hardware.
In a time before USB was the standard, the way to connect controllers to PCs was through the GamePort, typically found on the sound card. This has long since disappeared from modern controllers, so the USB interface [Necroware] built relies on an Arduino to do the translating.
Necroware’s GamePort Adapter
https://github.com/necroware/gameport-adapter
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/30/laundry-bot-tackles-the-tedium-of-t-shirt-folding/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/30/power-for-nothing-and-your-kicks-for-free/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jetson Nano Convolution Reverb
https://hackaday.io/project/183681-jetson-nano-convolution-reverb
Turn your unused Jetsons into a real time audio effect modules with CUDA
E/S PronkE/S Pronk
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Mini Stator Winding machine Prototype | Arduino based project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5yOKeiN1pY
Hello friends I have made a mini stator winding machine using Arduino, this is just a prototype this machine is not accurate.
This just give us idea how stator winding machine can work.
In this project I have used two stepper motor one used to rotate wire arm and one will rotate the stator.
Copper wire passed from the hollow tube and when wire arm rotate it wind coil to the pole.
alternate pole windings are clockwise and anticlockwise respectively.
I have added a reciprocating mechanism off camera this will help to wind coil with some width otherwise arm will wind coil on a single point.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Tool I Should Have Built Years Ago!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5NG528Q6KE
This simple little bender is going to be super handy, check out how I made it.
When you mentioned that you’d wished you’d make the pins closer, the way you made it two pieces that slide together, it would seem you’re actually better off that you think. You could make a second small piece to swap them to let you accommodate for different size materials when you want it. Good project!
Tomi Engdahl says:
16 Ingenious tools that are on another Level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONhl0qkf8Eg
12 AMAZING COOL TOOLS YOU CAN BUY ON ALIEXPRESS AND AMAZON (2021) | INVENTIONS REVIEW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpXlFvq0tQI
Tomi Engdahl says:
Once you learn this secret, you will NEVER throw away your old feather drill again!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNiK3WFgHgI
Once you learn this secret, you will NEVER throw away your old feather drill again! Useful homemade product!
WOW!!! Great waste of time and material. Thanks!!
Tomi Engdahl says:
IF YOU HAVE LEARNED THIS SECRET, YOU WILL NEVER THROW OUT THE PLASTIC BOTTLE! GREAT DIY ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aay-mHap0Y
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Amazing and Useful Drill Bits !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3svCcgy7oc