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.
7,074 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/187111-78xx-replacement
Tomi Engdahl says:
Agrivoltaics Is A Land Usage Hack For Maximum Productivity
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/07/agrivoltaics-is-a-land-usage-hack-for-maximum-productivity/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/07/how-to-be-a-stinkin-chess-cheat-sockfish/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethersweep: An Easy-To-Deploy Ethernet Connected Stepper Controller
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/07/ethersweep-an-easy-to-deploy-ethernet-connected-stepper-controller/
[Neumi] over on Hackaday.IO wanted a simple-to-use way to drive stepper motors, which could be quickly deployed in a wide variety of applications yet to be determined. The solution is named Ethersweep, and is a small PCB stack that sits on the rear of the common NEMA17-format stepper motor. The only physical connectivity, beside the motor, are ethernet and a power supply via the user friendly XT30 connector. The system can be closed loop, with both an end-stop input as well as an on-board AMS AS5600 magnetic rotary encoder (which senses the rotating magnetic field on the rear side of the motor assembly – clever!) giving the necessary feedback. Leveraging the Trinamic TMC2208 stepper motor driver gives Ethersweep silky smooth and quiet motor control, which could be very important for some applications. A rear-facing OLED display shows some useful debug information as well as the all important IP address that was assigned to the unit.
Ethersweep
https://hackaday.io/project/187187-ethersweep
An Open Source Ethernet controllable stepper motor. Easy interfacing with JSON and UDP from any device on the network in any language.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ADSL Router As Effects Pedal
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/adsl-router-as-effects-pedal/
Moore’s law might not be as immutable as we once though thought it was, as chip makers struggle to fit more and more transistors on a given area of silicon. But over the past few decades it’s been surprisingly consistent, with a lot of knock-on effects. As computers get faster, everything else related to them gets faster as well, and the junk drawer tends to fill quickly with various computer peripherals and parts that might be working fine, but just can’t keep up the pace. [Bonsembiante] had an old ADSL router that was well obsolete as a result of these changing times, but instead of tossing it, he turned it into a guitar effects pedal.
The principle behind this build is that the router is essentially a Linux machine, complete with ALSA support. Of course this means flashing a custom firmware which is not the most straightforward task, but once the sound support was added to the device, it was able to interface with a USB sound card. An additional C++ program was created which handles the actual audio received from the guitar and sound card. For this demo, [Bonsembiante] programmed a ring buffer and feeds it back into the output to achieve an echo effect, but presumably any effect or a number of effects could be programmed.
How to connect a guitar to an ADSL router?
https://bonsembiante.hashnode.dev/how-to-connect-a-guitar-to-an-adsl-router
https://github.com/bonsembiante/router-audio-dsp
Pedal-Pi, Simple Programmable Guitar Pedal
https://hackaday.com/2017/09/12/pedal-pi-simple-programmable-guitar-pedal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/hackaday-prize-2022-otter-force-one-protects-kelp-forests-by-sucking-up-sea-urchins/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The TAK Ecosystem: Military Coordination Goes Open Source
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/the-tak-ecosystem-military-coordination-goes-open-source/
In recent years you’ve probably seen a couple of photos of tablets and smartphones strapped to the armor of soldiers, especially US Special Forces. The primary app loaded on most of those devices is ATAK or Android Tactical Assault Kit. It allows the soldier to view and share geospatial information, like friendly and enemy positions, danger areas, casualties, etc. As a way of working with geospatial information, its civilian applications became apparent, such as firefighting and law-enforcement, so CivTAK/ATAK-Civ was created and open sourced in 2020. Since ATAK-Civ was intended for those not carrying military-issued weapons, the acronym magically become the Android Team Awareness Kit. This caught the attention of the open source community, so today we’ll dive into the growing TAK ecosystem, its quirks, and potential use cases.
The TAK ecosystem includes ATAK for Android, iTAK for iOS, WinTAK for Windows, and a growing number of servers, plugins, and tools to extend functionality. At the heart of TAK lies the Cursor on Target (CoT) protocol, an XML or Protobuf-based message format used to share information between clients and servers. This can include a “target’s” location, area, and route information, sensor data, text messages, or medevac information, to name a few.
https://www.civtak.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Big Clock
DIY big clock made of 121 red LEDs, six shift registers and an ATmega8
https://hackaday.io/project/186717-big-clock
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/dont-be-salty-how-to-make-desalination-work-in-tomorrows-world/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/ask-hackaday-stripping-wires-with-lasers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Custom Lathe Tool Cuts Complex Oil Grooves
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/machining-zig-zag-figure-8-oil-grooves/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Troubleshooting Barcodes: A Lesson In Critical Thinking
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/08/troubleshooting-barcodes-a-lesson-in-critical-thinking/
We’ve all been there. Something that is known to work doesn’t work out in the field. But back at home base, it works fine. How do you fix it? Of course, there’s no one right answer to that question, but [Benji York] had a particularly satisfying round of troubleshooting some errant barcodes and even came up with a very creative solution.
Here’s the setup: a customer couldn’t read some barcodes sent from [Benji’s] company. Yet when the bad barcodes returned, they were fine. They looked fine, too. In a Twitter post, [Benji] challenges you to see if you can tell what’s wrong.
The solution was also interesting. Instead of replacing or repairing the printer, it works fine to simply rotate the label 90 degrees. Sure, the thin line is still there, but it is a minor glitch in all the bars that any scanner will handle. [Benji] suggests always printing barcodes “against the grain” although, of course, that will depend a lot on the kind of technology your printer uses.
https://twitter.com/benji_york/status/1566421109255315458
Tomi Engdahl says:
DRILL VS. DRIVER (What’s The Difference?!! Cordless Drill Vs. Impact Driver–COMPARISON)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQvDBmUtx6o
DRILL VS. DRIVER (What’s The Difference?!! Cordless Drill Vs. Impact Driver–COMPARISON)
The cordless drill has been around for a long time now. But the IMPACT DRIVER is still a relatively new tool that many homeowners and DIYers don’t seem to know about. In this video, The Honest Carpenter explains some of the differences between these two tools!
Cordless drills are mostly just spinning machines. They use a chuck and jaw to clamp down on drill bits–the motor then applies constant torque to turn those bits. This makes them very good at boring out holes.
Cordless Drills can also be used for “driving bits”–bits that are designed to turn fasteners.
An impact driver is a similar rotary tool. But, instead of a chuck and jaws, it has a lockable collet that traps hex-shanked driving bits.
Impact drivers are primarily used for driving fasteners. Unlike cordless drills, they’re not that great at drilling (in my opinion). BUT, they’re capable of delivering so much more force than a cordless drill, there’s really no comparison!
Impact drivers can sense resistance. When driving a fastener, the impact driver will spin like a drill until a certain amount of resistance occurs. At that point, they will activate a “super mode.” The motor will begin to detach from the bit, and reattach to the bit dozens of times a second.
This cuts down on bit slippage, saving your arm from having to counteract that force. But, it amplifies the force sent through the tool into the drill bit.
Impact drivers can often drive really large, long drill bits without even pre-drilling (though pre-drilling is still a good idea.)
Cordless Drill Vs. Impact Driver–COMPARISON:
Cordless drills are still my preferred tool for driving fasteners.
But, impact drivers are a tradesperson’s best friend. They make driving and backing out difficult fasteners extremely easy. They also save wear and tear on your arm!
I don’t, however like to use the impact driver for drilling holes (even though they do make custom drill bits for loading into the impact driver).
I also still prefer using a cordless drill for driving smaller fasteners, like decorative screws.
I hope this DRILL VS. DRIVER COMPARISON was helpful!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Playing with Cathode Ray Tubes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqUlfMmhJQs
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/12/testing-an-inexpensive-cnc-spindle/
Tomi Engdahl says:
With A Little Heat, Printed Parts Handle Vacuum Duty
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/with-a-little-heat-printed-parts-handle-vacuum-duty/
We don’t have to tell the average Hackaday reader that desktop 3D printing has been transformative for our community, but what might not be as obvious is the impact the technology has had on the scientific community. As explained in Thermal Post-Processing of 3D Printed Polypropylene Parts for
Vacuum Systems by [Pierce Mayville], [Aliaksei Petsiuk], and [Joshua Pearce], the use of printed plastic parts, especially when based on open source designs, can lead to huge cost reductions in the production of scientific hardware.
Thermal Post-Processing of 3D Printed Polypropylene Parts for Vacuum Systems
https://www.mdpi.com/2504-4494/6/5/98
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/heavy-engineering-hack-chat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Groundwater: Management Of A Much Neglected Lifeline
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/groundwater-management-of-a-much-neglected-lifeline/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Resin Cleanup: A Sticky Situation
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/resin-cleanup-a-sticky-situation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Neon Lamps — Not Just For Pilot Lights
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/neon-lamps-not-just-for-pilot-lights/
t’s easy to see why LEDs largely won out over neon bulbs for pilot light applications. But for all the practical utility of LEDs, they’re found largely lacking in at least one regard over their older indicator cousins: charm. Where LEDs are cold and flat, the gentle orange glow of a neon lamp brings a lot to the aesthetics party, especially in retro builds.
But looks aren’t the only thing these tiny glow lamps have going for them, and [David Lovett] shows off some of the surprising alternate uses for neon lamps in his new video. He starts with an exploration of the venerable NE-2 bulb, which has been around forever, detailing some of its interesting electrical properties, like the difference between the voltage needed to start the neon discharge and the voltage needed to maintain it. He also shows off some cool neon lamp tricks, like using them for all sorts of multi-vibrator circuits without anything but a few resistors and capacitors added in. The real fun begins when he breaks out the MTX90 tube, which is essentially a cold cathode thyratron. The addition of a simple control grid makes for some interesting circuits, like single-tube multi-vibrators.
Playing with Neons (NE2 and MTX90)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6P-adLrXBI
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Calico Wearable Rides The Rails
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/the-calico-wearable-rides-the-rails/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inexpensive Reading Glasses Become Stereoscope
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/13/inexpensive-reading-glasses-become-stereoscope/
It’s an unfortunate consequence of growing older, that no longer are you able to read the print on a SOT-23 package or solder a QFN without magnification. Your eyes inexorably start to fail, and to have any hope of continuing a set of reading glasses is required. We have this in common with [Niklas Roy], who noticed while shopping for cheap reading glasses that their lenses were of surprisingly good quality. The result of this observation was a stereoscope made from card and a few euros worth of eyewear.
Parametric craft sheet generator & workshop
https://www.niklasroy.com/stereoscope/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Resto-Mod Audible Digital Dice Towers
Art, engineering, retro cool, and modern geek all in one package
https://hackaday.io/project/186489-resto-mod-audible-digital-dice-towers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Custom standing desk keypad
Presets are a highly desirable feature
https://hackaday.io/project/187203-custom-standing-desk-keypad
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inclined clothesline
A compact indoor clothesline
https://hackaday.io/project/187251-inclined-clothesline
This project was inspired by my desire to conveniently dry my clothes 100% without electricity or fossil fuels, and therefore falls under the rubric of grassroots initiatives for sustainability/CO2 emissions reduction. (The picture also shows the computer table for my movable Zoom studio.) When the clothes are dry, they can just stay there. The main diagonal member is completely unsupported at the top but it’s steadier than it looks. Build details to follow. Oh, and it can probably be used as a ham radio antenna (10-meter band).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why does WATER change the speed of electricity?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQIg5XeIgQ0&t=1033s
The electrons are back! This is the first of three videos discussing electricity – what is it, how does it work, how do we use it? This first installment talks about the speed of electricity and electrical signals in wires. Next up is Ohm’s law, and what resistance really does in circuits, and third, I’ll be taking another look at the experiment featured on Veritasium last year, building on the first two videos to explore the mechanism that couples the two long wires with a little more scrutiny. Enjoy!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Future Brings CPU Modules, And The Future Is Now
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/future-brings-cpu-modules-and-the-future-is-now/
Modularity is a fun topic for us. There’s something satisfying about seeing a complex system split into parts and these parts made replaceable. We often want some parts of our devices swapped, after all – for repair or upgrade purposes, and often, it’s just fun to scour eBay for laptop parts, equipping your Thinkpad with the combination of parts that fits you best. Having always been fascinated by modularity, I believe that hackers deserve to know what’s been happening on the CPU module front over the past decade
Tomi Engdahl says:
2022 Cyberdeck Contest: RPG Character Tracker
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/2022-cyberdeck-contest-rpg-character-tracker/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mokeylaser: A DIY Laser Engraver That You Can Easily Build
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/mokeylaser-a-diy-laser-engraver-that-you-can-easily-build/
[Mark aka Mokey] borrowed his friend’s open-frame laser engraver for a while, and found it somewhat lacking in features and a bit too pricey for what it was. Naturally, he thought he could do better (video, embedded below.) After a spot of modelling in Fusion 360, and some online shopping at the usual places, he had all the parts needed to construct an X-Y bot, and we reckon it looks like a pretty good starting point. [Mark] had a Sainsmart FL55 5.5W laser module kicking around, so that was dropped into the build, together with the usual Arduino plus CNC shield combo running GRBL.
Mokey Laser v1.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrmquzFItJM
Tomi Engdahl says:
Making A Tape Echo The Traditional Way
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/making-a-tape-echo-the-traditional-way/
[Juan Nicola] has taken inspiration from the musician hackers of old and re-purposed a reel-to-reel tape recorder into a tape-echo for his guitar with a built-in valve amplifier (video in Spanish).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6GsQq_qGPo
Tomi Engdahl says:
Robot: Will Draw For Food
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/14/robot-will-draw-for-food/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronics for Kids: Part 8 – Seven-segment LED Display
https://www.eeweb.com/electronics-for-kids-part-8-7-segment-led-display/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNConsumerElectronics-20220914
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hack everything: re-purposing everyday devices – Matt Evans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY9SBPo1Oy8
Arduino is everywhere, but so is electronic junk. Got a project in mind? Take something you already have and repurpose it instead. Make it into something more interesting, for free! Learn how it works, see what it’s really capable of and save it from landfill.
In this talk, we’ll journey through some examples of common electronic devices to find out:
- Why things are hackable, which useful interfaces they may have and how to use them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hack All The Things: 20 Devices in 45 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5PRvBpLuJs
When we heard Hack All The Things, we took it as a challenge. So at DEF CON this year we’re doing exactly that, we’re hacking everything. We’ve taken all of our previous experience exploiting embedded devices and used it to bring you a presentation filled with more exploits than ever before™. This presentation will feature exploits for over 20 devices including but not limited to TVs, baby monitors, media streamers, network cameras, home automation devices, and VoIP gateways. Gain root on your devices, run unsigned kernels; it’s your hardware, it’s internet connected, and it’s horribly insecure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/16/hand-cranked-doodler-made-using-a-3d-printer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
AntRunner Is The Satellite Antenna Mount You Need To Take With You
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/17/antrunner-is-the-satellite-antenna-mount-you-need-to-take-with-you/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printer Upcycles Computer Case To DAS
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/17/3d-printer-upcycles-computer-case-to-das/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printable Bearings That Actually Work, No CAD Tweaking Required
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/17/3d-printable-bearings-that-actually-work-no-cad-tweaking-required/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printed Strain-Wave Gearbox Turns Up The Torque
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/17/3d-printed-strain-wave-gearbox-turns-up-the-torque/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Haptic-Enabled VR Gun Hits All The Targets
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/17/diy-haptic-enabled-vr-gun-hits-all-the-targets/
This VR Haptic Gun by [Robert Enriquez] is the result of hacking together different off-the-shelf products and tying it all together with an ESP32 development board. The result? A gun frame that integrates a VR controller (meaning it can be tracked and used in VR) and provides mild force feedback thanks to a motor that moves with each shot.
https://github.com/robegamesios/VRHapticGun
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tiny GPS Logger For The Internet Of Animals
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/18/tiny-gps-logger-for-the-internet-of-animals/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Load Cells To Get The Right Pet The Right Food
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/18/load-cells-to-get-the-right-pet-the-right-food/
If you have more than one pet, you may know how hard it is to tell how much each furry friend is eating. If you introduce prescription foods, then this minor annoyance can have a major impact on your pet’s health. Facing this dilemma, [tomasdiazwahl] set out to make a pet feeder that feeds his pets exactly what they need when they approach the feeder.
Using the ever-popular Arduino Uno, the feeder is connected to a platform that uses load cells to detect the pet’s weight. The weight data is then used to identify which animal is looking for food.
https://www.instructables.com/Cat-and-Dog-Selective-Feeder/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/the-periodic-table-of-endangered-elements/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stupid Shit No One Needs And Terrible Ideas Hackathon Toronto
http://hackstupid.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Vacuum Pick Up Tool For Not A Lot
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/18/a-vacuum-pick-up-tool-for-not-a-lot/
When working with grain-of-dust surface-mount components, one of the tools which makes a huge difference is a vacuum pickup pen. Instead of trying to move the part with tweezers and succeeding only in flicking it into the middle distance, a tiny rubber suction cup with a vacuum feed allows you to pick it up and place it exactly where it is required. Unfortunately, good vacuum pickup tools come at a price, and very cheap ones aren’t worth the expenditure.
This is where [TDG (Béla)]’s SMD vacuum pickup tool comes in. The problem with the cheap tools is only that their manual vacuum is ineffectual, they come with the required array of probes with the suction cups. The solution is to take a small vacuum pump with a low voltage motor and attach it with a 3D printed adapter to the business end of a cheap vacuum tool and make a useful tool the result.
SMD vacuum pickup tool
Probably the world’s cheapest vacuum tweezers
https://hackaday.io/project/187342-smd-vacuum-pickup-tool
Tomi Engdahl says:
Banana Split Macropad Is Dessert For Your Desk
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/18/banana-split-macropad-is-dessert-for-your-desk/
Once again, [Dan Bostian] is ahead of the curve when it comes to bringing bunches of banana puns to the table, but we think you’ll find this banana split macropad quite appealing nonetheless.
https://github.com/dbostian/bananasplit
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED Clock Has Its Pipes On Display
https://hackaday.com/2022/09/19/led-clock-has-its-pipes-on-display/
For most hackers and makers, building a clock is a rite of passage. Few, though, will be as unusual and engaging as this design by [TerraG2].
By combining addressable LEDs, light pipes and 7-segment displays, [TerraG2] has built a timepiece that looks great and will surely be a great conversation starter as well. It’s packed full of features such as automatic brightness control, an accelerometer controlled user interface, and WiFi to make sure it’s always accurate.
Digital Light Pipes Fiber Optic Clock
https://www.instructables.com/Digital-Light-Pipes-Fiber-Optic-Clock/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Geiger counter w/ Raspberry Pi Pico
µC controlled radiation measurement device
https://hackaday.io/project/184266-geiger-counter-w-raspberry-pi-pico
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/179847-3d-printing-wishlist
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cyberdeck RPG Character Tracker
https://hackaday.io/project/187288-cyberdeck-rpg-character-tracker
a tiny cyberdeck, hopefully awesomely 80s, that can show an RPG character’s stats, check out the gear list, and roll some dice
I wanted to get in on the Cyberdeck craze, but there is a serious shortage of Raspberry Pi computers out there right now. So I had to settle for something a little less computer. After searching around for something that both looked cool, had some bells and whistles, but would be easy to program to do what I wanted, I found the M5Stack Core2. They even have a tiny keyboard that plugs right in.