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.
6,817 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yellow Robot Wheels Rolling Out
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/01/yellow-robot-wheels-rolling-out/
Small wheeled robots are great for exploring robotics and it’s easier than ever to get started, thanks to growing availability and affordability of basic components. One such component is a small motorized wheel assembly commonly shown when searching for “robot wheel”: a small DC motor mounted in a gearbox to drive a single plastic wheel (inevitably yellow) on which a thin rubber tire has been mounted for traction. Many projects have employed these little motor + gearbox + wheel modules, such as these three entries for 2018 Hackaday Prize
Tomi Engdahl says:
There’s More To MIDI Than Music – How About A Light Show?
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/31/theres-more-to-midi-than-music-how-about-a-light-show/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Learn What Did and Didn’t Work In this Prototyping Post-Mortem
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/30/learn-what-did-and-didnt-work-in-this-prototyping-post-mortem/
Tomi Engdahl says:
HairIO: An Interactive Extension of the Self
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/29/hairio-an-interactive-extension-of-the-self/
Most of what we see on the wearable tech front is built around traditional textiles, like adding turn signals to a jacket for safer bike riding, or wiring up a scarf with RGB LEDs and a color sensor to make it match any outfit. Although we’ve seen the odd light-up hair accessory here and there, we’ve never seen anything quite like these Bluetooth-enabled, shape-shifting, touch-sensing hair extensions created by UC Berkeley students [Sarah], [Molly], and [Christine].
HairIO: Hair As Interactive Material
https://www.instructables.com/id/HairIO-Hair-As-Interactive-Material/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Super-Blue CNC Part Fixturing
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/29/super-blue-cnc-part-fixturing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6DCvtcU8_M
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emboss Your own Seals with a Laser Cutter
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/02/emboss-your-own-seals-with-a-laser-cutter/
Parchment might be a thing of the past, but for those of us who still use paper an embossed seal can give everything from your official documents to your love letters a bold new feeling of authenticity. As far as getting your own seals made, plenty of folks will settle for having a 3rd party make them a seal, but not us. [Jason] shows us just how simple it is to raster our own seals with a laser cutter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJmm2Cu06pk&feature=youtu.be&t=1m38s
Tomi Engdahl says:
From Plastic Bottle to Plastic Brush
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/02/from-plastic-bottle-to-plastic-brush/
We first saw someone turn a plastic bottle into plastic ribbon about four years ago. Since then, we’ve wondered what this abundant, sturdy material could be used for besides just tying things together.
[Waldemar Sha] has answered that question with his excellent brush made from scrap wood and plastic bottle rope. Turning seven 1-litre bottles into curly bristle fodder was easy enough, but they have to be straight to brush effectively.
Advanced Brush From Plastic Bottles
https://www.instructables.com/id/Advanced-Brush-From-Plastic-Bottles/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Well-Chronicled Adventure in Tiny Robotics
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/02/a-well-chronicled-adventure-in-tiny-robotics/
Skoobot
Tiny robot for EdTech.
https://hackaday.io/project/75832-skoobot
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/10/simple-mechanism-gives-support-for-smt-assembly/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Universal Chip Analyzer: Test Old CPUs In Seconds
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/11/universal-chip-analyzer/
Collecting old CPUs and firing them up again is all the rage these days, but how do you know if they will work? For many of these ICs, which ceased production decades ago, sorting the good stuff from the defective and counterfeit is a minefield.
Testing old chips is a challenge in itself. Even if you can find the right motherboard, the slim chances of escaping the effect of time on the components (in particular, capacitor and EEPROM degradation) make a reliable test setup hard to come by.
Enter [Samuel], and the Universal Chip Analyzer (UCA). Using an FPGA to emulate the motherboard, it means the experience of testing an IC takes just a matter of seconds. Why an FPGA? Microcontrollers are simply too slow to get a full speed interface to the CPU, even one from the ’80s.
https://x86.fr/uca/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Customize All the Fan Covers You Never Knew You Needed
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/13/customize-all-the-fan-covers-you-never-knew-you-needed/
The Customizable Fan Grill Cover is a parametric design in OpenSCAD that allows adjusting the frame style, size, and grill pattern for any fan cover one may possibly need.
Customizable Fan Grill Cover
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2802474
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home Made 5-Axis CNC Head Is A Project To Watch
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/20/home-made-5-axis-cnc-head-is-a-project-to-watch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Real-Time Polarimetric Imager from 1980s Tech
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/20/real-time-polarimetric-imager-from-1980s-tech/
But occasionally the old ways of doing things offer possibilities that modern methods don’t. This fascinating white paper from [David Prutchi] describes in intricate detail how a 1982 JVC KY-1900 professional video camera purchased for $50 on eBay was turned into a polarimetric imager. The end result isn’t perfect, but considering such a device would normally carry a ~$20,000 price tag, it’s good enough that anyone looking to explore the concept of polarized video should probably get ready to open eBay in a new tab.
Tomi Engdahl says:
eTextile Spring Break Tackles Signal Blocking, Audio Generation, and Radio Transmissions
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/20/e-textiles-spring-break-tackels-signal-blocking-audio-generation-and-radio-transmissions/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tiny Vacuum Chamber Arm to Help with Homemade Semiconductors
https://hackaday.com/2018/04/23/tiny-vacuum-chamber-arm-to-help-with-homemade-semiconductors/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Retro-uC, Your Favorite Instruction Sets On Custom Silicon
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/23/retro-uc-your-favorite-instruction-sets-on-custom-silicon/
A few months ago, we caught wind of an interesting project in Big-O Open silicon. It’s a chip, loaded up with the great CPU cores of yore. Now, it’s finally a project on Crowd Supply. The Retro-uC project is an Open Source microcontroller for the retro geek, with a Zilog Z80, MOS 6502, and Motorola 68000 buried in the epoxy of a single QFP package. Oh yes, custom silicon and retro goodness, what more could you want?
The Retro-uC project is part of the Chips4Makers project to develop an Open Source chip for the community. Of course, this has been done before with projects like the HiFive1 and other RISC-V implementations, but really — this is a Z80, 6502 and 68k on a single chip. Let’s not bury the lede here.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A CNC Woodworking Tool That Does The Hard Parts
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/28/a-cnc-woodworking-tool-that-does-the-hard-parts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Empty Can Upcycled Into Portable Speaker
Empty Can Upcycled Into Portable Speaker
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/28/empty-can-upcycled-into-portable-speaker/
Tomi Engdahl says:
See the Fabulous Workmanship in this Smart Pressure Regulator
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/28/see-the-fabulous-workmanship-in-this-smart-pressure-regulator/
Electronic pressure regulator
Closed-loop air pressure control that can talk to a microcontroller
https://hackaday.io/project/148274-electronic-pressure-regulator
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/27/let-the-musical-instrument-challenge-begin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Build Anything Out of Aluminum Extrusion and 3D Printed Brackets
https://hackaday.com/2018/05/08/how-to-build-anything-out-of-aluminum-extrusion-and-3d-printed-brackets/
The real power of 3D printing is in infinite customization of parts. This becomes especially powerful when you combine 3D printing with existing materials. I have been developing a few simple tricks to make generic fasteners and printed connectors a perfect match for aluminum extrusion, via a novel twist or two on top of techniques you may already know.
Everything is Built from Aluminum Extrusion
Tomi Engdahl says:
A History of Badgelife, Def Con’s Unlikely Obsession with Artistic Circuit Boards
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vbne9a/a-history-of-badgelife-def-cons-unlikely-obsession-with-artistic-circuit-boards
Inside the obsessive circuit board culture at the heart of the world’s largest hacker conference.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PCB Speaker
An open source speaker made from a PCB.
https://www.hackster.io/carlbugeja/pcb-speaker-6852ac
I managed to play music from printed traces! It is very simple and works just like any other speaker.
Its main components are the magnet and a coil, in this case a flexible printed traces. The vibrations created from the coil pushes the surrounding air to create sound waves. To measure how loud my PCB Speaker is I am using an spectrum analyzer app. A maximum 70db level was reached!
I also managed to make it work with a 1.6mm rigid pcb, by attaching the magnet to the diaphragm.
Tomi Engdahl says:
#BadgeLife Finally Gets Mechanical with the DrawBot Badge
https://blog.hackster.io/badgelife-finally-gets-mechanical-with-the-drawbot-badge-520d0d3ecb49
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printed PCB mill
https://hackaday.io/project/12090-3d-printed-pcb-mill
3D Printed components and other hardware to make a PCB routing machine, which inherently can do other things.
PCB routing machine, with a software suite to create designs and control the steppers to make that design a real life thing. For funsies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Get Your PCBs Made at the Mall
https://hackaday.com/2018/09/18/get-your-pcbs-made-at-the-mall/
As we’ve seen with some recent posts on the subject here at Hackaday, there seems to be a growing schism within the community about the production of PCBs. Part of the community embraces (relatively) cheap professional fabrication, where you send your design off and get a stack of PCBs in the mail a couple weeks later. Others prefer at home methods of creating PCBs, such as using a CNC, laser engraver, or even the traditional toner transfer. These DIY PCBs take some skill and dedication to produce, but the advantage is that you can have the board in hand the same day you design it. But there may be a third option that seems to have slipped through the cracks.
In this method, a UV printer is used to deposit your mask directly onto the copper clad board, which you then etch with whatever solution you like. Don’t have a UV printer you say? No worries, there’s probably somebody at the mall that does.
the little kiosks at the mall which offer to personalize items for customers generally use a UV printer which allows them to shoot ink on nearly any material. Instead of asking them to put a logo on the back of your phone, you’ll just be asking them to put the vector file of your mask, which you can bring along on a USB flash drive, onto the bare copper board. They may tell you they can’t guarantee the ink will stick to the bare copper, but just tell them you’re willing to take the risk. It’s one of those situations in which your money will be glad to speak on your behalf.
Just print a PCB (HOW TO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvPqqd03yRM
Tomi Engdahl says:
2018 Open Hardware Summit badge
https://hackaday.io/project/112222-2018-open-hardware-summit-badge
electronic conference badge for 2018 Open Hardware Summit attendees
Tomi Engdahl says:
1 Square Inch 20msps Oscilloscope
https://hackaday.io/project/160802-1-square-inch-20msps-oscilloscope
A 1″ by 1″ 20msps Oscilloscope based on the PIC32MZ
For the Return of the Square Inch Project, we are designing a PIC32MZ based oscilloscope that is only 1″ by 1″ including an OLED screen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BrainfuckPC Relay Computer
https://hackaday.io/project/18599-brainfuckpc-relay-computer
Von-Neumann 16-bit relay computer with Brainfuck++ instruction set
Tomi Engdahl says:
M1 Rover
https://hackaday.io/project/161460-m1-rover
UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE, Compatible with Arduino
Tomi Engdahl says:
#WeAreNotWaiting
http://genomemag.com/nightscout-diabetes-type1/
Using innovative, do-it-yourself hacks, healthcare consumers are creating solutions to help manage their diabetes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to make a Bluetooth Cassette Adapter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZuJedgqDU
This video will show you How to make a Bluetooth Cassette Adapter
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Home Security – ON A BUDGET!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CouxmNqxO4A
In this video I’ll be showing you how to make a low cost DIY home security setup using recycled laptop webcams!
Comments:
As a security systems designer, your leading premise is pretty far off the mark. To properly secure a space, you want: good locks, good door frames, and a system that lets you know when doors or windows are opened. That list bit could be completely DIY and I’d love to see you take a stab at it!
Saving video continuously to most standard laptop/consumer drives will make them fail fairly quickly, esp if its an old used laptop drive. If you have the budget, there are drives designed for long term continuous writes (eg WD purple) that work well, but obviously will push the budget up for a diy system, so horses for courses. SSDs would probably run into wear levelling/lifecycle issues too.
WARNING! Make sure your local laws allow such security systems, especially if a camera is facing a public road!
In austria for example it is illegal to film anything other than your own propery.
Would it be possible to let the cameras livestream to your phone? That would also come in handy
maybe OBS with the stream to the private YT channel?
Something like VNC could be used for remote access to the laptop
Install TeamViewer on the “central laptop”, run it, stream it through your phone via Team Viewer mobile. Boom, done!
That will work for 6 months or so until they claim commercial use and cut you off
Google chrome remote desktop is free, easy to use, and is available on a variety of platforms :3
Tomi Engdahl says:
The beauty of open source hardware
https://opensource.com/article/18/10/beauty-open-source-hardware?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY#
Alicia Gibb talks about the value of open hardware and how you can get involved, too
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can You Build Your OWN Mechanical Keyboard??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd4T78x6Zhc
“the satisfying tactile bump of the cherry mx brown”
Instead of looking for a PCB with hot-swap terminals you should have used the opportunity to tell your viewers that they should stop to freak out every single time they hear the word “soldering”. Everyone without two left hands can do it after trying it for a few minutes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automatic 3D Wire Bending Machine
https://blog.hackster.io/automatic-3d-wire-bending-machine-f4944bcf382f
Bending wire can be a fun art form, or perhaps a necessary skill if you lock your keys in the car, but what if you just want a machine to bend shapes for you? This kind of machinery can be found in heavy manufacturing facilities, but per this projecct by How To Mechatronics, you can make your own using 3D-printed parts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This DIY Label Maker Is Far More Satisfying Than Anything at Staples
https://blog.hackster.io/this-diy-label-maker-is-far-more-satisfying-than-anything-at-staples-96e023af36c6
Inexpensive label makers are like an organization enthusiast’s dream come true. For just $25, you can have a tool that gives the ability to label every item in your home.
https://github.com/TimoJohannes/DymFT
Tomi Engdahl says:
Budget Linear Actuator from James Bruton
https://blog.hackster.io/budget-linear-actuator-from-james-bruton-4f13e41c35ee
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Founder Looks Beyond Free
Banzi shares views on open-source hardware
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333879
One of the progenitors of the open-source hardware movement is warming up to the idea of designs that aren’t free.
the group behind it has also been the victim of some rip-offs wherein larger rivals take open-source Arduino designs and make cheaper versions of them as commercial products.
Arduino is not alone. “There are smaller open-source hardware designers who release what they design, and bigger companies take it and make it more cheaply … they don’t understand that it’s something where we contribute, they just take and say, ‘Screw you,’” he said.
“My personal opinion is that hardware should be released under a non-commercial license, but if someone wants to make a product, they should talk to us and license it for professional use … we want a system where someone can license what we do commercially very easily.”
Since its inception in 2003, Arduino has used a Creative Commons license. Many new licensing models have emerged since then
“There needs to be a larger discussion of how we engage with people and encourage them to contribute more,” he said.
Now the company is working on cloud-based tools that let users drag and drop IP blocks onto the boards and compile the results. The tool aims to include a store where users can make their designs available to others.
“Some of this may be available as open-source and some may not be,”
Silicon Valley giants including Apple use Arduino boards for rapid prototyping, he noted. With that in mind, Arduino is working with Intel to get approval to link the Vidor boards to Intel’s Quartus FPGA programming tools.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paper Airplane Database has the Wright Stuff
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/25/paper-airplane-database-has-the-wright-stuff/
We’ve always had a fascination with things that fly. Sure, drones are the latest incarnation of that, but there have been RC planes, kites, and all sorts of flying toys and gizmos even before manned flight was possible. Maybe the first model flying machine you had was a paper airplane. There’s some debate, but it appears the Chinese and Japanese made paper airplanes 2,000 years ago. Now there’s a database of paper airplane designs, some familiar and some very cool-looking ones we just might have to try.
https://www.foldnfly.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Synth Plays The Only Scale Everybody Knows
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/24/this-synth-plays-the-only-scale-everybody-knows/
[randomprojectlab] is building a synthesizer around the pentatonic scale for the Hackaday Prize. It’s the Pentasynth, and it’s basically just a keyboard with five notes per scale.
https://hackaday.io/project/161671-pentasynth
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Machinists’ Mantra: Precision, Thy Name Is Rigidity
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/25/precision-thy-name-is-rigidity/
“Everything is a spring”. You’ve probably heard that expression before. How deep do you think your appreciation of that particular turn of phrase really is? You know who truly, viscerally groks this? Machinists.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IR/UV Invisible QR Code Navigation Robotics
https://hackaday.io/project/135292-iruv-invisible-qr-code-navigation-robotics
Anti-Stokes shift / Up Conversion invisible QR codes for indoor navigation of robotics. Invisible tags readable with UV or IR lighting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Putting a Motor Inside a Speed Controller
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/23/putting-a-motor-inside-a-speed-controller/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Homemade Shop Vise Packs a Hydraulic Punch
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/23/homemade-shop-vise-packs-a-hydraulic-punch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building an Electric Scooter That’s Street Legal, Even in Germany
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/23/building-an-electric-scooter-thats-street-legal-even-in-germany/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Faux Walkie-Talkie for Comedy Walking Tour is a Rapid Prototyping Win
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/24/faux-walkie-talkie-for-comedy-walking-tour-is-a-rapid-prototyping-win/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Arc Light Makes An Unnecessarily Powerful Bicycle Headlight
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/17/diy-arc-light-makes-an-unnecessarily-powerful-bicycle-headlight/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Semiconductors @ Home
Building all the tools neccesary to make chips at home.
https://hackaday.io/project/107598-semiconductors-home
Reverse Engineering CMOS
https://hackaday.com/2018/10/18/reverse-engineering-cmos/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.io/project/16097-eforth-for-cheap-stm8s-gadgets