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.
6,857 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/28/food-irradiation-detector-doesnt-use-banana-for-scale/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/28/lenses-from-fire-starters-to-smart-phones-and-vr/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/28/retrocomputing-time-to-hang-up-the-original-hardware/
Tomi Engdahl says:
RotaDuck
Sticking some nixie tubes on a rotary phone dial
https://hackaday.io/project/186093-rotaduck
Tomi Engdahl says:
DSKY
https://hackaday.io/project/186074-dsky
Create a working DSKY using a 3D printer and my AGC simulator running on a Raspberry Pi and slave Arduino Nanos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Mini Elevator
Old scanner hacked and turned into smart mini elevator
https://hackaday.io/project/186092-smart-mini-elevator
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D PRINTED PORTABLE WIND TURBINE
A small Portable Wind Turbine, mostly 3D printed!
https://hackaday.io/project/185070-3d-printed-portable-wind-turbine
Tomi Engdahl says:
BlueRetro
Multiplayer Bluetooth controllers adapter for retro video game consoles
https://hackaday.io/project/170365-blueretro
Tomi Engdahl says:
Outragian Clock
Pace your day at Ultradian Rhythms with this 16 segment clock (or a case of serendipity and coincidence)
danjovicdanjovic
https://hackaday.io/project/186065-outragian-clock
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/29/odd-inputs-and-peculiar-peripherals-miniature-steel-drums-become-rotary-mouse-controllers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A GPS Frequency Standard For When The Timing Has To Be Right
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/29/a-gps-frequency-standard-for-when-the-timing-has-to-be-right/
A metrology geek will go to extreme lengths to ensure that their measurements are the best, their instruments the most accurate, and their calibration spot-on. There was a time when for time-and-frequency geeks this would have been a difficult job, but with the advent of GPS satellites overhead carrying super-accurate atomic clocks it’s surprisingly easy to be right on-frequency. [Land-boards] have a GPS 10 MHz clock that’s based around a set of modules.
Since many GPS modules have a 10 MHz output one might expect that this one to simply hook a socket to the module and have done, but instead it uses another of their projects, a fast edge pulse generator with the GPS output as its oscillator, as a buffer and signal conditioner. Add to that an QT Py microcontroller board to set up the GPS, and there you have a standalone 10 MHz source to rival any standard.
https://hackaday.io/project/186090-10-mhz-gps-frequency-standard
http://land-boards.com/blwiki/index.php?title=GPS_Frequency_Standard
https://github.com/land-boards/QT-Py/blob/main/CircuitPython/Seeed_XIAO_RP2040/GPS_004.py
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Printed Cartilage Ushers In Ear-a Of Custom Body Parts
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/29/3d-printed-ear-transplant-ushers-in-ear-a-of-custom-body-parts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/sublimation-printing-how-to-transfer-prints-onto-mugs-and-pcbs-hackspace-56/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Home Made Laser Cutter For $700
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/29/a-home-made-laser-cutter-for-700/
While some decent lasers are out there for under $400 USD, they tend to be a little small. What if you wanted something a little nicer but didn’t want to jump to the $2,000 category? The answer for [Owen Schafer] was to build it with parts he had lying around and a few strategic purchases.
While he was initially planning on using a diode laser, doing anything more than engraving is tricky. He purchased a cheap 40 W CO2 laser tube, but it meant that he needed water cooling, mirrors, and more complex stuff that a diode doesn’t need. The frame is aluminum extrusion held together with 3D printed plates. Given there was a powerful laser bouncing around with mirrors, a plywood box formed the enclosure.
I Built A Laser Cutter! (For Under $700!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtEF6c1t2tM
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/29/gym-equipment-converted-to-generator/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/performing-magic-with-a-little-high-tech-help/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP32 Camera Slider Build Keeps Things In Perspective
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/esp32-camera-slider-build-keeps-things-in-perspective/
https://sasakaranovic.com/projects/diy-camera-slider/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/the-mystery-of-automatic-lubricators-is-revealed/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/diy-airless-tires-work-surprisingly-well/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/lcd-screen-windows-are-this-summers-hottest-case-mod/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/02/not-on-the-internet/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/02/an-anodiser-that-does-gradients/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dual Power Supply In A Pinch
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/02/dual-power-supply-in-a-pinch/
The ones I had used the Injoinic IP2721 USB-C power delivery chip, commonly used in many of these boards. Mine had been sold pre-configured for certain output voltages, but they were easy to re-jumper to the voltages I needed, +5 VDC and +20 VDC. The most challenging aspect was physically using them — they are the size of a fingernail. This version had through-hole output pads on 0.1″ centers, so I decided to solder them to the base of a standard MTA pin header. A few crimps later and I was up and running, along with the requisite pair of USB-C cables and power adapters.
https://datasheet.lcsc.com/lcsc/2006111335_INJOINIC-IP2721_C603176.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/02/singing-fish-nails-sea-shanty-audition/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/01/kotonki-agricultural-vehicle-built-for-customization/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/01/hackaday-prize-2022-masterpi-is-a-capable-robot-with-fancy-wheels/
Tomi Engdahl says:
PCB Micro-actuator
https://hackaday.io/project/186121-pcb-micro-actuator
A diamagnetically levitated micro-actuator based on Ron Pelrine’s research on levitated micro-robots
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/03/when-is-an-led-a-lamp-when-its-50mm-wide/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pulling Out Burger Flavor With A Magnet
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/03/pulling-out-burger-flavor-with-a-magnet/
If you’re vegetarian or don’t eat beef, you are probably already familiar with Impossible. Impossible meat tastes like beef and cooks like beef while being plant-based. They achieved this with significant R&D and a few special patents. But if you don’t want to pay Impossible prices, [Sauce Stash] has been trying to recreate some of the tricks that Impossible uses. (Video, embedded below.)
The Secrets to making Impossible Meat at HOME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQc77T9Bp2I
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Affordable Reference Mic You Can Build Yourself
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/02/an-affordable-reference-mic-you-can-build-yourself/
Reference mics are vital tools for audio work. They’re prized for their flat frequency response, and are often used for characterizing the audio response of a room or space. OpenRefMic aims to be an open source design for producing reference mics without paying exorbitant retail prices.
The heart of the build is a preamplifier that runs off standard 48 V phantom power, and is responsible for both biasing the electret microphone element and acting as a buffer for the mic signal. It’s designed specifically to work with the PUI AOM-5024L-HD-F-R mic capsule, chosen for its good performance and low noise characteristics. However, other electric mics should work, too. The hardware is wrapped up in a 3D printed case which can readily be made on most basic printers. It’s complete with a press-fit grille that holds the mic capsule in place.
https://github.com/loudifier/OpenRefMic
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mini Air-Cooler System from 12V Fan (Homemade form Trash)
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2013/05/mini-air-cooler-system-from-12v-fan.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.arduino.cc/2022/07/03/this-diy-basketball-scoreboard-looks-and-sounds-like-the-real-thing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/transform-your-old-walkman-into-a-musical-instrument-60411c906c65
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://groupdiy.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://nettlep.github.io/magic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open-source and open hardware autonomous quadrotor flies fast and avoids obstacles
https://techxplore.com/news/2022-06-open-source-hardware-autonomous-quadrotor-flies.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-keyboard-forces-you-to-type-characters-with-only-binary-switches-2ca7cce21829
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.partsnotincluded.com/how-to-build-a-diy-logitech-shifter-usb-adapter/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/scratch-built-electric-buggy-tears-up-the-dunes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/never-miss-an-email-with-this-1970s-style-desktop-notifier/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/new-gear-saves-old-printer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/the-warm-glow-of-a-luminous-clock/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/tiny-berlin-clock-replica-also-counts-seconds/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/05/viewing-atoms-with-electrons/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ultimate Unicode Input Device
Type any character in the world!
https://hackaday.io/project/186191-ultimate-unicode-input-device
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D Print Your Own Multi-Color Filament
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/06/3d-print-your-own-multi-color-filament/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pocket Radio Powered By Tiny Microcontroller
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/06/pocket-radio-powered-by-tiny-microcontroller/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Headphone Cable Trouble Inspires Bluetooth Conversion
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/06/headphone-cable-trouble-inspires-bluetooth-conversion/
Tomi Engdahl says:
GGWave Sings The Songs Of Your Data
https://hackaday.com/2022/07/06/ggwave-sings-the-songs-of-your-data/
We’re suckers for alternative data transmission methods, and [Georgi Gerganov]’s ggwave made us smile. At its core, it’s doing what the phone modems of old used to do – sending data encoded as different audio tones. But GGwave does this with sophistication!
It splits the data into four-bit chunks, and uses 16 different frequency offsets to represent each possible value. But for each chunk, these offsets are added to one of six different base frequencies, which allows the receiving computer to tell which chunk it’s in. It’s like a simple framing concept, and it makes the resulting data sound charmingly like R2-D2. (It also uses begin and end markers to be double-sure of the framing.) The data is also sent with error correction, so small hiccups can get repaired automatically.
What really makes ggwave shine is that it’s ported to every platform you care about: ESP32, Arduino, Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and anything that’ll run Python or JavaScript. So it’ll run in a browser. There’s even a GUI for playing around with alternative modulation schemes. Pshwew! This makes it easy for a minimalist microcontroller-based beeper button to control your desktop, or vice-versa. An ESP32 makes for an IoT-style WiFi-to-audio bridge. Write code on your cell phone, and you can broadcast it to any listening microcontroller. Whatever your use case, it’s probably covered.
https://github.com/ggerganov/ggwave
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/93awjz/nokia-asks-open-source-notkia-phone-project-to-change-its-name