Make Magazine
DIY projects, how-tos, and inspiration from geeks, makers, and hackers
Updated: 2 hours 23 min ago
MAKE at RoboGames
Imagine the carnage that ensues when you pit two 200+ lb. robots against each other, often with weapons that spin at around 3500 rpm. The noise level and adrenaline both run high as they bang away at each other. Intern Coordinator Sam Freeman and I are at RoboGames to witness not only the combat, but all sorts of other robotics events as well. We only got here a little while ago, but have already been fascinated by the great stuff we've seen.
Categories: Makers
Goldilocks — an Arduino Clone
Ever battled SRAM limitations with your sketch on the Arduino Uno? Decided reluctantly to break out an Arduino Mega, and suffer with the resulting shield incompatibilities? Then the new Goldilocks board might be just what you're looking for in a micro-controller.
Categories: Makers
Movers and Makers: Kevin Fitzpatrick
Kevin Fitzpatrick both lives and works in his Transit Connect for nearly a quarter of the year. He has extensively modified his vehicle to provide office space, sleeping quarters, storage for gear, a mini-fridge, and even a sink with gray and potable water.
Categories: Makers
Dinotopia: An Interview with James Gurney
I've had the intention to cover and post about my favorite artists for a long time now, finally getting off my lazy butt to do it. No better way to kick it off, than with a living legend, James Gurney. James is best known for the Dinotopia series, where he combine an amazing world of fantasy, and the prehistoric natural world, sparking the imagination of millions of kids and adults alike. Gurney’s not only a creative genius, but also a true master of light, composition… .. he’s just a bad ass painter, I don’t know how else to say it. His books are among my favorites, where he shares his secrets sauce. His approach, breaking down of the basics, to advanced painting techniques and theories, are simply invaluable. I was lucky enough to get some Q & A with Mr.Dinotopia himself, and here it is!
Categories: Makers
RoboGames: The Mayhem Starts Tomorrow
Tomorrow kicks off the 10th year of RoboGames, a three-day extravaganza of robots and technology. The dozens of competitions cover everything from line following and fire fighting to weight lifting and mech warfare.
Categories: Makers
The Internet of Things: Inspiration and Requirements
This is first of a three-part series on the Internet of Things with Atmel's Tom Vu and Internet of Things Council member Michael Koster. Part 1: Inspiration and Requirements. 
Categories: Makers
Building a Mathematical Hanging Sculpture in an Hour
Sculptor George W. Hart recently designed and constructed two five-fold symmetrical sculptures with his "Crystal Flowers in Halls of Mirrors: Mathematics Meets Art and Architecture” class at Aalto University in Helsinki.
Categories: Makers
Teardown of the TI SensorTag
Last time I was up in Rhode Island my good friend Brian Jepson pushed a small red box into my hands with the words, "...try this, you'll love it." I immediately started looking for the blue pill. However I needn't have worried, because it turned out to be a SensorTag from Texas Instruments. It's an interesting bit of hardware aimed squarely at simplifying smart phone developers lives when prototyping Bluetooth accessories. It can add a lot of data collection capability to your maker project quickly and cheaply.
Categories: Makers
Voice-Controlled Resistor Sorter
Right now I’m sorting all my resistors into plastic bags, and it’s kind of a lengthy process! Anthony Clay wrote a program called EESPeak that speaks the numeric value when you describe the colors. Have you ever had a giant pile of loose resistors to organize? I have! Instead of [...]
Categories: Makers
New Early Release Ebook from O’Reilly: Building iPhone and iPad Electronics Projects
Want to build iPhone and iPad electronics apps without paying the Apple developer tax? Check out this new book from Mike Westerfield.
Categories: Makers
Inside MIT’s Hobby Shop
It’s remarkable how the MIT Hobby Shop presages aspects of the hackerspace movement… In the 1937-38 academic year, Vannevar Bush, then Vice President of MIT, granted a group of 16 MIT students permission to use a room in the basement of building 2. With equipment they found around the Institute [...]
Categories: Makers
A Conversation With 3D Artist Joshua Harker
Joshua Harker has been a maker and artist his whole life. He worked professionally as a product and toy designer for a few years before turning to 3D art. Within the last year and a half, he's created the first and fourth most funded sculpture projects on Kickstarter, and sold thousands of beautiful works of art, all created with 3D Printing. I spoke to him about his process and his views on the current state of the 3D Printing industry.
Categories: Makers
Game on: Creating a Custom Foosball Table with 3D Technology
New 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies are allowing us to obliterate old limitations. They’re giving rise to disruptive inventions, unseen production methods and dynamic products. 3D technology is a lot of fun, too. Take foosball. Foosball is fun.
Categories: Makers
Stress testing Lego
How many times can you assemble two LEGO bricks together before they wear out? Phillipe Cantin decided to find out.
Categories: Makers
A Mini Maker Faire in MAKE’s Backyard
Next month's Maker Faire Bay Area is our biggest event of the year. It's held at the San Mateo County Event Center. But this past weekend here in Sonoma County, Calif. where MAKE is headquartered, us North Bay folks flocked to the Sonoma County Maker Kids Mini Maker Faire. It was a good day of kid-friendly projects and a warm-up of sorts for the main event to come next. Have a look.
Categories: Makers
DiResta: Skull Belt Buckle
In each bi-monthly episode of DiResta (every other Wednesday at 2pm PT), artist and master builder Jimmy DiResta (Dirty Money, Hammered, Against the Grain, Trash for Cash) lets us into his workshop, to look over his shoulder while he builds whatever strikes his fancy. On this episode of DiResta, Jimmy castes a skull buckle from delft clay and a tin alloy to make any metal head swoon.
Categories: Makers
Ten Tips for Workshop Organization and Optimization
Along the way I've come across and devised some ways to improve efficiency and arrangement in many different types of workshops. Here are ten that I hope will help. Please sound off in the comment section if you have some tips of your own. 
Categories: Makers
Inexpensive “Click-and-Scan” 3D Scanner Soars on Indiegogo
The Photon, an affordable 3D scanner, has already quadrupled its $80,000 Indiegogo goal, with still two weeks to go. Almost as gratifying: the Photon has generated a flurry of proposed uses for the device beyond the original “maker hobbyist” market they were targeting. The Photon is the first product from Toronto-based company Matterform, founded by friends and collaborators Adam Branejs and Drew Cox.
Categories: Makers
New Make: SpinBot Kit in the Maker Shed
Looking for a simple yet fun kit to get youngsters into making? Check out the Make: SpinBot Kit from the Maker Shed. This kit lets them create a simple, vibrating "robot" that makes unique works of art.
Categories: Makers
New Exploratorium “Emerges” Today
San Francisco's new Exploratorium opens today. Take a look inside the stunning new facility. 
Categories: Makers