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Archive: Maker Shed Store
December 1, 2008
Welcome to CYBER MONDAY on MAKE
It's CYBER MONDAY MAKERS! So in that spirit we were able to do up a quick code/sale for all our robot kits for today. It starts at 12:01 am PST 12/1/2008 and ends today at 11:59 pm PST. Use code CYBERM at checkout at the Maker Shed.
I'm also going to do a contest. It's really simple, just post up your version of the "Three laws of robotics" in the comments, make it clever, funny, outrageous. At 11:59pm PST I'll post up a winner. Winner will be posted Tues am -- You can post up multiple entries, contest is world-wide. The prize? The new Co-Robot kit we just got in from Japan! Here's a video!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Dec 1, 2008 12:01 PM
Maker Shed Store, Robotics |
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Troody the walking dinosaur
Peter Dilworth of MIT's Leg Lab made this bipedal walking robot based on a Troodon dinosaur.
His objective was straightforward: "It was for the robot to stand up from a sitting position, to walk and possibly run, go back to walking and stop and then sit down and be stable, and not fall over in any phase," Dilworth explains. But as he found out, making a robot walk is a lot more challenging than it seems. "It has proven extremely difficult to make bipedal robots," says Gregory Paul, an independent dinosaur paleontologist who collaborated with Dilworth on the project. "People assume that flight is hard to do while walking is easy; actually it's the reverse."
Build your own robots with robotics from the Maker Shed! Use the code CYBERM to get 10% off, today only (12:01am pst 12/1 to 11:59pm pst 12/1).
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Dec 1, 2008 07:00 AM
Kids, Maker Shed Store, Robotics |
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Breathing books
Bre visits Dam Stuhltrager gallery in Brooklyn to check out an exhibition of breathing books created by artist Edith Kollath. Each book's surreal movement is controlled via Lilypad Arduino, likely chosen for its thin easy-to-conceal profile which keeps the art looking properly book-like.
Unfortunately, the art's clever design proved a heap of trouble for the artist during travel. Thankfully, the books were finally retrieved after a 3-month stay in legal limbo. Get more of the story @ NYCResistor.
More:
Make a Secret Compartment Book - Weekend Projects PDFcast
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Dec 1, 2008 05:00 AM
Arduino, Arts, Maker Shed Store |
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The Culture Jamming gift guide at MAKE - hack, stick, throw, jam and inspire!
Ok, folks, I know not all of you approve of culture jamming shenanigans, but here are some gift ideas for that mischief maker in your life!
Peggy Kit
Create a light board with your own picture! You can make an LED sign for your window, a geeky valentine for your sweetie, one bad-ass birthday card, or freak the holy bejesus out of Boston. Your call. It's a versatile, high-brightness display. How you configure it and what you do with it is up to you. This first version can make any static design you can dream up. Version 2 adds simple animation capability and Arduino compatibility.
Price: Version 1: $79.95 Verion 2: $94.95
photo above by Flickr user smashtheqube
Read on for the complete list of awesome culture jamming gift ideas!
Read full story
Posted by Becky Stern |
Dec 1, 2008 01:00 AM
Announcements, Culture jamming, DIY Projects, Electronics, Holiday projects, Maker Shed Store |
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November 29, 2008
CRAFT - The 2nd Year Box Set
Get four volumes of CRAFT year two, combined in a special edition collector's box! CRAFT: The 2nd Year includes volume 5, volume 6, volume 7, and volume 8 and is now for sale in the Maker Shed.
Update: For those of you who already own volumes 5-8, you can get just the slipcase for storing your issues!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 29, 2008 01:00 PM
Crafts, Maker Shed Store |
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November 28, 2008
BUILD: Making the Blinkybug Kit
When I first got this Kit in the mail from the Maker Shed I stared puzzled at the box. What exactly was the point? A bug that blinks it's eyes when it senses movement? As I opened the box and checked out the contents I realized that the Blinkybugs don't walk, talk, chalk or really do anything besides lighting up.
But what I learned as I started to build them is that they do something more important than all that. They make you excited to build, and in essence are simply fun. Also as I was showing my friends what I was up to, I quickly learned that they make great gifts as well. I had at least four people ask me what I was going to do with them (in a hinting sort of way). So I am giving all four of them away as gifts. I even made a Halloween variant for some of my friends. So besides being a fun, simple kit to build I am guessing you want to see what these friendly little LED bugs do? Check the video out after the jump along with all the macro lens photos on how to build it.
Here is what the creator of this kit thought "This grew into the idea of planting little robotic insects around the city... on trees, fences, etc, to surprise people and just add a bit
of strangeness to the environment. I wanted them to blink intermittently, and respond to their environment, which led to the idea of the antennae acting as a spring switch, so the eyes would
blink whenever the wind blew." - Ken Murphy.
Posted by David J. Neff |
Nov 28, 2008 11:52 AM
Kits, Maker Shed Store |
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Jed Berk and the Blubber bots - Autonomous Light Air Vessels (ALAVs)
Jed Berk has a lot of shows going! Jed makes our Blubber bot kit in the MAKE store, if you want to make a autonomous blimp, you can!
In the pursuit to evolve and grow the biotopes, some of the species have bred forming 500 hundred new young, The Blubber Bots are offspring of the Autonomous Light Air Vessels (ALAVs). The Blubber Bots call for participation from the audience. Through educating an audience from a more hands on experience, Blubber Bots can be assembled and let loose into the world by anyone willing to do so. I am working toward a more ambitious biotope imagining hundreds of Blubber Bots inhabiting a central location. With your help, this vision maybe upon us soonWhat is a Blubber Bot?
Blubber Bots are floating DIY robotic species that navigate autonomously and intelligently. Blubber Bots float, dance, seek and sing. They are light-seeking hellium-filled balloons that graze the landscape in search of light and cellphone signals. Designed into the inflatable form is a set of light sensors enabling them to seek out the brightest light source. They are also equipped with a phone flasher and can recognize cellphone activity. You can interact with a Blubber Bot by making a call and waving your phone near it. In response, it will go into a flocking dance or sing you a special tune.
Brandts, Odense, Denmark
35 Blubbers in a solo exhibit
"Beluga Pod", Opening Reception Nov. 13, 5pm-7pm
Dates: 11.13.2008 - 11.30.2008
MOCA, Taipei
Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei
DEF, group exhibit (ALAVs 2.0)
Dates: 9.12.2008 - 11.09.2008
Blubber Bot Robotic Inflatable
Part of a family of "Transitional Species," Blubber Bots are Do-It-Yourself robotic inflatables that navigate autonomously and intelligently. They are light-seeking helium-filled balloons that graze the landscape in search of light and cellphone signals.
Features:
- Designed into the inflatable form is a set of light sensors enabling them to seek out the brightest light source. They are also equipped with a phone flasher and can recognize cellphone activity. You can interact with a Blubber Bot by making a call and waving your phone near it. In response, they will go into a flocking dance or sing you a special tune.
- Social and friendly in nature, Blubber Bots like to play. You can invite other Blubber Bots over for a party to watch them flock and mingle. They propel themselves using helium buoyancy and two-directional motors. They are a little clumsy though and tend to bump into things. Fortunately, Blubber Bots are born with a feeler (bump switch) to help them out of tricky situations. At a flick of the "feeler", they back up and head in a new direction.
- Not only do they like to play, but they love to sing. Blubber Bots have a unique voice generated from a vibrating motor and a small piezo speaker attached to their mylar bodies. They bellow sounds similar to a whale's song and serenade you with melodies. When not being played with, they rest while tooting periodic sounds in their sleep, dreaming until they once again are awakened.
You can also get MAKE 12 - Featuring the Blubber bot.
Make, Vol 12 features our special section on digital arts and crafts called "Upload," where you'll learn how to take infrared photographs, shoot movies with custom backgrounds, and make fun-to-watch slideshows of your digital family photos. You'll also learn how to make an extremely loud air whistle, a solar-powered xylophone, and a TV remote control that's powered by your muscles. As usual, you'll find plenty of other exciting how-to projects inside.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Nov 28, 2008 06:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects, Electronics, Maker Shed Store |
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November 26, 2008
Arduino Gift Guide!
The Arduino open-source microcontroller platform can be programmed and equipped to perform a nearly endless list of functions. It's likely the best all-around centerpiece to a modern electronics project. But one of the tasks Arduino is best used for is straight-up fun - the open design means there's an Arduino board suitable for almost any project, and a wealth of add-on "shields" extends its abilities with ease.
Updated! - This list keeps growing, and growing and ...
Starter kits
Arduino Starter Kit - The best way to get going with the very capable microcontroller platform, the starter kit sets you up with a bunch of basic parts necessary for tinkering plus a wealth of knowledge in the included 400+ pages of Making Things Talk, by Arduino developer Tom Igoe. Features -
- 1x Arduino Diecimila
- 1x Mini Breadboard
- 1x 3 ft. USB Cable
- 10x 1K Resistors
- 2x 10k Resistors
- 3x Red LEDs
- 2x Green LEDs
- 1X Superbright Blue LED
- 1x Momentary Tactile Switch
- 2x Interlink Force Sensing Resistors
- 1x Protoshield Kit (unassembled)
- Making Things Talk by Tom Igoe
- 24" each of Red, Blue & Black AWG jumper wire
- 9V Battery Case w/DC Plug (some assembly required)
- Yes, even a 9V battery
Price $89.99
Arduino Starter Pack - A different take on the Arduino survival kit, this pack from Adafruit includes potentiometers, a DC wall adapter, and a nice selection of LEDs -
- Arduino Duemilanove - including 4 rubber feet
- 3' USB cable
- Protoshield Kit
- Tiny Breadboard
- 9V DC regulated wall adapter
- 9V Battery case with switch and a 2.1mm plug
- 10K potentiometer, 1K potentiometer
- 2 small pushbuttons
- 5 red diffused bright LEDs, plus one each of red, green and blue ultra-bright LED
- 5 100 ohm resistors, 5 1K resistors, 5 10K resistors
- CdS photocell sensor
- 4 pieces of 18" long jumper wire in red, black, yellow and blue
Price $65Read full story
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 26, 2008 10:00 AM
Arduino, Kits, Maker Shed Store |
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November 25, 2008
Fuzebox - an open source 8-bit game console kit
Adafruit Industries just released a new kit version of the Uzebox open-source gaming console -
After many months of looking at NTSC waveforms on my scope (go video-sync trigger!) I have finished the Fuzebox, a fully open-source, DIY 8-bit game console (based on the Uzebox I posted about a while back). It is based almost completely on an ATmega644 with some video encoding help from the AD725.Check out Ladyada.net Cool project with a lot of potential and a neat enclosure - for more info and schematic, kits are available from the Adafruit store - Fuzebox
More:
Retro-minimalist homebrew game console
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 25, 2008 03:00 PM
Gaming, Kits, Maker Shed Store |
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Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts that will inspire your kids!
Here is our 2008 Make Holiday Gift Guide for kids. Hopefully these gifts will inspire you to go out and make new things, teach others what you know, or even learn something new. The best gift you can give any kid is quality time together. I tried to cover a lot of different ages, skill levels, and interests. If I missed something you think should be added to the list, please leave it in the comments below. Thanks!
If you are looking for cool projects to make with your kids over the Holidays, don't forget to check out the Make blog "Kids" category for hundreds, if not thousands, of great projects.
Howtoons
As seen in Make Magazine. Part comic strip and part science experiment, Howtoons shows children how to find imaginative new uses for common household items like soda bottles, duct tape, mop buckets, and moreñto teach kids the "Tools of Mass Construction"! Howtoons are cartoons that teach 8ñ to 15ñyearñold readers "how to" build, create, and explore things. Combining a fun, fullñcolor cartoon format and real life science and engineering principles, Howtoons are designed to encourage kids to become active participants in the world around them.
Price: $15.99
Drawdio Kit
You may have to put this kit together if you have younger kids, since it requires soldering. It's easy to assemble, and fun to hack! Drawdio has been kid tested at my house for many hours, and is a hit with everyone who tries it!
Drawdio is an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw! It's great project for beginners: An easy kit with instant gratification! Essentially, its a very simple musical synthesizer that uses the conductive properties of pencil graphite to create different sounds. The result is a fun toy that lets you draw musical instruments on any piece of paper.
Price: $19.50
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Nov 25, 2008 07:50 AM
Kids, Kits, LEGO, Maker Shed Store, Robotics |
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Popsicle stick robot arm
Eric and Bre teamed up to create a joystick-controlled robot arm using popsicle sticks and a twitchie kit - nicely done! -
We hacked an old Atari joystick to control the arm, and each servo is manipulated in turn as you press the red button. It really was a ton of fun to bring this project together, and I’m amazed at what we did in a few hours. Huge thanks to Bre for having the hardware all set to go and to Raph for his awesome Twitchie kit and all his advice along the way.Source code and more info available here - DIY Robot Arm
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 25, 2008 05:00 AM
Maker Shed Store, Robotics |
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November 24, 2008
HOW TO - Control a Gakken SX-150 using Arduino
Mr. Book sent in his strategy for controlling Arduino from a MIDI controller through Processing -
My implementation uses a single DAC IC chip, the MCP4921, which sells for about 2 bucks from Mouser. The current version uses the Arduino, only to read one byte, as a midi note, from the serial connection and sends that to the SX-150. I could have created the full midi circuit to make it a standalone solution, but that increases the cost and complexity of the physical connections. I'll probably do that on a later revision.Very excellent - all code available on his site - Controlling a Gakken SX-150 synth with ArduinoSo, in order to receive midi data, I wrote a small Processing sketch that receives midi, and sends the note information through the serial port to the Arduino.
More:
HOW TO - control a Gakken SX-150 via MIDI
Bare Bones Arduino Board Kit (Unassembled)
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 24, 2008 04:00 AM
Arduino, Maker Shed Store, Music |
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November 21, 2008
Eric Wilhelm on WCBS-AM and NPR
Eric J. Wilhelm, of Instructables, will be on NPR's "Weekend Edition Saturday" and WCBS-AM 880 this coming Monday to talk about The Best of Instructables for a holiday gift-themed program.
The airtime for "Weekend Edition Saturday" will vary by market. The WCBS-AM program will air on 11/24 at 10:20 am, 11:40 am, 12:20pm, 1:40 pm, and 2:20 pm (all times ET). You can listen to it live at http://www.wcbs880.com/
Also, you can log onto NPR.org/gifts at 1:30pm ET tomorrow for a live chat featuring Eric talking about ECO-nomical holiday gifts!
Best Of Instructables Instructables.com has become one of the most popular magnets for makers and DIY enthusiasts of all stripes. Now, with more than 10,000 projects to choose from, the Instructables staff, the editors of MAKE magazine, and the Instructables community itself have put together a collection of some of the best craft and tech how-to's from the site. The Best of Instructables Volume 1 includes plenty of clear, full-color photos, complete step-by-step instructions, and tips, tricks, and new build techniques you won't find anywhere else. Over 300 pages and 120 projects!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Nov 21, 2008 05:56 PM
Instructables, Maker Shed Store |
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Branching Out
Hey Makers, This is David J. Neff and you may know me as the MAKE Halloween blogger, but after meeting all the guys and gal from MAKE at Maker Faire Austin 2008 they thought I should join the party that's still going on. So I have been asked to build some of the kits from the Maker Shed and document how hard or easy they are to make along with some tips. Now I have made Halloween props for several years but none of those as complicated as some of the stuff in the Maker Shed. So tune in as an average guy takes on some truly cool projects. Feel free to leave me comments or shortcuts as I build and post projects.My first project was the LED Clock.
Posted by David J. Neff |
Nov 21, 2008 10:36 AM
DIY Projects, Maker Shed Store |
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Bit Blob buzzes & bleeps bigtime
Bleep Labs and Loud Objects have joined forces to bring the noise in the form of Bit Blob "the first being of pure noise" -
The Bit Blob is a digital noise maker that's controlled by connecting its contacts together, allowing you to bend your way through unlimited sonic madness. You can also connect LEDs, audio outputs, or other Bit Blobs between control pins.Oh man, I hope those little guys aren't claustrophobic - BitBlobOnly 30 will be made for this holiday season.
More:
ThingamaKIT
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 21, 2008 06:00 AM
Maker Shed Store, Music |
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Music maker's gift guide
Musicians know how important it is to add a personal touch to their instruments - and really what better way to make something personal than to actually make it yourself? There are a number of very cool kits for sound-makers out there, from circuit-benders, to serious synthesizers. Here are some great gift ideas for those interested in crafting their own sounds.
Mini-Theremin kit - The theremin, invented in 1919 by Russian scientist Leon Theremin, is one of the world's earliest fully electronic instruments, and is also unique in that it was the first musical instrument designed to be played without being touched. The eerie, other-worldly tones as heard in the films mentioned above are created by the proximity of the player's hands to the metal antennas, with the resulting radio frequency interference being transformed into musical tones. Instructions are in Japanese but features highly detailed assembly pictures, sorry no English translation at this time. Easy to build and play!
price $29.95
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 21, 2008 04:30 AM
Maker Shed Store |
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November 20, 2008
Drawdio paint brush
Not to be limited to pencil, the Drawdio sound generating/art project is seen here using the conductivity of water from a paint brush. Temporary marks can be made and used - then just let them evaporate away. Neat!
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Nov 20, 2008 01:00 PM
Arts, Kits, Maker Shed Store, Music |
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Alternative energy gift guide - Solar, wind, fuel cell, biodiesel and more...
Next year is going to be a big year folks, we'll see more investment and emphasis on alternative energy than ever before, this will be our "space race" and our "moon landing". The children of today will be the ones who will shape the next decade and the next century. As a parent, a friend, a mentor or just someone who is giving a gift this holiday season - instead of a plastic toy or nik-nak I'm going to ask the you consider giving something that might just spark the attention of a young mind that will be called to solve our energy needs.
We all know we will not be able to sustain a future on a fuel (oil) that's going to eventually go away and/or become more expensive. No one really likes dealing with the Middle East for the most part and other nations like China and India are going to drive demand through the roof, we're going to need to diversify our energy needs. It's not going to be a lot of us reading MAKE right now, it's going to be the children of folks reading MAKE.
Solar, wind, biodiesel, nuclear - these are all things we explore in the pages of MAKE, online, in our videos and with the kits we carefully select for our Maker Shed. We're not going to get out this current crisis with the same thinking that got us here, we need to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, it's going to take decades - 8 to 12 year olds today will be the ones who will need to rise to the challenge. Will our education system do enough? No - we'll all need to do something. It's a daunting task and a seemingly impossible challenge, and that's why I know we'll do it - if it was easy, it wouldn't be interesting.
Entrepreneurs will see this as a wonderful opportunity to start new and amazing companies, I'm positive there are going to be more incentives to do so starting next year. We're talking jobs, new industries, tax breaks - it's going to happen, but everyone needs to do something. It might just be tinkering around with a solar panel in your neighborhood to get folks interested, it might be modding the Prius you just bought - a new era in energy independence is going to happen, not overnight, but I am 100% positive it will happen and it will be makers (and their children) who lead the way.
I've put together a gift guide of all the cool and interesting alternative energy kits and resources - check it, maybe send it to a few friends... if you think a young person might have what it takes to change the world, this might be the spark that starts it off... People always ask "how can we get started" - this is just one of the ways.
Solarspeeder Kit
A quick Solaroller that can cover 3 meters (10 feet) in under 40 seconds in direct sunlight. Simple to construct and a great project for beginners!
Price: $25.00
Also check out:
Keep reading for a ton more alternative energy, DIY kits and resources for building the future!
Read full story
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Nov 20, 2008 01:58 AM
Announcements, Green, Maker Shed Store |
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November 19, 2008
Craft Kits on Sale in the Maker Shed
Here's a reminder that all craft kits in the Maker Shed are 10% off until the end of November! There are great gifts in there for your kids, your friends, and any other crafters you know. Use promo code CRAFTER at checkout to take advantage of this deal.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Nov 19, 2008 09:00 PM
Crafts, Maker Shed Store |
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Stocking stuffers - The Pocket Reference collection, all under $20!
Looking for a stocking stuffer that you or the giftee will use for years to come? Want to only spend $16 bucks or less? Check out the Pocket Reference collection at the Maker Shed store. These little books are like "Pocket Googles" but you can actually find something with them! No network connection required either! Perfect for the workbench, the school desk, the craft table. I've kept one with me for years, these also appear on the MythBusters when they need to look up something. Super handy and there's even a "MAKE" edition....
Let's get started!
Thomas J. Glover Pocket Reference
We kept asking ourselves, "If there was just one tool that no Maker should be without, what would it be?" This may just be the "tool" we'd pick. This great little book is a concise all-purpose reference featuring hundreds of tables, maps, formulas, constants & conversions, and it still fits in your shirt pocket! Packed with mathematical formula, tables, standard conversion ratios, scientific facts, technical specifications, electric wire size vs. load, resistor color codes, Morse code, sun & planet data, earthquake scales, nail sizes, geometry formulas, currency exchange rates, carpentry, automotive, physical science, water friction losses, charts for battery charging, lumber sizes & grades, floor joint span limits, insulation R values, periodic table, and as they say, much, much more! It's no wonder The Pocket Ref was featured in MythBusters! All the reference information anyone needs on virtually any subject is right at the fingertips in this handy pocket-sized guide. Its tables, charts, drawings, lists, and formulas will be especially useful for contractors, students, travelers, electronics hobbyists, craftspeople, and engineers and technicians in virtually every field.
Price: $12.95
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Nov 19, 2008 03:40 PM
Announcements, Maker Shed Store |
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The MAKE gift guides for 2008!
Stop by the Maker Shed store and check out THE place for open source hardware, Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.
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David Neff
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Current Podcast
Maker Faire Austin - Green Tech
Makers from around the world gathered to share their "green" inventions and technology at Maker Faire in Austin. Make plans now to attend the next Maker Faire. To download Maker Faire Austin 2008 - Green Tech MP4 click here...
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