RSSVolume 14: Optics
Available as a Single Volume
Volume 14: Optics
Keep an eye-out for Make Vol. 14, which has a special section on optics. You'll learn how to make an inexpensive but powerful digital microscope that will allow you to display bacteria colonies on a video monitor, a vintage-looking opaque projector that can display artwork from books onto a wall, a model of a crazy-angled room that makes things appear to change size, and a cool kaleidoscope. Also in the issue, we'll show you how to build the following: a mesmerizing taffy pulling machine, a remote control dune buggy with a built in video camera, a dollar-store parabolic microphone, and many more fun and fascinating projects.
View a list of all links referenced in this volume
Table of Contents
Make Like Picasso by Mark Frauenfelder
in Welcome
When you create something amazing, it makes sense to honor it with physical appeal, too. Page 12
Too Much Time on My Hands by Cory Doctorow
in Make Free
All creative endeavor begins with just fooling around. Enjoy it. Page 14
Earth, Wind, Inspire by Linda Permann
in Made on Earth
Page 16
Musical Engineerity by Peter Kirn
in Made on Earth
Want robots to be musical, creative, and expressive? Better brush up on your engineering. Page 18
Pedal Pure by Megan Mansell Williams
in Made on Earth
The five designers of Aquaduct were thinking of creating access to clean water for everyone. Page 19
Status: Stinky by Bruce Stewart
in Made on Earth
Want someone to know how many times you applied deodorant today? Neither do the creators of Zero Privacy. Page 20
Auto Erotic by Eric Smillie
in Made on Earth
After five ratchet-welding years, Liz Cohen has created a lawnmower that becomes an El Camino. Page 21
Yabba Dabba DIY by Ed Troxell
in Made on Earth
Bill LeMaster built the Flintstone car for his grandkids' Halloween costume. Page 22
Dirty Car Art by Dale Dougherty
in Made on Earth
Scott Wade wanted to do better than write "Wash Me" in the dust of dirty cars... so he drew caricatures. Page 23
The Power of Things by Saul Griffith
in Making Trouble
Reusing and energy consumption have been consuming Saul Griffith's thoughts. Page 24
Timothy and the Chocolate Factory by David Pescovitz
in Proto
How a space shuttle technologist and the founder of Wired magazine hacked together a homebrew chocolate lab. Page 28
Mall Living by Howard Wen
Artist Michael Townsend and his wife Adriana Yoto lived in a mall, rent free, for four years. Page 34
Cars Without Drivers by William Gurstelle
Teams compete to win the U.S. military's $2 million grand prize. Page 38
Flying School Automaton by Annie Buckley
Technology-loving artist Diane Landry discusses her background, her inspiration, and how kids respond to kinetic sculpture. Page 42
Ready, Set, Make! by Gever Tulley
Twenty-five teams, 1 box of parts, 4 hours, winner takes all -- welcome to the 2008 XD Design Build Prize. Page 44
Pushing the Performance Envelope by Michael Betancourt
Mary Hallock-Greenewalt was a musician, engineer, inventor ... and exceptional. Page 47
Homebrew Digital 3D Movies by Eric Kurland
Build your own stereo video camera and 3D viewer. Page 50
Recycled Kaleidoscope by Carolyn Bennett
Make a classic optics toy from an old CD case. Page 57
Print-and-Fold Ames Room by Ranjit B.
This classic illusion makes objects - and hobbits - seem to change size. Page 60
Lensless Microscope by Tom Zimmerman
A webcam's image chip is an ultrafine shadow-imaging stage. Page 64
Cosmic Night Light by Kris DeGraeve
Make a glittering LED constellation jammed in resin - with no soldering! Page 70
Wall Eye by Steve Lodefink
Build your own opaque projector. Page 74
Scanner Camera by Mike Golembewski
Mod a flatbed scanner to take photos that decontruct time and motion. Page 78
Make Noise! by Charles Platt
in Upload
Turn your desktop computer into a musical instrument. Page 86
Page Yourself by Brian O'Heir
in Upload
When you want to put up your own website, how free can a freebie be? Page 88
As Good as Old by Richard Kadrey
in Upload
Once upon a time, photographers took pictures on a delicate, wonky medium called "film", which was plagued with defects such as dust, scratched negatives, grain, and colors that faded with time. Page 91
Living Room Baja Buggies by John Mouton
With wireless cameras on board, these radio-controlled racers give you virtual reality telepresence. Page 96
Taffy Pulling Machine by William Gurstelle
Make a simple mechanism that stretches delicious candy while it stretches the limits of multidimensional math. Page 106
The Pixelmusic 3000 by Tarikh Korula
Re-create a mid-1970s video trip by plugging this box into any TV and audio source. Beneath the fake wood paneling, a Propeller microcontroller simulates Atari's classic music visualizer. Page 114
Piggy Bank by Tom Parker
in Make Money
Sometimes it costs more to buy it than to make it from the money itself. Page 124
Wireless Motion Sensing Made Easy by Tom Igoe
in DIY: Circuits
XBee radios track every hit in roller derby action! Page 125
Mini Bike Light by Trevor Shannon
in DIY: Circuits
Make an easy LED headlight from a garden hose adapter. Page 129
Evasive Beeping Thing by Brad Graham, Kathy McGowan
in DIY: Circuits
Infernal noisemaker turns pals into enemies. Page 131
Safety Spectrometer by Eric Rosenthal
in DIY: Science
Device identifies dangerous liquids by analyzing light. Page 134
Parabolic Microphone by Jim Lee
in DIY: Spy
This dollar store DIY spy mic lets you listen from afar. Page 136
Covert Spy Sunglasses by Kip Kedersha
in DIY: Spy
Record what you see and hear with these low-cost stealthy sunglasses. Page 138
The Machinist's Phonograph by Royston Maybery
in DIY: Music
This time-tripping player handles all cylinder record formats. Page 141
Wii Will Rock You by Bill Byrne
in DIY: Music
Play real air guitar (or keys) with the wireless game remote. Page 145
Molecular Gastronomy by Michael F. Zbyszynski
in DIY: Kitchen
Spherify your food for a new culinary experience. Page 149
The Gomicycle by Marque Cornblatt
in DIY: Vehicles
A Honda Rebel 250 motorcycle goes electric. Page 153
Life Models by Douglas Repetto
in Art Work
Page 156
Three-Dimensional Printing Methods by Tom Owad
in Personal Fab
Build one platform, and you can experiment with everything from cookie dough to laser sintering. Page 158
Solar Power System Design by Parker Jardine
in Primer
How to use solar panels to supplement your home or workshop electricity needs. Page 160
Spinning Top Illusions by Joost Bonsen, Nick Dragotta, Saul Griffith
in Howtoons
Page 168
MakeShift: Under Siege by Lee D. Zlotoff
in MakeShift
The creator of MacGyver challenges you to signal for help from an isolated laundry room while three burly men wait to attack. Page 170
Reader Input
in Reader Input
Where makers tell their tales and offer praise, brickbats, and swell ideas. Page 172
Puzzle This by Michael H. Pryor
in Aha!
MAKE's favorite puzzles. Page 174
Toolbox by Ken Delahoussaye, Kes Donahue, David Grosof, Brian Jepson, Alan Kalb, Tim Lillis, Steve Lodefink, Sam Murphy, Meara O'Reilly, Joseph Pasquini, Sholady, April Zamora
in Toolbox
Go cuckoo for coconuts, munch on the ultimate brain food, turn day into night, and build your own greenhouse. Page 176
Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle
in Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world. Page 183
My Homebrew 3D Scanner by Tim Anderson
in Homebrew
Imagine a camera that captures the shapes of things, and a printer that prints out those shapes. Page 192
Extras
Additional content for this volume available only online.
MakeShift 14: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners
by Lee D. Zlotoff;
September 21, 2008
MakeShift 14: Jay L. Stern's Most Plausible Winning Entry
Jay L. Stern's entry was awarded the MakeShift Master Plausible award for his solution to MakeShift 14.
by Lee D. Zlotoff;
September 21, 2008
MakeShift 14: T. Daniel's Most Creative Winning Entry
T. Daniel's entry was awarded the MakeShift Master Creative award for his solution to MakeShift 14.
by Lee D. Zlotoff;
September 21, 2008
MakeShift 14: Sean Rhinehart's Honorable Mention Entry
Sean Rhinehart's entry was awarded an Honorable Mention award for his solution to MakeShift 14.
by Lee D. Zlotoff;
September 21, 2008
MakeShift 14: Bill Dallman's Honorable Mention Entry
Bill Dallman's entry was awarded an Honorable Mention award for his solution to MakeShift 14.
by Lee D. Zlotoff;
September 21, 2008
Mulitimedia for this Volume
How to Video (.mp4) from Evasive Beeping Thing
Download now: MPEG
How to Video (.mp4) from Recycled Kaleidoscope
Download now: MPEG
How to Video (.mp4) from Taffy Pulling Machine
Download now: MPEG
Pixelmusic 3000 in Action! from The Pixelmusic 3000
Download now: MPEG
MAKE: Amends Errata for this volume.
| Where it appears | Evasive Beeping Thing, Page 131 |
| The error | Schematic Missing Measurements: The schematic is indeed missing the info with regards to which capacitor goes where, etc. We've uploaded a new version here. The schematic that made it into the magazine also had a line extending between the 8-ohm speaker and Ground. This should not be connected; follow the schematic online for the correct set up. |
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