Made on Earth

Face to Face by Stacey Ransom
Tom Banwell is a leatherworker and caster/sculptor who creates imaginative facemasks. Page 18

Analog Wranglers by Rose White
Brian and Leon Dewan have created a series of instruments called Dewanatrons that vary in complexity from simple and elegant to extraordinary. Page 20

Turn Signals and Turntables by Laura Cochrane
Dutch artist Olaf Mooij modified a 1983 Ford Sierra into the surreal, cartoonish DJ Mobile – complete with a professional-quality Beyma sound system and a DJ setup. Page 21

Hutt's Cantina by Rachel Hobson
Jason Hutt created a massive and intricate diorama of the Mos Eisley cantina scene from Star Wars. Page 22

Drill-Powered Future Trike by Gareth Branwyn
Young German designer Nils Ferber, along with his team, created the EX, a futuristic drill-powered trike. Page 23

Pedal Power by Jerry James Stone
Ian Fardoe made a velomobile for his bicycle that cost about £2,600 ($4,000) to build – far less than commercial velomobiles, which can cost twice that price. Page 24

Pendulum Perfector by William Abernathy
Named after its inventor, French physicist Léon Foucault, the Foucault pendulum demonstrates the Earth's rotation by knocking down pins arrayed around the pit over which it swings. Page 25

1+2+3

Action Root Beer Pong by Cy Tymony
Bring back the fun of beer pong by adding motion, with your own pong toy that scuttles about. Page 115

Stud Chair by Corky Mork
Make a perfectly serviceable chair out of 2x4 studs. Page 122

Maker

Glenn Derry: Movie Maker by Bob Parks
This special effects innovator hacks together blockbuster filmmaking tools – and shares his recipe for an indie-budget virtual camera. Page 32

Peasant da Vincis by Tom Vanderbilt
Incredible inventions from Chinese villagers. Page 38

SPECIAL SECTION: Special Section

Yellow Drum Machine by Frits Lyneborg
Build a funky little free-range drumbot that roams, makes beats, and samples. Page 42

Roomba Recon by Evin Papowitz, Raymond Caruso
Turn an old Roomba into a web-controlled wireless remote surveillance vehicle. Page 49

Spazzi: A Solenoid-Powered Dancebot by Marek Michalowski
Build a cute robotic bobble-head that dances to your music, and even makes some of his own. Page 56

Teleclaw: Remote Robot Gripper by Gordon McComb
Use a TV remote to grab and release small objects from afar. Page 62

Teaching Old Toys New Tricks by DJ Sures
DJ Sures converts toys into surprisingly capable robots. Page 66

Welcome, Robot Overlords
A roundup of crazy bots, ready to do our bidding.

Quadrotor Craze
Lab Lush
On a Roll
Off-Road Snake
Emotional Robotic Band
Cavalcade of CoasterBots
Cellphones for Machines
Planet H99
TurtleBot Hobby Platform
Hamster Inside
Ultrasonic Sensors
Get a Grip
Bots on the Rocks
Art Hacks
DIY Underwater Exploration
Page 74

Robots of Maker Faire by Keith Hammond
Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 had many amazing robots! Page 80

Projects

Jellyfish Tank by Alex Andon
Convert a regular aquarium into a jellyfish habitat.

Photographing Your Jellyfish Page 82

PS/2/You by Immanuel McKenty
Go-anywhere, instantly updatable glowing digital message board. Page 92

Limelight by Peter Tabur
Experience pre-Edison incandescent lighting. Page 104

Welcome

Building Robots that Play by Dale Dougherty
Like dogs, robots are becoming our companions, demonstrating the ability to learn new routines that make us happy. Page 11

Tales from the Web

Building a MAKE Video Network by Gareth Branwyn
We've greatly expanded MAKE's video offerings with a regular roster of excellent project and tutorial series, all conveniently accessed from blog.makezine.com/video and youtube.com/makemagazine and iTunes. Page 26

Making Trouble

Pneubotics: Walking Bouncy Castles by Saul Griffith
Biology doesn't use metal, and it doesn't use servos. Nature points to some very interesting alternatives. Page 27

Country Scientist

Startups: Origins of the PC Revolution by Forrest Mims III
Today's smartphones and tablets, laptops and desktop computers all trace their ancestry to the arrival of the hobby computer era of the 1970s. Page 28

Make Free

Four Horsemen of the 3D Printing Apocalypse by Cory Doctorow
Pro-regulation hysterics make recourse to the Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse: child porn, organized crime, terrorist, and pirates. Page 31

Skill Builder

Visualizing With ImageJ by Bob Goldstein
Free image/video processing software creates vivid representations of time, movement, and data. Page 116

DIY: Workshop

Spoon-Carving Knife by Doug Stowe
Make a blade to make useful things for the kitchen. Page 123

$30 Gobo Arm: Mobile Document Camera Stand by Adam Flaherty
Go hands-free for the price of a clamp. Page 126

DIY: Outdoors

Portable Powerhouse by Andrew Lewis
This semi-flexible solar panel system clips onto a backpack and provides power to electronic devices. Page 128

Fishing for Swarms by Abe Connally, Josie Moores
Lure in a local colony of honeybees with a simple wooden bait hive. Page 132

Wood Gas Camp Stove by William Abernathy
Make a simple tin-can stove that costs 99 cents, runs for free, and sequesters carbon as you cook. Page 136

DIY: Office

Treadmill Desk by Doug Bradbury
An "active workstation" from a treadmill and Ikea parts. Page 141

Touchdesk by Pauric O'Callaghan
Customize your own integrated workspace. Page 144

Electronics: Fun and Fundamentals

The Do-Not-Touch Box by Charles Platt
Use a simple accelerometer to perplex your friends. Page 150

MakeShift

Hot Water! by Lee D. Zlotoff
In the midst of a nuclear disaster, figure out a way to provide enough drinking water for at least one week. Page 154

Howtoons

Let's Make a Wobbler by Saul Griffith
Page 156

Toolbox

Toolbox
Multimeters and soldering irons and scissors, oh my! Plus a reference manual for pyros, and the ultimate maker belt. Page 158

Eureka!

Zipper Help
Use an R/C helicopter to help you zip your dress. Page 160

Dangerous Things

Squash a Penny on a Train Track by Julie Spiegler, Gever Tulley
Leverage the force of a locomotive. Page 166

What I Made

Elegant Telescoping Light with Weighted Counterbalance by Scott Bedford
Made entirely from paper and cord (and a teeny bit of wire and old Xmas lights), this cool shade needs nothing more than a craft knife, a hot glue gun, and a pair of pliers to construct. Page 168

Remaking History

The Daniell Cell by William Gurstelle
Make the electric battery that powered the scientific revolution. Page 170

Homebrew

My DIY King Pong
Jerry Reilly built a gigantic outdoor version of Pong. Page 176