Circular fabric potentiometer
Hannah Perner-Wilson is working on some really interesting sensing experiments including this potentiometer that’s controlled by sliding a large metal ball bearing around two conductive traces.
Year: 2009
Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab (1950-1951)
OMG! If I’d found this gem glowing underneath the aluminum Christmas tree when I was a kid, I’d have sprained something in my geekly excitement. I think I’d sprain something now… my wallet. This kit sold for a rather steep-at-the-time $50 and goes for 100 times that now. But I’d still be tempted. I think […]
Conductive thread organ
Syuzi at Fashioning Technology points us to this project by Brett Renfer which uses capacitive sensing via conductive thread and Arduino to make this button organ. In the Maker Shed: Lilypad E-Sewing Kit
Generating sound in Flash 10
One of the new features to make it into Flash 10 is the ability to generate software-based audio. There’s essentially an event callback that will trigger during audio playback that lets you fill an input buffer full of wavelength samples. I’m looking forward to seeing what types of generative music folks will be able to […]
Vibrobots!
Bill VanLoo used the Vibrobot project from MAKE, Volume 10 with his students at Honey Creek Community School. The 4/5 technology classes built Vibrobots for one of their project this year. Vibrobots are small electric bug-like creatures that are built from a small metal or plastic enclosure (think mint tin), a motor, and some ingenuity. […]
Saul Griffith’s TED talk on kite power
MAKE columnist and advisory board member Saul Griffith, giving a brief TED talk introducing the concept of high-altitude kite-generated energy and his work at Makani Power. Saul Griffith: Inventing a super-kite to tap the energy of high-altitude wind More: Powering Down: Q&A with Saul Griffith…
Laser-less tactile rubik’s cube
Instructables Member GTIG has a well documented Instructable on creating a tactile Rubik’s cube. This cube brings a unique characteristic to solving a Rubik’s cube that no other cube does… the ability to say “I solved it without even looking at it once.” Rather than building hand-eye coordination, it builds hand-mind coordination. I find that […]