The littleBits kit is like Lego for basic circuits. Each “bit” is a small circuit board that enables a single electronics component or electronic function, like a potentiometer, light sensor, LED, or motor. The bits snap together magnetically with edge connectors that are color-coded to indicate their general role within a circuit; for example magenta […]
At MAKE Labs we built a squadron of balsa-and-tissue ornithopters for William Gurstelle’s how-to article in MAKE Volume 08. The trickiest part was bending the tiny wire crank that flaps the wings in time. Even with Bill’s clear instructions, that little wire was trial-and-error. This kit spares you that error. The pre-bent crank and laser-cut […]
I built this Mousebot with my son, who had just turned 10. At first, I had to show him how to solder and helped him align the sides (not too easy), but by the end he was doing all the work himself and enjoying the “toughness” of the assembly. This kit is simple, but it […]
I bought my first Boe-Bot over 10 years ago. I’ve dropped it, stepped on it, even lost it behind the couch for three months. Nothing seems to faze this thing. The Boe consists of an aluminum frame, upon which two servomotors, a battery holder, and a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller board are mounted. Over the […]
This LED matrix consists of 1,470 PCBs each packing 6 RGB LEDs, an IC, and other components for a total of over 26,000 components, all soldered by hand or reflowed in a pizza oven. [Via Hacked Gadgets]
Grand Prize Winner in the CRAFT category: Business Lizard and Brief Case Diorama After hours of judging and tallying, CRAFT and MAKE has zeroed in on this year’s Halloween Contest Winners! 1st Place in Costume: They Live Alien Masks 1st Place in Props: Mini Gun Madness 1st Place in Decor: Asian Fortress Halloween House 1st […]
If you want to get into 3D printing but don’t know where to start, the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic Kit is the way to go. It’s a complete kit, so you need no additional parts, and a large user community can back you up if problems pop up (not to mention Thingiverse, where you can find awesome […]
