Permission to Play
A roundup of delightful toys and games.
Fun & Games
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
Lego Robot Folds and Flings a Paper Airplane
NXTLOG user hknssn13 built this amazing paper airplane machine. My favorite part is the 4th stage, where four linear actuators make the final folds in the airplane. It looks sick when the entire assembly rises up! The project uses 2 NXT microcontroller bricks, 5 servos, 10 DC motors, pneumatics, infrared, and a bunch of sensors. […]
Arduino Helicopter Game
Kevin Loney made a one-button “helicopter” game with an Arduino and a 16×2 LCD.
How-To: Cat Scratch Feeder
Has your cat left scratch marks on everything from grandmother’s kneecaps to your grandfather clock? It’s time to train Kitty to use this scratching post instead of everything else in your home.
Lego Peristaltic Syrup Pump
I spent a rather absurd amount of time last summer trying to build my own peristaltic pump — which delivers liquids through a food-safe tube by massaging it. So when I saw Miguel Valenzuela’s Lego peristaltic pump at Maker Faire New York, I was stoked! It goes with his PancakeBot, which uses Lego robotics to […]
Legonardo, the Humanoid Pen Plotter Made Out of Lego
Italian robotics engineer Daniele Benedettelli built this clever robot that works as a pen plotter: Ladies and gentlemen, here is LEGONARDO, a portrayer robot. It is my fourth generation drawing machine. It is inspired by the work of 18th Century Swiss watch and automata makers Pierre Jacquet-Droz and Henri Maillardet. After reading The Invention of […]
Black Maker Month: Anthony Fudd
I was surprised when I met Anthony for the first time at the 2012 Barbot competition in San Francisco. This guy was part of the Lego Mindstorm team. How cool is that! Not only does he know how to make cool stuff with Legos, but he actually makes Legos. I appreciated the use of not one, but two Mindstorms for the TipsyBot that Anthony built. I’m not sure it made my drink taste any better, but it was pretty fun to see.