Origami Soma cube blocks
Although it can’t be a terribly accurate way to make polycube puzzle pieces, I must admit I am charmed by Qiao Chang’s origami soma cube blocks. [via Neatorama]
Fun & Games
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
Self-righting autonomous swarming robots
SensorFly, a prototype from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University shows just how robust the current crop really is. Knock down one of these sensor-packed hovering whirlygigs and it reorients itself to take flight again in a matter of seconds
Jonathan Wolfe’s puzzle acorns
My buddy Jon makes these awesome little puzzle boxes from acorns. There are four shown in the video: one pair consisting of a smaller hinged acorn that nests, matryoshka-style, inside a larger one with a wire spring latch; a larger, locking nut that is opened by removing a small pin; and, finally, a large hinged version that is unlatched by knocking it against a surface from a certain angle.
DIY capacitive pressure sensor tile
usbddr is firmware for the Atmel ATMega8 which implements a usb controller (“dance pad”) for games such as stepmania. In contrast to other homebrew dance pads, it uses capacitive sensing, eliminating mechanical wear and allowing adjustable sensitivity
3D scanner using standard webcam
Qi Pan, a PhD candidate at the Engineering Department of Cambridge University, has developed a novel approach to capturing 3D objects with a standard webcam.
Stained glass d20s
From Flickr user Bloodthirsty Vegetarians, who also produce an eponymous podcast. [via Neatorama]
LEGO-sized hole punch by MUJI
Paper craft meets LEGO with MUJI’s quad hole punch and kits, available November 27th at MUJI Japan. [via CRAFT]