DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!
Engin Ayaz, Tak Cheung, and Doug Kanter created HeartWave, a tabletop device which uses water ripples to visualize the heartbeat of two people at once. The sides of the tank are equipped with Polar heart beat sensors, which actuate electromagnets to pulse a fin, generating each wave. According to Doug, “variations in liquid and lighting allow for a range of unique HeartWave experiences.”
A Spanish craftsman named Patelo skillfully designed and fabricated this tiny working V-12 motor from stock stainless steel, aluminum, and bronze for his grandchildren Sara, Carmen, Jose and Pablo. It took more than 1200 hours of work. Not counting the 222 screws, he machined all 261 pieces himself. The engine operates via compressed-air injection, has 12cm3 total displacement, 11.3mm cylinder heads, and a 10mm stroke on each piston.
What could sound easier than to make a regular construction from four paper equilateral triangles? One possible construction is the regular tetrahedron, which is pretty easy. Here is a different construction from four equilateral triangles. Each triangle is linked with the other three, like two links of a chain.
Instructables user bfgreen makes small, lightweight, waterproof containers like this by sawing off plastic soda bottle necks right below the lip, flattening the cut edges on a file, applying cyanoacrylate glue, and clamping. Since these bottles are usually PET, they could also probably be solvent-welded with acetone and other common solvent cements.
…if you happen to have a vehicle with about 300,000 units on the odometer. From Alan Parekh’s always-delightful Hacked Gadgets.
British company BCB has developed what is essentially a potato cannon on steroids. Called the Wall Breaker, this pneumatically charged cannon launches water cooler bottles at 984 feet per second.
Need to break through concrete in a hostage situation? No problem. Want to rip a giant hole through a cargo van. They have you covered.
This was developed for the British military, so I’m not sure we’ll be seeing a consumer version available anytime soon. Impressive all the same.
This new Grow at Home Mushroom Garden is a bit of a departure from items usually found in the Maker Shed. We’ve noticed a trend toward urban agriculture and sustainable living which are completely embodied by this ingenious garden in a box. The brilliant design allows anyone to grow gourmet mushrooms right from the recycled packaging it arrived in.
