Top 10: Recumbent Bikes
Trikes, too! No quads in here, though. That’s something we shall have to remedy, in future.
Science
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!
Belt-Driven, Hubless Rear Wheel Bicycle
The aim was to use a hubless wheel to create a compact bicycle, with the benefits of a large wheel and belt drive.Hubless wheels have appeared in bicycle concepts already, and were first invented by Sbarro. However, few concepts have made it to prototype and when only used for aesthetic purposes, the disadvantage of extra cost out weights the visual gain. Lunartic uses the hubless for a reason; to house the working parts, reducing the wheel base but not sacrificing conventional riding geometry. Lunartic is supposed to be as compact as possible without folding or being awkward to ride, however there is the potential for the front wheel to fold up into the rear or for that space to be used for a laptop back, motor or dynamo.
Google Starts Science Fair, Pitching Products to Students
Google Starts Science Fair, Pitching Products to Students @ NYTimes.com… Google is synonymous with “search engine,” and now, for students, it wants to be synonymous with “science.” The company is getting into the science fair business with its first Google Science Fair, a global competition for teenagers that spans sciences as diverse as computer engineering, space […]
How-To: Build A Reciprocal Roof
Brian Liloia documented his build of this round self-supporting roof structure in 2008, while living in Missouri. This type of self-supporting structure, in which each beam bears the weight of another, and has its weight born by yet another, and all arranged such the load is thus distributed ’round in a continuous cycle, is called a reciprocal frame. It requires at least three members, and you can build a simple working model with matchsticks. [via No Tech Magazine]
Greebly Coffee Table From E-Waste
Though we see lots of furniture built from old computer parts, electronics, and other scrap, I especially like this one because I think it provides an object lesson in how to do this sort of thing and make it look good: Greeble it up! When you’re basically just glomming bits together to achieve a utilitarian form, the more visual complexity you can achieve in the surface texture, the better.
Battery from Pennies
This simple instructables from seniorhigh shows you how to create a simple battery from a few basic ingredients including pennies, a paper towel, and lemon juice.
Wave Machine From Tape, Toothpicks, and Gummy Bears
What I look for in a project, more than any other single quality, is doing a lot with a little. This “wave machine” demo from the UK’s National STEM Centre, targeted to science teachers for classroom use, is a great example. It’s just duct tape, wooden skewers, and gummy bears, but it creates some really striking, beautiful effects when set in motion. I want to make one in my living room just to play with. Their licensing terms forbid embedding of the video, but it’ll be worth your click to hop on over to STEM and watch it move.