A couple of weeks ago my daughter was trying to figure out what to be for Halloween, and it came down to either a black cat or a zombie. Immediately my mind went to a book I wrote in 2003 called Braid Crazy (Chronicle), in which I showed how to get crafty with braids, including […]
How to build a snake robot
In recent years, researchers have developed technology that allows people to control computers and wheelchairs with their brain waves. My Mind Surfer is a helmet that seems to allow its wearer to control a toy vehicle via brain waves, but the technology is based on something much simpler than brain waves. It has a Nintendo […]
In the height of summer, there’s nothing like an ice pop to cut through the heat. Though store-bought ones do the job, pops made by hand — both the molds and the juicy refreshers — will taste that much better. Ice pops can be cast in any shape you envision. You can make simple pop […]
This project was inspired by my son’s love of Hot Wheels cars and making them go fast, as well as my husband’s love of making cool toys for him and wanting any excuse to play with power tools. This car launcher shoots out Hot Wheels-type cars using rubber band power, and it’s makeable using materials […]
Save money (and your favorite frames) with this sturdy and discreet repair.
The HeliRocket is propelled by a standard model-rocket engine, but instead of the engine’s ejection charge deploying a parachute, it releases the rocket’s 3 tail fins. The fins then swing up into a helicopter blade configuration, which slows the rocket’s descent by converting much of its kinetic energy into drag and angular momentum (spin). Some […]
