DIY Projects

RAMPs: John Schimmel (video)

John Schimmel teaches the Assistive Technology class at NYU’s ITP program. The RAMPs project allows a wheelchair-bound DJ to roll up to a stationary set of rollers that are connected to rotary encoders attached to an Arduino. The interpreted data is then sent to a Processing sketch and used to blend or scratch audio tracks in real time. This device was created in 2005 for an individual with cerebral palsy who had a talent for rapping and also needed to hone his wheelchair skills.

Cool Neon: Benny James: (video)

Entrepreneur Benny James runs Cool Neon, a Burning Man-inspired business supplying electroluminescent wire to artists and electronics makers. He has seen his business flourish as he enables costume makers, festival vehicle designers, and hobbyists to add bright light-up lines of color to their projects since 1999. At Maker Faire Bay Area 2011, they debuted their […]

DIY Ring Flash Kit

If you’ve ever found flash photography to be too harsh, but often wondered how the pros get those evenly lit studio shots, you should check out a ring flash. Shooting through a ring flash will get you smooth, even lighting, and that perfect twinkle in the eye. You’ll also lose the harsh shadows that usually accompany a flash.

Pierce Nichols at the OHS

Pierce Nichols at the OHS

I just sat down with Pierce Nichols of Logos Electromechanical at the Open Hardware Summit to take a look at some of his kits and projects. He has been busy working on new versions of his Zigduino, among other shields and accessories, but what really caught my attention was his latest robot project. The bot […]