Arduino is a great starting point for electronics, and with a motor shield it can also be a nice tidy platform for robotics and mechatronics. The MAKE MotorShield Kit, designed by Adafruit Industries in partnership with MAKE, is a full-featured motor board that can power many simple to medium-complexity projects. It’s got: 2 connections for […]
This project guide explains how to build an operating railroad grade crossing signal controller (GCSC) for controlling a simulated railroad crossing signal that has working flashing lamps and striking bell. Just like the real thing! This board was also designed with hacking in mind. Due to the on-board 5 VDC power supply and extensive breakout […]
Learn how to build inexpensive powered speakers that amplify the output of your headphone music player. It may be small, but this speaker can still rock!
In this project we’re going to assemble the XBee Pulse I/O Printed Circuit Board — an open-source hardware design which can be used to automate things wirelessly. This hardware is used in the “12,000-mile Universal Remote” project from Make Vol. 30.
Building this rocket launcher is a breeze, and folks are always amazed at how it shoots reusable paper rockets 200–300 feet high. The launcher is made from PVC pipe. You pressurize its chamber to 75psi with about 18 strokes of a bicycle pump, then release all the pressure in a split second through an electric […]
LCD Screens look complicated but using an Arduino it’s not too bad at all. This tutorial will teach you how to hook up an LCD display to an Arduino using a MakerShield. All the components you need for this build are included in the Ultimate Microcontroller Pack.
Connect a shirt pocket “amplified listener” hearing aid with an in-car FM transmitter, and you’ve got a wireless bug. Tuck them inside a hollowed-out book with the mic concealed by the dust cover, and you’ve got a covert listening device that you can leave lying around or on a shelf near a surveillance target. Then […]
