Welcome
Gareth Branwyn
Join the robot uprising!Page 08
MAKE 34: Robotics
Join the robot uprising! There’s never been a better time to delve into robotics, whether you’re a tinkerer or a more serious explorer. With the powerful tools and expertise now available, the next great leap in robot evolution is just as likely to come from your garage as a research lab.
Table of Contents
Columns
Reader Input
3D shootout, upcycling visions, pure Pyrex, and unholy smoking.Page 10
Make It Legal
Ryan P.C. Lawson
A meeting of the minds. Page 12
Making Trouble
Saul Griffith
The promise of soft robots.Page 14
Wearable Tech
Syuzi Pakhchyan
Tracking our bodies. Page 16
Made on Earth
The world of backyard technology.Page 22
Features
The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth
Goli Mohammadi
How Maker Faire has become a cultural phenomenon. Plus: a Maker Faire calendar.Page 18
Smart Gallery
Goli Mohammadi
The artists of Oakland’s Lost and Foundry are paving their own path away from convention.Page 28
Make: Believe
Puppetry and 3D printing with Images in Motion.Page 40
Ironwood
Tim Heffernan
One of the world’s great engineering materials.Page 42
Solar Observatory
Craig Van Horn
A low-tech setup to observe the sun’s movement. Page 44
Water to Wine Cooler
An illusion converts water into flowing red wine.Page 46
ROBOT UPRISING!
The Accidental Maker
David Lang
The story of the OpenROV underwater robot project.Page 52
Prototyping Systems for Robotics
Stuart Deutsch
A bot builder’s guide to bits and pieces. Page 62
How I Printed a Humanoid
3D-print a $12,000 robot for half that price.Page 66
CoffeeBots
Build a simple, programmable robot with personality.Page 70
Lip Balm Actuator
Linear motion from a Blistex tube and mini hobby servo.Page 78
Smartphone Servo
Control almost anything with a fingertip.Page 84
Project
Skill Builder: Finishing and PostProcessing Your 3D Printed Objects
Simple tools and techniques to take your desktop 3D printer to the next level.Page 88
MonoBox Powered Speaker
Nick Normal
It’s little but it’s loud!Page 100
Japanese Toolbox
Len Cullum
Build this strong wood box with a clever lift-out lid.Page 110
Electronics: Fun & Fundamentals
Make easy, efficient LED photography lights. Page 116
The Dryer Messenger
Thomas Taylor
Get your dryer on Twitter and never forget your laundry. Page 120
Hand-Crank Geiger Counter
John Iovine
Charge a high voltage tube using a simple mechanical oscillator. Page 124
1+2+3: Rear-View Power Socket
Doug Watson
Remake the construction crane of the ancients — the gin pole.Page 129
Door-Top Stash
Sean Michael Ragan
Make a sneaky compartment that’s easy to reach but hard to find.Page 130
Country Scientist
How to document what you make or discover.Page 132
1+2+3: Work Jeans Tool Wrap
Caleb Kraft
TOOL WRAP: Unroll your wrenches in blue denim. Page 135
Puzzle Treasure Box
Paul Boon
It’s easy to open this padlocked box, once you know the secret.Page 136
Remaking History
Heron of Alexandria and the gin pole.Page 138
Homebrew
Brian Bender
Audio console fusion.Page 142
Danger!
Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler
Make a rope swing.Page 144
Howtoons: Gami-Bot
Page 146
Toolbox
Dental tools, steadicams, bolt cutters, and quadcopters.Page 148
Toy Inventor’s Notebook
Bob Knetzger
Edible optics.Page 160
