Thoughts, tips, and musings from readers like you.Page 08

To make the best robots, you have to master wildly disconnected fields.Page 10

Explore the amazing convergence of art and DIY technology.Page 12

Know Your Board I From Arduino to Pi, here’s a breakdown of how these high-tech tools work. Table of Boards III A handy chart for all the boards and specs you need to know. Hats, Capes, and Shields VI Take your project to the next level with an expansion board.Page 13

A network of DIY environmentalists is helping monitor cleanups and busting polluters.Page 16

How a tool-obsessed veteran re-created antique handsaw designs.Page 20

The managing director of hardware startup Bolt shares advise for launching your next venture.Page 24

What happens when computing is effectively free?Page 28

Next Thing Co.’s board was inspired by its crowd-funded camera.Page 29

The Pi Foundation aims to put computers into even more hands.Page 30

How a simple Wi-Fi accessory turned into a programmable board.Page 31

These steps help ensure safety when hooking your project into the cloud.Page 32

Advice to help narrow the field and find the right controller for you.Page 33

Get the best brain for your bot.Page 34

Build a balancing droid.Page 35

Boards to make your projects shine.Page 36

Small, low-profile controllers for the Maker about town.Page 37

Useful boards for learning to code.Page 38

Stream your tunes to a Raspberry Pi.Page 39

Solid options for working with the IoT.Page 40

Control your door with a simple app.Page 41

Give Teddy a C.H.I.P. transplant and he’ll speak anything you type or tweet.Page 42

Supercharge your skill set with tried-and-true techniques to help conquer your next project.Page 46

Inspired by Japanese gardens, this easy-to-cast project looks good for decades!Page 54

Make a simple pair of customizable wooden stilts for about $20.Page 59

Praise the pork belly! Two of the world’s best cured meats are easy to make at home.Page 60

Because who doesn’t want am giant LED video screen? Page 62

Make a stomp launcher for jumbo marshmallows.Page 65

Enable a beehive to track its weight, humidity, temperature, and battery voltage online.Page 66

Modify a mannequin to print random musings from Reddit.Page 68

Rediscover the phenomenon that gave us carburetors, paint sprayers, and your gas barbecue grill.Page 70

Create a one-of-a-kind case from scraps.Page 72

Detect quakes, landslides, and explosions with this sensitive DIY instrument.Page 74

Hack a night light with an adjustable red LED for better sleep.Page 76

Sort your coin cells in a snap.Page 78

Repurpose a floor lamp to create a heavy-duty multi-arm tool.Page 79

A new twist on an old classic game that you can remake all your own.Page 80

A few sensor tweaks could take this well-rounded machine to the next level.Page 81

Large bore drill bits, Leatherman Tread bracelet, Actobotics rover chassis, Raspberry Pi robot starter kit, and more useful gear.Page 82

Welcome to the Shire’s newest high-rise.Page 88