WHAT: i want to make a kite, that spins in the wind. And i want to hook that up to a lightweight brushless dc motor, and charge some caps! Bam! stored energy by nature. i need to somehow make this stored energy in a user-friendly useful way.
OBJECTIVE: make a kite that spins, hook it up to relatively rigid wire/cabling, hook THAT up to a motor, and capture it's back emf to charge batteries/capacitors. no real power goals here - just want to see how much i could feasibly get.
HOW: hmm. i have a stash of tent nylon ripstop. i also have access to spools of ABS wire (it's from an FDM printer - dont ask). thatll be the two primary ingredients. and i have a range of dc motors. that should be enough to start.
APPLICATION: wind! maybe enough to tune in and run a radio outside on a windy day. maybe can be staked to the ground at a campsite, or strung to trees. whenever you need some power.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
April Maker Challenge #30.1/30 : didge
WHAT: uh. this one is crazy easy - so it only counts as 0.1 on the AMC list. ill think of something new later. i want to make a didgeridoo. now.. i dont have access to termite hollowed trees, so i will have to get by with PVC pipe. i learnt how to play it in Australia 2 years ago - and i really liked it. i talked to the Aborigine dude about it and he was like.. yeah. a PVC pipe will do.
OBJECTIVE: make a didgeridoo that sounds decent. then learn how to be respectable at playing it.
HOW: 1) get PCV pipe probly 2 or 2.5 inches in diameter. 2) sand and deburr edges. 3) apply vaseline or beeswax around the mouthpiece, and flap your lips.
APPLICATION: play the didge!
OBJECTIVE: make a didgeridoo that sounds decent. then learn how to be respectable at playing it.
HOW: 1) get PCV pipe probly 2 or 2.5 inches in diameter. 2) sand and deburr edges. 3) apply vaseline or beeswax around the mouthpiece, and flap your lips.
APPLICATION: play the didge!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April Maker Challenge #29/30 : apartmentHerbPlanter
WHAT: so i was listening to Kasper on a splendid table while cooking dinner. makes a LOT of sense to me to start a food garden. but alas - i live on the 3rd floor of an apartment. i DO have windows, and i DO have a balcony. thatll do.
OBJECTIVE: make a planter that can sustain fresh thai chillies, cilantro (and parsley), holy basil, and green onions. (i tend to use a LOT of these). hopefully yield enough for a 2 week harvest cycle.
HOW: will probably be a staggered launch of this thru the summer. i eat a LOT. which means i have to put out quite a bit of balcony real-estate to get that done. so i might crop rotate and freeze many of chillies and basil. to be determined.
APPLICATION: food! homemade food! would go well with the vermicomposting i plan to startup. on top of the CSA for staples .. i would only need to go grocery shopping for meat and outlying stuff.
OBJECTIVE: make a planter that can sustain fresh thai chillies, cilantro (and parsley), holy basil, and green onions. (i tend to use a LOT of these). hopefully yield enough for a 2 week harvest cycle.
HOW: will probably be a staggered launch of this thru the summer. i eat a LOT. which means i have to put out quite a bit of balcony real-estate to get that done. so i might crop rotate and freeze many of chillies and basil. to be determined.
APPLICATION: food! homemade food! would go well with the vermicomposting i plan to startup. on top of the CSA for staples .. i would only need to go grocery shopping for meat and outlying stuff.
April Maker Challenge #28/30 : catLounger 2.0
WHAT: i have a cat. his name is Felix. this is him.
he likes cardboard, and he likes to lay on things. (a lot of things). about a year ago, i made him a cardboard lounger - which took WAY too long. this was catLounger 1.0:
Since work is throwing a whole bunch of cardboard away - i figure it's time for 2.0
OBJECTIVE: make a cardboard lounger than Felix will enjoy. minimize new materials used. no adhesives (if i can help it). and something that will take me less than a half day in the shop.
HOW: cardboard. lots of it. bandsaw (better than a boxcutter), macrame string (i have a spool) to bind the thing together.
APPLICATION: Felix gets to sit on his duff while i make stuff or draw, and he doesnt feel left out! (he often likes to sit on my lap - which makes drawing/soldering difficult)
he likes cardboard, and he likes to lay on things. (a lot of things). about a year ago, i made him a cardboard lounger - which took WAY too long. this was catLounger 1.0:
Since work is throwing a whole bunch of cardboard away - i figure it's time for 2.0
OBJECTIVE: make a cardboard lounger than Felix will enjoy. minimize new materials used. no adhesives (if i can help it). and something that will take me less than a half day in the shop.
HOW: cardboard. lots of it. bandsaw (better than a boxcutter), macrame string (i have a spool) to bind the thing together.
APPLICATION: Felix gets to sit on his duff while i make stuff or draw, and he doesnt feel left out! (he often likes to sit on my lap - which makes drawing/soldering difficult)
Monday, April 27, 2009
April Maker Challenge #27/30 : woodenDummy
WHAT: i've always been fascinated by wing chun, not so much as a practical form of defense, but in the sense that it is an artistic form of body flow. so i wanna make myself a wooden dummy. (sometimes referred to as Muk Yan Jung, 木人樁) . Typically look like this:
OBJECTIVE: make a wooden dummy to approximate a persons defense geometry. would also be an AWESOME coat rack. Would be nice if it doubled as a shin conditioner for muay thai leg kicks.
HOW: cheap wood probably wouldnt really do. nice solid oak or some such other hardwood would be ideal - but i doubt i would have the budget for that. the *sprung* mechanism would be pretty cool to design robustly, and not have it be too obvious (and detract from the traditional aesthetics)
APPLICATION: kick ass bruce lee style.
OBJECTIVE: make a wooden dummy to approximate a persons defense geometry. would also be an AWESOME coat rack. Would be nice if it doubled as a shin conditioner for muay thai leg kicks.
HOW: cheap wood probably wouldnt really do. nice solid oak or some such other hardwood would be ideal - but i doubt i would have the budget for that. the *sprung* mechanism would be pretty cool to design robustly, and not have it be too obvious (and detract from the traditional aesthetics)
APPLICATION: kick ass bruce lee style.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
April Maker Challenge #26/30 : ArtOnDeck
WHAT: i wanna make an refreshing/reloading slide of art, on my desktop or digital picture frame or whatever. i have this massive collection of art that i troll thru everyday online, thru my RSS feeds. (FFFound!, VVork, drawn.ca, wooster, etc...). so i sorta wanna make an app. dont really know the details about browser compatibility - but i think this would just be cool to have. and to have someone else share the feed, or i could share theirs... even MORE fun.
OBJECTIVE: make a desktop / browser app that will "stream" a slideshow or an RSS. i dont have time to peruse individuals flickrsets or whatever - so itll have to be from some sort of art aggregator (like i mentioned earlier) or a shared RSS with whomever shares em. has to be manageable from the window itself, (can pause, go back, find source etc).
HOW: dont know. probly ask for some help via the very skilled fellows out at #tcmaker.
APPLICATION: fun! on a broader scale - a shared community/channel of images would be cool for everyone, without having to go open a browser. its like a physical manifestation of RSS feeds.
OBJECTIVE: make a desktop / browser app that will "stream" a slideshow or an RSS. i dont have time to peruse individuals flickrsets or whatever - so itll have to be from some sort of art aggregator (like i mentioned earlier) or a shared RSS with whomever shares em. has to be manageable from the window itself, (can pause, go back, find source etc).
HOW: dont know. probly ask for some help via the very skilled fellows out at #tcmaker.
APPLICATION: fun! on a broader scale - a shared community/channel of images would be cool for everyone, without having to go open a browser. its like a physical manifestation of RSS feeds.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
April Maker Challenge #25/30 : juicerStick
WHAT: okay. the title is a bit vague. i want to make a hand held baton that i can shake vigorously (or bring with me running) that will charge and sustain a 5v charge - to plug into my phone for off occasions. sorta like a mechanical mintyboost - minus the alkaline batteries,
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, mechanically actuated 5v supply. should be able to physically crank/shake it while providing power to sustain the current boost. should be able to hold at least an additional hour of phone use per *charge*. smallest form factor possible to accomplish that additional hour. hopefully robust enough to leave in the car year-round.
HOW: no idea. im guessing 5v regulator, inductance coil, maybe a spring, nice magnet, ... havnt fleshed this one out yet. might take some research in supercapacitors. or maybe just really big ones.
APPLICATION: in case i need to use the phone when its dry. i like the mintyboost - but its chemical shelflife leaves something to be desired. you KNOW i will run out of batteries when i need em.
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, mechanically actuated 5v supply. should be able to physically crank/shake it while providing power to sustain the current boost. should be able to hold at least an additional hour of phone use per *charge*. smallest form factor possible to accomplish that additional hour. hopefully robust enough to leave in the car year-round.
HOW: no idea. im guessing 5v regulator, inductance coil, maybe a spring, nice magnet, ... havnt fleshed this one out yet. might take some research in supercapacitors. or maybe just really big ones.
APPLICATION: in case i need to use the phone when its dry. i like the mintyboost - but its chemical shelflife leaves something to be desired. you KNOW i will run out of batteries when i need em.
April Maker Challenge #24/30 ; A Better Chalkball
WHAT: a chalkball. a typical one looks like this:
i want to make a better one. i happen to be a chalk fiend while climbing - i sweat like a sponge in compression. i've found the refillable ones to be too cumbersome, and the mechanism to refill tends to get messed up with chalk after a while.also - its currently awfully messy to break off brick magnesium carbonate to fill in a chalk ball. (i like the brick chalk cause its a cheaper and more effective way to buy chalk).
OBJECTIVE: make a chalk ball that i would like to use, that is refillable, and takes brick chalk nicely. has to not bleed out too much chalk to finish a brick per trip, but still be good for bouldering.
HOW: i've made simple ones before, using pantyhose. (chalk bleeds thru quite nicely). but i have to change it up and maybe go for something with an absorbent loop weave. i am thinking of using a button as closure, since the cynch doesnt work so hot. i had thought of closing it like one of those hypolon waterproof rucksacks, with a button instead of a fastex buckle.
APPLICATION: climb more. sweat less.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
April Maker Challenge #23/30: wokNroll
WHAT: i want to make a propane fired wok stove. i live in an apartment that has electric element burners. (and so far, 4/5 of my previous apartments were all electric element stoves). optimally - this would be something that would also come with an extractor - or something that i can run outside.
OBJECTIVE: make a *portable* wok stove. has to be able to run at least 1 giant wok. i need some MASSIVE BTU's here (or kJoules out). hopefully, it should reach the 400 Fahrenheit mark. i need to achieve what is referred to as "wok hei". will either have to run
HOW: not sure. probably get a propane tank, and a commercial burner ring (or possibly several?). i'd need a whole bunch of stainless for this build - since there is gonna be vaporizing oil particles and stuff. a fire extinguisher and emergency cutoff is probably a good idea.
APPLICATION: this is like the opposite of sousvide. fast and furious chemical conversion/combustion needs to take place. the "browning" technique here is an understatement.
OBJECTIVE: make a *portable* wok stove. has to be able to run at least 1 giant wok. i need some MASSIVE BTU's here (or kJoules out). hopefully, it should reach the 400 Fahrenheit mark. i need to achieve what is referred to as "wok hei". will either have to run
HOW: not sure. probably get a propane tank, and a commercial burner ring (or possibly several?). i'd need a whole bunch of stainless for this build - since there is gonna be vaporizing oil particles and stuff. a fire extinguisher and emergency cutoff is probably a good idea.
APPLICATION: this is like the opposite of sousvide. fast and furious chemical conversion/combustion needs to take place. the "browning" technique here is an understatement.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April Maker Challenge #22/30 : selfEthnographer
WHAT: listen.... i have some issues. with myself. while i've always had an underlying desire to make things work "better" - i have often not paid much attention to myself. SO. i want to make a video-recording system that allows me to self-critique certain aspects of my daily life. go METRICS!
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, discreet, schedule-able video-recording system for self ethnography. It should be able to also be triggered by an event (not just time). initially - i would like this to work within the home, but later - hopefully portable and cheap enough to install in my car, or at work, or at the gym or whatever.
HOW: a camcorder would be reccommended. also - some way to trigger this to an event (time or an action set off by myself). A task action list is also needed, since i dont have enough time to study everything i do in life. I will start out small, with simple tasks like brushing my teeth, or drawing a sketch, or feeding my cat. It'd be nice to slowly graduate this to my muay thai form, or balance and movement when rock climbing.
this would give rise not just to improve myself, but also possible interjections for innovating products.
APPLICATION: Example scenarios would be my nighttime shutdown/sleep patterns (so i can hopefully figure out how to go to bed more predictably without burning time away online). a startup/wakeup routine study would be interesting - since my snoozetime varies so much. i'd like to watch myself draw - to REALLY see how many bad drawing habits i need to kick. i also believe my seating posture in my home chair changes over time, varying with my interest/stress levels. these are all things i can be better about, or devise a better way to accomplish.
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, discreet, schedule-able video-recording system for self ethnography. It should be able to also be triggered by an event (not just time). initially - i would like this to work within the home, but later - hopefully portable and cheap enough to install in my car, or at work, or at the gym or whatever.
HOW: a camcorder would be reccommended. also - some way to trigger this to an event (time or an action set off by myself). A task action list is also needed, since i dont have enough time to study everything i do in life. I will start out small, with simple tasks like brushing my teeth, or drawing a sketch, or feeding my cat. It'd be nice to slowly graduate this to my muay thai form, or balance and movement when rock climbing.
this would give rise not just to improve myself, but also possible interjections for innovating products.
APPLICATION: Example scenarios would be my nighttime shutdown/sleep patterns (so i can hopefully figure out how to go to bed more predictably without burning time away online). a startup/wakeup routine study would be interesting - since my snoozetime varies so much. i'd like to watch myself draw - to REALLY see how many bad drawing habits i need to kick. i also believe my seating posture in my home chair changes over time, varying with my interest/stress levels. these are all things i can be better about, or devise a better way to accomplish.
Monday, April 20, 2009
April Maker Challenge #21/30 : miniWaterTower
WHAT: you know these little water reservoirs you stick in soil? i think they are called "glass plant watering bulbs". they look like this:
yeah. i wanna make something like that. but out of cheap, everyday materials available out of the home. i *sometimes* neglect to water my plants.
OBJECTIVE: make a little water reservoir system that keeps my plants (in the short term) quenched. try and achieve a decent flowrate. hopefully hyrdrostatically pressure sensitive - so it doesnt just keep flooding these bastards.
HOW: science! and household appliances. i have hotglue, some water bottles (and wine bottles) - maybe the use of some cork and plastic tubing might be useful.
APPLICATION: water. my. plants.
yeah. i wanna make something like that. but out of cheap, everyday materials available out of the home. i *sometimes* neglect to water my plants.OBJECTIVE: make a little water reservoir system that keeps my plants (in the short term) quenched. try and achieve a decent flowrate. hopefully hyrdrostatically pressure sensitive - so it doesnt just keep flooding these bastards.
HOW: science! and household appliances. i have hotglue, some water bottles (and wine bottles) - maybe the use of some cork and plastic tubing might be useful.
APPLICATION: water. my. plants.
April Maker Challenge #20/30 : humanDataMap
WHAT: after attending a lecture and talking abit with the legendary designer Niels Diffrient - he sort of highlighted the need for informed design and measurable data to support advancement. i want to make a pressureMap. In particular - it would be more along the lines of a seating pressure map (but i didnt want to title this AssMap). But instead of just pressure (which is the primary focus of human factors mapping) - i want to map out temperature and moisture buildup too.
OBJECTIVE: to provide a pressure/temp (and later moisture) map of a person. initially for a seated position - but maybe later into a glove or helmet to monitor sporting gear performance. initial resolution goals are to within a square half inch area. it has to be portable enough to throw on a chair and collect data, and be waterproof.
HOW: there are companies out there that provide pressure map systems using loadcells and whatnot - but they are expensive, and out of my reach. i dont quite yet know HOW i will get this all within a reasonable affordable budget, but i will share my findings and method with everyone for free! moisture might be a harder measurement to take, and possibly superfluous - since i can possibly approximate it with temperature.
APPLICATION: ass map! (which is used to ensure ergonomic and even pressure distribution for seating). and not just seating too. effectiveness of pillows, protective headgear, athletic gloves, shoes, etc... can all be tested and put to a metric!
i want measureable metrics goddamnit!!!
OBJECTIVE: to provide a pressure/temp (and later moisture) map of a person. initially for a seated position - but maybe later into a glove or helmet to monitor sporting gear performance. initial resolution goals are to within a square half inch area. it has to be portable enough to throw on a chair and collect data, and be waterproof.
HOW: there are companies out there that provide pressure map systems using loadcells and whatnot - but they are expensive, and out of my reach. i dont quite yet know HOW i will get this all within a reasonable affordable budget, but i will share my findings and method with everyone for free! moisture might be a harder measurement to take, and possibly superfluous - since i can possibly approximate it with temperature.
APPLICATION: ass map! (which is used to ensure ergonomic and even pressure distribution for seating). and not just seating too. effectiveness of pillows, protective headgear, athletic gloves, shoes, etc... can all be tested and put to a metric!
i want measureable metrics goddamnit!!!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
April Maker Challenge #19/30: petMelter
WHAT: yes. the title "petMelter" sounds a little dubious. but it should be PET (polyethylene teraphtalate) melter. This is the thermoplastic that is typically labelled PET or PETE on your soda bottles. wayy too much of this stuff ends up in the landfill.
OBJECTIVE: i want to be able to melt plastic bottles, and press them into "manageable" sheets. sheets suitable for vaccuforming. i should be able to take a bottle, split it in half, place it into this press/melter - and i should have a handy dandy piece of (close to uniform thickness) PETE, ready for heatforming.
HOW: And i wont so much "melt" this stuff. i dont require this to be shot into a injection mold - so i dont require a full melt. if i dont want to mess with crystalline composition too much (which would affect opacity quite a bit), i could float it just safely above PETE's crystallization(glass) temp of 75 C and apply a steady load to hopefully reflow. If that doesnt work, i could crank this stuff up to its Vicat temp (170 C), and just squish this stuff into a sheet or "ingot". experimentation will determine the ultimate method.
APPLICATION: this wont yield any readily useful blobs of plastic. but in future projects - where i intend to shape/mold blobs of plastic, this should proove ultra handy. might even feed in to Michael's (@uptownmaker) REPscRAP project.
OBJECTIVE: i want to be able to melt plastic bottles, and press them into "manageable" sheets. sheets suitable for vaccuforming. i should be able to take a bottle, split it in half, place it into this press/melter - and i should have a handy dandy piece of (close to uniform thickness) PETE, ready for heatforming.
HOW: And i wont so much "melt" this stuff. i dont require this to be shot into a injection mold - so i dont require a full melt. if i dont want to mess with crystalline composition too much (which would affect opacity quite a bit), i could float it just safely above PETE's crystallization(glass) temp of 75 C and apply a steady load to hopefully reflow. If that doesnt work, i could crank this stuff up to its Vicat temp (170 C), and just squish this stuff into a sheet or "ingot". experimentation will determine the ultimate method.
APPLICATION: this wont yield any readily useful blobs of plastic. but in future projects - where i intend to shape/mold blobs of plastic, this should proove ultra handy. might even feed in to Michael's (@uptownmaker) REPscRAP project.
April Maker Challenge #18/30 : flatpackMobile
WHAT: a flatpack mobile. for babies. I am about to be an uncle for the first time (due November)!! However, my sister and her as yet unborn child live in Australia. thats why the mobile will be flatpack.
OBJECTIVE: make a relatively "green" mobile out of high density cardboard. has to fit within a standard USPS tyvek mailer. has to look cool for the kid and the parents.
HOW: lasercut cardboard and some thread. i'd like to use the negative space between the cutouts as additional components and the outer card areas to be assembled into the frame of the mobile.
APPLICATION: for nephew development!
OBJECTIVE: make a relatively "green" mobile out of high density cardboard. has to fit within a standard USPS tyvek mailer. has to look cool for the kid and the parents.
HOW: lasercut cardboard and some thread. i'd like to use the negative space between the cutouts as additional components and the outer card areas to be assembled into the frame of the mobile.
APPLICATION: for nephew development!
April Maker Challenge #17:30: sunBake!
WHAT: a homemade solar oven. yea, they have some stuff on instructibles - but i'd like to design and build one myself.
OBJECTIVE: should be able to get warm enough to cook meat (not necessarily boil water). hold a constant(ish) 200 F. temp control obviously isnt the primary objective - but the easiest first test is to cook an egg to completion within an hour (i think thats a modest goal). extra nice if i could get away without actually PURCHASING any new supplies specifically for this project.
HOW: cardboard, HD tinfoil, possibly some insulation material, and a light focusing apparatus (havnt figured this part out quite yet)
APPLICATION: sun cooking! eat em up yum!
OBJECTIVE: should be able to get warm enough to cook meat (not necessarily boil water). hold a constant(ish) 200 F. temp control obviously isnt the primary objective - but the easiest first test is to cook an egg to completion within an hour (i think thats a modest goal). extra nice if i could get away without actually PURCHASING any new supplies specifically for this project.
HOW: cardboard, HD tinfoil, possibly some insulation material, and a light focusing apparatus (havnt figured this part out quite yet)
APPLICATION: sun cooking! eat em up yum!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April Maker Challenge #16/30 : plushHeadCrab
WHAT: i don't know if you're familiar with a game called Half-Life. in it - there are these creatures called headcrabs. i want to make a plush one.
..after doing a small bit of research - it seems they already make one. but goddamnit i want to make one anyway.
OBJECTIVE: make a headcrab. looks sort of like this:
it has to fit over my head. machine washable would be nice. i dont need the fancy posable limbs - but that might be a nice feature.
HOW: plush fabric, maybe some nice soft copper rod stock for the posable limbs, and stuffing. and it will probably require a whole lot of learning on my part, as how to make a plushtoy.
APPLICATION: it'd just be nice to have around the house. possibly used as a halloween costume (i would be a headcrab zombie - obviously). maybe my cat might find it amusing. we shall see.
..after doing a small bit of research - it seems they already make one. but goddamnit i want to make one anyway.
OBJECTIVE: make a headcrab. looks sort of like this:
it has to fit over my head. machine washable would be nice. i dont need the fancy posable limbs - but that might be a nice feature.HOW: plush fabric, maybe some nice soft copper rod stock for the posable limbs, and stuffing. and it will probably require a whole lot of learning on my part, as how to make a plushtoy.
APPLICATION: it'd just be nice to have around the house. possibly used as a halloween costume (i would be a headcrab zombie - obviously). maybe my cat might find it amusing. we shall see.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
April Maker Challenge #15/30 : b3nqnlnw
WHAT: inverse pendulum. (look at the title in a mirror). yes, it is a very academic problem. but hopefully easily enough solved with the use of a gyro.
OBJECTIVE: make a two (or one wheeled) robot that can stand upright. a mini segway, if you will.
HOW: stepper (probably). and hopefully a single gyro. hooked up via some small processor - see what happens. (i know its not THAT simple - but i dont want to think about the gory details here)
APPLICATION: lots! something that can stand up on command? two of these flipped might be able to make a controlled cartwheeling robot. could use this to make a ballbot*
* this will be another challenge, for another day.
OBJECTIVE: make a two (or one wheeled) robot that can stand upright. a mini segway, if you will.
HOW: stepper (probably). and hopefully a single gyro. hooked up via some small processor - see what happens. (i know its not THAT simple - but i dont want to think about the gory details here)
APPLICATION: lots! something that can stand up on command? two of these flipped might be able to make a controlled cartwheeling robot. could use this to make a ballbot*
* this will be another challenge, for another day.
April Maker Challenge #14/30 : NoiseNeedle
WHAT: you know the needles on turntables? how they interpret texture on vinyls into sound? i want to make a little rangefinder, that reads textures in real life - and converts them to sound. like a little laser beam scanner, feeding back textural (distance based) information and turning it into sound.
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, free standing, noise "needle". would be nice to have a visible laser dot scanning the surface. should sit on a little turret that has adjustable scan-rate. bonus points if i can make it actually read a vinyl LP.
HOW: there are lots of little rangefinding setups out there. will require lots of playing around with these techs to get this figured out. once that is done, the scanning turret should'nt be too hard. aiming for something that reads a short range (less than 3 ft). it would be crazy cool if i could convert this to read FAR away (ie: cityscapes)
APPLICATION: noise. interesting ones.
OBJECTIVE: make a portable, free standing, noise "needle". would be nice to have a visible laser dot scanning the surface. should sit on a little turret that has adjustable scan-rate. bonus points if i can make it actually read a vinyl LP.
HOW: there are lots of little rangefinding setups out there. will require lots of playing around with these techs to get this figured out. once that is done, the scanning turret should'nt be too hard. aiming for something that reads a short range (less than 3 ft). it would be crazy cool if i could convert this to read FAR away (ie: cityscapes)
APPLICATION: noise. interesting ones.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April Maker Challenge #13/30 : bubbleboat
WHAT: a tiny boat. that is propelled solely by bubbles! works in lakes AND bathtubs!
OBJECTIVE: exactly as above. it shouldnt sink when it's air reservoir is emptied. make them cheap and easy enough to make a fleet.
HOW: probably a balloon would be in play somehow. it would be really nice if i could manually change the direction of propulsion using a little rudder.
APPLICATION: boats. that make bubbles. there is no useful application other than fun.
OBJECTIVE: exactly as above. it shouldnt sink when it's air reservoir is emptied. make them cheap and easy enough to make a fleet.
HOW: probably a balloon would be in play somehow. it would be really nice if i could manually change the direction of propulsion using a little rudder.
APPLICATION: boats. that make bubbles. there is no useful application other than fun.
April Maker Challenge #12/30: Cheshire Baloon
WHAT: a hot air type baloon that has the Cheshire cat on the bottom of it.
OBJECTIVE: make a baloon that looks like the Cheshire cat looking down. make it float for relatively sustained periods. low altitude (mostly over parks or crowds). techsmarts inside is optional.
HOW: would be really cool if i could make it out of used plastic bags already headed for the landfill. not sure how technically feasible that would be tho. i want this thing to float. not fly. the "cheapest" way to get hot air would be a candle i suppose. could charge the thing up with a hot air gun - then have it sustain using a candle?
APPLICATION: fun! would be sweet if i could release this over parks, floating just out of reach. in the bright daylight - the most visible thing would only be the eyes and the smile.
bonus points: techsmarts. this thing would be awesome if it had a little camera, a GPS, barometric pressure sensor, and maybe some way to tweet where at what it was looking down at.
OBJECTIVE: make a baloon that looks like the Cheshire cat looking down. make it float for relatively sustained periods. low altitude (mostly over parks or crowds). techsmarts inside is optional.
HOW: would be really cool if i could make it out of used plastic bags already headed for the landfill. not sure how technically feasible that would be tho. i want this thing to float. not fly. the "cheapest" way to get hot air would be a candle i suppose. could charge the thing up with a hot air gun - then have it sustain using a candle?
APPLICATION: fun! would be sweet if i could release this over parks, floating just out of reach. in the bright daylight - the most visible thing would only be the eyes and the smile.
bonus points: techsmarts. this thing would be awesome if it had a little camera, a GPS, barometric pressure sensor, and maybe some way to tweet where at what it was looking down at.
Friday, April 10, 2009
April Maker Challenge #11/30: ThirstyNoMore!
WHAT: a "simple" system indicating whether or not my plants need water. Visual feedback only.
OBJECTIVE: cheap little stake modules that can be entered into the soil - measuring moisture. can be tuned to different "trip" moisture levels for different ones. should turn an LED on when my plant(s) are thirsty.
HOW: hoping to use some fancy pantsy opAmps! would help in my understanding of them - and should be cheaper than having a digital read in each one (i think?). hopefully just run off a AAA or a watch battery for a long time.
APPLICATION: my plants are thirsty! and different ones have different needs. and i am sometimes quite absent minded about keeping them alive.
possible developments: pH measurement would be nice to implement into the same stake, pending on cost and complexity. if the plan doesnt prove cost effective (less than 10 bucks per) - then i might just make a plant probe meter. like a multimeter - but for plants (moisture and pH). i could also then sample several spots in the soil and use it to double as a mini aerator.
OBJECTIVE: cheap little stake modules that can be entered into the soil - measuring moisture. can be tuned to different "trip" moisture levels for different ones. should turn an LED on when my plant(s) are thirsty.
HOW: hoping to use some fancy pantsy opAmps! would help in my understanding of them - and should be cheaper than having a digital read in each one (i think?). hopefully just run off a AAA or a watch battery for a long time.
APPLICATION: my plants are thirsty! and different ones have different needs. and i am sometimes quite absent minded about keeping them alive.
possible developments: pH measurement would be nice to implement into the same stake, pending on cost and complexity. if the plan doesnt prove cost effective (less than 10 bucks per) - then i might just make a plant probe meter. like a multimeter - but for plants (moisture and pH). i could also then sample several spots in the soil and use it to double as a mini aerator.
sketch 6
i was watching Anthony Bourdain's no reservations right around dinnertime tonight.
(it was the Paris episode)
sorta HAD to sketch this.
this is a Boulangerie. french bakerman.
large-ish fellow. plenty of upper body muscle to lift massive tubs of bread batter.
doesnt really say much - considering he's up at 4am baking in a cramped hot kitchen.
has developed a little bit of a hunch from keeping his eyes on the counter.
and he has apparently strong hands from kneading and such..
you'd also figure forearm burn scars are from reaching in really hot ovens.
(it was the Paris episode)
sorta HAD to sketch this.
 |
| From sketches |
this is a Boulangerie. french bakerman.
large-ish fellow. plenty of upper body muscle to lift massive tubs of bread batter.
doesnt really say much - considering he's up at 4am baking in a cramped hot kitchen.
has developed a little bit of a hunch from keeping his eyes on the counter.
and he has apparently strong hands from kneading and such..
you'd also figure forearm burn scars are from reaching in really hot ovens.
April Maker Challenge #10/30: wormBox
WHAT: make an in-kitchen composting box for food scraps, with worms!
OBJECTIVES: build a box (or source a non-leaky bin) that will be large enough to take a couple weeks worth of food scraps. There should be a reasonable rate conversion from scraps to compost. at least quarter my current rate of organic waste by the 2nd month of vermicomposting. i know that worms dont like certain things - which is why i plan on only quartering landfillable materials.
HOW: instructibles are up online for such things i believe. will have to do more research on worms. will probably resort to a commercial plastic (repurposed) bin for leak-proof-ness.
APPLICATION: i want to be able to run my kitchen, without generating much organic waste at all. I also want to have nice nutritious soil for some my plants!
OBJECTIVES: build a box (or source a non-leaky bin) that will be large enough to take a couple weeks worth of food scraps. There should be a reasonable rate conversion from scraps to compost. at least quarter my current rate of organic waste by the 2nd month of vermicomposting. i know that worms dont like certain things - which is why i plan on only quartering landfillable materials.
HOW: instructibles are up online for such things i believe. will have to do more research on worms. will probably resort to a commercial plastic (repurposed) bin for leak-proof-ness.
APPLICATION: i want to be able to run my kitchen, without generating much organic waste at all. I also want to have nice nutritious soil for some my plants!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
April Maker Challenge #9/30: AlzheimersInsurance
WHAT: i want to catalog, in an easy to understand way - everything i know. easy right? this sorta requires me to have more time than my life is worth at the moment... but i believe it useful. Interesting bits of information that i have stored in the back of my mind, and something a 6-year old me (thats 20 years ago at this point) was never told and had to find out by himself. to facilitate this: it will be in COMIC FORM! (within reason). It should also come with a stat-Sheet ala PipBoy2000, which should guide bits of information to what facility in life.
OBJECTIVES: while i dont know much - this would be an online documentation, with as much easy to understand illustration as i can humanly provide. On subjects such as: simple physics, scientific process and rigor, design practices, fabricating skills, martial arts, rock climbing, art, cooking and to a later extent - mechanical design, dfma, electronics. the "cheat sheet" for this would be a Pip-Boy2000 styled character stat.
HOW: time, paper, pencil, brain, hands, wacomIntuos, photoshop, imageready, wikipedia and friends. i will NOT provide lessons on what i do not currently have a clear grasp on.
APPLICATION: if one of my inventions include a link that i could pushback to 1989... and have my 6 year old idiot self learn it... we should be all better. or, if i get amnesia or something - i want something like this to know where i should stand.
OBJECTIVES: while i dont know much - this would be an online documentation, with as much easy to understand illustration as i can humanly provide. On subjects such as: simple physics, scientific process and rigor, design practices, fabricating skills, martial arts, rock climbing, art, cooking and to a later extent - mechanical design, dfma, electronics. the "cheat sheet" for this would be a Pip-Boy2000 styled character stat.
HOW: time, paper, pencil, brain, hands, wacomIntuos, photoshop, imageready, wikipedia and friends. i will NOT provide lessons on what i do not currently have a clear grasp on.
APPLICATION: if one of my inventions include a link that i could pushback to 1989... and have my 6 year old idiot self learn it... we should be all better. or, if i get amnesia or something - i want something like this to know where i should stand.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
April Maker Challenge #8/30 : spaceCones
WHAT: cheap little modules that i can place like traffic cones, or suction cup, or whatever - that act like positional beacons. They should probably talk together to know where each is in relation to another.
Example1: 2 cones on the ground, and one fixed to my camera. with some calculation - i should be able to measure everything within this 3 pin area to the resolution of the beacons.
Example2: if i put 3 down on the floor, i want something inside it to be able to triangulate where it is in a given area. would be nice for position control.
OBJECTIVES: 3 cones (at least). they need to be able to judge distance from one another (i know there are rangefinders out there) . then they need to beam that information out to something else.
HOW: not a real clue in the world. i am guessing line of sight would be required for decent rangefinding - so i suppose IR data transmission would be an ok. it'd be nice if i can figure out how to do it otherwise.
APPLICATION: i was thinking of an alternative to CNC control where it is simply X,Y,Z tables. linear tracking is for suckas. If i can make all this wireless - and somehow have a paintBot.... then i should be able to print/plot on the scale of 100ft or so. (whatever the range and fidelity of the rangefinders would be)
Example1: 2 cones on the ground, and one fixed to my camera. with some calculation - i should be able to measure everything within this 3 pin area to the resolution of the beacons.
Example2: if i put 3 down on the floor, i want something inside it to be able to triangulate where it is in a given area. would be nice for position control.
OBJECTIVES: 3 cones (at least). they need to be able to judge distance from one another (i know there are rangefinders out there) . then they need to beam that information out to something else.
HOW: not a real clue in the world. i am guessing line of sight would be required for decent rangefinding - so i suppose IR data transmission would be an ok. it'd be nice if i can figure out how to do it otherwise.
APPLICATION: i was thinking of an alternative to CNC control where it is simply X,Y,Z tables. linear tracking is for suckas. If i can make all this wireless - and somehow have a paintBot.... then i should be able to print/plot on the scale of 100ft or so. (whatever the range and fidelity of the rangefinders would be)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
April Maker Challenge #7/30:LoopyBeats
WHAT: Portable, recording beatbox looper machine. But with a twist. I want to integrate this with a processing script that can "read" the beatbox notes/sequences and save them in midi. I also want to integrate a drum machine into it as an extra channel.
OBJECTIVES: #1. recording beatbox looper with tempo modulation #2. ability to lay over conventional drum machine channel. #3. Output in a way that can be "read" and reproduced (if i beatbox a snare, i want it to read "snare" in a drum machine track)
HOW: for starters, i will probably prototype this in processing on my desktop. To be portable, i will likely go arduino based. Requires memory, so probably a SD reader of some. Adafruit waveshield would probably help. I dont know much else about programming with sound - but that hasnt stopped me yet.
APPLICATION: Yes. i know there's an app for the iphone that is a simple drum machine. but what if you wanna lay down a beat you have in your head? you already hear it in your head - so if you can come CLOSE to beatboxing it, then overlay or add actual drum machine effects to it?
then i just need to find someone who can spit worth a dime.
OBJECTIVES: #1. recording beatbox looper with tempo modulation #2. ability to lay over conventional drum machine channel. #3. Output in a way that can be "read" and reproduced (if i beatbox a snare, i want it to read "snare" in a drum machine track)
HOW: for starters, i will probably prototype this in processing on my desktop. To be portable, i will likely go arduino based. Requires memory, so probably a SD reader of some. Adafruit waveshield would probably help. I dont know much else about programming with sound - but that hasnt stopped me yet.
APPLICATION: Yes. i know there's an app for the iphone that is a simple drum machine. but what if you wanna lay down a beat you have in your head? you already hear it in your head - so if you can come CLOSE to beatboxing it, then overlay or add actual drum machine effects to it?
then i just need to find someone who can spit worth a dime.
April Maker Challenge #6/30: ninjashawl
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| From sketches |
What: I want to make a custom ninjashawl! something that i can pop on and off while keeping my messenger bag on. Remember Cobra? from GI Joe?. OOOOhhhhhYEeah. Minnesota cold aint got SHIT on Cobra yo. (i realize Cobra only had a blue sheet on his head - but i thought the aesthetic worked similar)
... shut up.
Objectives: create a warm-ish ninjashawl. should keep me warm if i chose to bike in 0F weather (thats -18C to my metric bretheren). Should have minimal frost/snot buildup by the nose/mouth area. Machine washable. Cannot hinder use of sweet Chrome messenger bag.
How: probably start with butchering a thriftstore coat with Goretex for outer. thinking of a nice microfleece inner, not sure if insulative material is needed. Would like to have the snot area be removeable and machine washable. Magnetic snaps would be nice and seamless, but may interfere with headphone use. Buttons are little cumbersome with gloved hands - so it might be fastex buckles, stretch-cord on buckles or maybe even pop-snaps.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April Maker Challenge #5/30 : sousvide
What: a closed loop temperature controlled hot water bath. the size of a crockpot. most probably - for food experiments. typically known sous vide. (vac bags are commercially available)
Objectives: closed loop control temperature with a ±1 Celsius accuracy. should probably hold temps of 21C to 95C consistently. and recirculate the water. hopefully on the cheap.
bonus points: if i can only hook this up to an affordable xbee/zigbee/bluetooth module, which i can connect to my computer - then i can start this up (or shut it down) from online or via email.
Objectives: closed loop control temperature with a ±1 Celsius accuracy. should probably hold temps of 21C to 95C consistently. and recirculate the water. hopefully on the cheap.
How: temp control is something that is pretty well documented online. i just have to source the thermistor (cheaper than thermocouple right?) and maybe come up with a nice 7seg/LCD for an interface and on the fly temperature programming. next step is to make sure i have the thing insulated so i'm not pumping in crazy amounts of heat into it. i also have to figure out what kind of thermal mass i want to deal with and the average size of cooked food and whatnot.
Application: i want to be able to prep a whole bunch of vac bags with raw/semiraw foods, freeze em, and throw a pack in 2-3 hours before i need to eat. the niceness of temp control is that i can maintain a specific temp so i never overcook my food.bonus points: if i can only hook this up to an affordable xbee/zigbee/bluetooth module, which i can connect to my computer - then i can start this up (or shut it down) from online or via email.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
April Makers Challenge #4/30: eyetrack
What: a webcam based system that tracks the gaze of a person. i know people have these things in proprietary systems all over the place - like with the Tobii system and a company actually called EyeGaze. hopefully when it is all said and done, it'll be a free program that only costs users a webcam to navigate their computer.
Objectives: track the iris on people, or track the averaged gaze (for those with lazy eyes).
Objectives: track the iris on people, or track the averaged gaze (for those with lazy eyes).
How: mostly based off the demo video capture scripts in the examples off processsing. i might have to work off IR beams to get the specific color range - or use a reflective sticker that other systems use. after i get that down pat, then I can try and patch in to cursor control.
Application: something like what these dudes are doing. hopefully this can be nice and open source enough so that people can just download the code, go out and buy a webcam, and have accessible "mouse control". Huzzah!Friday, April 3, 2009
April makers challenge #3/30: graffitibot
What: a robot that runs around and poops out a tag (or when I get smart enough, customizeable "CNC" graffiti. Everything will be legal (of course)
Objectives: go about and spray tags on floors / walls / ceilings
Objectives: go about and spray tags on floors / walls / ceilings
How: was thinking of a simple servobot first, then with rangefinding via market cones or something. Simple version would be valve control on a spraycan with a stencil close to the ground. Complex would be a single CNC
Application: who cares why? Could also be used to work on industrial "branding". Yeh.
graphic tag
messed about with some prismacolors in the morn.
then got on to clean it up for the website in shoop.
then got on to clean it up for the website in shoop.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Trying out blogging via email.
basket, and two lamps in my room.
needless to say - wont be taking any food shots in this lightbox.
April Makers Challenge #2/30: licked knees
blog for the broken minded.
WHAT: it is a blog. it is the one you are currently reading . This blog documents my "progress" as a nerd.
OBJECTIVES: document builds, be a host for ongoing webprojects, place for me to establish nerd-cred, and i suppose share my daily webtrawling for fun stuff.
HOW:blogger has been so gracious as to provide this service for free. will get into some CSS and other nittygrittypretty things later on. they might be miniprojects. i'll try and keep updates regular and forthright.
APPLICATION: i forget things. a LOT. also, i forget things. so documenting stuff i forget would be handy. and it serves as precedent for the evil that is allowed between a guy and his computer.
WHAT: it is a blog. it is the one you are currently reading . This blog documents my "progress" as a nerd.
OBJECTIVES: document builds, be a host for ongoing webprojects, place for me to establish nerd-cred, and i suppose share my daily webtrawling for fun stuff.
HOW:blogger has been so gracious as to provide this service for free. will get into some CSS and other nittygrittypretty things later on. they might be miniprojects. i'll try and keep updates regular and forthright.
APPLICATION: i forget things. a LOT. also, i forget things. so documenting stuff i forget would be handy. and it serves as precedent for the evil that is allowed between a guy and his computer.
April Makers Challenge #1/30: punchBag
punching bag metrics.
WHAT: i always wanted to know how hard a punch or a kick strike was - and how it compares to your friends. or your dad. ever watch fightscience on Discovery Channel? or Human Weapon on NatGeo? like that - but smarter / open source.
OBJECTIVES: measure strike energy, reaction time, strikes per period, accuracy. maybe linkup to a hi speed camera for playback.
HOW:initial thoughts were to embed a force sensor (but i dont know how much of a beating they can take), or use an accelerometer in a known mass bag, figure out the energy transferred. or embed sensors in gloves/footpads. for accuracy - maybe have lightup spots on the bag, and measure how far you are from the mark. to be learn and more efficient, you can measure your movements (from camera and timing) relative to a pro.
APPLICATION:this way, when two people want to "violently" throw down - you can measure up two opponents, without anyone actually getting hurt. its like nerd-core punch-out, without loosing our valuable teeth. it's also nice to work on technique with a metric to go by.
PS: this post is retroactive. and taken from the tcmakers forum
WHAT: i always wanted to know how hard a punch or a kick strike was - and how it compares to your friends. or your dad. ever watch fightscience on Discovery Channel? or Human Weapon on NatGeo? like that - but smarter / open source.
OBJECTIVES: measure strike energy, reaction time, strikes per period, accuracy. maybe linkup to a hi speed camera for playback.
HOW:initial thoughts were to embed a force sensor (but i dont know how much of a beating they can take), or use an accelerometer in a known mass bag, figure out the energy transferred. or embed sensors in gloves/footpads. for accuracy - maybe have lightup spots on the bag, and measure how far you are from the mark. to be learn and more efficient, you can measure your movements (from camera and timing) relative to a pro.
APPLICATION:this way, when two people want to "violently" throw down - you can measure up two opponents, without anyone actually getting hurt. its like nerd-core punch-out, without loosing our valuable teeth. it's also nice to work on technique with a metric to go by.
PS: this post is retroactive. and taken from the tcmakers forum
blog 0.1
spurred on by the ingenious folks (@joihnbaichtal) at #tcmaker:
this is actually #2/30 for my aprilmakerchallenge.
i now have established a webpresence.
this is actually #2/30 for my aprilmakerchallenge.
i now have established a webpresence.
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