"A major hardware update to the masterlock cracking robot. Upgraded the previously non-working latch opening mechanism to be geared down 1:25, allowing it to open the shackle. I also revamped the motor mount to be sturdier, and the base of the unit to hold the lock better and also be easier to mount parts to.
When choosing a security system for the office, Billy Chasen decided to ditch the traditional lock & key barricade for something a little more 21st century. He hacked together a device that uses a web server, servo motor and some parts from Home Depot to enable locking & unlocking via text message. Chasen maintains a list which gives access to green lit office workers, who enter by simply texting "lock" or "unlock"... and voilà, open sesame.
Wish you could make the shift to electric or hybrid, but you can't afford it? If you've got more than a few free weekends on your hands, you may want to consider undertaking Benjamin Nelson's ambitious (to say the very least) car conversion project.
Arvind Gupta is an Indian educator and inventor who makes whimsical, elegant toys from simple and inexpensive materials. His site has hundreds of free project tutorials, with simply outlined instructions in the categories of science, math, astronomy and more. Below, peruse the video gallery and images for a selection of Gupta's inspiring work.
Japanese artist and visual designer Akira Nakayasu creates robotic plants that not only respond to human touch, but anticipate human touch.
In the market for a personal helicopter but anxious about increasing your carbon footprint? Pick up a peroxide-powered single-seater like Avimech International's Dragonfly and chop till you drop. WIRED's Autopia blog reports,
Indianapolis-based motor junkie Paul Stender and his team of vehicle modders called the Indy Boys Inc have created the ultimate anti-fuel economy: a school bus outfitted with a Phantom fighter jet engine, which clocks 367 mph and burns 150 gallons of fuel in just a quarter mile. Stender says:
PopSci breaks down how basic functions of R/C work. Once you've mastered it, the sky is the limit. You can remote control anything. Well, almost anything.
Kitschy kicks your thing? Try these self-lacing sneakers on for size. Inspired by the iconic Nike Air 2015s worn by Michael J. Fox's character in Back to the Future Part II, these shoes utilize an Arduino-powered force sensor and somewhat bulky pair of rear-mounted servo motors to pull themselves tight when offered a human foot. A switch reverses the process. Feeling ambitious? Head over to Instructables for complete instructions on how to build your own pair.
Seems just about anything can be constructed with LEGOs these days. You name it- a printer, an engine, an ATM, guns... even a house!
Well, not just chicks. A couple LEGO dudes, too. (Oh, and a horse). All I can say is, I'm head over heels in love. With a LEGO People operated, felt tip pen printer. B3ta forum member Squirrelfantasy spent about three weeks building his LEGO printer, which uses a felt-tip pen in place of an ink cartridge.
Sean Stiegemeier has captured absolutely beautiful timelapse footage documenting the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland:
You'd think a Hummer couldn't get any more over-the-top (unless you're talking a horse-drawn Hummer or remote-controlled Hummer, of course), but Japanese tuner Calwing’s US division, 213 Motoring has come out with a Hummer boasting a whole extra set of wheels. I'm not quite sure why this is necessary, but nonetheless, Bornrich reports:
Ogre is a "Tank" built around a Zamor launching system nicknamed "Hailstorm". For more information, visit http://www.teamhassenplug.org/robots/...
Scott Balogh is an amazing surfer and obsessed with showing you the best surf places...mostly cause he wants to get 6 good hours every day. Red Frog is eco certified, which means it uses rain water, and the internet connection is spotty. But this is a plus. you feel like you are on a tropical island...and you are. Only access by motor boat. Scotty loves nothing better than to roast the obnoxious surfers by cutting a rooster tail 1 feet from their surf board. "I roasted that brazilian j...
The itch chair, designed by Dana Gordon and Alejandro Zamudio Sánchez, is a futuristic chair that scratches the back of the sitter.
Direct current (DC) by definition flows in one direction. Alternating current (AC), on the other hand, periodically changes direction, or reverses polarity. It is indeed possible for a portion of a circuit that is normally DC to periodically change direction, or reverse polarity like an AC circuit.
There are many ways to make a lightsaber. You can turn a flashlight into a steampunk lightsaber, you can make a lightsaber from junk, and you can make one that looks totally real (if you've got the money and time). Heck, you can even make one in Photoshop. And now you can make one using an infographic! Who doesn't like infographics? This infographic by Herbert Pocket, which may or may not have been inspired by this lightsaber infographic, will show you the quick route to making a Star Wars wo...
I thought lawnmower racing was purely a redneck sport, but apparently not. With the world record speed currently at 80 mph, the UK's Project Runningblade aims to squash it at 100 mph.
The secret hideout - a thing of the past, a childhood luxury, an adult-less adventure. Those were the days. And remember the secret knock? The only way in. You either knew it or you didn't. The only way to keep the kids in and the grown-ups out.
From Jalopnik: The LOLrioKart is outfitted with..."a hundred pounds of Ni-Cad batteries in the lower tray, a crude steering rack up front, pneumatic tires all around and some power-electronics to control a 15 HP Etek pancake motor hooked to a sweet custom differential at the rear all good for a top speed of 35 MPH."
Amateur Chinese inventor, Tao Xiangli, has built his own homemade submarine. Drawing inspiration from the James Bond and Terminator movies, Xiangli's tinkering is quite impressive, considering his education came to a halt at the fifth grade.
Is perpetual energy possible? The debate rages on. And they just keep trying.
Arachnophilia and technosexuals rejoice. This whimsical, skittering robot takes only 5 minutes of tinkering.
Here are just a few little random tips that may help you while making balloon animals for fun and profit. This list is only a collection of random balloon tips and tricks that I've come up with on the fly tonight. If you have any other suggestions or questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section and I'll do what I can to help as well.
A couple months ago, the world was supposed to end. It didn't. But that didn't stop the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from warning citizens of one global possibility besides complete destruction—ZOMBIES. They used the farcical flesh-eating living dead as an excuse to teach you about the necessity of real-life emergency planning.
Learn how to make your very own Japanese Yamaha paper craft motorcycle YZR-M1! These easy-to-follow instructional paper craft video clips explain everything from basic paper craft techniques and how to make major parts of the realistic paper crafts, right up to the final assembly of your Yamaha motorcycle YZR-M1. These paper craft videos are full of useful tips for efficient construction and superb finish! Watch it, and you'll want to make a realistic paper craft motorcycle yourself!
Creating an electric, homopolar motor with junk from your drawer. Make an electric motor with junk from your drawer.
This video shows how to build a simple motor using a battery, magnet, a screw, and some wire. This is a fun project for children. Build simple motor.
The Javorek complex - what is it? It's an exercise for your shoulders. Men's Health gives you a perfect demonstration of how the "Javorek complex" is supposed to be done. This is an all-round shoulder exercise.
Need to rev up the speed of that electric toothbrush? Try using some rare earth magnets to increase the speed of an electric motor. Increase the speed of an electric toothbrush motor.
Academically Preparing Your Child For School Many parents are anxious when their child begins school for the first time, especially when he/she is the first child to leave the nest. Is my little one ready for school? What should my child know/be able to do before starting? Unless you have teacher friends or have been given guidelines by the school it can be difficult to know how to get your child ready academically. Here are a few tips to help give your child a good start.
Watch this "Grease On Your Hands" video tutorial from the Washington Post to see how to patch a flat tire on your car properly.
In my second article of the laser weapon series (see the first part here on CO2 lasers), I'll be expanding on the potential of pulsed lasers.
Being stranded with a flat tire in the middle of the freeway is no fun. That's why it's useful to keep a stud around, like DailyCandy does, to do all the heavy auto maintenance work. However, just in case you don't have one around, they show you in their Easy Does It series, the best way to remove and change a flat tire. Next time you get a flat on your way to a party, you can fix it and get back on the road in no time flat.
Meat and bourbon is a delicious marriage—whether it's bacon-infused bourbon, or bourbon drenched steaks. The recipe below is adapted from Nancy's bourbon-marinated rib eye recipe over at 'A Recipe a Day'. For this version, we used the classic New York strip, with a little sous vide twist (optional).
Artist Austin Houldsworth of the UK has come up with a device that drastically speeds up the process of fossilisation. Entitled Two Million & 1AD, Houldsworth is capable of creating a fossil in a few months (which otherwise might require thousands of years). Houldsworth is currently experimenting with objects such as a pineapple and phesant, but ultimately hopes to fossilize a human. Houldsworth proposes:
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to retrofit cellulose insulation. Steps:
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to create zones in a hot water system. Steps:
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to remove crabgrass. Steps:
