Table of Contents
Surprising Robots by Mark Frauenfelder
in Welcome
Real robots think for themselves. Page 1
Reader Input
in Reader Input
DTV antennae, fine print, energy ideas, and love for Roy Doty. Page 12
Make: Money by Dan Woods
in Maker's Corner
Sell MAKE subscriptions and your club keeps 50 percent
of the proceeds. Page 15
Positive Externalities by Cory Doctorow
in Make Free
Fight against the greed of a small band of vocal dinosaurs.
Page 17
Magical Moths by Bruce Stewart
in Made on Earth
Michelle Stitzlein builds 11-foot-wide moth sculptures.
Page 18
Cardboard Shredder by Keith Hammond
in Made on Earth
Mike Sheldrake makes cardboard wave vehicles. Page 20
Mad Bots by Thomas Walker Wilson
in Made on Earth
Clayton Bailey has made about 100 life-sized robot sculptures, all
carefully constructed from found objects whose previous incarnations
contribute something unique. Page 21
Faux Favela by Thomas Walker Wilson
in Made on Earth
Benjamin Van Oost’s Favela sculpture is made entirely of trash —
recycled boxes, pieces of metal found on the street, toilet paper
rolls, and aluminum cans. Page 22
Open Source Soaring by Abe Connally, Josie Moores
in Made on Earth
Mike Sandlin has created a lightweight set of gliders that are “intended
to provide open air soaring, forgiving flight characteristics,
convenient transport, simple ‘garage technology’ construction, and a
high level of crash safety.”
Page 23
Bus Tag by Carla Sinclair
in Made on Earth
Austin-based artist Magda Sayeg and her group of urban knitters, Knitta
Please, have gone on several covert midnight missions to knit cozies for
anything from car antennas to street sign poles and trees.
Page 24
All We Can Say Is, WoW by Laura Kiniry
in Made on Earth
With help from artist Marisa Jahn and Steve Shada, MIT Media Lab
research assistant Cati Vaucelle created the WoW Pod, “a cocoon that
structures a relationship between your physical body and your avatar,”
she says.
Page 25
How to Study Tree Rings by Forrest Mims III
in Country Scientist
Tree rings can tell us about past precipitation, climate, major volcano eruptions, and forest fires. Page 26
Custom Memory Game by Julie A. Finn
in 123
Give an old standby some new flavor and create a perfect rainy-day
activity when you make your own memory game out of materials you already
own.
Page 29
A Feel for Engineering by Todd Lappin
in Maker
Ugo Conti's Proteus boat behaves like a water skipper.
Page 30
Homestar by Lisa Katayama
in Maker
Takayuki Ohira creates planetariums for everyone.
Page 36
Set in Stone by Ithai Benjamin, Vikram Tank
in Maker
An interactive concrete interface. Page 38
Speed Week by William Gurstelle
in Maker
What Cape Canaveral is to astronauts, the Bonneville Salt Flats are to those who love to drive fast. Page 40
Doing Da Vinci by Jeanne Storck
in Maker
A new TV series puts the inventions of perhaps the greatest
of all makers to the test. Page 43
Worst-Case Internet by Mike Outmesguine
in Maker
The Network Relief Kit brings online connectivity to disaster sites. Page 44
The Make: Mech
Mr. Roboto: Cut and fold your own paper bot! Page 45
A Drone of Your Own by Chris Anderson
Build the world’s cheapest, easiest to hack, and funnest autopilot. Page 46
Meet the Blimpduino by Chris Anderson
Introducing a new kit to build the fastest, most nimble blimp around.
Page 52
Drones of Yesteryear by Marc de Vinck
Reconnoitering the UAV exhibition at the National
Air and Space Museum.
Page 53
Bot State of the Art by Gareth Branwyn
Robot engineers and enthusiasts discuss what’s currently holding their attention. Page 54
Pest Control by Bob Parks
The director of the Harvard Microrobotics Lab builds
a better housefly. Page 58
Teaching An Old Bot New Tricks by Robert L. Doerr
Make a vintage robot smarter. Page 62
The Accidental Pioneer by Gareth Branwyn
How a neurophysiologist’s experiments in brain behavior
created the first autonomous robots. Page 68
Runaway Robots by Mark Frauenfelder
Rovers at the first annual SparkFun Autonomous Vehicle Competition have minds of their own. Page 72
My Robot, Makey by Kris Magri
Build this simple autonomous robot that’s programmed to follow objects around. Page 76
Rok-Bak Chair by Larry Cotton
This recliner is very comfortable, easy and inexpensive to build, and can be assembled or disassembled in a few minutes. Page 88
Speed Vest by Mykle Hansen
Make a lightweight night-cycling vest that displays your current speed in
glowing, 7-inch-tall numbers easily visible to cars. Page 100
Batteries From Everyday Things by Cy Tymony
in 123
Power an LED with lemons or spare change. Page 110
Kustom Tonkas by Todd Lappin
in DIY: Home
Turn a classic toy into a hot rod for kids of all ages. Page 111
Homebrew Alarm Purse by Ed Bringas, Norene Leddy, Johana Moscoso
in DIY: Spy
The Alarm Purse is a simple, fashionable way to add an audible alarm to your handbag. Page 114
"Solar Joule" Bracelet by Edwin Wise
in DIY: Circuits
Solar-cell links are cleverly boosted to drive an LED jewel.
Page 117
Burnout Sounds by Andrew Carrell
in DIY: Circuits
Guitar effects from old compact fluorescent light bulbs. Page 120
Breaking and Entering by Graham Cattley
in DIY: Circuits
Open and repair a damaged proximity swipe card. Page 121
Mini Fume Extractor by Marc de Vinck
in DIY: Workshop
Candy tin device helps keep your air clean and your lungs healthy. Page 123
DIY Drawer Organizer by Conrad Hopkins
in DIY: Workshop
Got commercial organizers that fail to fit? Make your own. Page 126
Jeweled Finish by Brian Dereu
in DIY: Workshop
Give your metalwork a gleaming texture that makes light dance. Page 128
MIDI Camera Control by Josh Cardenas
in DIY: Imaging
ESPN-style coverage with a video crew of one or two. Page 129
Eye Contact Device by Don McLane
in DIY: Imaging
Look more trustworthy while video-conferencing. Page 133
Greener Waves by Keith Hammond
in DIY: Outdoors
Surfboard kit uses a new epoxy technique without fiberglass. Page 134
Easy Boombox by Matthew T. Miller
in 123
Instant speakers from earbuds. Page 139
Servomotors by Tod E. Kurt
in Primer
Beef up on robotic musculature.
Page 140
Robots Within Reach by Nick Dragotta, Saul Griffith
in Howtoons
Extend your grasp. Page 149
Cottage Economy by George Dyson
in Retrospect
Pamphleteer William Cobbett launched the sustainability movement - in 1821. Page 150
Makeshift: Against the Wind by Lee D. Zlotoff
in MakeShift
The creator of MacGyver challenges you to make your way back to shore
after falling asleep in a kayak and awaking to rough seas. Page 152
Papuan Speargun by Tim Anderson
in Heirloom Technology
This speargun gets its power from a strip of red rubber. Page 154
Trouble at the Robot Invitational. by Michael H. Pryor
in Aha!
Trouble at the Robot Invitational. Page 155
Toolbox by Gareth Branwyn, Marc de Vinck, Mark Frauenfelder, Keith Hammond, Tod E. Kurt, Tim Lillis, Pete Marchetto, Steve Norris, Sean Michael Ragan
in Toolbox
Titanium nail puller, autonomous blimp kit, Mad Science, and extra heavy duty screwdrivers.
Page 156
Golden Star Origami by Donald E. Simanek
in Toys, Tricks, and Teasers
Make a five-pointed star with a single cut. Page 164
Rudolf Diesel and the Fire Piston by William Gurstelle
Build a fire piston. Page 166
Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle
in Maker's Calendar
Page 169
Eyeglasses by Tom Parker
in Make Money
Correct myopia with pinholes. Page 175
The ElliptiGO Glide Bike by Brent Teal
in Homebrew
Page 176
