Beam Me Up to the PCB Space Ship
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/beam-me-up-to-the-pcb-space-ship/
This project would fit in perfectly with #BadgeLife if someone could figure out a way to hang it from their neck. Inspired by Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise, [bobricius] decided to design and assemble a miniature space ship PCB model, complete with 40 blinking LEDs controlled by an ATtiny85.
While the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/beam-me-up-to-the-pcb-space-ship/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/beam-me-up-to-the-pcb-space-ship/
This project would fit in perfectly with #BadgeLife if someone could figure out a way to hang it from their neck. Inspired by Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise, [bobricius] decided to design and assemble a miniature space ship PCB model, complete with 40 blinking LEDs controlled by an ATtiny85.
While the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/beam-me-up-to-the-pcb-space-ship/)
Storm Cloud Lamp Brings The Weather Inside
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/storm-cloud-lamp-brings-the-weather-inside/
The humble lamp is a common build for a hacker looking to express themselves creatively. Often, nature can serve as an inspiration, as was the case for [Michael Pick]’s Storm Cloud. (Video, embedded below.)
Electronically, the build is straightforward, consisting of an Arduino Uno, an MP3 shield, and a string …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/storm-cloud-lamp-brings-the-weather-inside/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/storm-cloud-lamp-brings-the-weather-inside/
The humble lamp is a common build for a hacker looking to express themselves creatively. Often, nature can serve as an inspiration, as was the case for [Michael Pick]’s Storm Cloud. (Video, embedded below.)
Electronically, the build is straightforward, consisting of an Arduino Uno, an MP3 shield, and a string …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/storm-cloud-lamp-brings-the-weather-inside/)
Name A Hacker Camp
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/name-a-hacker-camp/
Many of us look forward to visiting a summer hacker camp, as an opportunity to immerse ourselves in some of the coolest and most stimulating stuff that comes out of our community. The names trip off the tongue, ToorCamp, CCCamp, EMFcamp, BornHack, and more.
There’s one major event that doesn’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/name-a-hacker-camp/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/name-a-hacker-camp/
Many of us look forward to visiting a summer hacker camp, as an opportunity to immerse ourselves in some of the coolest and most stimulating stuff that comes out of our community. The names trip off the tongue, ToorCamp, CCCamp, EMFcamp, BornHack, and more.
There’s one major event that doesn’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/name-a-hacker-camp/)
MIT Mini Cheetah Made and Improved In China
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/mit-mini-cheetah-made-and-improved-in-china/
We nearly passed over this tip from [xoxu] which was just a few links to some AliExpress pages. However, when we dug a bit into the pages we found something pretty surprising. Somewhere out there in the wild we…east of China there’s a company not only reverse engineering the Mini …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/mit-mini-cheetah-made-and-improved-in-china/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/mit-mini-cheetah-made-and-improved-in-china/
We nearly passed over this tip from [xoxu] which was just a few links to some AliExpress pages. However, when we dug a bit into the pages we found something pretty surprising. Somewhere out there in the wild we…east of China there’s a company not only reverse engineering the Mini …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/19/mit-mini-cheetah-made-and-improved-in-china/)
Humanoid Robot Has Joints that Inspire
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/humanoid-robot-has-joints-that-inspire/
One of the challenges with humanoid robots, besides keeping them upright, is finding compact combinations of actuators and joint mechanisms that allow for good range of smooth motion while still having good strength. To achieve that researchers from the IRIM Lab at Korea University of Technology and Education developed the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/humanoid-robot-has-joints-that-inspire/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/humanoid-robot-has-joints-that-inspire/
One of the challenges with humanoid robots, besides keeping them upright, is finding compact combinations of actuators and joint mechanisms that allow for good range of smooth motion while still having good strength. To achieve that researchers from the IRIM Lab at Korea University of Technology and Education developed the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/humanoid-robot-has-joints-that-inspire/)
Making a robot cleaner even smarter
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/making-a-robot-cleaner-even-smarter/
Some electric cleaners are effective and some hardly even seem to make a difference. The ILIFE V7s may be a robot cleaner, but even with its cleaning modes and anti-collision system, it still requires IR signals to complete any tasks. Tired of having to be physically in the same place …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/making-a-robot-cleaner-even-smarter/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/making-a-robot-cleaner-even-smarter/
Some electric cleaners are effective and some hardly even seem to make a difference. The ILIFE V7s may be a robot cleaner, but even with its cleaning modes and anti-collision system, it still requires IR signals to complete any tasks. Tired of having to be physically in the same place …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/making-a-robot-cleaner-even-smarter/)
Maker Spirit Alive and Well at the Philly Maker Faire
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/maker-spirit-alive-and-well-at-the-philly-maker-faire/
For many of us, it’s difficult to imagine a world without Maker Faire. The flagship events in California and New York have served as a celebration of the creative spirit for a decade, giving hackers and makers a rare chance to show off their creations to a live audience numbering …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/maker-spirit-alive-and-well-at-the-philly-maker-faire/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/maker-spirit-alive-and-well-at-the-philly-maker-faire/
For many of us, it’s difficult to imagine a world without Maker Faire. The flagship events in California and New York have served as a celebration of the creative spirit for a decade, giving hackers and makers a rare chance to show off their creations to a live audience numbering …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/maker-spirit-alive-and-well-at-the-philly-maker-faire/)
Pneumatic Zombie Will Blow Away Trick-or-Treaters
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/pneumatic-zombie-will-blow-away-trick-or-treaters/
What are you doing for Halloween this year? Just gonna set the candy bowl out on the porch and call it good? That’s a risky one, ’cause if one group of mischievous preteens cleans you out, you might get TP’d by the next one. Best to keep Halloween a tad …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/pneumatic-zombie-will-blow-away-trick-or-treaters/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/pneumatic-zombie-will-blow-away-trick-or-treaters/
What are you doing for Halloween this year? Just gonna set the candy bowl out on the porch and call it good? That’s a risky one, ’cause if one group of mischievous preteens cleans you out, you might get TP’d by the next one. Best to keep Halloween a tad …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/pneumatic-zombie-will-blow-away-trick-or-treaters/)
Navigating the Dark Side: Controlling Robots With Zero Radio Communication
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/navigating-the-dark-side-controlling-robots-with-zero-radio-communication/
While autonomous robots have been the subject of some projects in the past, this particular project takes a swing at building a robot that can teach children about controls and robotics.
The idea is to mimic a space mission on the dark side of the moon, where radio contact is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/navigating-the-dark-side-controlling-robots-with-zero-radio-communication/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/navigating-the-dark-side-controlling-robots-with-zero-radio-communication/
While autonomous robots have been the subject of some projects in the past, this particular project takes a swing at building a robot that can teach children about controls and robotics.
The idea is to mimic a space mission on the dark side of the moon, where radio contact is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/navigating-the-dark-side-controlling-robots-with-zero-radio-communication/)
Hackaday Links: October 20, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/hackaday-links-october-20-2019/
It’s Nobel season again, with announcements of the prizes in literature, economics, medicine, physics, and chemistry going to worthies the world over. The wording of the Nobel citations are usually a vast oversimplification of decades of research and end up being a scientific word salad. But this year’s chemistry Nobel …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/hackaday-links-october-20-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/hackaday-links-october-20-2019/
It’s Nobel season again, with announcements of the prizes in literature, economics, medicine, physics, and chemistry going to worthies the world over. The wording of the Nobel citations are usually a vast oversimplification of decades of research and end up being a scientific word salad. But this year’s chemistry Nobel …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/hackaday-links-october-20-2019/)
Turn your old-school CRT into a YouTube media player
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/turn-your-old-school-crt-into-a-youtube-media-player/
Ever wish you could enjoy modern conveniences like YouTube in a retro world of CRTs and late 20th century graphics?
[Johannes Spreitzer] happened to find an old VIENNASTAR CRT (cathode-ray tube television) made by the Austrian brand Kapsh at a flea market. The CRT dates back to 1977 and uses …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/turn-your-old-school-crt-into-a-youtube-media-player/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/turn-your-old-school-crt-into-a-youtube-media-player/
Ever wish you could enjoy modern conveniences like YouTube in a retro world of CRTs and late 20th century graphics?
[Johannes Spreitzer] happened to find an old VIENNASTAR CRT (cathode-ray tube television) made by the Austrian brand Kapsh at a flea market. The CRT dates back to 1977 and uses …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/turn-your-old-school-crt-into-a-youtube-media-player/)
Finding USB Bugs the Hard Way
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/finding-usb-bugs-the-hard-way/
Sometimes debugging just doesn’t go the way you want it to. When USB problems arise, you can usually use a protocol analyzer to find the issue causing trouble. For [Paul Stoffregen], it was only the first step in a long process to find the culprit.
Procotol Analyzer
The complaint that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/finding-usb-bugs-the-hard-way/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/finding-usb-bugs-the-hard-way/
Sometimes debugging just doesn’t go the way you want it to. When USB problems arise, you can usually use a protocol analyzer to find the issue causing trouble. For [Paul Stoffregen], it was only the first step in a long process to find the culprit.
Procotol Analyzer
The complaint that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/20/finding-usb-bugs-the-hard-way/)
How a Secret Gaming Scene Emerged in Communist East Germany
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-a-secret-gaming-scene-emerged-in-communist-east-germany/
During the late 1980s, a gaming scene emerged in East Germany just before the fall of communism. Teenagers gathered in buildings like the “House of Young Talents” (HdjT), originally Palais Podewils, to watch and play Commodore 64 games. There were 20 similar clubs in Berlin alone, sometimes with more than …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-a-secret-gaming-scene-emerged-in-communist-east-germany/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-a-secret-gaming-scene-emerged-in-communist-east-germany/
During the late 1980s, a gaming scene emerged in East Germany just before the fall of communism. Teenagers gathered in buildings like the “House of Young Talents” (HdjT), originally Palais Podewils, to watch and play Commodore 64 games. There were 20 similar clubs in Berlin alone, sometimes with more than …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-a-secret-gaming-scene-emerged-in-communist-east-germany/)
The Arduino IDE Finally Grows Up
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/the-arduino-ide-finally-grows-up/
While the Arduino has a very vocal fan club, there are always a few people less than thrilled with the ubiquitous ecosystem. While fans may just dismiss it as sour grapes, there are a few legitimate complaints you can fairly level at the stock setup. To address at least some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/the-arduino-ide-finally-grows-up/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/the-arduino-ide-finally-grows-up/
While the Arduino has a very vocal fan club, there are always a few people less than thrilled with the ubiquitous ecosystem. While fans may just dismiss it as sour grapes, there are a few legitimate complaints you can fairly level at the stock setup. To address at least some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/the-arduino-ide-finally-grows-up/)
DNS-over-HTTPS Is the Wrong Partial Solution
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/dns-over-https-is-the-wrong-partial-solution/
Openness has been one of the defining characteristics of the Internet for as long as it has existed, with much of the traffic today still passed without any form of encryption. Most requests for HTML pages and associated content are in plain text, and the responses are returned in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/dns-over-https-is-the-wrong-partial-solution/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/dns-over-https-is-the-wrong-partial-solution/
Openness has been one of the defining characteristics of the Internet for as long as it has existed, with much of the traffic today still passed without any form of encryption. Most requests for HTML pages and associated content are in plain text, and the responses are returned in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/dns-over-https-is-the-wrong-partial-solution/)
A Drone Sprouts Wings
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-drone-sprouts-wings/
While there are some fixed-wing drones in the hobby world, most of us around here think of the quadcopter when this word is mentioned. There have been some fixed-wings around, and lots of multi-rotors, but not much of a mix of the two. [Paweł] wanted to see what would happen …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-drone-sprouts-wings/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-drone-sprouts-wings/
While there are some fixed-wing drones in the hobby world, most of us around here think of the quadcopter when this word is mentioned. There have been some fixed-wings around, and lots of multi-rotors, but not much of a mix of the two. [Paweł] wanted to see what would happen …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-drone-sprouts-wings/)
Open Hardware Month Hack Chat
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/open-hardware-month-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, October 23 at noon Pacific for the Open Hardware Month Hack Chat with Michael Weinberg!
It seems like everything and everyone has a special day set aside on the calendar. You know the drill – a headline declaring it National Grilled Cheese Day (sorry, you missed …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/open-hardware-month-hack-chat/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/open-hardware-month-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, October 23 at noon Pacific for the Open Hardware Month Hack Chat with Michael Weinberg!
It seems like everything and everyone has a special day set aside on the calendar. You know the drill – a headline declaring it National Grilled Cheese Day (sorry, you missed …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/open-hardware-month-hack-chat/)
How To Make an Electric Scooter Chain Sprocket With Nothing But Hand Tools
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-to-make-an-electric-scooter-chain-sprocket-with-nothing-but-hand-tools/
Sometimes, mechanical parts can be supremely expensive, or totally unavailable. In those cases, there’s just one option — make it yourself. It was this very situation in which I found myself. My electric scooter had been ever so slightly bested by a faster competitor, and I needed redemption. A gearing …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-to-make-an-electric-scooter-chain-sprocket-with-nothing-but-hand-tools/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-to-make-an-electric-scooter-chain-sprocket-with-nothing-but-hand-tools/
Sometimes, mechanical parts can be supremely expensive, or totally unavailable. In those cases, there’s just one option — make it yourself. It was this very situation in which I found myself. My electric scooter had been ever so slightly bested by a faster competitor, and I needed redemption. A gearing …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/how-to-make-an-electric-scooter-chain-sprocket-with-nothing-but-hand-tools/)
A DIY Retrocomputer Programmed in Pure Rust
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-diy-computer-programmed-in-pure-rust/
Can you generate VGA and handle a PS/2 keyboard with a Cortex-M4 in Rust? That’s precisely what [theJPster] wanted to find out with Monotron, a 1980s style home computer programmed in pure Rust.
In order to run embedded Rust without a working operating system, some tools are necessary: an LLVM …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-diy-computer-programmed-in-pure-rust/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-diy-computer-programmed-in-pure-rust/
Can you generate VGA and handle a PS/2 keyboard with a Cortex-M4 in Rust? That’s precisely what [theJPster] wanted to find out with Monotron, a 1980s style home computer programmed in pure Rust.
In order to run embedded Rust without a working operating system, some tools are necessary: an LLVM …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/a-diy-computer-programmed-in-pure-rust/)
An Optocoupler Doorbell Notifier
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/an-optocoupler-doorbell-notifier/
Over the years we’ve seen several attempts at adding Internet connectivity to the lowly wired doorbell. Generally, these projects aim to piggyback on the existing wiring, bells, and buttons rather than replace them entirely. Which invariably means at some point the AC wiring is going to need to interface with …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/an-optocoupler-doorbell-notifier/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/an-optocoupler-doorbell-notifier/
Over the years we’ve seen several attempts at adding Internet connectivity to the lowly wired doorbell. Generally, these projects aim to piggyback on the existing wiring, bells, and buttons rather than replace them entirely. Which invariably means at some point the AC wiring is going to need to interface with …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/10/21/an-optocoupler-doorbell-notifier/)