Your Guide to 21 Awesome DIY Projects

Vendredi, 15 Avril 2011 13:00

Your Guide to 21 Awesome DIY Projects

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Beginner Level

1
Tweeting moisture sensor for houseplants
Perennial plant killers rejoice: The open source Botanicalls uses moisture sensors and an Ethernet connection to let your leafy friend tweet you when it’s thirsty.
Get started:wrdm.ag/plantsensors
2
Arduinome midi controller
Put on your shiny helmet and go DIY Daft Punk with Arduinome, a maker-friendly version of the Monome USB Midi controller.
Get started:wrdm.ag/makermidi
3
High-power LED bike light
Inexpensive and easy to make, this project delivers a rugged LED bicycle light with three settings.
Get started:wrdm.ag/ledbikelight
4
Tweeting power meter
For those interested in reducing their carbon footprint—or just saving a bit of money—Adafruit’s Tweet-a-Watt kit wirelessly keeps tabs on power usage, broken down by outlet.
Get started:wrdm.ag/tweetwatts
5
Laser-cut table
Make an easy-to-assemble table that breaks down quickly and packs flat for storage. A striking silhouette and Banksy theme earn it extra style points.
Get started:wrdm.ag/laser_table
6
Laser trip wire
For security (and shenanigans) worthy of Ferris Bueller, set up this laser to detect parents, roommates, and other snoops.
Get started:wrdm.ag/lasertripwire

Intermediate Level

RFID pet feeder

Prevent pet-food theft with a system that uses RFID-tagged collars and a repurposed CD-ROM player to distinguish between pets. Your active cat gets fed; your fat one gets denied.
Get started:wrdm.ag/pet_feeder8

Home weather station and HVAC control

Adjust your AC and heating systems from the same panel that displays readings from the solar-powered weather station in your backyard.
Get started:wrdm.ag/solarhvac9

Earthquake detector/reflector

Using data from RSS feeds, this Arduino-based device vibrates in conjunction with the magnitude of an earthquake.
Get started:wrdm.ag/vibrate10

Multicolored door-lock keypad

What do you get when you cross sci-fi film aesthetics, home security, and a game of Simon? This push-button door lock.
Get started:wrdm.ag/colorkeypad

Quiz-O-Tron 3000 four-contestant game show system

Add some Trebek flair to your local pub’s trivia night with a contestant buzz-in system.
Get started:wrdm.ag/gamebuzzer12

UAV spyplane

Forget garden gnomes. The best way to freak out the neighbors is by setting a UAV drone loose over the neighborhood. GPS and autopilot should keep your bird from going rogue.
Get started:wrdm.ag/uavspyplane13

Wildlife camera

One motion-detecting Air Wick air freshener, one cheap digital camera, a few other parts, and a bit of soldering, and you’ve got a device you can leave in the wild to snap photos of any chupacabra that crosses in front of it.
Get started:wrdm.ag/wildcam

Advanced Level

14
Computerized Etch A Sketch
Finally, a way to make a perfect diagonal line on an Etch A Sketch! Step out of the way and let your computer take over.
Get started:wrdm.ag/robosketch
15
Wii Nunchuk pan-and-tilt camera control
Just what it sounds like: Hack the Nunchuk to remotely operate a servo-mounted pan-and-tilt camera.
Get started:wrdm.ag/nunchukcam
16
High-speed photography setup
Arduino, a laser trigger, and a modded Canon let you capture water droplets and bursting balloons.
Get started:wrdm.ag/speedphoto
17
Arduino breathalyzer
Give party guests a stunning outdoor light show—and prevent drunk driving—with an all-in-one breathalyzer, lightning simulator, and graphic equalizer.
Get started:wrdm.ag/breathsaver
18
Remote-controlled lawn mower
With this hack, you’re no longer cutting the grass, you’re playing with an RC funmobile (while it cuts the grass).
Get started:wrdm.ag/rcmower
19
Television oscilloscope
A challenging—and dangerous—undertaking for the electronics enthusiast, due to the high voltages involved, but highly rewarding if you’ve been hungering for an at-home oscilloscope. And who hasn’t?
Get started:wrdm.ag/tvoscope
20
LED Cube
Build the cube, program the software, and host your own floating 3-D lightshows with a glowing, blinking, programmable array of LEDs.
Get started:wrdm.ag/cubeofleds
21
Mind-controlled RC helicopter
You will not look cool in the headset. You will look cool when people realize you’re using it to control an RC chopper with your thoughts.
Get started:wrdm.ag/mindcopter