Make: Kit Reviews

I bought my first Boe-Bot over 10 years ago. I’ve dropped it, stepped on it, even lost it behind the couch for three months. Nothing seems to faze this thing. The Boe consists of an aluminum frame, upon which two servomotors, a battery holder, and a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller board are mounted. Over the […]

Robotics: gripper, robotics, robots

The Rainbow Cube is a nerdy but gorgeous accent light consisting of a 4×4×4 cube of red-green-blue LEDs. Depending on how it’s programmed, colors appear to move, pulse, or wash through the cube in all directions, which is fascinating to watch. The LEDs connect to the PCB base via an ingenious structure consisting of thin […]

Electronics and Controllers LEDs: electronics, LEDs

Quadcopters rely on computer stabilization to fly. They can be radio controlled, but with an onboard computer, why not let it fly itself? The community at DIY Drones developed the open source ArduPilot Mega (APM), an Arduino-based autopilot that lets you control multi-rotor (and other) aircraft autonomously, or via R/C. The ArduCopter 3DR Quad Kit […]

Radio-Controlled Vehicles: Arduino, drones, helicopter, quadcopter, RC, robot

The DrinkDuino drinking game was the perfect excuse for me to get my first Arduino. After ordering the DrinkShield breathalyzer kit and an Arduino Uno to drive it, I hastily pieced it together on my living room floor. The kit was simple enough, all components were included, and the instructions online were quick and easy. […]

Kit Party: Arduino, breathalyzer, drinking game, party

It took me about 45 minutes (not including glue drying time) to put together a service-able ukulele from Wolfelele’s precut wooden components. The well-designed parts fit together in a way that ensured it didn’t end up crooked, and the triangular instrument sounds better than any other $100 ukulele I’ve played. The kit has everything you […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, Ukulele

Speaker design master Curt Campbell has created several dream kits for the audiophile, including the TriTrix. Featuring two 5.25″ Dayton Audio woofers and a single tweeter in MTM format, the final product has an easy, 8Ω load that can be used for audio or home theater systems. The transmission line kit includes precision-cut MDF for making the cabinets, […]

Audio Gear: audio, music, speakers

Analog voltage-controlled oscillators (AVOs) make a variety of intriguing hums, beeps, buzzes, and loops, controlled by buttons, knobs, and sensors. These are fantastic group projects because once the soldering irons are all put down, you get an excellent payoff: you can have an impromptu concert. Bleep Labs, run by Austin, Texas, circuit bender and kit […]

Kit Party: analog, audio, kids, music, party

I’ve been living car-free for 12 years. When I first saw Xtracycle’s cargo bike conversion kit, I was impressed by the broad utility of the design; it can be used to haul cargo and also passengers. I decided to build the ultimate people-and-stuff hauler so I could pick up friends who don’t bike and we could […]

Wheels: bicycles, conversion, Wheels

The Chofu is a very simple, and very beautiful, DIY wood-fired hot tub heater. It looks like a potbellied stove with an Eastern aesthetic, and it comes from Japan. Any container that’ll hold water can be the hot tub (metal stock tanks are a great choice). The stove is connected to the tub by two […]

Home & Shelter: home, hot tub, off-the-grid, wood-fired

An introduction to sewing with soft circuits, this fantastic kit teaches you how to augment your garments or needlework with LEDs. There’s a free video tutorial as well as step-by-step instructions, and the kit includes everything you need to get started; Jawa doll not included!

Craft: craft, LEDs, sewing, soft circuits