Photo credit: Jace LeRoy
Denis Aminev, a Russian photographer, has spent years attempting to recreate the look of those magical film days that digital photography couldn’t quite replicate. It all started with movies shot on film, and how the stretched aspect ratio immediately draws your attention to them. Standard lenses and anamorphic adapters fell short, so he turned to something more direct: building his own camera from scratch.
A spool of filament rests calmly on a shelf, looking exactly like the usual orange Prusament roll found in numerous 3D printers, yet it hides a little secret. Prusa wanted a one-of-a-kind gift and asked Matt Denton to transform a regular 2kg spool of filament into an out-of-the-ordinary remote-controlled robot dubbed SpoolBot, which you’d be hard-pressed to tell is actually a robot going for a little roll on its own power.
This project takes regular door sensors and amps them up a few notches, providing a brilliant way to keep your smart house smart without having a single gadget attached to the frame. Dillan Stock of The Stock Pot got his hands on those cheap Aqara T1 touch sensors and decided to rebuild their housings from scratch, effectively stuffing everything inside the door and frame.
A display that uses air power to transform our perceptions of screens is a novel concept. Maker Soiboi Soft set out to create one using only 3D printing, a small amount of soft silicone, and the difference in air pressure between normal and vacuum. The end result is a 4×4 grid of pixels that light up various patterns and games, letters, numbers, and even a rudimentary snake game animation, all without the use of electricity.
Sergii Gordieiev, the engineer behind “The Q,” is the mastermind behind some incredibly unique innovations, such as transforming regular bicycles into something entirely different. His new project involves disassembling a basic bike, removing the chain and derailleur, and replacing them with a chain composed of 3D printed gears. The end result is a stripped-down single-speeder that delivers power directly from the crank to the wheel, with no sign of chain slap or rattling worn chains.
Brenpoly, a huge Adventure Time fan, has created a version of BMO that is far more than a cosplay or prop, bringing the character to life as a fully functional AI companion running entirely on their own local hardware. Fans remember BMO as the happy, game-loving little console with a flair for making stupid jokes and offering some unexpected advice. This project perfectly captures that spirit and houses it within a unique enclosure.
Cornell researchers developed a method for printing concrete structures in the middle of the ocean, a development that has the potential to transform maritime construction. They’ve been printing homes, bridges, and even rocket parts on dry land with concrete for years, but taking the process underwater has its own set of challenges. Water damages the cement particles before they can bond together, makes the slurry too thick to pump when stabilizers are added too early, and creates a cloud of fine sediment that blinds all light.
A DIY metal 3D printer powered by a laser welder brings industrial-grade additive manufacturing far closer to the garage than anyone imagined. Maker Cranktown City acquired a 2000-watt fibre laser welder from Skyfire and installed it on an outdated 3D printer frame salvaged from a defunct insole-printing business. The ultimate result is solid metal items produced layer by layer with welding wire as the “ink,” demonstrating that very strong lasers often found in factories can now be used on projects at home.
James Warner once owned one of those giant Kodak picture-making machines that dominated every drugstore and big-box retailer in the 1990s and early 2000s. You’d walk up to it, insert a memory card or CD, scroll through all of the photographs on the screen, select the ones you liked, maybe add a cool border or some color correction, and walk out with your freshly printed photos just a few minutes later. These machines provided rapid pleasure at a period when home printers struggled with quality and affordability.
A spinning top rests on a desk, still running full throttle after hours have passed, with an almost hypnotic rhythm. Most common tops have a short lifespan, succumbing to air resistance and surface friction. This one, however, refuses to give up, thanks to Aaed Musa’s fantastic design.