What's Hot on Makezine.com:
Projects, games, crafts, and contraptions that prove kids can make anything.
Driven by a Child's Imagination My daughter is six years old. The other day, she...
Fred Rogers had the remarkable ability to communicate with with children in a way that...
This easy build uses two important scientific principles, buoyancy and stored kinetic energy, to float and drive...
Papercraft rules. Why? Because the material is so approachable and ubiquitous. You'll get a chance...
https://vimeo.com/user10324979/knock-knock Knock Knock is a clever Arduino-controlled calculator toy, designed for small children. The user...
With all the egg projects out in the blogosphere right now, Katey of Having Fun...
Excited about Shark Week? Get your crafting into the dorsal finned spirit with this shark...
By Vanessa Coppolla Did you know that the sock monkey dates back to 1932, when...
Keep lunch money and favorite treasures tucked safely and hilariously away with this zipper monster...
I'm always on the lookout for those teachable moments. Inspiration struck me when my 5-year-old...
I’m always on the lookout for those teachable moments. Inspiration struck me when my 5-year-old asked for help in keeping his little brother from sneaking into his room. I spotted the perfect time to teach him about inputs, outputs, and programming. Learning is easier when the lesson centers on solving a personal problem.
I could have built a simple alarm system any number of different ways, but I knew that I wanted the system to be an all-in-one unit for versatility beyond my son’s original request. I chose the Raspberry Pi as the controller because it is easy to connect to the internet, it can play MP3 files, it interfaces with USB peripherals like cameras, and it has general purpose inputs and outputs for connecting to simple electronic components like buttons, sensors, and lights.
My alarm system’s code, which you can view on GitHub, is rather simple. To take advantage of Linux’s multithreading, I split the tasks between two Python scripts. One python script (keypadd.py) monitors the keypad for valid codes. Upon boot, the system is set up as “disarmed”. Anytime the arm/disarm code is detected, it toggles the status of the system by flipping a byte in a text file called “armed.txt”.
The second Python script (alarmd.py) monitors the passive infrared sensor via the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO. If motion is detected, it checks the armed.txt file to see if the system is armed. If the system is armed when motion is detected, the alarm is sounded.
During the course of the project, I ran into a few challenges that influenced my design decisions:
There are more advanced Raspberry Pi alarm systems out there, but I hope I’ve showed you how easy, fun, and educational it can be to make your own. Now get to it, and report back.
In Episode 8 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us all the parts he chose...
In Episode 8 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us all the parts he chose to go on the Maker Trainer! We also learn how to solder the different R/C connectors onto the ESC. Lucas also goes over how to connect all the wires together and bind your radio so you can control everything.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
The 1950s were a golden age for the curious kid builder of all things balsa,...
Former MAKE staffer Stefan Antonowicz sent us this to post. He now has two kids...
Today on Maker Camp (11am PDT on Google+) we'll be talking about the intersection of...
Pixilation is one of my favorite kinds of animation both to make and to watch....
In Episode 7 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about R/C receivers. These take...
In Episode 7 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about R/C receivers. These take the signals from transmitters and allow you to control your plane. We learn how the channels on the receiver correspond to the sticks and switches on the transmitters. Also Lucas goes over how to power receivers, and how and where to place them on your plane.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
By Brookelynn Morris Forget wedding cake and champagne toasts and soup cans tied to the...
Add a bit of camp-inspired fun to your summertime crafting with this fishtail braided friendship...
Even as a young child, I knew that I lived in a maker supportive house....
In Episode 6 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us the radios for R/C planes....
In Episode 6 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us the radios for R/C planes. We learn what all the sticks, switches, and knobs do as well as what they can be used for. We also see a glimpse into the past with old radio technology and how today’s is much better. Lucas also shows us how to do some basic programming with our radios, and we see all the cool things we can do with R/C transmitters.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
Make the perfect handmade accessory for the beloved toys in your home with this fat...
Jaderbomb is such an excellent DIY blog and an all around breath of fresh air....
In Episode 5 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about servos, these are the...
In Episode 5 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about servos, these are the little motors that move the control surfaces on RC planes. We learn about the different parts of a servo, and what each of them do. We see how to classify servos by their sizes, weights, and strength. Lucas also goes over the different types of linkages and the techniques on hooking up control surfaces.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
Materials: LEGO Education kit 9686, or equivalent subset of parts Printable building instructions and parts...
Create these sweet, upcycled barrettes to go with your Easter dress. By Tiffany Threadgould Looking...
There are so many crowd sourced projects out there. How do you decide which ones...
haydenbbickerton shared these images of an amazing Barbie Dream House made from household scraps. If...
Check out this great video by Stephanie Wiriahardja that recaps the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire....
I think I would have payed more attention when we covered combinations and permutations in...
Driven by a Child's Imagination My daughter is six years old. The other day, she...
In Episode 4 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley teaches us about lithium polymer, or li-po,...
In Episode 4 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley teaches us about lithium polymer, or li-po, batteries, used in R/C aircraft. Lucas covers the numbers and letters that classify these batteries, how to determine where to place the battery for balancing the plane, charging the batteries, and safety concerns.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
This week's theme for Maker Camp is "Create the Future" and we'll explore that notion...
In Episode 3 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley breaks down the important role electric speed...
In Episode 3 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley breaks down the important role electric speed controllers (ESC) play in RC planes. These components convert DC power into AC power and regulate power to the motor. But it’s important to pair the appropriate ESC to the right motor otherwise you’re headed for a meltdown. In this video, Lucas will also talk about battery elimination circuits (BEC) and what they do.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
Yellow Giraffe posted this playful DIY button rings project to make with kids.
Grab your towel and hit the beach hands-free with this useful beach towel backpack tutorial...
Fred Rogers had the remarkable ability to communicate with with children in a way that...
I'm always on the lookout for those teachable moments. Inspiration struck me when my 5-year-old...
I’m always on the lookout for those teachable moments. Inspiration struck me when my 5-year-old asked for help in keeping his little brother from sneaking into his room. I spotted the perfect time to teach him about inputs, outputs, and programming. Learning is easier when the lesson centers on solving a personal problem.
I could have built a simple alarm system any number of different ways, but I knew that I wanted the system to be an all-in-one unit for versatility beyond my son’s original request. I chose the Raspberry Pi as the controller because it is easy to connect to the internet, it can play MP3 files, it interfaces with USB peripherals like cameras, and it has general purpose inputs and outputs for connecting to simple electronic components like buttons, sensors, and lights.
My alarm system’s code, which you can view on GitHub, is rather simple. To take advantage of Linux’s multithreading, I split the tasks between two Python scripts. One python script (keypadd.py) monitors the keypad for valid codes. Upon boot, the system is set up as “disarmed”. Anytime the arm/disarm code is detected, it toggles the status of the system by flipping a byte in a text file called “armed.txt”.
The second Python script (alarmd.py) monitors the passive infrared sensor via the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO. If motion is detected, it checks the armed.txt file to see if the system is armed. If the system is armed when motion is detected, the alarm is sounded.
During the course of the project, I ran into a few challenges that influenced my design decisions:
There are more advanced Raspberry Pi alarm systems out there, but I hope I’ve showed you how easy, fun, and educational it can be to make your own. Now get to it, and report back.
In Episode 8 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us all the parts he chose...
In Episode 8 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us all the parts he chose to go on the Maker Trainer! We also learn how to solder the different R/C connectors onto the ESC. Lucas also goes over how to connect all the wires together and bind your radio so you can control everything.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
In Episode 7 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about R/C receivers. These take...
In Episode 7 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about R/C receivers. These take the signals from transmitters and allow you to control your plane. We learn how the channels on the receiver correspond to the sticks and switches on the transmitters. Also Lucas goes over how to power receivers, and how and where to place them on your plane.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
In Episode 6 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us the radios for R/C planes....
In Episode 6 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley shows us the radios for R/C planes. We learn what all the sticks, switches, and knobs do as well as what they can be used for. We also see a glimpse into the past with old radio technology and how today’s is much better. Lucas also shows us how to do some basic programming with our radios, and we see all the cool things we can do with R/C transmitters.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
In Episode 5 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about servos, these are the...
In Episode 5 of Maker Hangar, Lucas Weakley teaches us about servos, these are the little motors that move the control surfaces on RC planes. We learn about the different parts of a servo, and what each of them do. We see how to classify servos by their sizes, weights, and strength. Lucas also goes over the different types of linkages and the techniques on hooking up control surfaces.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
In Episode 4 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley teaches us about lithium polymer, or li-po,...
In Episode 4 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley teaches us about lithium polymer, or li-po, batteries, used in R/C aircraft. Lucas covers the numbers and letters that classify these batteries, how to determine where to place the battery for balancing the plane, charging the batteries, and safety concerns.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
In Episode 3 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley breaks down the important role electric speed...
In Episode 3 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley breaks down the important role electric speed controllers (ESC) play in RC planes. These components convert DC power into AC power and regulate power to the motor. But it’s important to pair the appropriate ESC to the right motor otherwise you’re headed for a meltdown. In this video, Lucas will also talk about battery elimination circuits (BEC) and what they do.
MAKE and Lucas Weakley have teamed up to bring you Maker Hangar, a 15-episode tutorial series that will teach you everything you need to know to build and fly this custom RC plane, the Maker Trainer.
New installments will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August. Also, be sure to join us on the Maker Hangar Google+ Community page to share your ideas, comments, photos and video and details for your own RC plane project builds.
Lucas Weakley is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout who will be a senior next year in the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute for Technology (EMIT) at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla. Lucas became interested in flight and got his first RC plane for his ninth birthday. Recently he’s been designing and building his own planes and hosts an R/C aircraft YouTube show called BusyBee TV. Lucas also has his own aerial videography company called TopView Aerials.
For more information about the series, as well as archived videos, head to the Maker Hangar page.
Cognizant sponsored the Young Maker's Pavilion at the 2012 Maker Faire, held at the New...
The 1950s were a golden age for the curious kid builder of all things balsa,...
Pixilation is one of my favorite kinds of animation both to make and to watch....
Materials: LEGO Education kit 9686, or equivalent subset of parts Printable building instructions and parts...
Driven by a Child's Imagination My daughter is six years old. The other day, she...
This easy build uses two important scientific principles, buoyancy and stored kinetic energy, to float and drive...
Operation is a game that lets you test your hand-eye coordination by removing a variety...
I created CoffeeBots to observe chaotic behavior, by programming a bunch of them with subtle...
Former MAKE staffer Stefan Antonowicz sent us this to post. He now has two kids...
Today on Maker Camp (11am PDT on Google+) we'll be talking about the intersection of...
Even as a young child, I knew that I lived in a maker supportive house....
There are so many crowd sourced projects out there. How do you decide which ones...
Check out this great video by Stephanie Wiriahardja that recaps the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire....
This week's theme for Maker Camp is "Create the Future" and we'll explore that notion...
Here's something many of us can relate to: as young kids, we all start out...