Do-It-Yourself Gadgets

Line Laser for 3D Scanning

2012-03-02T01:30:00.000+01:00

Recently I stumbled upon laser based 3D scanning. All I needed was a line laser, but I didn't want to buy one because they're kind of expensive. So I just built my own using stuff I had lying around:

Read more if you want to see another line laser concept, 3D scan results and a video.

Simple Rotating Plate

2012-02-22T20:10:00.001+01:00

Sometimes you would need a simple rotating plate for various applications but you don't want to install a lot of sensors and transistors. Well, here's a simple solution! With this rotating disk you can decide if you want to rotate full 360° back and forth or any other angle!

Read more for the complete article!
This post was sponsored by Farnell Electronics.

Simple 2000 Volts Transformer - Electrostatic Sticky Notes

2011-12-22T19:10:00.003+01:00

In this post I will show you how to build a nice and useful transformer on your own! Best thing it's not expensive at all!

If you don't know what a transformer is, look it up: Transformer. You can use it to charge a capacitor of your coilgun or to shock your friends! You will find the full tutorial including picstures and more after the break!
This post was sponsored by Farnell.com

Simple Led Flashing Circuit - Sponsored by Farnell.com

2011-12-08T12:56:00.000+01:00

You like playing around with Leds? Then build a simple Led flashing circuit!

You want more? Read more after the break!

This post was sponsored by Farnell.

Dummy Security System -Sponsored by Farnell.com

2011-11-28T23:14:00.000+01:00

You own an old car and would like to scare off thieves? Build your own fake security system!

I got all the parts i needed from Farnell Electronics! Also check out Element14!

Parts Required (All available @Farnell.com)Check out the links next to the components!

resistors: 1k, 10k, 680k Resistors
capacitor: 10µF radial Capacitors
LED: red superbright, 5mm diameter LEDs
7555 low power timer IC 7555
8-pin DIL socket for IC
battery clip
4.5V battery box for 3 AA cells
stripboard: 8 rows × 16 holes Stripboard

This Dummy Alarm project makes an LED flash briefly once every 5 seconds to imitate the indicator light of a real alarm. The circuit is designed to use very little current to prolong battery life so that it can be left on permanently. An on/off switch is not included, but could be added if you wish.

See the whole circuit after the break:

Halloween Combine Costume

2011-11-15T23:41:00.003+01:00

Doesn't everybody love Halloween?

Just take a look at these sweet costumes!

If you want to see how we made the masks and costumes, read more after the break!

Electric Bycicle

2011-10-20T21:29:00.000+02:00

Since public transportation is very expensive in Munich ( about 100€/month ) and driving a car is not an option due to traffic jams I decided to build something on the cheap:

This is my electric bycicle! Its driven by a 300W electric washing machine motor and runs at an Voltage of 24 Volts. According to the manufaturer it spins at 3000 rpm.

Video after the break!

TUM

2011-10-08T15:36:00.002+02:00

From now on this is my university: TUM

As you can see there's a funny slide inside the the Faculty Building for Math and Computer Science:

Vide after the break:

Coilgun's batteries

2011-10-01T00:20:00.004+02:00

In this post you'll see where I installed my coilgun's trigger battery. The 1,5 Volts AAA is placed inside the modified softair ammo clip.

The battery gets connected to the coilgun's trigger circuit by sliding in the ammo clip. As you can see three metal pins establish the electric connection when sliding in the ammo clip. More pictures and a video after the break!

Coilgun II Pictures

2011-09-19T21:41:00.003+02:00

I took some more pictures of my coilgun. Read more after the break!

Coilgun 2

2011-09-07T00:12:00.001+02:00

This is another coilgun i built.

Detailed information and pictures after the break!

Addition to Coilgun

2011-08-31T20:52:00.000+02:00

Improvements&explanations after the break!

Coil gun

2011-08-20T04:14:00.001+02:00

Have you ever wanted a futuristic energy weapon?

Build one on your own!

More pictures&videos after the break!

Visit at the Max-Planck Institute for plasma physics

2011-08-08T14:52:00.001+02:00

Due to a second prize I won at a science competition here in Germany, I additionally got an invitation to the Max-Planck Institute for plasmaphysics.

You've probably heard of nuclear fusion (read more). The scientist at the IPP deal with fusion's problems on earth.

There are two kinds of fusion reactors:

1.The stellarator 2. The Tokamak

At the IPP there's one Tokamak called ASDEX upgrade

and there's a Stellarator under construction called Wendelstein 7X.

Nuclear Fusion is absolutley fascinating - that's why I took a lot of pictures:

More pictures after the break

Ball throwing machine

2011-07-30T20:12:00.002+02:00

Some time ago I started building a little ball throwing machine intended to entertain my dog.

I didn't really finish it due to lack of time but here you can see what I ended up with:

More pictures and videos after the break!

Neuralizer Wannabe

2011-07-14T23:18:00.001+02:00

I think all of you are familiar with M.I.B?

Good! Then you should know this device:

Airconditioning for the cheap

2011-07-02T00:32:00.001+02:00

It's a hot summer and it's not getting colder running my pc all day long.

So i decided to do something about the heat inside my room:

Read more after the break!

Small stun gun

2011-06-28T14:40:00.000+02:00

That's what I built to annoy my bank neighbour back at school.

It's a small stun gun at an operating voltage of 300 V.

The pain caused is not very intense.

It runs on a flatcell 3V battery as you can see in the pictures.

This is the small device, for more pictures from the inside and a human testvideo read more after the break.

Electric shock glove

2011-06-18T11:09:00.001+02:00

You have an old disposable camera lying around?

This video shows you what to do with it !

Be safe and have fun !
Don't use this against any living creatures!

Barbecue fan

2011-06-05T18:26:00.000+02:00

The first question:

If you want to know what emerges from the combination of these four gadgets, read more after the break!

Magnetic remote manipulation

2011-05-23T16:27:00.000+02:00

First of all - this video is real!

These guys bought an inexpensive scrapyard electromagnet at a well known onlineshop.

They used this strong magnetic field to manipulate small balls which were equipped with controllable small electromagnets. The result is just absolutley amazing!

I do not want to know how much current the big magnet draws ...

I'm also worried that the strong field could damage your Iphone, smartphone, laptop, mobile phone and pacemaker! Just look at it!

This is a typical example of geeks having fun !

Ejection Seat

2011-05-10T00:45:00.000+02:00

Ever wondered what to do when you're travelling at Mach2 and forgot your keys at home?

Just use this new high tech and absolutley amazing ejection seat to get off the train/airplane:

And here we have a very interesting video of the ejector seat in action:

Model of a particle accelerator

2011-05-01T18:21:00.002+02:00

Model of a particle accelerator

Some time ago I had to conduct a presentation about a special kind of particle accelerators.

In order to give a simple example I built a little model of a two staged particle accelerator

out of a old computer mouse's ball, two coils and a CD-spindle's base plate:

The metal ball represents a charged particle of any kind.

The two coils represent the drift-tubes which most accelerators use.

So every time the particle (ball) crosses the drift-tubes (coils) it gets accelerated:

Laser triggered waterbomb trap

2011-04-21T17:21:00.000+02:00

Back at school I built a little trap in order to fool some other pupils.

At first I took apart an old CD-drive and removed the laser-moving unit:

the laser unit

The laser unit will be used as our trigger mechanism.

Just solder a connection to the motor and add a needle to the moving part.

The needle will move forward and pop our waterballoon.

I used a laser and a photocell to build a lightbarrier which would activat the trap.

The light barrier was placed across the pupils' common room.

Here's the trap's schematic:

This is the laser and the receiver (both are battery powered) :

receiver with relais

laser

If the laser beam is interrupted the relais will activate the CD-drive-trigger and pop the waterbomb right over somebody's head.

Here the mounted trigger armed with one waterbomb:

And here the first victim (of course with slowmow) :

And here's an old video about the whole thing:

here

So this is one way to have fun with your old CD-Drive!

Angular momentum 3d stabilizer

2011-04-09T16:29:00.000+02:00

Some time ago I wanted to build a cube that could seemingly defy the law of physics and balance on its edges or corners. To achieve this aim I decided to use spinning weights which would create a large angular momentum. So if the angular momentum gets bigger than the gravitational force, the cube would remain in its position even if it was balancing on its corners.

So there had to be three angular momentum axis: X Y Z

I used three 600 6V DC motors:

piece of wood with metal weights


electric motor

I attatched the motors to square plates which would form a cube later.

This is the first result: I added some protection to enclose the spinning discs.

The video shows a rotating disc: The laser was used for measruring the disc's speed

I also had to calibrate the disc very accuratly in order to prevent vibrations.

Tada!!

Turn on the cube and you will need some force to move it!

You can take it and place it on its corner and it won't fall but remain in its position as long as the discs are spinning!

Not really useful but ... :)