When riding a stationary bicycle, it easy to feel as though you aren’t getting anywhere or doing much of anything other than managing a quick workout. The cardio is great, but what if you could capture the energy generated by all that pedaling? Instructables member KlockworkKevin has created an ingenious bike-powered generator hidden inside his patio furniture. When not in use, it is a colorful porch appointment that can be easily transformed into a power-making machine. As an added bonus to being unassuming and out-of-the-way, the generator is quieter than the previous models he built using noisy cordless drills.

Read the rest of Patio Furniture Transforms into DIY Bike-Powered Generator

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Post tags: "wind turbine", battery, bicycle, bike, deep cycle marine battery, e-waste, generator, instructables, instructables green design contest, inverter, klockworkkevin, patio furniture, solar panels, voltage regulator

Digital cameras have revolutionized the art of photography. Gone are hours in a darkroom, film, and treasured cameras passed down from one shutterbug to another. Slovenian industrial designer and artist Elvis Halilović has created a series of six wooden pinhole cameras in an attempt to bring photography back to its roots. Working to create a simple, attractive, and affordable camera, Halilović recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the production of his ONDU Pinhole camera.

Read the rest of ONDU Wooden Pinhole Cameras Bring Craftsmanship Back to Photography

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Post tags: digital camera, elivs halilovic, Film, heirloom, kickstarter, Leica, magnets, ondu, Photography, pinhole camera, Slovenia, Wood

From genetically-engineered glowing plants and 3D-printed food, it often seems that our technological reality had finally entered the realm of science fiction. But the way we interact with our computers and mobile devices hasn’t changed radically. Anew device from Thalmic Labs aims to change that. Meet the Myo, an armband that uses the body’s natural movements to manipulate electronics.

Read the rest of Myo is a Wearable Computer that Converts Movement into Digital Commands

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Post tags: 3d printed food, armband, digital command, Electricity, forearm, gesture, glowing plants, Google Glass, haptic feedback, microvolt, movement, muscle, myo, stephen lake, thalmic labs

If you prefer to keep your phone on silent but end up with a bunch of missed calls and unread messages, you will love this bendable smartphone! Designed by researchers at Queen’s University Human Media Lab in Canada, the MorePhone is a paper-thin smartphone that flexes when it receives a text or call. It is based on thin-film, flexible display technologies and organic user interfaces that allow computers to take any shape or form.

Read the rest of MorePhone: Paper-Thin, Flexible Smartphone Curls When it Receives a Call

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Post tags: flexible display technologies, flexible displays, flexible smartphone, green gadgets, human-computer interaction, MorePhone, organic user interfaces, Queen’s University Human Media Lab, smartphone technology, ultra thin smartphone

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Post tags: authority, body art, christ, etsy, found objects, goof vermeulen, jail, Netherlands, prison, punishment, spam, tattoo machine

UK teenager Patrick Kane just became the first person in the country to be fitted with latest version of Touch Bionics’ i-Limb Ultra- a prosthetic hand so advanced that it can be controlled via a smart phone app. The i-Limb Ultra can assume 24 different grips with the option of gradually increasing the strength of its grasp, and—according to its makers—it is currently the most advanced and anatomically correct artificial limb on the market.

Read the rest of i-Limb: Touch Bionics’ Amazing Prosthetic Hand Can Be Controlled Via Smart Phone

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Post tags: artificial limbs, artificial skin, i-Limb Ultra, i-Limb Ultra prosthetic hand, innovative technology, prosthetic device, prosthetic fingers, prosthetic technology, prosthetics, smart phone apps, Touch Bionics

Ever wonder how hard you are cranking it on your bike? Matt Richardson knows exactly how fast he is going with his Raspberry Pi Dynamic Headlight that projects his speed in front of him. His prototype takes advantage of a sensor located on the wheel, Raspberry pie mounted on a balsa board hanging from the frame, and a projector clamped onto the handlebars. A USB charger powers the Raspberry Pi and the headlight. Richardson plans on adding some new visualizations to his next model, and possibly GPS capabilities. Just be careful to focus more on traffic than your personal best in a time trial!

+ Matt Richardson

Via Geekologie

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Post tags: bicycle, DIY, gps, matt richardson, projector, raspberry pi, raspberry pi dynamic bike headlight, speed, usb

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Post tags: Biomimetic Design, BionicOpter Festo, BionicOpter robot dragonfly, festo, Festo flying robot, german design, German robotics, germany, Interactive Objects, remote-controlled robot, robotic animals, Robotic design, robotics, ultralight robot

The Apple rumor-mill is buzzing again, this time over plans for a new device that will really have legs. Actually, mostly arms: Apple’s iBot is still in early prototype stages, and focus has centered on the robot’s extraordinary upper body dexterity, which will enable it to be used not only in the Apple manufacturing process, but the device will also be made available to consumers themselves as an extension of Apple’s move into the home entertainment market.

Read the rest of The iBot is Apple’s Latest Move into Home Entertainment

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Post tags: "april fools", apple, apple ibot, Apple robot, apple robots, kid robots, manufacturing robots, robots, robots take over world

Spring has officially arrived, although you wouldn’t know it in many parts of the country. With all of that snow on the ground, what is an anxious gardener to do? Just in time for planting season, Click & Grow is about to release its second-generation Smart Herb Garden for indoor cultivation. Unlike its first incarnation, which only allowed room for one plant, its new model lets you raise up to three herbs at once. Seeds come included and embedded in a cartridge, ready to be inserted into the growing bed. The design now also features a built-in light that can be plugged in to let artificial sun shine whenever it is needed.

Read the rest of Click & Grow Smart Herb Garden’s Second Generation Lets You Cultivate Fresh Food Indoors

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Post tags: AA battery, click & grow, cultivation, growth medium, herbs, Indoor, kickstarter, led light, nanomaterial, second generation, seed cartridge, smart herb garden

A few years ago Uncharted Play unveiled designs for an energy-generating soccer ball that can generate power through play—and now the company has launched a Kickstarter campaign to go into full-scale production of the SOCCKET ball. Able to power an LED light for three hours after just 30 minutes of play, SOCCKET’s creators intend for the ball to provide a fun source of much-needed electricity for young people in the developing world—in areas where many still rely on kerosene lamps or candlelight in order to work after sundown. With their Kickstarter campaign rapidly gaining support, Uncharted Play hopes to be able to ramp up production of the SOCCKET to distribute the devices to communities in need around the globe.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", candle light, developing nations, energy generating soccer ball, green lighting, kerosene lamps, kinetic energy, led light, LED lighting, power developing country, renewable energy, soccket, Uncharted Play

For most of us, it might be difficult to figure out what there is to see in a can of Spam. However, what there is to see through a can of Spam is an entirely different story. F295 user ‘underbyte’ has created a compact little pinhole camera made from the ham housing and a collection of household objects that he has dubbed the SpamCam. The whole contraption is complete with a square viewfinder and tripod mount, and is held together with little more than glue and a couple of rubber bands.

Read the rest of The SpamCam is a Clever Pinhole Camera Made from a Can of Spam

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Post tags: camera, can, DIY, epoxy, f295, Film, glue, holga, Photography, pinhole, polaroid, rubber bands, spam, spamcam, tripod, underbyte

Designer Niklas Roy has created an incredible miniature plotter made from Finnish cardboard, rubber bands, glue, tape, glue, and a welding rod. Roy designed the gadget while teaching a workshop at the School of Art and Design at Offfenbach on building digital devices out of cardboard. The device uses a pen to draw line art across a grid, producing vectorized graphics. A small code book with coordinates for several drawings lets the user move the x and y switches that control the pen’s coordinates, letting the plotter function as a simple, low-tech version of a home printer.

+ Niklas Roy

Via Make

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Post tags: cardboard, coordinates, finnish cardboard, glue, grid, niklas roy, office supplies, pen plotter, printer, rubber bands, school of art and design at offenbach, tape, vectorized graphics, welding rod

Thermal cameras are invaluable tools for spotting heat leaks and winter proofing your home. The Mu Thermal Imager is a compact, affordable accessory that turns your smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer into a thermal camera! The device is the first of its kind to offer the resolution (19,200 pixels) and software capabilities to make it useful for DIY home improvements and professional construction. Up until now, thermal cameras of this quality have cost anywhere from $2,000 to $22,000, or up to $150 a day to rent – the Mu Thermal Imager will have a MSRP of less than $325 and it’s currently available on IndieGoGo for only $125 for early adopters.

+ Mu Thermal Camera

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Post tags: affordable thermal camera, DIY, green gadgets, home improvement, iphone app, laptop accessory, Mµ Thermal Imager, mu optics, mu thermal imager, thermal camera, winter-proofing, winterize your home

Google just released a new video for Project Glass that shows the augmented reality glasses being used in real-world situations. Until now the device was tested only by Google employees, but the company has unveiled that they are ready to hand out the glasses to a select group of consumers who will aid in the product’s development and identify first-gen bugs. Those who want to get their hands on the prototype and become Google’s “Glass Explorers” have until February 27th to submit their applications.

Read the rest of Google Unveils New Project Glass Features, Announces Contest to Find Prototype Testers

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Post tags: Glass Explorers contest, Google, Google augmented reality glasses, google competition, Google Glass, Google Glass Project, Google technology, Google+ contest, high-tech glasses, prototype device, Twitter contest, Web-connected glasses, wireless gadgets

Desktop 3D printing technology has allowed builders to take control of their projects with an astonishing degree of precision. For those who want a little more manual control and and a smaller price point, the 3Doodler by the folks at WobbleWorks is a great alternative. As the world’s first 3D-printing pen, the device takes the heated extrusion head of a normal 3D-printer and uses a single piece of ABS or PLA plastic threaded through the back. The standalone device allows the user to effectively draw in the air, making structures that stand as strong and rigid as anything constructed by the Makerbot, if slightly less finished in appearance.

Read the rest of 3Doodler: World’s First ’3D-Printing Pen’ Lets You Draw Designs in Thin Air!

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Post tags: 3d printer, 3doodler, ABS, Artist, builder, desktop, etsy, kickstarter, maker, makerbot, pen, PLA, plastic, stencil, wobbleworks

The FDA just gave official approval to the world’s first bionic eye! Developed by Second Sight Medical Products, the Argus II is a bionic eye that bypasses damaged rods and cones in the retina. A miniature camera housed in a pair of glasses captures a scene, and the video is processed and wirelessly transmitted to an antenna in the Argus implant. The implant then stimulates an array of 60 electrodes to send information to the brain via the optic nerve.

Read the rest of FDA Approves World’s First Bionic Eye: The Second Sight Argus II

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Post tags: argus ii, brain, camera, cones, electrodes, Europe, eye, france, national eye institute, photovoltaic, pixium vision, prosthesis, retina, retinitis pigmentosa, rods, second sight medical products, sight, stanford, united states, us food and drug administration

As far as washing machines go, the pedal-powered GiraDora and the Laundry Pod are pretty small – but the new ultra compact Petit Laundry Swoosh can fit on a countertop! Designed by Japanese company King Jim, the washer uses just over a gallon of water to clean 250 g of clothing in 18 minutes. The device measures in at 29 x 29 x 44 cm and it’s perfect for small space living as it can easily fit inside a cupboard or cubicle for emergency laundering.

Read the rest of Ultra Compact ‘Petit Laundry Swoosh’ Washing Machine Cleans Clothes With Only a Gallon of Water

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Post tags: Compact, cubicle, efficient, giradora, Japan, king jim, laundry, laundry pod, petit swoosh, tabletop, washing machine, water issues

The urban gardening movement is quickly entering the Information Age. Designed by Mike Alt, HarvestGeek is a program that monitors the condition of your fruits and veggies in order to produce the greatest yield. The self-described “Modern Farmer’s Almanac” utilizes a sensor (affectionately dubbed the “HarvestBot”) placed in the soil to gather data and send it to the cloud. Once configured, the software can send notifications via Twitter, Facebook, SMS, or email. The HarvestGeek software can also be used to program equipment such as fans to set specific temperatures or switch on automated water pumps.

Read the rest of Automate Your Garden With HavestGeek’s Plant Monitoring Technology

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Post tags: automated, email, Facebook, garden, harvestbot, harvestgeek, information age, kickstarter, LCD, mike alt, modern farmer's almanac, sensor, sms, software, twitter, Urban Farming, usb

With large companies such as Organovo and Autodesk teaming up to fabricate living tissue, you might think that bioprinting is out of the scope of the average DIYer. But when it comes to technology, human ingenuity is an incredible thing, and just because you don’t own an expensive piece of a equipment doesn’t mean you can join the organic 3D-printing revolution. Thanks to a modification by Instructables member Patrik, an old abandoned HP5150 inkjet printer can be transformed into a DIY bioprinter.

Read the rest of The DIY BioPrinter Hack Lets You Print Biomaterials From an Old Inkjet

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Post tags: 3d printer, agarose, arabinose, autodesk, biocurious, bioprinter, cells, DIY, diy bioprinter, e.coli, green fluorescent protein, hp inkjet printer, ink, instructables, organovo, patrik, pglo, uv light