This week on Maker Update, a social distance dress, cracking the code, mini mini golf, popping prairie dogs, latching broom holders, cutting foam and sculpting tricks. 

++Show Notes [Maker Update #180]++

-=Project of the Week=-

PROJECT PROXIMITY ‘Proximity Dress’ – Robotic Personal Space Defender Series || Anouk Wipprecht
https://youtu.be/QkzD8oQa9qc

-=News=-

Announcing the Touch Less, Do More Challenge
https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/05/28/announcing-the-touch-less-do-more-challenge/

Instructables Arduino Contest
https://www.instructables.com/contest/arduino2020/

-=More Projects=-

Crack the Code Game, Arduino Based Puzzle Box by Michael Klements
https://www.instructables.com/id/Crack-the-Code-Game-Arduino-Based-Puzzle-Box/

Hole 1 & 2 by DNA
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/31445-hole-1-mini-golf-course
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/31457

Prairie Dogs Kinetic LEGO Sculpture by JK Brickworks
https://youtu.be/qTrLNLMI_Ek

-=Tips & Tools=-

Customisable Latching Broom Holder by GregFrost
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2029895

Wall Mount Thread Checker
https://kk.org/cooltools/wall-mount-thread-checker/

Adam Savage’s Favorite Tools: Glass-Cutting Rotary Bit
https://www.tested.com/art/makers/907452-adam-savages-favorite-tools-glass-cutting-rotary-bit/

Gandalf the White Staff by Oddworks
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/31956-gandalf-the-white-staff

First Look: Oranje Desktop CNC Foam Cutter
https://youtu.be/hFKG1i6KcR8

TOP 4 SCULPTING TRICKS by The Crafsman
https://youtu.be/Bpuwd1wCgxc

Crafters of the Universe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/210440823595522/

Maker Update #179 (Adafruit Edition)
https://makerprojectlab.com/symphony-of-solenoids-maker-update-179-adafruit-edition/

-=Digi-Key Spotlight=-

Different Options for Getting Your Arduino Online
https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2020/different-options-for-getting-your-arduino-online

Transcript

This week on Maker Update, a social distance dress, cracking the code, mini mini golf, popping prairie dogs, latching broom holders, cutting foam and sculpting tricks.

Hey, I’m Donald Bell, and I’m back with another Maker Update. I hope you’re out there, doing the best you can with everything that’s going on. If you’re watching this, you’re probably here for a little creative distraction, and that’s just what I’m here to give you. There’s lots of great projects to talk about, so let’s get started with the project of the week.

Last week, Anouk Wipprect showed off two new versions of her proximity dress. Just like her famous Spider dress and her Smoke dress, these are interactive designs that respond to the space around them.

For the latest creations, Anouk has a dress that can be worn two ways. One version uses a necklace with what looks like an Ultrasonic rangefinder inside. If it detects someone nearby, servos are activated in her skirt, attached to plastic arms that fan out to create more personal space.

For her other variation, the necklace has an infrared camera inside that displays a heatmap out to an external display or connected smartphone on her arm. 

What I love about both of these designs is how the interaction design is relatively simple and approachable for beginners, but the style and execution are cranked up to 11. 

Things don’t have to be complicated to be awesome. And if we really want to create something memorable, we have to think about what it looks like, and how people react to it. 

I’m dealing with this dilemma personally right now, having worked on a machine for months that’s now functional, but looks like garbage, and I know for certain that it’s more complicated than it needs to be. It’s humbling, and I’m so glad for makers like Anouk who remind us that we can all aspire to make beautiful things.

It’s time for some news. Arduino has announced the Touch Less, Do More challenge. It’s a contest to see what kinds of solutions we can come up with for adapting experiences to be touch-free or social distance compliant. 

As you might imagine, Arduino would prefer that you come up with solutions that use one of their boards. If you pitch them a good idea by June 16th, you have a chance to win a free MKR WiFi 1010 board to use for your project. Final projects need to be submitted by July 14th for a chance to win up to $10,000 worth of prizes, though none of them are really cash in hand.

Coincidentally, Instructables is running an Arduino project contest that ends on June 22nd, with multiple Amazon gift card prizes. The Grand Prize is a $500 gift card. As far as I can tell, there’s no reason not to submit your Arduino project to both contests and see if one bites.

Now for more projects. Crack the Code by Michael Klements is an Arduino-based project that is very much hands-on. 

It’s a beautifully laser-cut safe that uses a servo as a latch. Once it’s closed, the safe randomly generates a secret passcode that you have to guess using the rotary encoder on the front. 

Fortunately, any number you correctly guess will be indicated with a green LED. So if you can keep track of the numbers you get right, you can eventually open the safe. 

It’s a fun idea, and I expect it would make a great gift for someone who likes puzzles.

On the Prusa Printers site, a user named DNA uploaded two mechanical, 3D printed mini golf games. Though, maybe since there’s already a mini golf, this is like micro golf. 

These both print with no support, and no extra hardware required. The magic piece here is a 3D printed spiral spring, like a clock spring, that stores the tension as you pull back.

As someone who loves actual mini golf, I think these are just begging to get remixed into more silly and challenging designs. 

Jason Alleman from JK Brickworks created this outstanding prairie dog automata in collaboration with his partner Kristal. 

Though the 7 minute video doesn’t have any narration, if you turn on the closed captioning you actually get a description of what Jason is doing in each step to create the motion for each of the four prairie dogs. 

A single motor is driving all the motion, which is incredible considering how different each of the prairie dogs behaves. The secrets in the gearing, but you’ll need to watch the video to figure out how he’s doing it.

Now for some tips and tools. This 3D printed latching broom holder design by Greg Frost was the highlight of my weekend. I printed three of them in different sizes to accommodate different handles sizes of my brooms and mops and installed them in my garage. 

Not only do they keep brooms up and out of the way, but they’re so satisfying to latch in and out. He also has one sized down for holding a pen or pencil, which is kinda silly, but really fun.

On the Cool Tools blog, Sean Michael Ragan talks about why he prefers the wall mounted version of the thread checker. It’s a little pricier than the version you get on a wire, but you can use it one-handed, you get a few more size options, and just like my brooms — having it on the wall keeps it up and out of the way. Check it out.

On Tested, Adam Savage shows off a rotary tool engraver bit that can cut through glass and tells a great story about what he had to do to cut glass before he discovered this option. 

On the Prusa Printers site, Oddworks uploaded this Gandalf the White Staff topper. I’m thinking of adding this to the tops of all my brooms, now that they’re magically suspended in my garage. 

On the Make channel, Caleb Kraft unboxes and reviews the Polyshaper Oranje CNC foam cutter. This is a hot wire cutter priced just under $400. 

This is one of those product categories, along with vacu form machines, that has yet to have it’s Glowforge moment. I don’t think this is that moment, but it’s a neat reminder of what this tool can do. 

The Crafsman has a new video up with 4 tricks for sculpting things with sculpey clay. I don’t want to give any of them away, but let me just say that as someone who hasn’t played with clay since I was a kid, this video made me want to order some immediately. 

Also, I have to give a shout out to the Crafsman’s Crafters of the Universe Facebook group. It’s only two months old, but it is already one of the most inspiring maker groups I’ve joined on Facebook. You can find a link to it in the description.

And finally, with each new month you get a new episode of the Adafruit edition of Maker Update, hosted by Tyler Winegarner. This week’s show included this awesome robot xylophone project by Liz Clark. If you missed it, go check it out.

For this week’s Digi-Key spotlight, they’ve got a great blog post up on maker.io on the different options for getting your Arduino board online. Whether that’s starting with a Wi-Fi enabled board, or adding a Wi-Fi adapter or an Ethernet connection, this guide will run you through some options to consider, including some cellular options from Adafruit. 

And that does it for this week’s show, be sure to subscribe, leave a thumbs up, or leave a comment. You can get on the Maker Update email list so you never miss a show. A big thanks to my Patrons on Patreon and to Digi-Key electronics for making this show possible. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next week.