HackSpace magazine issue 3

NEW MAKE BUILD HACK CREATETECHNOLOGY IN YOUR TRASH hsmag.cc February 2018 Issue #03 BEAUTIFUL PERNOVTIREOCNT MTHEENT FOODVINRTEASGUERGREEACTR Decorate your snacks with lasers MHUMAAKNIETARRIASNSCRAP Makingtheworld HHEAACPKINGabetterplace Make new things with parts scavenged from junk SAVE MONEY3D PRINT 03 DRONECLOTHES RACING Feb.2018Add details to fabric Build a course to testwith molten plastic Issue #03 £6 9 772515 514006 your piloting skillsKEEP CHICKENS WORK WITH LEATHER HOT GLUE ESP8266



WELCOME EDITORIAL Welcome to Editor HackSpace magazine Ben Everard We live in a throw-away society, and it’s destroying the [email protected] planet. Perfectly good items are discarded when the next Features Editor Andrew Gregory latest-and-greatest iteration comes along. Manufacturers [email protected] often exacerbate the situation by making gadgets that aren’t Sub EditorsPerfectly good items are often discarded designed to survive Jem Roberts, Nicola King more than a few years of DESIGNwhen the next latest-and-greatest active use. Critical Mediaiteration comes along As makers and hackers, we’re in a criticalmedia.co.uk position to change this. This month we’re taking a look Head of Design Dougal Matthews at how to move in the opposite direction and reuse parts Designer Lee Allen from scrapped products. This isn’t so much a skill as a state Photography Brian O’Halloran, Mark of mind. If you stop seeing old products as something to McNulty, Heather Gunn Illustrator dispose of and start seeing them as the parts for your next Sam Alder project, you can save money, save the planet, and make CONTRIBUTORS some truly unique creations. Lucy Rogers, Andrew Huang, Cameron Coward, BEN EVERARD 52PAGE Jenny List, Archie Roques, Editor [email protected] Andrew Lewis, Cameron STUOBSDCRAIBYE Norris, Mayank Sharma, Andy Clarke, John Wargo,GET IN TOUCH Sai Yamanoor, Michael Fischthal, Jen Botezat, Bill hackspace@ Grainger, Les Pounder, raspberrypi.org Gareth Halfacree h ackspacemag h ackspacemag PUBLISHINGONLINE Publishing Director: Russell Barnes hsmag.cc [email protected] DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd 2 East Poultry Ave, London EC1A 9PT +44 (0)207 429 4000 SUBSCRIPTIONS Select Publisher Services Ltd, PO Box 6337, BH1 9EH +44 (0)1202 586 848 Mann Enterprises Ltd, Unit E, Brocks Business Centre, CB9 8QP hsmag.cc/subscribe This magazine is printed on paper sourced from sustainable forests. The printer operates an environmental management system which has been assessed as conforming to ISO 14001. HackSpace magazine is published by Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd., Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JH. The publisher, editor, and contributors accept no responsibility in respect of any omissions or errors relating to goods, products or services referred to or advertised. Except where otherwise noted, content in this magazine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC- SA 3.0). ISSN: 2515-5148. 3

Contents 06 SPARK 31 LENS 06 Top Projects 32 Scavenging Electronics 16 The Louvre of DIY projects 42 Rescue old bits of equipment and make them useful again 18 Objet 3d’art 46 How I Made: A Chicken Door 22 Feast your eyes on 3D printed beauties 54 Follow the build of an automated poultry portal 24 Consumer Electronics Show 62 Humanitarian Makers 28 The most intelligent toys from CES 66 3D printing for the developing world Columns Interview Farm Urban On the patterns that shape our electronics Open source DIY science that’s safeguarding our food Letters Improvisor’s Toolbox Glue Gun More requests (and a bit of showing off) Why there’s more to glue than sticking things together Hackspace Nottingham We Learn Belt Making A community owned and run Hackspace Get started working with leather 32 42 54 SCRAP heap hacking4

CONTENTS 0612346 1875 FORGE 113 FIELD TEST 76 SoM Metalwork 114 Direct from Shenzhen Mechanical Keyboard Build a silver-soldered toolbox Customise the clickiness of your input device 82 SoM Coding For Arduino Reading data from devices 116 Best in Breed 86 Tutorial Food Stencilling Vector drawing tools to power your laser cutter Make unique decorations for cakes/steaks 88 Tutorial Internet Counter 120 Can I Hack It? Keep count of big numbers on the internet Hackers don’t shoot people: Nerf guns do 92 Tutorial Build a Drone Racetrack Track flying drones with lasers and woodwork 122 Review Squix 98 Tutorial 3D Printing A programmable e-paper display right out of the box Print designs directly on to fabric 102 Tutorial Oscilloscope 123 Review Leatherman Surge 102 Interpret wavy lines on a glowing screen The granddaddy of all-in-one multi-tools 106 Tutorial ESP8266 Rangefinder 124 Review SparkFun Inventor’s Kit Build a location scanner LIKE IN ALIENS!! Want to get started with electronics? Start here! 126 Review ElectroSmash Pedal Pi Programmable guitar effects to learn while you rock 128 Review Coinkite Opendime Make secure Bitcoin purchases in person 129 Book Review Much Ado About Almost Nothing A history of electronic geekerySome of the tools and techniques shown in HackSpace Magazine are dangerous unless used with skill, experience and appropriate personal protection equipment. While we attempt to guide the reader, ultimately youare responsible for your own safety and understanding the limits of yourself and your equipment. HackSpace Magazine is intended for an adult audience and some projects may be dangerous for children. RaspberryPi (Trading) Ltd does not accept responsibility for any injuries, damage to equipment, or costs incurred from projects, tutorials or suggestions in HackSpace Magazine. Laws and regulations covering many of the topicsin HackSpace Magazine are different between countries, and are always subject to change. You are responsible for understanding the requirements in your jurisdiction and ensuring that you comply with them. Somemanufacturers place limits on the use of their hardware which some projects or suggestions in HackSpace Magazine may go beyond. It is your responsibility to understand the manufacturer’s limits. 5

Top ProjectsREGULARBao Bao BagsBy Natthakit Kangsadansenanon kimbab.meI t’s around five or six years ago that I first saw these Bao Bao bags. The remarkable pattern of the bag impressed me, and has stayed with me since then. Six years later I began my journey by watching Daniel Shiffman videos, which led me into this creative computing world. It is a dream come true to changethe static boring world with new technologies. With this project I try to explore the possibilities that this144-triangle bag can generate, and what the potential useof a smart bag in 2018 could be like. This project used oneArduino Uno to control 144 smart LEDS (ws2812b). Theproject adopted an Adafruit Neopixel library in the ArduinoIDE for convenient coding. Right In case you want one, these aren’t actual bags yet – but they are a pretty solid proof of concept6

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SPARKInternetradiotoasterBy Peter Kent timetogoclocks.com“ I like to make things, but am not very handy. Also, my coding skills fall somewhere on the spectrum between lamentable and laughable. For these reasons, I have to choose my projects carefully. Which is to say I need someone else to have already done the heavy lifting of fabrication and software development.  Turning a 1990’s era Dualit Four-Slice toaster into a RaspberryPi-based Google Assistant and internet radio was right in mysweet spot. Very Red Dwarf.Why not just buy a Google Home or Amazon Alexa, you ask?Too easy! Also, while many people seem to have no issues talkingto a plastic speaker, I prefer to speak to a beautifully sculptedchunk of metal that also makes toast (NB. some care and electricalexpertise is required here to avoid burning down your house).The Google Assistant SDK allows easy deployment of theAssistant to a Raspberry Pi, and there are many tutorials onYouTube and elsewhere if further assistance is required.What makes the Dualit ideal for this project (aside fromiconic design status) is that it has plenty of unused real estateinside – room aplenty to stuff a Pi 3B, mini digital amp, OLEDdisplay, speakers, power supplies, and assorted other gubbins.If you prefer, you can omit much of this and output a line-level or Bluetooth signal to external components. The ends ofthe Dualit are aluminium, so easy to work with for the minoralterations necessary.Of course, you can ask the Assistant to play the radio butI wanted dedicated physical controls – and a station indicatordisplay. I had to write a bit more custom code for this side of theproject but nothing outside my spectrum.LeftGoogle’sweird intrusive1984-themed spydevice has neverlooked so attractive 9

Top ProjectsREGULARRUDE-OLPHBy Grant Gibson @grant_gibsonT he idea to build an angry, animatronic reindeer had been floating around our office since mid- summer. But it was only at the end of November that our client, Scottish lager brand Tennent’s, gave us the go-ahead to build it. My starting point with Rude-olph was to build asmall prototype from wood. I decided to base the neck movementaround a flexible spine to give a more realistic animal movementthan you’d get from a fixed hinge or pivot. For the full-scale version, we wanted to keep the reindeerlightweight, so we built the head around a foam model. Servos wereadded for mouth movement, and LEDs embedded to give him histrademark glowing nose. For the main neck movement, we optedfor a heavy-duty 270° servo, mated to a pulley driving two bicyclebrake cables that run the length of Rudy’s neck. The spine usesheavy-gauge piano wire and foam pipe lagging.Rude-olph runs off a Raspberry Pi 3, which provides both motorcontrol and a live video feed from the reindeer. My web-basedsoundboard – also running on the Pi – lets operators choose fromover 140 stock phrases, all of which are synchronised to thereindeer’s head, mouth, and light-up nose. Right With just ten days from green light to his first public appearance, it was a mad rush to get Rude-olph built, tested, and out the door for the season10

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SPARKRobot thatshoots youin the faceBy Mihir Vardhan Makingwithmihir.comS imply put, this is an intricately designed, far-from- practical, over-the-top robot that shoots you in the face. It uses a dirt-cheap Logitech webcam, three servo motors, an Arduino, a Nerf gun, and some code from projectsentrygun.rudolphlabs.com to track your face and shoot it.The robot has X-axis and Y-axis modules, mounted on a simplewooden frame, that support and move the shooting mechanism – atoy Nerf gun. Each axis and the trigger of the Nerf gun is controlledby high-torque Futaba servos. A webcam mounted at the top of thewooden frame is used to locate your face.The servos controlling the axes and the trigger are controlled byan Arduino that is programmed to use processing code running onmy laptop. This processing code is the brain of the computer visionfunctionality of the robot. The original code aimed a paintball gun atthe chest of a person but, with a few quick modifications, I managedto get it to aim at my face reliably.This processing code spits out coordinates that are sent to theArduino, which controls all three servos to correctly position andshoot the gun. The servos have a heavy current draw and need anexternal 5 V power supply. For testing purposes, I added an externalswitch with a servo controller to fire the gun.Now, considering that I have essentially built an automated turret,I just had to add a green laser as a sight to satisfy the stereotypesof every futuristic weapon ever, thanks to sci-fi movies. The laserneeds 3 V, sourced from the power supply using an LM317-basedvoltage regulator.I believe in building over buying and reusing as much as possible,and so I kept the build as inexpensive as I could. The wood is allrecycled pallet wood from a florist and the metal parts are scrapaluminium from e-waste. I used a modified ATX power supply topower it all with stable DC 5 V. The electronics were the only part ofthe build that I did not manage to find a recycled source for.LeftMihir’s on a mission to show thatmaking can be cheap and fun 13

Top ProjectsREGULARDIYBluetoothspeakerBy Mike Clifford modustrialmaker.comI designed and built a DIY Bluetooth speaker with an integrated LED matrix. The LED matrix includes a number of different visualisation modes, including a fireplace mode, an abstract ‘moving art’ mode, and several that react to the music via a microphone inside of the speaker box. I haven’t seen any other product designed for the home whichmarries sight and sound in this way. The idea for this project came about in a somewhatunorthodox way. I wanted to build something for several friendsexpecting newborns. I wanted a gift that would help theirchildren develop neurologically, and a gift that they wouldn’t Right The curly mapleoutgrow. Having done a number of LED projects, and having finish was inspired by electric guitarsome woodworking experience, I came up with the idea to finishes, like those on some of Mike’sintegrate an audio-reactive LED matrix in a Bluetooth speaker. favourite PRS guitars The speaker box involved a fair amount of woodworking. Theoutside of the box is made from rough curly maple lumber, whichI milled to ¾”. The front and back panels are made from MDF.  Internally, I used a 2 × 15 w Dayton Audio bluetooth amplifierboard for the audio, and an Arduino Mega to control a 16 × 16LED matrix (WS2812 LEDs). A small electret microphone insidethe speaker box detects the music that is playing, and provides asignal the Arduino can use to create reactive display on the LEDs. The design also allows for mechanical adjustment to entirelychange the look of the LED matrix; from pixellated to abstract. Iam particularly proud of this feature, as I haven’t seen itanywhere else before, and the effect is very cool (it is showntowards the end of this video hsmag.cc/ojCwxn). The LEDmatrix is mounted to a baffle behind the white semi-transparentacrylic diffuser, and by twisting a thumb screw on the back of thespeaker, you can move the LED baffle towards or away from thediffuser. The thumb screw thus allows you to go from a pixellateddisplay (where individual LEDs are visible), to an abstract display,where the LEDs blur together to form moving art, with an almost3D-like effect. -14

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Objet 3d’artREGULARObjet 3d’art 3D3D printed artwork to bring more beauty into your life PRINTINGA 3D printed screw clamp Supplied by sounds like a completely impractical idea, so hats off Head to 3dhubs.com/book to check out the #1 3D printing book on Amazon to jakejake, who designed each part of this clamp(hsmag.cc/JPdFkL) with the grain of theprint in mind to provide the necessarystrength. Like the case on page 17, we’veprinted it in 100 micron PLA.It looks to us like a grown-up versionof a toy, so would be ideal for any smallengineers who need a clamp you can trustthat won’t damage your surfaces.16

SPARKT here are many cases available for the various incarnations of the Raspberry Pi, but this is one of the cleanest we’ve seen (hsmag.cc/wDHaKP).Thingiverse user Walter created this simplesleeve to protect his Raspberry Pi B+. It’sin two parts: a small cap that fits aroundthe Ethernet and USB sockets, and a largersleeve that the Pi slides into.There are no holes to provide access tothe GPIO headers, but the files are licensedCC-BY-SA, so you’re welcome to modify itto your needs. 17

What CES had to offer makers and hackersFEATUREWhat CES had to offermakers and hackersHere’s the best of what we found at CES 2018 for your HackspaceBy Cameron CowardT he Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the biggest convention of its kind every year. But, while most of the world is waiting eagerly to find out which new TV has the most Ks, or how smart toasters have become,we were there looking for the real treasure. CES is,as the name suggests, mostly focused on consumergadgets, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty oftech to interest makers. Here is the best of what wesaw at this year’s show.Formlabs Fuse 1Formlabs is best-known for its high-quality SLA XYZprinting da Vinci AiO(stereolithography) printers directed towards the prosumermarket. Now the company has an entirely new product called W hile XYZprinting’s closed-source nature is a turn-off, the pricing of its line-up is hard to resist. Itthe Fuse 1 that uses an entirely different printing process — SLS unveiled two new products at the show: a 3D printing pen, and a new full colour da Vinci AiO. The da(selective-laser sintering). At $10 000, the Fuse 1 is aimed more Vinci Color AiO uses an impressive inkjet system to inject colour into the filament as it’s being printed.at professionals, but the speed and quality of the nylon SLS It also contains an integrated 3D scanner, which captures colour in order to create 3D models thatprinting may make it ideal for your Hackspace take advantage of the colour-printing capability18

SPARK Ray ClickGlowforge W e believe one of the key features of the hacker/maker 3D printing has become the go-to technology for fabrication in the maker community, but Glowforge wants to bring laser cutting up to movement is inclusivity, that level. The company describes its first device as a ‘3D laser printer’, but really it’s just a consumer-friendly laser cutter/engraver. It’s and that has to include fairly low-power compared to similarly-priced competitors, but the main selling point here is ease of use and software integration the visually impaired. Unfortunately, consumer products have become less friendly to people with less than perfect vision as they have become less tactile. Project-RAY has a new product which could help: Click stickers. These are simple NFC-connected tactile buttons that are designed to stick onto the back of your smartphone in order to provide an input method that can actually be feltPlott Cubit Codey Rocky Robotix TacoW hen you’re measuring small objects, the most useful tools R obot-based learning toys are a growing trend, and Makeblock’s A imed at children aged 3–7,are calipers, micrometers, or even just a simple ruler. Taking Codey Rocky appears to be the next big thing in that arena. Robotix’s Taco Robobricksmeasurements of entire rooms — for instance when building It’s a stand-alone rover-type robot that is intended to teach are designed to teach thelarge installations — can be difficult. Enter the Plott Cubit, programming to kids aged six and up. Users start with basics of robotics withwhich is a sort of bi-directional digital multi-tool. With the programming in Scratch, and then move up to Python. The ‘tangible coding’. Youngaugmented reality app, users can use the Cubit to plot detailed standout feature here is that it can separate into two units: a makers can put togethermeasurements of a room, and then create digital layouts for your controller (Codey) and the rover itself (Rocky), which introduces a the Lego/Duplo-compatibleproject. Once the virtual design is completed, the Cubit can then number of unique ways for children to play blocks to form interactivebe used to physically locate designated points in order to help creations, and then programbring your creation into reality them with computer-free coding chips. There are a variety of Taco Robobricks available, for light, sound, movement, and even touch-sensing 19

What CES had to offer makers and hackersFEATURECubibot 3D Printer Cubibot generated a lot of buzz with its Indiegogo campaign last year, and was ready to show off its flagship 3D printer at CES this year. The little printer isn’t doing anything revolutionary, but combines affordability with ease of use. The enclosure in particular makes it ideal for younger users, as it protects them from burns and filters fumes. Cloud-based slicing and printing should also make it easy to use for those new to 3D printingMAKERbuino Alexa Development Kit MAKERbuino gained a lot of attention at CES, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a complete portable Amazon has made the SDK for Alexa available for a while now, gaming platform, and is very affordable at €49.00. But it’s not just a toy – it’s fully compatible with the and it’s proven to be massively popular in the maker community. Arduino IDE, and lots of the hardware components you’re used to. MAKERbuino is designed both for But so far, the only hardware Amazon has put out has been fun and for education, and is suitable for tinkerers of all ages consumer Echo devices. Now it’s partnering with various manufacturers to create hardware development kits. These areRoot Robotics designed to fit a range of applications, and start at $129. We’re excited to see what hobbyists will do with them C ontinuing the theme of teaching kids programming with robots is Root. Root is a little robot that fits in your hand and guides children through coding from graphical to full-text. It’s packed with sensors, and even has the ability to drop and lift a pen for drawing. It can also drive on vertical surfaces as long as they’re magnetic (like school whiteboards)20

SPARKSimpleLink MicrocontrollerNeuron blocks Texas Instruments is expanding its LaunchPad- Also from Makeblock, but compatible series stepping away from robotics, of products with the is Neuron. This product SimpleLink Microcontroller comprises an entire line-up Platform. LaunchPad of magnetic-connected is TI’s Arduino-esque electronic blocks for microcontroller, and the creating and programming SimpleLink ecosystem is circuits. There are blocks for designed to add industrial- connectivity, sensor input, scale IoT capabilities. There control, and various kinds are a number of booster of output. Neuron can be modules for both input and integrated with LEGO, and output, and connectivity even with a Raspberry Pi options for just about as tinkerers move towards every wired and wireless more advanced creations communication protocol you can think of. Most importantly, the modules are priced reasonably enough to be accessible to hobbyists — not just commercial operations Gemini PDA A large portion of a hacker’s work is good old-fashioned typing. Unfortunately, our smartphones use touchscreens that don’t lend themselves to that, and use hamstrung mobile operating systems. The Gemini PDA from Planet Computers is looking to solve both of those problems by providing both a full QWERTY keyboard, and dual-booting for Android and Linux. It looks like the perfect device for doing real work on-the-go without having to lug around a laptop 21

Lucy Rogers SPARKCOLUMNHeinz Wolff A tribute to a pioneering maker H ave you ever thought “If I believe The Great Egg Race was the it wasn’t for that person, first programme on TV that highlighted I wouldn’t be here doing making things using creativity and this now”? imagination. To me, this helped make There are many people being a Maker become acceptable. in our lives who probably People building things in their own fit this description, but for me, and for the homes and sheds. Inventing, designing, makers, scientists, and engineers in the and making was not just for academics UK who recently gave their own tributes, or big industry. The Great Egg Race Professor Heinz Wolff, who died in led to other technology shows, such as December aged 89, was a huge influence. Scrap Heap Challenge and Robot Wars. Lucy Rogers Professor Heinz Wolff was a Professor Heinz Wolff thought it was @DrLucyRogers scientist, an inventor, an academic, very important for people to be able toLucy is a maker, an engineer,and a problem solver. She is and a television use their handsadept at bringing ideas to life.She is one of the cheerleaders personality – he – in a lecturefor the maker industry and isMaker-In-Chief for the Guild of was best known Professor Heinz Wolff he gave, whenMakers: guildofmakers.org for hosting BBC was a scientist, an awarded the Two’s The Great Edinburgh medal,22 Egg Race from inventor, an academic, he said: 1977 until 1986. and a television “Let me tell He made being you an anecdote inquisitive, clever personality – he was best about my two and enthusiastic, known for hosting BBC sons – from the and even being a age of three, geek – cool. This Two’s The Great Egg Race each had a work was back before from 1977 until 1986 bench that I had the internet, made, that had when my main telescopic legs, role models were so that as the from the TV or magazines. children grew, the workbenches grew In The Great Egg Race, teams of three with them. They were furnished with were asked to “perform miracles in proper adult tools, which gave rise to science and technology using the sort comments amongst concerned relations of materials which you would find in about how dangerous this could be, your household or in your garage”. This however, my reply always was ‘even a ranged from moving an egg, powered three year old will stop sawing before only by an elastic band, to making a the finger fell right off’.” cup of tea. Professor Heinz Wolff had a If the measure of your life is how you natural sense of fun, and, through his positively affected the lives of others, enthusiasm, he managed to share the Professor Heinz Wolff absolutely lived enjoyment he found in engineering. life to the full.

Bunnie Huang SPARKCOLUMNHacking hardware Learn how things work by taking them apart H ardware hacking can And it also has to do with how quickly you seem unapproachable, but can get heat out of objects. Pick any thread the good news is that its and pull, and you’ll find frameworks that go core framework – namely all the way down to quantum mechanics. physics – has been stable The deeper you go, the more you’ll discover since the beginning of the that everything is related to everything universe. This is unlike software, where else in some way – it’s all choreographed it’s a constant struggle to keep up with by the laws of nature.  the deluge of new platforms, languages, Now imagine you are presented with and trends. a piece of unknown electronics that you  One of the best want to hack. It’s Bunnie Huang ways to learn like looking at a @bunniestudios about hardware  And then you start chess match, in itsAndrew ‘Bunnie’ Huang is a is to just start making observations. final positions, andhacker by night, entrepreneur opening stuff Why, for example, is it that figuring out whatby day, and writer by up and looking went through theprocrastination. He’s aco‑founder of Chibitronics, inside. I started almost every circuit board players’ minds.troublemaker-at-large for the a monthly is somewhere between the First, look forMIT Media Lab, and a mentor ‘name that ware’ exceptions tofor HAX in Shenzhen. competition size of your palm and a common design on my blog sheet of paper? patterns. It [bunniestudios. takes real effort com] about twelve to make new years ago to design patterns, encourage this kind of thinking, and now so engineers only make exceptions, or you have iFixit [ifixit.com] and eevblog create new ones, if they really have to. [eevblog.com] doing amazing teardowns Then, look for debug and test facilities; all the time. The purpose of taking things economic realities inevitably demand apart isn’t to understand everything. their presence. Finally, feel out the cracks Rather, it’s to start populating your brain between abstraction layers. Look for with patterns and memes. There’s a assumptions that might not have been certain shape and size to everything, and checked carefully. Standard interfaces there are common themes. can often be exploited to do new and  And then you start making interesting things. observations. Why, for example, is it that This is where it helps to be a practising almost every circuit board is somewhere design engineer – when implementing between the size of your palm and a sheet standard interfaces, take note of where of paper? Turns out it has something the specs are weak or have ambiguities. to do with the speed of light. It also has Drive wedges into these weak spots; often something to do with the fact that it’s just the tiniest breach in the wall is all hard to make things absolutely perfect. that’s needed to bring about the flood! 23

LettersREGULARLettersMAKING REVISITED Above ATTENTION You can get back in to ALL MAKERS!Lucy Rogers’ column in HackSpace issue making at any time in your1 really struck a chord with me. When career. It can even become If you have something you’dI was a kid I used to love taking things your new career – just like to get off your chest (orto bits and putting them back together. ask Paul Parry of Bad even throw a word of praiseSometimes they worked just the same as Dog Designs in our direction) let us know atthey did before; sometimes they workedbetter, and sometimes they didn’t work To anyone else out hsmag.cc/helloat all, usually because I’d forgotten to put there who missesa screw back in somewhere. putting things WHERE’S YOUR TOOLS? together, there’s Being a reader, as well as a maker, I nothing holding Thanks to Stuart and the rest of thewas steered away from practical things you back. Your local members from fizzPOP, I’ve got atowards ‘proper’ subjects. After a long, hackspace will welcome serious case of gear envy. I’m planningdull, safe career I’m now making things you with open arms, launching a maker space in my littleagain, and extremely happy about it too. and the internet is full of corner of Ireland and the hardestI think there used to be a stigma about cheap, quick, accessible thing, apart from finding the spaceworking with your hands that hopefully projects to build. As, we itself, is getting hold of tools that aren’tkids today won’t suffer from. hope, are the pages of broken. Actually no – it’s fixing all the HackSpace magazine. Let broken tools that local businesses have Becky us know if you agree! donated. Keep up the good work, andMinnesota maybe one day you’ll be writing about my as-yet-unnamed maker space. David Ireland Above We’ve learned today that if you’re stuck for equipment, your local police force may have some lying around that they can donate to you24

SPARKBLESSED ARE THECHEESE MAKERSYou built a cheese press! Excellentwork. Now go forth and build a microdistillery (I already have a brewerygoing with the excellent BrewPi) andI can make some delicious warmingspirits to go with the cheesy goodnessI’m preparing right now. AndrewYorkWe’d have to look into the legalsituation behind home distilling, as itwas probably banned by Cromwell andnobody’s bothered to legalise it again.However, we’ll keep up with the foodproduction, as we all need to eat.ROBOTS paces. Entries are closed for this year, but if you can be there as an audienceI’d just like to echo what Adam said member you’ll be in the same room asin issue 2’s letters pages: more robots some very clever people, all of whom areplease. Robot Wars’ internationals series keen to share their expertise.has been absolutely brilliant [shownin the UK on BBC — other channels are Belowavailable]. I’ve been to the exhibition at Piwars – it’s thethe museum of science and industry you friendly face ofwrote about last issue too , which was robotics in the UKawesome but made my daughter cry –(she’s only three). I think it was a littlebit too weird for her. Then I watched theBlack Mirror episode with the robotdog thing and that made me thinkabout Boston Dynamics in a wholenew light. So when I say more robots,can it please be non-threatening, non-scary, friendly robots please? SanjayBirminghamA philosopher would say that fear of 2C1ASMTB–RI2DG2ENCODPMiwPaAUrsT.PEoRrgRLAIBLOR2A0TO1R8Ythe robots is fear of oneself. But wecompletely understand. We’ll make it 25magazine policy to stick friendly faceson all our robot builds from now on, tomask their evil intent. Also, if you’re inany way interested in robotics, try to getdown to Pi Wars in Cambridge – despitethe name there’s no robot combat, justtrials to put the machines through their

LettersREGULAR ARDUINO Above FOR THE WIN The brains of many a project: get an Arduino, learn to program it and make your builds smart Thanks for the custom Arduino tutorial — it’s a bit over my head BRAIN EXPANSION at the moment, but it’s given me something to aim for. Last year I Thanks very much for the free issue 1s; used an Arduino Due to control a they’ve gone down a treat. I was waiting watering system in my back yard. It for issue 2 to come out to see if it was a was pretty rudimentary, just using fluke, but if anything it’s even better than a timer to turn a servo and water issue 1. You’ve got yourself a subscriber! the tomatoes. This year I’m adding I love the mix of content that you pack sensors, so it can water as and in – it’s so inspiring seeing other people’s when the soil gets too dry, keep an work and thinking ‘ I could do that’. You’ve eye on the temperature, and how given me a load of ideas already. I just much water everything needs in need a few more hours in a day so I can total. Just one more reason to look turn them into reality! forward to summer! Michael Dan Newcastle Stockport Cheers Dan, making things automatic is good, but making them smart is even better. If you’ve got an Arduino project you want to see in print, let us know – there’s got to be potential for a great readers’ gallery, given all the gardening projects out there.26

Crowdfunding now BUYER ! BEWAREREGULAR When backing a crowdfundingNOWCROWDFUNDING campaign, you are not purchasing a finished product, but supporting a project working on something new. There is a very real chance that the product will never ship and you’ll lose your money. It’s a great way to support projects you like and get some cheap hardware in the process, but if you use it purely as a chance to snag cheap stuff, you may find that you get burned.Tomu REFLOA microcontroller in every USB port Automatic soldering for small PCBs$30 crowdsupply.com Delivery: July 2018 $345 crowdsupply.com Delivery: Feb 2018M ost microcontroller boards are designed to run R EFLO is low-price reflow soldering oven with one big as stand-alone machines – you might add more caveat – the maximum PCB size is 5 cm 5 cm (or 2 hardware to them, but not usually any more inches by 2 inches). This is small, but it’s not ridiculous processing power. Tomu is different. It’s an ARM- powered microcontroller board that fits inside a USB port with and there are lots of makers whose PCBs would always just enough sticking out for two LEDs and two touch switches. Essentially, it’s an extra programmable LED button for any fit in this size – wearables designers for instance. By keeping the computer with a spare USB port. The makers suggest that it could be used as a volume button or as a two-factor authentication tag. size small, the REFLO fits nicely into even the most cramped We can also imagine Tomu being useful for adding a little input to a semi-embedded Raspberry Pi or other small Linux machine. workshop. The oven is controlled via a mobile app (iOS and The price of Tomu depends heavily on the number you buy. Android), so there’s no fiddly display or controls on the unit itself. A single Tomu is $30, but you can get five for $60. At the larger numbers, it becomes much easier to justify the price for small Another side effect of the small size is the lower power projects. Of course, all this is dependent on actually having a spare USB port – a luxury that’s becoming rare on modern ultra-books. requirement – a peak use of 300 W. The controller is Arduino-compatible and you can change the software running the oven if, for example, you want a different heating profile. If – and it’s a big if – you can put up with the size limit, the REFLO looks like a great option for a no-fuss reflow soldering oven. 27

Hackspace of the monthREGULARHackspace of the month:Nottingham Hackspace W e started out casually meeting their time keeping the space tidy, answering emails up in pubs in 2010 – just a couple and questions from the public, donating extra money of people, but then we found a to help buy new tools, helping remodel the new areas space by the train station, and we’re building, running a workshop, inducting new members, or even just being on hand to help out a we started collecting tools and fellow member with something. Our space is entirely funded by our members and everything inside has running workshops. been either paid for or donated by members. Kate Bolin After roughly a year there, we moved into And with over 570 members, it can be a lot of work, but very rewarding for everyone who volunteers.nottinghack.org.uk our current premises, where we are in theNottinghack@HSNOTTS process of expanding out to two floors filled with hackspace delights! WHO IS IT FOR? WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU HAVE? Our hackspace is for anyone in Nottingham who is We have a wide range of tools and equipment for our looking for a place to make things. Whether you’re members to use, including a laser cutter with an A0 interested in electronics, woodworking, craftwork, bed, a Bridgeport metal mill, an Ultimaker 3D printer, textiles, metalworking, art, programming, music, or just industrial and home sewing machines, fully equipped having a good time in a space with people who also electronics workstations, a full-sized table saw, a like to make things, we try to be a welcoming place. kitchen with cooking equipment, a computerised full- colour embroidery machine, bike parking and tools, Our members get 24 hour access to the space, the arc and MIG welding equipment, a wood-turning ability to use the tools and consumable items, and lathe, screen-printing equipment, hand tools, and so the chance to become a part of the space. Everything much more. is driven by our members, whether they’re spending Right Open nights at Nottinghack are every Wednesday from 6.30pm28

All our tools are purchased through pledge drives, WHAT TRAINING DO YOU DO? SPARKwhere members suggest buying a new tool, and then We have workshops to teach new skills to not justother members pitch in with money in order to buy our members, but also members of the public. We 29it. This way, each member who participates feels like regularly have an Introduction to Arduino workshop thatthey own a part of that tool, and that they’re helping to takes people through using Ardunios, whether they’remake the space even better. adept with microcontrollers or have never programmed a line of code in their life. We’ve also had workshopsHOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER? building electronic kits, designing jewellery, makingCome down any Wednesday night, from 6:30 until soap, constructing models, programming software, and8:30, and have a tour! Our team of volunteers will more. All our workshops are listed on our website.show you around the space, point out some ofthe tools and resources available, and explain how Some of our tools do require inductions beforemembership works at Nottingham Hackspace. they can be used. Members can request an induction, and then meet up with our volunteer inductors to Once you have your tour, you can sign up for learn how to use it. Once you learn how to use it,membership and start the process. then you can book time on it, and embroider, print, or laser away! Because we know everyone is different, we don’thave a set flat rate for membership. We ask all ourmembers to pay what they think is right for howthey’re using the space. It costs around £12 an hourto keep the space running, though, so we like peopleto think about that when they’re choosing theirmonthly fee. But we’d hate to lose experience andtalent just because someone isn’t earning as much assomeone else.HOW DO YOU SHARE YOUR IDEAS? RightAlong with our website (nottinghack.org.uk), we Nottinghack is big –have a Google Group where most of our conversations 4 300 square feet ofare held: hsmag.cc/GouOwi. We also have a Slack space and thingsworkspace for our volunteers, who join teams to Belowhelp out at the space. So if you’re interested in There are oftenwoodworking, the laser cutter, the craft area, software, helpful humanshelping members, or anything else – we have a team hanging out near thefor you... duck (its name is Ein)WHAT HAVE YOU MADE RECENTLY?Our biggest task right now is Hackspace 2.5 –renovating several rooms downstairs to expand ourspace to nearly twice the size it is currently. We have stripped these rooms down to bare studsand concrete floors, and then we built new walls,added in new wiring and cabling, repainted everything,and are working to make it a fantastic new space foreven more tools. We’ll have a dedicated laser cutting/clean CNCroom, a classroom that can be booked for regularclasses instead of one-off events, and an even largermetalworking area, with a concrete floor that will allowfor more complicated metal work. Every Tuesday night, we have members whovolunteer their free time to come and help.And it might take us a while, but we’re makingexcellent progress!

DON’T MISS THE BRAND NEW ISSUE!PCLAUCSSOEC!V,FATERHBRELRSEEE&SE FmRaEgEpPi.IccZ/ESRuObWs1With your 12-month subscription to the print magazineBuy online: store.rpipress.cc

LENS HACK MAKE BUILD CREATE Uncover the technology that’s powering the future 4PG2 32PGHCOHWICIKMEANDE:COOP OPENER HSCARCAPKHIENAGPRation your livestock’s freedom Rescue junk from the scrap yardwith an automatic door and turn it into sweet, sweet hacking materials 4P6GMHUMAAKNEITRARSIAN3D printing goes out into thedeveloping world to make adifference to people’s lives 5PG4 6PG2 6PG6INTERVIEW GLUE GUN BWEELTLEMAARKNINGFARM URBAN Make things (including a We learn to work with robot caterpillar and a pair leather and get a nice wayHow a few cheap parts and of sandals) out of glue to keep our trousers upsome open source knowledgecan feed our cities

Scavenging parts from old electronicsFEATURESCRAPheaphacking GTEECTHOUTRTATSHHERCAENANBDE AFIGNODLYDOMUIRNENE–XT PROJECT! Archie Roques @archieroquesA-level student by day,hardware engineer andNorwich Hackspacer bynight. Archie blogs atroques.xyz32

LENSI t’s no secret that e-waste is a huge them. Your hackspace probably doesn’t need a problem in the world. The UN estimates giant power-sucking data-centre-grade server, or that up to 90% (£12bn worth) of the tech half a dozen high-end computer uninterruptible we’re done with ends up dumped where power supplies. It often helps to think of it from the it shouldn’t be. Lots of these contraptions other direction: if the hackspace saw this advertised contain a feast of parts and components for sale at a fair price, would it buy it? The answer is that can be put to good use in projects. often no, and if that’s the case you should probablyThere’s also a big cost advantage – the more you turn down the donation.scavenge, the less you have to spend on parts. It pays to be careful when taking apart old junk, If you’re planning to strip your item of its parts,especially anything that involves electricity. Always it’s wise to set a deadline. Some hackspaces useturn things off well in advance of going near them different bins with time limits on to prevent junkwith a screwdriver – and if you don’t know what piling up; others log storage requests and assignyou’re doing, don’t do it! times to them when the items are stored. Once It’s important to evaluate any broken gear that’s you’ve got the parts, it pays to store them sensiblyoffered to you or your local hackspace, or you’ll end too – labelled boxes go a long way! Test electronicup with too much hack and too little space, which parts for voltages and pinouts before filing themis annoying for everyone. Think about the item in away, and write your findings down on the itemquestion – if you’re planning to use it as it comes, (your future self and other hackers will thankwhat work will need doing and who will do it? Are you for it).the tools, parts, and space available at the momentto do it properly? Often things that get offered are This article looks at four common pieces ofworth a lot of money – but only to those who need broken machinery found in junk-rooms around the world: the microwave, the PC, the washing machine and the printer. 33

Scavenging parts from old electronicsFEATURETHEMICROWAVEA USEFUL SOURCE OF HIGH-VOLTAGE GUBBINS,SWITCHES, DIALS, AND OTHER BITS AND BOBS Right When your trusty oven has frazzled its last pitta bread…34

LENSM icrowaves contain a lot of high- MOTOR BECOMES voltage electronics. Even when UV CURING OVEN unplugged, these can be extremely One useful bit that can be salvaged from the microwave is the motor that rotates the dangerous. If you are not suitably platform inside. This might be an AC motor, which means you’ll need a power supply to drive it; once disconnected from the other parts, however, the original control circuitry qualified, and do not know what you can be used for that. The folks at Norwich Hackspace are currently working on repurposing an old microwave turntable to become a UV curing box for their new SLA are doing, don’t take microwaves apart. 3D printer. The platform will be used to rotate the model to ensure even curing from the UV light, which itself will be contained in the casing from the original microwave.Microwaves are, however, home to a few Leftcomponents you won’t find anywhere else. For starters, Norwich Hackspace’s UVthe turntable can be removed and reused for all sorts curing cabinet was made from an oldof purposes. You might also find a few seven-segment microwave and scrap anglepoise lampdisplays, a rotary dial or some buttons, or perhaps a bell Leftwith that satisfying ‘ding’ sound. Microswitches are a useful part to have on hand. ThisOlder microwaves will contain a rotary timer-dial, one, salvaged from an old microwave, has been fittedwhich could be recycled to make a timer-switch so you to a cheap laser cutter as a useful door interlock switchdon’t forget to turn off your soldering iron or hot-gluegun after use (the bell also makes a useful timer). Theseven-segment display that some microwaves havefor the controller can be useful once salvaged from thecircuit board – and usually has a standard pinout. Othercomponents can be salvaged from the control circuitrytoo – dials and buttons are fairly commonplace. Smallmicroswitches are often used to detect when the dooris shut, and can be used as limit switches on 3D printersand CNC machines.It’s worth leaving behind the controller PCB once anycomponents of use have been stripped from it, andmuch of the high-voltage stuff is unlikely to be of use tothe average hobbyist. You can, however, net a free lightbulb and holder, which almost every microwave seemsto have. BTREACONMSFEOSRMER STICK WELDER One of the most coveted parts of a microwave is the transformer. It turns the mains electricity, supplied to the microwave when you plug it in, into high-voltage but low-current electricity. In the microwave oven, this powers a magnetron to make the microwaves which cook the food, but it can be repurposed into a rudimentary arc welder. It’s unlikely to replace a proper setup, but can be a fun experiment and a learning exercise in high-voltage electronics. 35

Scavenging parts from old electronicsFEATUREold HARD DRIVESPCS Hard drives also contain some useful bits.BEIGE BOXES YIELD SOLDER EXTRACTORS, They can be a pain to open (lots now use non-ROBOT ORCHESTRAS, AND POWER! standard screws and hefty metal cases for data protection), but once you crack into them there are some useful parts to loot. The powerful brushless motors inside them use three-phase electricity – they’re probably not worth salvaging (there are plenty of other places to find motors). One part that is worthwhile, though, is the powerful Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets that magnetise and demagnetise the discs inside the hard drive to store data. They’re super-useful for making cases snap open and shut in a really satisfying way, for hanging steel tools, or for finding escaped screws. You’ll find them in the corner near the writing arm. Paweł Zadroz˙niak uses old computer and scanner parts along with some Arduinos to make awesome-sounding electronic renditions of popular music. The ‘voice coils’ in hard drives provide the percussion section – you’ve probably heard his music, and can see ‘The Floppotron’ in action over on his YouTube channel at hsmag.cc/pHufAc. He’s also written an extensive series of blogs about his project. O ld PCs are commonplace in hackspaces around the UK, and make for a great source of really useful components. The main electronic hardware is usually pretty useless – nobody wants a slow old processor, and the reason the PC has been donated is probably because it wasn’t up to the job any more. But there can be some exciting parts for an eager maker to scavenge from the remains. It’s highly likely that if your PC is of a fair age, it’ll be designed to be opened and repaired, so a Phillips screwdriver should let you in. Usually one of the side panels will come clean off, and lets you get to everything else. If it’s a newer or fancier model, it will probably be harder to crack into – in general, the older the PC the better – but sites like iFixit might have instructions for your particular Right model. PCs are often really Old PCs are a lot easier to meddle with dusty on the inside, so a than hermetically sealed Macs good vacuum (or air blast) is a good first step.36

LENSPOWER SUPPLY FANS BECOME Far Left SOLDER Tim Parnell housedIt’s usually pretty easy to tell where the PSU is – EXTRACTORS some PC powerfirstly from the power socket on the back of the supplies in laser-cutcase, and because there are bundles of wires As well as keeping you cool, PC fans make great and sheet-metalsnaking towards it. Remove the screws from the fume extractors for use while soldering. Generally, cases to make theseback, cut the wires, and slide the metal box out fans will run fine from just a DC voltage, but with sweet bench suppliesto release it. PCs use a variety of voltages, which three- or four-wire fans there’s a chance you’ll need Leftmeans that the power supply will likely power a microcontroller and some guesswork to make This fan was salvagedwhatever low-voltage tech you’re using. Typical them spin. The wires often plug into the motherboard from an old PC. Onesupplies include GND, 12 V, 5 V, 3.3 V and also usually with standard 0.1 mm connections, which makes coat hanger later,-5 V and -12 V (white and blue). Most units also have them super-easy to connect to your projects. They and it’s an adjustablethe facility for a power switch and a ‘power good’ usually work from 12 V. solder fume extractorindicator built into the supply. From this you can or desk fan!create a bench power supply: a really useful tool Belowto have on your workbench for testing components One awesome thingand powering projects. All it takes is a nice case and to make out of old CDsome 4 mm jack terminals. drive mechanisms is a CNC machine. Adi Dax made this cool pen plotter machine out of a couple of old CD drives, some H-bridge motor drivers, and an Arduino. There’s an in-depth (though German-language) tutorial on his blog at hsmag.cc/qxZeQgDISC DRIVESThe CD or DVD drive on a computer contains another load of useful motors – this time abrushless one (used to rotate the CD), some DC motors (used to eject the drive), and a stepper(used to move the laser head). They also have plenty of gears and mechanisms, and aregenerally a lot easier to take apart than hard drives. One thing that’s normally best to leave is the laser diode that reads the CD or DVD. Theseare pretty low-power by modern standards, are a pain to drive, and are also potentially quitedangerous. If you’re in the market for a laser diode, you’re probably better off just ordering onedirect from China. A very cool project is Andrey Chilikin’s CD drive tea dunker. He hooked up his CD drive to aRaspberry Pi and used it to ensure his cuppa was the perfect shade. You can find out more onAndrey’s GitHub page at hsmag.cc/VwSBDm. 37

Scavenging parts from old electronicsFEATUREWASHINGMACHINES(AND OTHER WHITE GOODS)WHO NEEDS CLEAN CLOTHES WHEN W ashing machines are somewhatYOU CAN HAVE A BARBECUE? bigger than the other appliances featured in this article, but in turn38 lend some bigger and beefier parts. They also seem to be discarded moderately often (average lifespan eleven years), so they aren’t too hard to get hold of (as long as you can transport them to your teardown location). More often than not it seems that the controller circuitry is the first thing to break – so all the mechanical and high-voltage electrical goodness is there for the taking. They’re also not too tricky to dismantle – occasionally requiring specialist screwdriver heads, but otherwise simple. Some side panels will usually come off first, revealing more and more screws. Once you’ve removed the panels you can start removing the other components, until you find the drum. It’s worth leaving most of the seals, pipes, and such‑like. After a few years at the daily grind, they’re likely to be less than pristine, and probably won’t be pleasantly scented either. They also aren’t terribly useful, usually being custom-made to fit proprietary parts. The control circuitry is likely to be fairly proprietary too, though it can yield some nice LEDs and dial switches.

LENSMOTOR BECOMESWIND TURBINEThe motors in a washing machine are usually really beefy, and can be used to powersome pretty crazy contraptions. You can’t simply hook up the motors and go – you’llneed specialist control circuitry for that. The Post Apocalyptic Inventor does a greatjob of explaining the ins and outs of controlling these motors on his YouTube channel athsmag.cc/sFbTqA. These motors have been used for all sorts of things – large-scalerobotics and DIY power tools to name just two. A really ingenious use for the motor is in DIY power generation systems, where themotor can be reconfigured to generate power from motion rather than the other wayaround. Timot Peter built a wind turbine from an old washing machine motor, bladesmade from PVC piping, and a custom electronic control circuit. The turbine can produceup to 600 W of power, plenty of juice for keeping your phone topped up in the wild. He’sproduced a video guide to his build on YouTube at hsmag.cc/SNTxON.SHEET METAL THE WASHING DRUM Above The beefy motorSheet metal is a pretty useful thing for makers, and The most commonly reused part of the washing often comes with anyou’re almost guaranteed to find a good amount machine is the drum. If you attach a light source, associated pulley beltin any large white goods machine. It’s also easy to and construct a suitable mounting for the relatively and wheel. Removeremove, because it’s the first thing to come off and heavy drum, it can make for a funky luminaire with the big bolt in theis just held in place with screws. Most panels are very little effort. centre, and the pulleysteel, powder-coated, or painted on one side. Many wheel is all yours…common tools can be used for cutting sheet metal, Washing machine drums can make usefulincluding shears, angle grinders, or the appropriately portable fire pits or patio warmers; the metal won’t Creditnamed ‘nibblers’ – most hackspaces have one or melt or rust (it’s stainless steel), and the holes allow Wapster (Flickr) CCmore of these in their armoury. plenty of oxygen in to feed the fire. Just attach a set of feet to keep the heat from scorching your patio. Left Sheet metal is very useful for making It’s worth double-checking and removing any plastic Fire is usually saferprofessional-looking cases for projects – especially or rubber from the drum, though – you don’t want to well contained!those that have to be heatproof, or used outdoors. end up producing any toxic gases. Sometimes theIt’s tricky to weld thin steel without specialist drums are used to make rudimentary barbecues – or, Creditequipment, but it’s easy to bolt or rivet it together simpler still, a garden planter. Quinn Comendantto make custom shapes, and it can be bent using a (CC-BY-SA)straight edge, or curved with the aid of a roller. 39

Scavenging parts from old electronicsFEATUREPMFUURNLICTNTI-ITOEN R P rinters are another hackspace junk-A FEAST OF MOTORS, MECHANISMS, AND MORE! room staple. Whilst a little more challenging to take apart than PCs (lots Right No home is complete of highly customised bits of clip-together without a printer graveyard plastic), they provide an excellent source of motors, mechanical parts, and miscellaneous other stuff. To begin with, remove any rubber feet, which will likely hide screws. Undo all the screws, and then snap off all the plastic parts you can until you can see some useful bits. The main attractions in the printer are of course the motors – you can usually find a variety of types. Printers also contain nice meaty power supplies, but the documentation can be hard to find because they are all customised units – and with wires often all the same colour, figuring out what’s what is really hard. The rods and driving belts are also useful spares for any 3D printer enthusiast, though whether they’ll fit your machine is another story altogether. Another thing to look out for is the LEDs and optoelectronic gear in the scanner head. If you can extract them and work out how to drive them, they can be a useful extra for your box of blinkies. The LCD screen, buttons, and control circuitry are likely to take more effort than is sensible to get working – better to chuck that and focus on the fun stuff. It’s also worth getting rid of the bulky, customised casing, ink-head, and plastic mechanisms – it’s unlikely they’ll be useful for anything else.40

LENSDC MOTORS OPTICAL ENCODER Above Optical encoders areDC motors, which are often used to move the scanner The opto-encoder is a useful and often underrated used in all sorts ofhead (in conjunction with an optical encoder), are component. Put simply, it allows you to see how applications, fromeasy to drive and use in a few projects. They often much something has rotated, what angle it’s at cars to the Roombahave their voltage written on them, but if not you can and, when the motor is linked to a scanning arm, robotic vacuumtest them out with a variable power supply (start how much of the document the arm has scanned. cleaner seen herelow and gradually move the voltage up). When it Encoders are usually customised components, butcomes to driving these motors from your favourite are fairly easy to work with because they are so SHARINGmicrocontroller or single-board computer, you’ll simple. The device itself is a small U-shaped plasticlikely want to use a motor driver. Motors use a lot of casing. One side contains an infrared LED, and the Have you madecurrent (and sometimes a different voltage), and little other a photodiode. A disc with black lines painted something clevercircuit boards often don’t like having large ‘spikes’ or engraved onto it rotates between them. When the out of a brokenof electricity rushing through their delicate circuitry. photodiode doesn’t pick up light, the disc is over a gadget? ShowMotor drivers are fairly low-cost and easy to use, black area; when it does, it’s in a clear area. You can us (and everyonehowever, with lots available from all the usual maker- calculate the angle of rotation by using the equation else) on Twitter @electronics outlets. angle = (number of pulses detected / number of HackSpaceMag strips on a the disc) * 360. You can use this to workGLASS PLATE out the distance travelled on a wheel, which is LeftBECOMES LIGHTBOX especially useful for robotics. This light-box was made from an oldThe glass plate that you put documents on when STEPPER MOTORS Amazon box, scannerscanning is a useful piece for makes. The glass glass, and spareis sturdy and A4- or A3-sized, making it ideal for a Stepper motors are a bit harder to drive, but fluorescent tube. It’s arudimentary lightbox. Your author has made one potentially much more useful. A stepper motor useful addition to theusing an old Amazon cardboard box and a reclaimed works by moving a certain number of steps and workshop – great forfluorescent tube. The plate is supported at each then holding its position, which makes them ideally tracing patterns fromcorner on some old blocks of wood, and a bit of hot suited to use in CNC machines, laser cutters, and 3D mechanical drawingsglue and duct tape holds it all together. I use it often printers, for instance.when tracing print-out drawings and sketching 41project ideas, and it would be easy enough to make You can identify a stepper motor because, unlikea more polished model with a nicer box. a normal motor, it has four (sometimes more) wires leading to it. If you try to turn the motor by hand, it will also be a lot harder with a stepper motor than with a DC motor. You’ll need a motor controller for stepper motors too, mainly for the same reasons as DC motors. Controllers usually work for one stepper motor, or two DC motors, and send pulses to a stepper motor to get it to move the desired amount.

How I Made: A Chicken Coop OpenerFEATURE How I Made A CHICKEN COOP OPENER The making of some fowl technologyBy Andrew LewisC hickens are great. They’re my initial plans for a fancy Internet of Things like little dinosaurs that turn -enabled chicken door with a phone app and slugs and plants into eggs a webcam were modified into something and fertilizer for your garden. a fair bit simpler. I had to think very hard Aside from food and water, about how much power the project was going to need. chickens mostly look after The first issue I had to consider was idle power consumption.themselves. The only real chore is that A standard Arduino Uno uses roughly 40–50 mA of power atthey need to be shut into their coop idle. Even if you put the Arduino to sleep when it’s not beingwhen the sun sets, and let back out used, the on-board monolithic voltage regulator still uses aagain when the sun rises. If you fair amount of power. The 5 V version of the Arduino Pro Minifind yourself away from home is much more frugal, using around 20 mA when idle, andunexpectedly, you inevitably 3 mA when asleep. A little bit of internet research told me thatend up worrying about the bypassing the on-board power regulator and disabling the powerchicken door. After a month of LED could reduce this number tochicken door anxiety, I decided roughly 0.005 mA during sleep mode. That level of power could be sustained for quite athat I’d find a technological long time by a bank of four AA batteries.solution to the problem. The type and power consumption of the motor was also a factor in the design.The requirements for a door I initially wanted to use a geared motor to control the door, but realised that thereopener are very straightforward. would be a couple of problems with this. The geared motor would lock into positionIt needs to open a wooden doorwhen it’s light outside, and closeit again when it’s dark. It alsoneeds to lock the door closed ifwe want to keep our chickens confined forsome reason. I’m no stranger to electronicsor making things, but I was surprised howmuch of a challenge this ‘simple’ chickendoor opener presented. The chicken doormechanism isn’t complicated, but in ourcase, running a power cable to the chicken Above The MK2 chicken door openerrun wasn’t practical. That meant the door assembled in a 3D printed case, with batteriesopener needed to run from batteries, and42

LENSwhen the power was disconnected, which I assembled the door opener into a Abovewould mean that I couldn’t move the door waterproof electrical box, programmed The MK1 chicken door opener,by hand if the mechanism failed. I would the Arduino, and gave the system a test. It with lid removed to show thealso need to add sensors or limit switches worked initially, but started to misbehave potentiometer and batteryto monitor the position of the door. I when any load was put onto the servo. boxes. It’s a mess of wires, andalready had some high torque servos in I realised that the current being drawn that makes it easy to knockmy workshop, and I decided to use one of from the batteries was too great, and the something loose when thethose. The current draw from a permanently servos were making the Arduino brown-out batteries are being changedactivated servo would have drained any and reset. I modified my design, added abatteries I had in a few hours, so I added a separate battery bank just for the servo, and The Rocket Screamrelay that would only power the servo when tried again. This time the door operated as Low-Power Librarythe door needed to move. expected, so I sealed everything into the box and fitted the unit to the chicken coop. An Arduino Pro Mini is usually based on the Although the power used by the light- Atmega328p processor, running at eitherdependent resistor is trivial, I decided to Several weeks later, the door of the coop 8 MHz or 16 MHz, depending on the version ofapply the same principle that I had used failed to open. This failure was sooner the board. The Low-Power library by Rocketwith the servo and only supplied power Scream (rocketscream.com) allows you towhen a reading was being taken. In addition put the Atmega328p into a power-saving stateto the LDR, I added a potentiometer to using simple commands, which vastly improveset the threshold light level that the door longevity while running on battery power.would trigger at, and a simple push-button As an example, to make the chicken door gothat would be used to close and lock the into power-saving mode every two seconds, Idoor for ten minutes. I thought that ten imported the Low-Power library and used theminutes would be enough time for us to following command:clean or move the coop, and I didn’t wantto accidentally lock the chickens in for LowPower.powerDown(SLEEP_2S, ADC_an extended period. I came to regret this OFF, BOD_OFF);decision later, as we were chasing threefugitive birds around the vegetable garden. This command tells the Arduino to sleep for two seconds, and to turn off the ADC Below (analogue to digital converter) and the BOD The MK1 chicken door, installed (brownout detector) during this sleep period. on the coop. It’s a bulky unit You can also do more advanced things with and it’s difficult to set the light the library, like using hardware interrupts to level using the potentiometer, wake the Arduino from sleep. but it does work 43

How I Made: A Chicken Coop OpenerFEATUREthan I had expected, but I replaced the Above stay closed until the second button wasbatteries and ran another test. The door The MK2 chicken door opener with pressed to unlock it. Once the door hadopened and closed properly, and I thought the all of the sensors and buttons been unlocked by the second button, itnothing more of it. The following morning, I connected to the Arduino. The PCB would operate normally and close by itselffaced the same situation again. I concluded above the Arduino Pro Mini is a when it got dark enough.that something must have happened to voltage regulatoreither the wiring or the Arduino, and chose On the original chicken door opener, Ito make a new improved version. I had a the same as the maximum recommended used a potentiometer to set the trigger levelfunctional workshop, and so I thought that voltage for the servo. for the door. I found later that it was veryI would be able to make a better job the difficult to set the level this way, becausesecond time around. CHICKEN DOOR MK2 it was easy to knock the potentiometer or I started the new build with another Arduino move it accidentally. This time around I took I opted to use 18650 batteries on the Pro Mini. I bypassed the internal voltage advantage of the extra button I’d added, sonew door opener. 18650 batteries have a regulator and added a more efficient that pushing both buttons together for three external buck (step-down) converter. I added seconds would take a reading from the light a light-dependent resistor to an analogue sensor and use this as the threshold level to open and close the doors. I used a TIP120 to control the power to the servo, rather than a 5 V relay as I’d done in the original version. I did this mainly because I had one handy on my desk, but also because the TIP120 is smaller than a 5 V relay and has no moving parts. I know that the TIP120 isn’t very efficient by modern standards, but in this project it’s only powered up for a few seconds at a time, and it’s so over-powered for the job that it’ll never dump enough heat to get even slightly warm. I assembled all of the parts using the plastic battery holders as the main chassis, and fixed each of the components in place using double-sided neoprene tape.I started the new build with another Arduino Pro Mini. I bypassed the internal voltage regulator and added a more efficient external buck convertermuch higher drain current and voltage than pin, using a standard potential divider set AboveAA batteries, and are rechargeable. Two up between a digital pin and the ground pin, The MK2 chicken door, installed18650 batteries should be enough to power so that I could power down the LDR when on the coop. The battery cover hasthe Arduino and servo for several weeks it wasn’t being used. I added two buttons been removed to show the 18650at a time, and the more compact batteries to the Arduino, and activated the internal batteries inside. This unit is moremeant that I could reduce the size of the pull-up on the pins I connected them to. The compact and much easier to set upwhole project significantly. Connected in first button closed the door, just as it had onseries, the 18650 batteries give 7.4 volts the first version of the chicken door opener.when fully charged, which is serendipitously Unlike the original unit, the new door would44

LENSI 3D-printed a suitable case, and sealedthe seams of the unit together using a hotsoldering iron. I was feeling quite pleasedwith the project at this point, and it’s a pitythat it only worked for three days.POINTS OF FAILURE protected 18650 batteries, the Chicken Door Above BelowI’d made a couple of mistakes in my design, Opener MK2 has been working for several The customers The final circuit hasand misunderstood the cause of the original weeks without incident. inspect our proved reliable andunit’s failure. Firstly, I hadn’t included a handiwork easy to usebackwash diode, to absorb reverse current When the weather improves, I’ll probablyfeeding back from the servo. This wasn’t a update the code on the Arduino so that the 2 × 18650 7.2 Vbig problem in the original version, because light level that triggers the door is stored init used a relay and had an independent EEPROM rather than RAM. There’s no rushbattery bank. In the new version of the to do this, because the ultra-cap can keepdoor opener, the relay was replaced the Arduino powered up for several hourswith a transistor, and wired to the same even without batteries installed.supply as the Arduino. This caused somestability problems. Arduino Pro Mini v13 The most important issue was that the SuperCap 5v 21servo still seemed to be drawing too muchcurrent from the batteries. This confused A5 v13 D6 PWMA4 Mini A3 Pro A2 Arduino D9 PWM A1 A0 D10 PWM/SS DTR RESET +12me at first because I knew that the outputcurrent of an 18650 battery should be able GND D11 PWM/MOSI VCC GND 3to power the servo. Even more confusingly, RAWafter I’d tried to open and close the door FIXEDa few times, the opener started working D3 PWM D5 PWM D12/MISO D13/SCK LM2931properly. It took me quite a while to realisethat the problem wasn’t inside the box, D0/TX D1/RX 2 VOUT VIN 1it was actually the environment that I’dput it in. Like most batteries, 18650 cells D2 D4 D7 D8are very sensitive to cold conditions. Thecapacity rating printed on batteries is usually S2 1 1calculated for a temperature of around 25 S1degrees Celsius. The chicken door opener R1had worked perfectly through the warm 12 2.2kΩsummer months, but the capacity of the 12batteries had fallen as the temperature 12approached freezing. The final point of Q1failure was that I’d used some unprotected 21batteries from my spare parts bin, and the 32voltage had dropped too low for them tobe recharged. 1 + Servo R3 2 pulse 4.7ΩIMPROVEMENTS 3-Once I realised the problem, the solution 2was simple enough. I added a 5 V ultra-capacitor after the power regulator, and this D1made sure that the Arduino still receives 1N4002enough current when the servo is drainingall of the power from the battery. Capacitorsare less affected by low temperaturesthan batteries are and, with a new set of 45

Humanitarian makers: 3D printing for disaster reliefFEATUREHMUMAAKNIETARRIASNMeet the network of change-makers tackling the world’s great humanitarian challenges together H umanitarian Makers is a network of principles of ‘locally manufacturable’ and ‘open engineers, designers, and industrial design’. Field Ready, its founding member humanitarians who believe in a and current ‘parent’ organisation, is furthering grassroots community approach to humanitarian making in countries facing natural and human-made disasters. They solve a range of providing effective disaster relief. problems by making useful things locally. This includes rescue equipment to free people trapped Their mission is to provide solutions to beneath building rubble in Syria, as well as medical supplies that will provide essential healthcare to pressing human needs by designing, testing, and villagers following Nepal’s most recent earthquake and flooding. producing humanitarian-use hardware built on the Conflict, earthquakes, and storms cause enormous Cameron Norris destruction and human suffering. Researchers at Citadel Investment Group believe that access to @cameronsnorris food, water, shelter, education, and basic health careCameron is a are among “humanity’s top ten problems over thetechnology and next 50 years”. According to Alessandra Cozzolino,communications author of Humanitarian Logistics, the estimated costspecialist, passionate of aid logistics is $15 billion per year, representingabout the use of open- 60–80% of the entire humanitarian aid budget.source hardware forsocial innovation After talking with a Field Ready founder, Eric James, and reflecting on her experience in the Right Kenyan healthcare sector, social entrepreneur 3D printers aren’t Naiomi Lundman set up Humanitarian Makers in just for hackspaces, 2015. Initially, it was a LinkedIn group to explore they’re portable community interest in bringing together aid workers, manufacturing makers, and logistics experts interested in devices crowdsourcing their expertise to support Credit humanitarian-focused problem-solving in disaster Field Ready and recovery settings. Since 2015, Humanitarian Makers has piloted several design challenges to explore the potential of leveraging the remote maker community for prototype testing, particularly within the general maker community that seeks to apply their talents towards social-good product developments.46

LENSHowever, this approach led to mixed results which Lite, which had 3D design software, 3D printers, a Aboveprompted the team to explore a testing focus in laser cutter, and a vacuum former. Some With just a batterythe gap between the design stage of creating manufacturing and repair work was subcontracted to and a bag full of‘in‑the‑field’ prototypes and producing reliable, local makers and small businesses who either filament, a 3D printeropen-source items for others to accurately reproduce owned their own equipment or made arrangements can go anywhereand use effectively. to access the necessary equipment. Some products Credit were made using existing Field Ready designs, while Field Ready According to the World Economic Forum, the others were developed exclusively for the pilot usingfourth industrial revolution is ushering in a new open-source designs as a starting point. Forperiod of disruption and opportunity, with more example, after replicating a Nepal-designedpeople than ever needing to upskill frequently and fetoscope using a 3D printer, they revised theeffectively communicate their expertise. A grassroots process to produce a wooden fetoscope using localnetwork like Humanitarian Makers provides an woodworkers and a lathe.avenue to the ‘common’ person for continuouslearning and networking, which is already proving Now in phase two of MakerNet, Field Ready andattractive to members of the maker community who Humanitarian Makers are inviting feedback on theirflock to contribute, including eNABLE Community prototypes and open design instructions to provide afounder Jon Schull. reliable means of replication by those seeking to use them in a humanitarian context where this is In 2017, Humanitarian Makers shifted their focus essential. Perhaps most importantly, these field trialsto identifying high-patient-impact, low-cost medical highlighted several core challenges in humanitariansupplies suitable for treating injuries in developing aid logistics, including a lack of resources withincountries. These activities followed an existing humanitarian organisations, difficulties inannouncement by the World Health Organisation facilitating collaboration around design, andthat injuries in regions with poorly developed trauma inadequate access to local ‘making’ knowledge.care and rehabilitation systems cause over fivemillion deaths each year, roughly equal to the If you would like to get involved, you can apply tonumber of deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and join the Humanitarian Makers group on LinkedIn, ortuberculosis combined. visit humanitarianmakers.org for more information. The group is working closely with Field Ready, a A view from the groundUS-based nonprofit organisation founded to meethumanitarian need worldwide by transforming “While working within the healthcare sector of Kenya, I saw supply chain challengeslogistics through technology, innovative design, and first hand as well as the growing latent talent and knew this wasn’t unique to Kenya. Inengaging people in new ways. speaking with the founders of Field Ready, I saw an opportunity to create new channels for people, regardless of their geographical location, to solve hardware problems around “There have been improvements to humanitarian them, and create viable avenues for well-being. An online presence offers an individuallogistics over the last decade or so, but nothing a larger world than their geographical location or resources may otherwise offer. Itreally transformative,” Eric explains. “What we also can be isolating and lonely to be a visionary and change-maker. Enabling peopleneeded was a rethink about supply chains in a way to connect with others working towards the shared vision that Humanitarian Makersthat leads to dramatic improvement.” represents gives us the power of a group.” – Naiomi Lundman, social entrepreneur Field Ready and Humanitarian Makers were ableto test a few concepts of their shared vision with theMakerNet Pilot program in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016.MakerNet represents a growing alliance oforganisations. Kenya has long served as a regionalhub for humanitarian aid agencies, and morerecently Nairobi has become a vibrant and well-developed tech innovation and maker community.The pilot involved field trials with three healthcareclinics where designs for humanitarian supplieswere improved and used to manufacture itemslocally. A Kenyan engineer, Michael Gathogo, carriedout the pilot and worked with management andclinical staff at the health facilities to identifyhigh-demand products which could feasibly beproduced locally. The pilot was based at Gearbox 47

Humanitarian makers: 3D printing for disaster reliefFEATURELOCALLY MADEAIRBAGSDeveloping rescue equipment for Syria T o lift heavy debris such as concrete were still trapped beneath the rubble of their slabs weighing several tons, specialist collapsed home, including a little girl who was equipment is required, but the pinned by a large piece of the collapsed ceiling. extremes of war make obtaining these A safe passage was created within the building necessary rescue tools an almost by removing as much debris as possible before placing the airbag system under one corner of the impossible task. Lifting airbags are house to lift the collapsed roof and carry the family out from rubble to safety. Although the little girl available to well-supplied search and rescue teams, sustained a broken leg that required surgery, she is recovering well and already back on her feet. So far but are prohibitively expensive to all but the most eight people have been saved by the airbag system, and many more lives will be spared thanks to this well-funded humanitarian organisations. In critical device. response, Field Ready has developed a means to Field Ready’s lifting airbags comply with the same conventional UK safety standards of airbags already locally produce lifting airbags for less than 10% of used commercially. In Europe, CE marking is the standard that new products must meet before they the commercial cost while still meeting international can be sold, imported, or put into service. Where Above safety standards. A 90% reduction in manufacturing costs In March of 2017, Field Ready’s airbag system leads directly to more lives being saved was used to save lives in Syria after a car bomb Credit Field Ready explosion caused extreme destruction to a hospital48 and residential area in Idlib. The area search and rescue team were informed that a family of four

LENS A view from the ground we deal with each other like a family, and that’s really great”. “Working in Syria involves a lot of risks. You’re exposed to bombing, air strikes, and car bombs at Hamanda was intrigued by Field Ready for similar any time, so you’ll probably get hurt or lose your life reasons, “I was most attracted to work at Field at any moment. Moreover, travelling is not easy and Ready because of the wonderful nature of its work. not safe. You can’t go and travel any time you like. It’s about approaching the most difficult challenges Sometimes a whole area and villages are closed differently. This stimulates creativity within us and temporarily because of war conditions, and there provides a chance to serve my community are very dangerous areas like areas on the front differently from other organisations. My ambition is lines.” – Usamah Shamma, Field Ready engineer to invent easy and uncomplicated ways of addressing technical problems in my country. Withpractical, Field Ready has followed the principles of Field Ready, I am working, learning, and always addCE marking to ensure its designs are safe to use. The to my experience.”not-for-profit is also aiming to meet British safetystandards for lifting bag systems used by Together, Usamah and Hamada have handmadeprofessional fire and rescue services. Field Ready’s and distributed 100 airbags for Syrian Civil Defence,process and test results are openly shared and saving the organisation over $450 000 inencouraged to be reproduced to ensure authenticity; humanitarian supply costs when compared with thehowever, Field Ready strongly recommends commercial alternatives. Every kit consists of fourrequesting its technical support due to safety airbags, pressure regulators, valve boxes, andconcerns. The resulting devices are not only able to connection accessories – with all parts produced andbe locally manufactured, but are capable of lifting up assembled by Usamah and Hamada in Syria.to five tons in an emergency situation. The airbags are constructed from two layers of Usamah Shamma and Hamada Aaroub represent 1 mm thick polyester with a protective vinylField Ready’s team on the ground. Usamah, who coating. Vinyl-coated polyester is more commonlyattended school in Aleppo and earned his used for tent covers and truck sides as it isuniversity degree in Mechanical Engineering, waterproof and resistant to dirt, mildew, oil, salt,developed the design and process to locally chemicals, and UV rays.manufacture the airbag systems himself. Until theonset of the Syrian Civil War, he lived and worked When Usamah was asked how people havein Aleppo, producing horizontal lifters and hydraulic responded to their work in Syria, he simply replies,pistons while consulting in the development of “They are inspired and amazed that we could makerescue and firefighting equipment. Hamada was things with simple materials and equipment, andborn in a small town in the countryside of Aleppo those products are efficient and reliable. People nowwhere he graduated from Aleppo University with a really respect what we do, and try to help us. It’sdegree in Engineering. Later, Hamada worked as something totally new in Syria. We won’t leave ourpart of the Syrian Civil Defence as head of the country – and Field Ready helps me help my people.technical office in Aleppo, responsible for cars and And the whole world could help us by stopping thistechnical equipment until the opportunity to join crazy war.”Field Ready emerged.MAKING IN THE FIELD! LeftWhen Usamah was asked what interested him in “Humanitarianworking with Field Ready, he replied, “The most supplies can be madeimportant thing that motivated me to work with in the field, usingField Ready is the idea that humanitarian supplies modern technology tocan be made in the field, using modern technology make products thatto make products that help people who are help people who aresuffering from crises. That’s exactly what my suffering from crises”people need nowadays. It’s like I found my passion Creditfor making things and inventions with Field Ready. Field ReadyWhat is impressive when we work together is that 49

Humanitarian makers: 3D printing for disaster reliefFEATUREMCOOMDBIENRINNGMANUFACTURINGWITH TRADITIONAL CRAFTField Ready is combining 3D printing with traditional lost-wax casting to enable local manufacturersto provide key engineering and medical components to areas affected by natural disaster Below I n the immediate aftermath of an emergency, This rebuilding process brings its own unique Improving airflow providing aid to those in need as quickly as challenges, and careful planning must be given to in the stove leads possible is the number one priority, with the best support reconstruction efforts without to lower fuel preservation of life as the greatest concern. accidentally damaging existing local industries. requirements Credit However, after the emergency zone begins to For example, transporting engineering Field Ready components from Kathmandu to remote villages stabilise, the focus gradually shifts from affected by the recent earthquake in Nepal has its own dangers. Local manufacturers can find preserving life to rebuilding the community affected themselves pushed out of the market and unable to sustain their business, resulting in increased by catastrophe. unemployment and other negative economic consequences. Equally, imagine the difficulties that ensue when cooking stoves are imported and distributed for free when existing distributors and manufacturers are trying to sustain their business within Nepal. There is a responsibility by international aid agencies to ensure that, as recovery gains momentum, local economies are adequately supported, and the community’s own efforts to rebuild are not undermined. Field Ready believes a key way to do this is through partnerships with existing local manufacturers and artisans. Nepal has a rich history of lost-wax casting. For hundreds of years, the craft has been passed down generation to generation, with these craftsmen50