Aquaponics and hydroponics sensor platforms for Makers

Cooking Hacks, the open hardware division of Libelium, has launched two new sensor platforms that automate control and maintenance tasks in aquariums and in gardens through wireless connectivity and using open-source APIs. Designed for Makers, the new IoT solutions are based on Arduino, and include specialized sensors to measure parameters vital to aquatic life in ponds and […]

Team of young Makers create exoskeleton to help kids with cerebral palsy

While most high school students spend their summer months washing dishes, flipping burgers or lying poolside, a group of young Makers from Granada Hills Charter High School used their time and knowledge to design a low-cost exoskeleton that would help children with cerebral palsy learn to walk. The project is a result of a partnership between the […]

11 ways Makers are turning trash into treasure with Arduino

up·cy·cle verb reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original. What remains truly fascinating around the Maker Movement is do-it-yourselfers’ abilities to upcycle items that might otherwise be seen as trash, and transform them into fully-functional treasures — a majority of which rely upon an Atmel-based Arduino board for […]

10 famous left-handed Makers

Today, August 13th, is International Left-Handers Day. To celebrate the occasion and the 10% (or so) of the population who favor their left hands, we’ve decided to highlight 10 famous southpaws. 1. President Barack Obama 2. Bill Gates 3. Leonardo Da Vinci 4. Nikola Tesla 5. Albert Einstein 6. Isaac Newton 7. Charles Darwin 8. Benjamin Franklin 9. Henry Ford 10. Neil Armstrong […]

On the road from Makers to consumers

It’s time to break with conventional thinking. For decades, the measure of success for semiconductors has been OEM design wins. Most consumers haven’t known, or cared, about what is inside their electronic gadgets, as long as they work. That may be about to change, because a new intermediary is finding its voice – and being […]

Why educators can learn a lot from Makers

Writing for KQED, Katrina Schwartz asks Dale Dougherty, editor of Make Magazine, if the notion of DIY and hands-on learning will ultimately make its way into mainstream classrooms. “Most of the people that I know who got into science and technology benefited from a set of informal experiences before they had much formal training,” Dougherty […]

Mosquito Mania with Trondheim Makers

How did a young student with almost no programming experience and little hardware knowledge win Game of the year and Best Technical Achievement at the Norwegian Game Awards? Perhaps most importantly, how did the title claim victory without a traditional “playscreen?” Quite simply, Mosquito Mania isn`t really a video game in the classic sense and […]

Why Makers will drive the IoT

Writing for M2M World News, James Mack of KORE reports that some Makers are leaving traditional jobs to start up their own businesses. “In true Internet of Things style, the frontier DIY spirit is pushing some great innovation in both the consumer and B2B space,” Mack explains. “An essential part to the Maker Movement is […]

Businessweek says Makers are gaining ground in China

Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, Christina Larson confirms that the Maker Movement continues to gain significant ground in China. Indeed, the popularity of XinCheJian, which means “new factory,” is a sign of China’s continued participation in the global Maker Movement, which former Wired editor Chris Anderson describes as a “third industrial revolution” characterized by open-source design, […]

Atmel celebrates Makers with President Obama

As Tom Kalil and Jason Miller note on the White House blog, the United States has always been a nation of tinkerers, inventors and entrepreneurs. “In recent years, a growing number of Americans have gained access to technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, easy-to-use design software and desktop machine tools. These tools are enabling […]