Used by hobbyists and professional engineers alike, breadboards allow us to quickly build all sorts of circuits! Breadboards got their name because in a time long ago, engineers used to use wooden cutting boards! They would hammer in nails and… Read more
Category: Beginner
(Quick & Easy) Micro:Bit Magic 8 Ball Costume
90s kids unite! And build this super fun, easy, and interactive costume! Ask a (yes/no) question, shake the Micro:Bit, and it displays a fortune (obviously accurate) to your deepest most pressing questions, like what is life, how do we solve… Read more
A Beginner’s Guide to Microcontrollers
What do remote controllers, routers, and robots all have in common? Microcontrollers! These days, beginner-friendly microcontrollers are easy to build with and program using just a laptop, a USB cable, and some (free) open-source software. The catch? There are like,… Read more
Anti-Facial Recognition Wearable No. 1
Every time we leave our homes, we are photographed and videotaped in public and private spaces. Facial recognition software identifies our unique facial features and can be used to tag us in photos that are taken with or without our… Read more
Renewable Energy Technology: What is it and How to Use it!
Now more than ever, folks like you and me have to step up and take a stand to protect and preserve our environment (and, quite honestly, our species). One great way to do that is to incorporate renewable energy technology… Read more
Build & Play Robot Mini Golf!
Introduction Create, build, and play an obstacle course for Brush Bots! This is an activity for all ages that teaches the basics of circuits and design thinking while encouraging and inspiring creativity, discovery, and collaboration. Most importantly, it’s super fun!… Read more
Make a Light-Up Holiday Card!
Light-up cards incorporate two of the best worlds of making (electronics and crafts) with the added bonus of making somebody smile. Heck yes! Here’s my approach to light-up cards and my favorite recent discoveries: pop-ups and cotton balls. Read time:… Read more
How to Use (and Choose) a Multimeter!
Checking your car battery life, debugging circuits, and finding that pesky short are all super useful functions that can be performed with just one awesome tool: the multimeter! First of all, what the heck is a multimeter?? Excellent setup question!… Read more
Prototyping Magnetic Boots!
Walking across large, metal pipes in search of urban adventure, my inner voice joked, “Hey, magnet shoes would be handy right about now.” Well, no arguing with that! Off to build my very own magnetic shoes! This tutorial gives an… Read more
Faraday Cage Phone Pouch
This Faraday Cage phone pouch blocks all radio signals coming in or out of your cellphone. Material costs are about $10, it takes ~ 30 minutes to build, and it can fit in your pocket! The purpose of this pouch… Read more