This contest will run for one week (Aug 23 – Aug 28, 2008) . Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, identify the item pictured above and give an example of what can be done with it. Please do not give the answer in the comments. Send an email to contest @ hackedgadgets.com with "Name the Thing Contest" as the subject, and the message body
Miltron has made a cool Airsoft gun that can be manually or computer controlled. It is a good example of what can be done when you take some off the shelf items and mash them up with some electrical smarts. "The turret can be toggled between Manual Mode, where a Human interfaces with it using an Xbox 360 Controller, or Automatic Detect and Fire Mode, where the turret springs
The Wii sensor bar is nothing more than a few IR LEDs, this mod lets you convert an ordinary TV Remote Control into a Wii Sensor Bar. Simply open the old remote and drill a few holes for the IR LEDs. If the remote comes with two LEDs you are in luck, if not you may have to buy a few new IR LEDs. Disconnect the existing battery connection
We have featured lots of Rubik’s Cube solving robots on Hacked Gadgets. Seems that there are many creative ways to come up with the same result. Since the solution to the actual problem has been well documented the solution turns into a detection of the existing cube orientation and then a method of moving the cube one move at a time in the correct order. Spinning the cube is
Have a look at this high tech approach to cutting your lawn. Sanjiv Singh from the Robotic Institute is using technology that we have seen used in many of the DARPA Grand Challenge to cut grass! "Approach The first approach to obstacle detection is color segmentation, which is the ability to distinguish obstacles based on color. We are developing a method that is robust to changes in color due
Bill Beaty has created a neat way for magnets to be levitated. If you build it please be cautious since you could loose your hand if you aren’t careful. "While working on science museum exhibits in 1990 I came up with the above idea: it is known that a spinning metal disk will lift and fling a strong magnet. Therefore, metal rods with opposite spin will lift a magnet
This DIY Hovercraft Project was done on a budget and the results are very good based on the amount of money that was put into it. "The workings of a hovercraft are fairly straightforward: one high-power motor with an airplane propeller forces air down through the hole in the center, which pushes the bottom of the hovercraft off the ground. This greatly reduces friction, allowing the hovercraft to scoot
