Changing the rear disc brakes on your 2001 Chrysler Town & Country (henceforth referred to as T&C) can be quite a challenge, but if you can spare a few hours (remember that you need to budget time to get the brake parts from the parts house) and are willing to get a little dir ...more
So a little while ago we covered BUD switches, but there's only so much you can show in one tutorial. In this tutorial, I'll be showing you how you can use a combination of water and BUD switches to make a mechanical to kinetic power transfer, and then go back again. In case ...more
There's no shortage of ways to filter water, but it doesn't get much simpler than this. Researchers at MIT have found that you can turn dirty water into drinking water with nothing more than a stick. Mechanical engineer Rohit Karnik figured out that the xylem tissue in plants ...more
This is an excellent video that covers creating a clear silicone rubber mold to deal with a complex parting line or irregular shape. When a project requires a complex parting line, it is often easier to pour the entire mold in one process with clear rubber, then cut your parti ...more
If you don't know, an alternator is a pretty big part when it comes to a car. If you don't know what it does, an alternator basically converts mechanical energy into electrical energy for your car to use. If you need to know how to fix it or repair it, this tutorial should hel ...more
Here's how to make dry-ice at home, or wherever you feel like it! All you need is a pillow case, and a CO2 fire extinguisher. Video: . WARNING: Dry Ice is extremely cold! (-78C/-109F) and can cause instant frost-bite to exposed skin. This project should not be attempted withou ...more
It's time to solve that Rubik's puzzle of yours, but how do you do it? Erno Rubik designed these three-dimensional mechanical puzzles to be precariously difficult, unless you know a little about mathematical algorithms, then it's just a matter of time and determination. This ...more
Musical boxes are best known for their kitschy designs and somewhat trivial renditions of musical masterpieces. They tend to frequent the dresser of young girls or elderly woman hanging on to their youth, and for the most part, they remain cutesy and harmless, but when feature ...more
Are you a fan of Depeche Mode? This tutorial is designed to help you play "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode on the piano or keyboard. This song isn't taught in a literal or mechanical fashion but rather is taught to grasp the song's structural parameters & essence. This vide ...more
It's time to solve that Rubik's puzzle of yours, but how do you do it? Erno Rubik designed these three-dimensional mechanical puzzles to be precariously difficult, unless you know a little about mathematical algorithms, then it's just a matter of time and determination. This ...more
Remember the arcades? Were you saddened when they closed up one by one, leaving no outlet to actually go out and socialize while you played video games? With all the home consoles and internet connectivity, gaming has evolved, but the social factor has been eliminated. Sure we ...more
Since the invention of the mechanical clock, enclosure of the commons, and proletarianization of labor, the alarm clock has been the bane of our existence. While not actually evil, it does represent the constant and uncompromising glare of our owners shaking a patronizing fing ...more
Smartphone videos get better and better each year. Seven or eight years ago, who would have thought iPhone and Android phones could support 4K video recording. Some phones can even shoot slow-motion at 960 fps. But no matter the resolution or frame rate, a phone's rolling shut ...more
When it comes to platform games on mobile, endless runners are some of the hardest to play since they can go on seemingly forever. There's always room for improvement since your goal is to beat your previous score (or someone else's high score). But which endless running games ...more
If cameras are a priority, one of the first specs to check on a new phone is the image stabilization. You've probably been told optical image stabilization (OIS) reigns supreme, but this isn't the case if you're taking a lot of videos. Instead, we would argue, electronic image ...more
Among the many new changes ushered in by the iPhone 7, only one has the potential to completely change the way you interact with your smartphone—a new 3D Touch-enabled home button. Instead of the mechanical click we've grown accustomed to, your home button will now behave like ...more
Solid-state LiDAR is cheap, robust, and compact in size — this is why the device is seen as the LiDAR of choice for future high-volume production of level 3 and level 4 cars. LiDAR sensors, or light detection and ranging sensors, play a key role in detecting surrounding objec ...more
This past weekend Berlin celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall with a visit from France's Royal de Luxe street theatre company. Royal de Luxe creates insanely amazing large scale, mechanical street marionettes. Founded in 1979 by Jean Luc Courcoult, t ...more
Erno Rubik had no idea his three-dimensional, mechanical puzzle cube would be so popular when he designed it, but he did know it would perplex problem-solvers all over the world. In order to solve the Rubik's Cube, you need to know a little bit about math, specifically algorit ...more
See how to solve the Rubik's Twist! The Rubik's Cube has been puzzling people for ages now, with only the best of minds able to solve it without any help. The rest of us might not be as lucky, we need a little help, but the Rubiks Twist might not be as hard. This video tutoria ...more
Steampunk, a vintage Victorian mechanical style, is one of the hottest design trends to date since faux bois. Get in on the trend while creating many hours of fun for yourself and friends by making this awesome steampunk style chess set. This chess set is comprised of various ...more
Lockpickers, school yourself. The incredibly prolific, woodworking whiz Matthias Wandel demonstrates the inner workings of a combination lock with his wooden mechanical model. "In terms of neat mechanical things to build out of wood, I figured a single dial sequential combin ...more
Solving puzzles can be hard, especially when it comes to Rubik's Cube. Erno Rubik's puzzles are extremely difficult, three-dimensional mechanical cubes, unless you're determined and can handle a few mathematical algorithms, then they're easy, or at least not impossible. Watch ...more
John Leeke demonstrates using steam to remove heavy paint build up from wood surfaces in this five minute video. Steam paint removal softens the paint film so it can be more easily scraped away. It works well with the heavy paint buildup commonly found on the exterior of older ...more
+Tom Anderson of MySpace has been very active on Google+ over the first week, and he's not shy with his thoughts on the evolution of the industry he once owned. Here's his take on this morning's Facebook announcement and Mark Zuckerberg's response when asked about Google+. To ...more
Less than two months since unveiling Project North Star, Leap Motion has released the reference design that will allow developers, makers, and even manufacturers to build their own augmented reality headsets based on Leap Motion's work. The version of the Project North Star h ...more
Changing your brake pads at home can save you a bunch of money. And you don't need to be a mechanical genius to do it!
You might have seen our post on this last week: It's a working reproduction of the Mars Curiosity Rover made with LEGOs, but it's a bit complicated for anyone without a decent amount of robotics knowledge. Plus, you need to have some Mindstorms NXT and TECHNIC parts lying arou ...more
I have an absolutely wonderful time making projects and writing articles for all of you mad scientists! Today, I will bring you behind the scenes for a look at the workbench, tools, and software that make the Mad Science World possible. Above is my beautiful workbench! My who ...more
In this episode of Mechanical Mashups, Dave will show you how to keep your tools organized by cutting tool shaped spaces out of foam floor mats. Never let a wrench or hammer slip out of place again with this genius way of organizing your garage. Video: .
Several popular custom ROMs and root mods let you double tap the status bar at the top of your screen to put the phone to sleep. It pairs perfectly with the double tap to wake gesture you'll find on pretty much any Android phone. But if you're not rooted, you'll be glad to kno ...more
According to Apple, Siri serves 25 billion requests per month — an enormous number for a feature that was only released nine years ago. But when you think about how much work Apple has put into Siri over the years, it makes sense that the virtual assistant is being used more a ...more
Goodbye, BabyBjörn; hello, cherry-red mechanical exoskeleton! Now that 400-pound steel-clawed battle suits are available in Children's Small, what kid could possibly content him or herself with getting around by stroller? Babes in Arms: Previously, Robo-Exoskeleton Puts Paral ...more
Build a faraday motor with tips from this how-to video. In the early 1800s, physicist Michael Faraday invented the first device to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. This is an easily built version of his motor. The magnet sets up a magnetic field, and the elect ...more
All those early prototype images Magic Leap is so fond of showing off are great, but they rank a far second when compared to a new set of images just revealed by Microsoft in relation to the HoloLens. In a blog post on Tuesday, Microsoft's Bay Area Team posted images of the e ...more
Papercraft video game art by French design duo Zim and Zou. The insertable cartridge is particularly awesome. Don't miss the Tetris (all the way at the bottom). Previously, 4 Years in the Making: Insane Papercraft City. Make Your Own Racist 1920's Mechanical Papercraft.
While digital samplers have their merits, they're predictable in a way that can cause them to sound stiff or sterile. The solution? A return to the analog, tape-based samplers of yesteryear, which, with their inherent mechanical noise and euphonic distortions, offer a more mus ...more
Who could forget the spectacular conclusion to the "Back to the Future" trilogy? The scene where Marty and Doc Brown use a train to push the DeLorean to 88 miles an hour so Marty can return to the 1980s has become iconic. With this tutorial, you can recreate the scene in minia ...more
Korean MOC Pages user Kyoung-bae Na, aka edulyoung, constructed this beautiful LEGO automaton of a winged Pegasus. Maneuvered with a series of mechanical LEGO gears and cranks, watch below as Pegasus "hovers", flapping her wings. Kyoung-bae Na sells his creations out of his e- ...more
The last week has been a trying one for me. On Sunday, there were four computers in my office, three of which were broken. The fourth was not really a computer, but more of a collection of parts that were cobbled together for the purpose of constructing a PC that would sneer d ...more
This claw glove by Curiomira, called "Von Richt's Mechanical Glove" is really, really impressive. In addition to the amazing craftsmanship, it also has cool moving parts that make it look mesmerizing in action. Marvel at these pictures, and don't miss the video at the bottom ...more
Watch this instructional quilting video to quilt a pantograph pattern with a longarm sewing machine. A pantograph is a mechanical linkage connected in a special manner so that the movement of one specified point is an amplified version of the movement of another point. If a a ...more
There's something about the world of steampunk that fascinates me. WonderHowTo has plenty of steampunk projects, like the hardware chess set, binocular goggles, and even a lesson on fashion. But nothing screams steampunk more than nevets_mcd's hard drive case. This case proj ...more
Systm is the Do It Yourself show designed for the common geek who wants to quickly and easily learn how to dive into the latest and hottest tech projects. We will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast. Search Systm on WonderHowTo for more DIY episode ...more
Jeeps, for all their rugged charm, are not very well-made cars. They are rife with mechanical issues, and the '02 Jeep Liberty is no different. In this video you'll learn how to fix the A/C draining issues in these cars that leads to the passenger side carpet getting wet.
With the nation facing a shortage of ventilators for COVID-19 patients and no apparent ramp-up in the production of new ones, engineers, medical resistents, and do-it-yourselfers are sharing plans for homemade versions. But before you go online to start ordering parts for any ...more
First off, let me say this—using real steam power is dangerous, and heavy, and just generally not worth it when you have modern alternatives. Except, you know, if you're a Steampunk. Or this guy: Video: . The guy in the above video makes some awesome gadgets, which are unfortu ...more
This excellent detailed video demonstrates how to create rigid molds with a fast cast urethane. Ideal for smaller models/molds with a flat side, fast-cast urethanes are widely used for their ease of use, low cost, and quick de-mold times. However, their use requires careful ap ...more
One major component of Level 4 and Level 5 driverless cars is in very short supply. Venture capitalists and engineers from around the world are racing to fill the LiDAR production, price, and performance void. Production of LiDAR sensors is seeing months-long production bottl ...more
We spend over 30 percent of our lifetimes sleeping—yet it never seems like enough, does it? Distractions ranging from work issues to personal relationships keep our minds racing well after they should be shutting down for the night, and the onset of smartphones has only added ...more
Enter the warped geography of Clement Valla, a recent R.I.S.D. MFA graduate who fancies himself a sort of Google Earth preservationist. The artist's "Postcards from Google Earth, Bridges" series manipulates the software's alogrithmic mappings as an exploration of human/compute ...more
As drug-resistant bacteria become more commonplace, researchers are looking for new antibacterial strategies to disrupt disease-causing microbes. Some scientists are working to create new drugs, while others are trying out drug combinations. Another group, however, are ditchin ...more
Apple's iPhone lineup has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, captivating the world with each new iteration. As we eagerly anticipate the iPhone 15 series release, rumors, leaks, and speculations about the highly anticipated 2023 models are at full steam. ...more
Trimble is integrating its mixed reality applications into the DAQRI Smart Helmet to enable outdoor and on-site support for design, construction, and heavy industry as part of a collaboration the companies announced today. A provider of advanced solutions for industrial compa ...more
It's amazing what you can create with a few, everyday household and office supplies. Most of these items are already sitting in your junk drawers, so there's no need to spend money! Kipkay shows you 4 awesome hacks you can make in this "household hack pack" video. 1. iPod/iPh ...more
This tutorial is designed to help you play "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac on the piano or keyboard. This song isn't taught in a literal or mechanical fashion but rather is taught to grasp the song's structural parameters & essence. This video will help you unders ...more
If you're one who enjoys a good DIY project, or if you're just tired of paying exorbitant labor fees to have your vehicle serviced every 5,000 miles, changing your own oil can be a rewarding endeavor. Even though cars and trucks are becoming increasingly over-engineered these ...more
Bed bugs are parasites not yet known to spread disease — but they cause plenty of irritation. As scientists and landlords search for new ways to deal with the pests, a new study examines how we can deter bed bugs without so many chemicals. While they don't infect us with anyt ...more
PopSci has compiled an amazing list of 30 college labs that would tempt anybody to re-enroll. If you know any high school juniors or prospective grad students, pass this along. They just might reconsider their initial choices. 30 courses are pictured below, click through to P ...more
Today's digital cameras record not only the images themselves, but also the metadata behind the scenes, like camera settings, location, date, time, etc. But there's a lot more to say about a photograph. What's the subject? Is it night or day? Outside or inside? Person, place o ...more