Make Your Own Electronic Gadgets

Posted on July 4, 2012 by | 1 Comment

“Wouldn’t it be great if I could create and make my own electronic gadgets.”

If the above thought has ever crossed your mind, visit Wai Him’s booth and experience for yourself how you can translate that dream into reality. It is easy to get the Arduino hardware, download and setup the necessary software on a computer and start tinkering. You could be the next great inventor. Take that ‘One small step’ and make your way to his booth. It might just turn out to be a ‘Giant leap’. (for better or worse…)

 About Him

Wai Him is a hobbyist who has been interested in electronics since secondary school. In those days, he built his own electronic gadgets to give his class-mates harmless electric shocks or make simple blinking bulb circuits (flip-flop) out of curiosity.

His other hobbies include building and flying remote-control (RC) aircrafts as well as building and programming robots.

Wai Him’s workspace

These hobbies involves electrical, electronics and mechanical parts. His work space at home resembles a mini-workshop with tools and  parts and lots of drawers.

Coupled with an interest in these ‘technology hobbies’ and being the father of two sons, he looks for interesting way to share concepts of maths, science and technology with them so that they don’t merely see the topics as curriculum that are to be learned in school for passing examinations but as an integral part of daily lives.

He wishes to share, support and promote the Maker movement in the hope that more people will become interested in technology and in turn would be motivated to ‘Learn rather than to be Taught’.

His view on The Maker Movement

Advancement in electronics has lead to a reduction in the cost and size of electronic devices. The open source movement and the Maker movement coupled with the internet has resulted in ease, convenience and relative low-cost for the average person to create and make ‘stuff’ as a hobby.

Unfortunately information overload makes it difficult for the average person, especially those not familiar with electronics, to take the first step in building their own electronic gadget. Wai Him will be showing what is needed to start ‘playing’ with the Arduino platform from scratch and how to progress to make your own gadgets. He hopes that the presence of the physical items as well as someone to demonstrate and share right in front of your very own eyes would motivate you to start on your own journey of discovery.

A Glimpse of the Possibilities

Arduino Circuit boards

The Arduino circuit board comes in various shapes and sizes to perform different functions. Some of the Arduino boards are as shown.

The Arduino can be used as the ‘brain’ of a simple robot like the one shown.

Arduino Robot

This robot is capable of detecting the presence or absence of a (Black) line and would follow or ‘track’ the line as it moves forward.

The robot consists of 2 motors for propulsion. It has an LED for emitting light and a light sensor to detect the amount of reflected light.

You could probably think of more tasks for your robot to execute.

3 x 3 x 3 LED Cube

This picture shows a 3 x 3 x 3 LED cube. The stand-alone unit when powered up provides many hours of mesmerising non-stop blinking.

You can see the electronic components at the base of the transparent casing. A small battery secured beneath the (black) base powers the unit. 

Would this serve as an interesting birthday gift ?  

Wai Him is currently working on a 4-digit 7-segment LED display.

LED Display Counter

This display can be used to show numeric information. It could serve as a clock to show the time or as a calendar to show the date. According to Wai Him, he will be using this as a counter to show the number of ‘Likes’ his booth gets. But please do not confuse this with the internet version that you are familiar with. In this version, you will have to be physically at the event to activate the ‘Like’.

The possibilities are endless. But would you be starting on this journey?

[Note: This write-up was contributed in full by Wai Him himself. Thank you, Wai Him. :) ]

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Making Animated Paper-craft with Wireless Inductive Power Transmission

Posted on June 27, 2012 by | 5 Comments

“Support our friend, Zhu Kening, presenting his techno paper craft at the Singapore Mini Maker Faire!”, someone tweeted.

So, who is Zhu Kening, and what is this techno paper craft his friend/supporter mentioned?

We interview Zhu Kening and feature him as our next Maker of the Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012.

I thought it was a joke about a dancing paper initially but it turned out that I was wrong. It is really a dancing paper. To be more precise, the project is on paper-crafts such as origami or pop-up that can move through wireless inductive power transmission. I was totally awed by the description alone, and I was looking forward to meet up with the Maker for an interview, and to witness how this would be done.

About Zhu Ke Ning (also known as Ken)

Through my earlier email correspondences with Ken, Ken had shared that as a kid, he liked to dismantle things like radio sets, lamps, toys and re-assemble them together, build models and customise Tamiya racing cars. Ken gave credit to his father for cultivating his interest in DIY, by being a role model for him. Currently, Ken is a fourth year PhD student at the National University of Singapore and the “dancing paper-craft” is his research project this year. Ken enjoys working on exciting and crazy scientific ideas. As he enjoys building paper models and folding origami, he decided to incorporate them into his PhD research topic and try to make them move by itself like robots.

The Meeting

Maker Ken with his prototypes

William (Our in-house maker!) and I met up with Zhu Ke Ning, also known as Ken, at Keio-NUS CUTE Centre where he showed us his prototypes.

Ken showed us how the paper craft and inch worm can move, with the help of shape memory-alloys and an inductive power system that can power up the specific moving part of the paper-craft to generate movements. Check out his YouTube video of the moving paper craft and inch worm.When asked about his plans for this project, Ken shared that he would like to make this an open-source project. He would like to further improve on his prototype such that the power system could be made into a printed circuit board (PCB) that could be downloaded and used by others eventually.

Paper crane with shape-memory alloys

Inductive Power System underneath the glass table

 

 

 

 

The Presentation and Workshop

Ken would share the details in his presentation during the Singapore Mini Maker Faire and also conduct a workshop where participants can learn how to attach their shape-memory materials to paper-crafts and make them move. The attendees will learn how to make moving paper structure, such as crane, dog, inchworm, without any battery or direct power supply connection. More details about the moving paper craft and inchworm can also be found on Ken’s website at http://www.tech-ken.com/

Ken’s workshop is fully booked, but do come down for his presentation on Saturday 4 August, 3 pm!

Ken’s view on the Maker Scene in Singapore

Ken felt that the Maker/ DIY culture in Singapore is quite good, not only in high-tech areas but also in daily life. He sometimes see people making their own furniture, or fixing their house by themselves. He also saw children making their own cards when they want to play card games. He see it as a part of the Maker Culture.

According to Ken, to popularise the culture in Singapore, people have to switch their mentality, to have the desire to turn their ideas into reality, to want to solve their problem in a smart way, to dare to try and to learn to work with limited resources. Maker culture should be integrated into day to day life.

Ken also shared that there are many colleagues in his lab in NUS who are into DIY activities, and it is facilitated by the equipments available in the lab such as laser cutter and 3D printer because they can quickly prototype their ideas.

He felt that the Singapore Mini Maker Faire will be a good opportunity for interactions between Makers.

If you are keen to attend Ken’s workshop and hear his presentation, come for the Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012 on 4 & 5 August 2012! If you have your own paper craft which you would like to use for the workshop, Ken also welcome you to bring it along!

[Note: Target age group for the workshop would be 20 years old and above.]

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“Catapy” by Yuichiro Katsumoto (Keio-NUS CUTE Center, National University of Singapore)

Posted on June 26, 2012 by | 2 Comments

What is a “Catapy”? I think this video will do more justice to “Catapy’ than what my words can do, so please watch it before you read on.

Have you been fascinated?

Yuichiro Katsumoto, a media director and a research fellow working at Keio-NUS CUTE Center, National University of Singapore is the inventor of the “Catapy”. He will be showcasing “Catapy” at his Maker booth at the Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012.

Yuichiro introduced “Catapy” to be a car that provides the fun of chasing. If you had watched the video above, you would understand why you need to chase the catapy. Yes, the “Catapy” moves non-stop because it is covered by a caterpillar track, allowing it to run across a field freely even on uneven ground, and continue running even when it hits an obstacle. The “Catapy” can also be assembled in twos, threes, or more using joints to form different shapes. It really depends on your imagination.

More information can be found in Yuichiro’s website (http://www.yuichirock.com/catapy/index.html).

So, why had Yuichiro invented the “Catapy”?

When we spoke with him at his lab at Keio-NUS CUTE Center, he shared with us that when he was a kid, the toy cars he played with always stop when they hit an obstacle. Hence, he had wanted to come up with something which can continue moving even after hitting an obstacle. Yuichiro felt that when people grow up, they shifted from playing with toy cars to driving a real vehicle, from having to move with the toy car (through pushing or chasing as a kid) to moving as part of the vehicle. He felt that the joy of chasing is lost in the growing up process and he would like to develop something to re-ignite this fun!

To Yuichiro, he researches not only for work but as part of his hobby. He attributed his Maker mind to his cultural background. Born and grown up in Gifu (Japan), a prefecture of craftwork (e.g. sword smith, ceramics and woodwork), Yuichiro was equipped with crafting skills. Besides, like any other Japanese kids, he had grown up with significant influence of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comics) and video games. Hence, Yuichiro proudly shared that he had embarked on his research with crafting skills and otaku1 mind!

Message to budding Makers

Yuichiro advised all budding makers to stop talking about things and start tinkering. Another piece of advice he gave amused me. He advised makers not to listen to any advice until finishing the prototyping. I guess this came from lots of personal experience! :)

To meet Yuichiro and experience the thrill of chasing the “Catapy”, come to the Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012 on 4 & 5 August 2012.

1  Otaku is a Japanese term which refers to someone with an obsessive interest in anime, manga and video games.

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Gothic Dolls and Handmade Accessories, Craft Punk Jewelry and Bags for Punks with a Sweet Tooth

Posted on June 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

What will you think of when you hear of Gothic Dolls? What if you add Punk accessories to Gothic Dolls?

 The visual can be quite impactful, isn’t it? What if all of these are handcrafted? Wow!

Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012 introduces the next Maker on our list, Ng Ling Ling, a doll maker.

 

 Ling and her Dolls

Ling (http://www.etsy.com/shop/sugarpunk/about) began making dolls in 2007. Her first doll was a cloth doll version of Marilyn Manson. Since then, she has made numerous Goth and Punk dolls, branching out into Bunka dolls and other soft sculpture.

When asked why Ling makes her own dolls, she expressed that people who make their own toys tend not to toss them, unlike commercially made ones, because they would recognise the effort that has gone into making it as compared to just buying it off the shelves.

Handmade/re-purposed clothes and accessories

Ling feels the same for clothes and accessories. To Ling, making your own clothes and accessories similarly makes you appreciate them better. It is also this line of thought that encouraged her to re-purpose second-hand or unsold stock, making accessories out of waste materials, which is a form of hacking too! Ling acclaimed that she is a hoarder, with an enormous stash of yarn and textiles (but aren’t all crafters hoarders? :P ) So, SugarPunk also stocks knitted purses and other sewn items, besides gothic items (adding sugar to the punk!).

Ultimately, Ling hopes to see consumers shift towards an appreciation of quality rather than quantity, citing the examples of better quality, hand-stitched Victorian or Edwardian clothes that are made to last.

Making materials from scratch

What interests me most was the fact that Ling also makes her own materials from scratch.

When I asked Ling for her views on the Maker community in Singapore, she expressed that she is aware of a large crafting community in SG but not many who makes materials from scratch, e.g casting their own jewellery pieces in resin, spinning, weaving etc probably due to the availability of raw materials. To Ling, being a crafter makes you think about the resources and human effort that goes into making things, for instance, weaving cloth or spinning yarn.

She has her own hand-spindle! She shared that she bought the hand-made drop spindle from Etsy and she is still learning how to use it. She shared that hand-spinning would give the yarn a nice hand-made feel as the yarn would not be even and would be more chunky. She intended to incorporate cloth strips, ribbons and threads – anything that can be twisted.

Why Ling is taking part in Singapore Mini Maker Faire

Ling shared that she visited the Maker Faire in NY City last year, and it was very exciting to meet so many Makers in person.

Having watched many videos of Maker Faires in other countries, I think I can understand how it can truly inspire a maker to want to show and share their work, and for a looker to become a maker.

Come join us on 4 & 5 August, and experience that excitement together with us. :)

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About Maker (Teo Shin Jen)

Posted on June 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

[Note: We will be introducing the makers/ workshop facilitators/ presenters of the first Singapore Mini Maker Faire. First on the list is Mr Teo Shin Jen, a lecturer from Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Stay tuned for the rest!]

When he was a teenager, Shin Jen used the Bulletin Board System (BBS)/ Internet to find “recipes” for  experiments. Now, he makes use of this interest in experiments to aid him in teaching and connecting with his students at the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Singapore Polytechnic.

To people who know him, Shin Jen is known as a code-monkey, electronic-hobbyist, experimental-electrician, monkey-wrench mechanic, driver (slave), baker, food warmer, swimmer, trouble-shooter, risk taker and soul hacker.

Read on to find out more about him!

His belief

Shin Jen shared with us that he is a “see-say-do-it” person who is very keen on experimenting with things that caught his interest bug.  He said that he has always been an advocate of open source software and the GNU copyleft movement. In recent years, he also look upon writers of the MAKE and Instructables community for their passion of sharing what they make. Makers, writers such as Jeff Porter, and Chefs such as Heston Blumenthal inspire him to marry engineering and science for everyday use.

He felt that engineering and science can be fun, and that the toys he had created are useful in grabbing the attention of his students. He also felt that his students are able to better appreciate the inner working of stuff when he demonstrated certain electronic/computer principles through physical applications, and when they are directly involved in the process of making.

What are his barang-barang?

When asked to introduce his booth DIY Barang Barang, Shin Jen said that “Barang Barang” is a Malay word that describes items of any kind, and he will be showcasing projects including arduino, hardware hacks, software hacks, namely “DIY sous vide setup”, “Arduino sound to light”, “4 x 4 x 4 LED Cube” and a few other toys . Check out some sneak preview of his “barang barang” at his blog and Facebook page.

View on the local Maker scene and message to budding Makers

His sentiment is that the Maker scene in Singapore is generally optimistic, with Sim Lim Tower and Sim Lim Square at the “backyard”.

The essence of The MAKE movement is inviting the public to R&D (Replicate & Duplicate), by sharing their methodology and parts used in the form of user guide to be consumed by all. A lay man’s self- confidence can be gained through a successful R&D experience, and subsequently, self-actualization can be gained by inventing, hacking and improving.

He added that the internet can indeed provide lots of information such as “How To” and sharing of knowledge and experience. While a return of investment (ROI) would not be required, return of kindness (ROK) would be appreciated, so he encouraged discoveries to be uploaded and shared with other people online as well.

Check out Shin Jen’s maker booth “DIY Barang Barang” at the Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2012, showcasing a collection of DIY projects by him and his students. Shin Jen is a good case of interest being married with work.

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We may be “mini”, but we can be “loud”! Join us to make the Singapore Mini Maker Faire be heard!

Posted on May 31, 2012 by | 2 Comments

There is a lot of excitement in the air as we plan for the Singapore Mini Maker Faire here in the Science Centre Singapore. This will be the first time the event takes place in Singapore, and it is already drawing a lot of attention from the internet community. This probably goes to show how well-known and established the Maker Faire is!

If you haven’t heard of the  Maker Faire, read about it at their website here. It is coined as the greatest show (and tell) on Earth, a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. The Maker Faire is a BIG event in the USA.  Can you imagine going around to see the creations of about 700 Makers amidst a 100,000 crowd? That is the kind of scale we are looking at for the Maker Faire Bay Area at San Mateo, California where it all started.

Check out the blog coverage of the recent Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 on 19 & 20 May  or their video.

The Maker Faire is nearly unheard of in our region. The nearest countries which have held a Mini Maker Faire would be Australia and China. Perhaps one day, we will make it as big as in the States, but for a start, Singapore is starting it MINI, as a small-scale, community-produced event.

In Singapore, most people buy things off the shelves for convenience’s sake. It is rare to hear of people who creates and invents things, but that doesn’t mean there are none. We are hence curious to find out what creative inventions these people have came up with, and perhaps looking at these creations might spur our own creativity!

Are you someone who enjoys taking things apart, and recreating new things? If so, the Mini Maker Faire is for you. Come join us on 4 and 5 August 2012, 10am – 5pm, at the Marquee, Science Centre Singapore. The application form for Makers, Workshop Faciliators, Presenters or Performers can be accessed here. The deadline is coming up really tight in less than a week’s time (5 Jun 12).

If you can’t commit as a Maker, and prefers to just drop in as a visitor to the Faire, we also welcome you to come check out the crazy assemblies you have never thought of, get your hands on the DIY activities, and listen to the inspiring sharing sessions by some of these Makers! Come join us!

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Information session slides

Posted on May 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Thanks to all who came for the information sessions! It was great to meet with so many enthusiastic folk and hear about what people might want to do at the Singapore Mini Maker Faire.

Here are the slides from the session: Information Session Slides

Do drop us an email at mf.singapore@gmail.com if you have any more questions about participating!

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Maker Information Session

Posted on April 23, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Hello potential Makers!

We’ll be holding a short information session on what’s involved in participating as a Maker for the Singapore Mini Maker Faire.  It’s also an opportunity to mingle and network with other local Makers!

Date: Saturday 12 May
Time: 3.00 pm – 4.30 pm
Venue: Science Centre Singapore

If you would like to attend the information session, please register here by Wednesday 9 May.

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Apply now as a Maker!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

We invite you to join in the fun by entering a project to exhibit for this inaugural Singapore Mini Maker Faire!

Key Dates

Singapore Mini Maker Faire: Saturday August 4 & Sunday August 5, 2012 (setup on Friday August 3 afternoon)

Entry Open Date: Tuesday April 17, 2012
Entry Close Date: Tuesday June 5, 2012

To participate in the Singapore Mini Maker Faire, please submit an entry that tells us about yourself and your project.  This entry should provide a short description of what you make and what you would like to bring to the Singapore Mini Maker Faire, including links to photographs and/or videos of your project.  Entries can be from individuals or groups, such as schools, hobby clubs or interest groups.  We particularly encourage exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process of making things.

Here are just some of the topics that we’re looking for:

  • Electronics, computers, game systems, robotics and RC vehicles
  • Kampung life (kites, bicycles, games, crafts)
  • Arts and crafts (paper, textiles, wood, metal, mixed media)
  • Green technology and sustainability, urban gardening
  • Unconventional musical instruments and stage performances
  • Digital fabrication, unusual tools or machines
  • Costume making and cosplay
  • How to fix things or take them apart (toys, household electronics, etc.)

More details and links to the forms can be found at the Maker page.

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Coming soon – the Singapore Mini Maker Faire!

Posted on April 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Hello everybody,

The Call for Makers is now open!

Just built a fun gadget, sewn up a cool costume, or handcrafted something cute? The Singapore Mini Maker Faire is the place for you to showcase your creative work! Makers – and anyone embracing the do-it-yourself spirit – of all kinds and ages are welcome to display their creations and want to share their accomplishments with an appreciative audience.

We invite you to join in the fun by entering a project to exhibit for this inaugural Singapore Mini Maker Faire, or to participate as a workshop facilitator, presenter, performer or marketplace vendor.

More details and forms will be up at this website over the next few days!

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