DIY Vibro-Brushbots for Greater Good! @curiositytech

I met Conan while doing Maker Faire Detroit stuff; he has *a lot* of great things to say about play and exploration and iteration, and how these all fit into innovation and progress. His lil brushbots are a great literalization of all that: They’re an easy jumping-off point for kids and adults new to electricity, and their design flexibility encourages the sort of adaptation that makes for great toys. The store-bought Hexbugs that are all the rage in some quarters are a really lame shadow of brushbots, and not nearly as much fun (at, what, 6 times the price? Ugh!)
Here’s just one riff on his design:
Brushbot, meet Papercraft – curiosity tech | curiosity tech

Build Dirt-Cheap Toys with Dave-o at Maker Faire Detroit this Weekend! #makerfaire


Just got back from the Maker Faire Detroit load-in/meet-n-greet. There are some *crazy rad* displays this year, many featuring fire and Mad Max locomotion: Giant Crazy Truck-crushing Mousetrap is back, and there is also an angry, fire-breathing bear-dragon mobile, and that water swing, and mobile cupcake launchers, and something–I dunno what–that involves six propane tanks and a *very sturdy barrier*.
I’ll be there showing folks how to jam out on homemade electric instruments, and build cardboard boomerangs and Quick-n-Easy Water Rockets (forecast calls for 90+ degrees and sunny; perfect water rocket weather). I’m also speaking on the MAKE: Live stage at 2:30 about building cheap toys, innovation, and neuroplasticity. So, if you’re at Maker Faire, come say “Hey!” Tweet me @SquiDaveo if you want to rendezvous. Hope to see you there!

DIY Flower-pot Refrigerator

‪Flower Pot Fridge!‬‏ – YouTube

Zeer pots are pretty rad, but be aware that your mileage may vary: These were developed in Egypt (albeit several millennia past) and rely on evaporation for cooling–just like you and me. Here in Michigan, we’ve had a straight 10 days or so with upper 90s temps and upper 90s humidity (FYI, although those temps are a lil higher than the traditional norm–say “Hey!” to total climate collapse!–the humidity is totally, totally the norm). Subsequently, this kind of “swamp cooler” tech has never caught on here in the pleasant penninsula. Our old-skool simple tech equivalent is the trash- can root cellar.
(props to Mojo for the vid link)

Upcoming Events w/ Dave-o!


If you’re a Michigan person and you have a driving desire to chill out with me, your opportunity has finally arrived! A week from now, during Ann Arbor’s wonderful and occasionally soul-crushing Art Fair(s), I’ll be at FestiBooks @ Workantile (two days! July 22 and 23!) On the first, I’ll sell you water and candy; on the second, I’ll make boomerangs with you. This is how I roll.

The second opportunity is at the Second Annual Detroit Maker Faire, where we’ll be outside, and thus can make both boomerangs and water rockets(!!!)–plus there will be about eleventy-thousand even cooler things there, which will totally BLOW YOUR MIND. For reals.
So, that’s me for the next two weeks. Hope to see you there!

Cool Intermediate-level Water Rocket Design from the i3 Detroit Hackerspace


Water Rocket DIY Project | Metro Parent, Southeast Michigan
This is a pretty sweet rocket-and-launcher design, a good step or so more advanced than the one in my book. Very cool.
Incidentally, I’ll be teaching folks to build their own cheap-n-simple water rockets and cardboard boomerangs at Make Faire Detroit at the end of this month; see you there!
*thanks for the tip, alan!*