Hack This: 24 Incredible Hackerspace Projects from the DIY Movement

304 Pages·2011·33.35 MB·English

by  John Baichtal

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Hack THis:
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24 IncredIble Hackerspace
projects from tHe dIY movement
joHn baIcHtal
800 East 96th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA
Hack THis: 24 incredible Hackerspace edItor In cHIef
projecTs from THe diY movemenT Greg Wiegand
Copyright © 2012 by John Baichtal acquIsItIons edItor
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preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for Mark Reddin
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use of the information contained herein. managIng edItor
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-4897-3
ISBN-10: 0-7897-4897-5 project edItor
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file. Mandie Frank
Printed in the United States of America copY edItor
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e
Introduction: The Bleeding Edge of the DIY Movement ..................3
C Project 1: Karate Champ Game ..................................................15
Project 2: Sudo Make Me a Sandwich Robot .............................29
n
Project 3: Networked Geiger Counter ........................................39
Project 4: Glass Block LED Matrix ..............................................49
a
Project 5: Bronze Melting Blast Furnace ...................................57
Project 6: Milkymist VJ Console .................................................65
l
G Project 7: White Star TransAtlantic Balloon ..............................75
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Project 8: Twitter-Monitoring Christmas Tree ..........................89
Project 9: Live Wire Go Game .....................................................99
a
Project 10: Hack Signal ................................................................109
Project 11: TARDIS Photobooth ..................................................119

t Project 12: Interactive Space Invaders Mural ............................129
a Project 13: Telepresence Robot ..................................................139
Project 14: The Polyplasmic Arcophone ....................................151

Project 15: DIY CNC Router ........................................................159
s
Project 16: LED Matrix Gaming System.....................................169
t
Project 17: MAME Cabinet..........................................................179
n
Project 18: Book Scanner .............................................................189
Project 19: OpenDuino .................................................................199
e
Project 20: Project-a-Sketch .........................................................209
t
Project 21: Power Racing Car .....................................................217
n
Project 22: Party Land Pinball Game..........................................227
Project 23: Store Front Music ......................................................235
o
Project 24: Wheelchair Robot ......................................................247
Do It Yourself ....................................................................................259
C
Hackerspeak ....................................................................................281
Index .................................................................................................285
iv
table of contents
Foreword.......................................................................................................................................................................1
Introduction: The Bleeding Edge of the DIY Movement................................3
It’s All About the Community.......................................................................................................................3
Hackerspace U............................................................................................................................................................5
The First Wave of Hackerspaces...............................................................................................................7
Hackers on a Plane.................................................................................................................................................8
The First Hackers.....................................................................................................................................................9 ptg7068947
Hackers and Crime.................................................................................................................................................10
Pranks.................................................................................................................................................................................11
A Love of Community..........................................................................................................................................12
Project 1: Karate Champ Game......................................................................................................................................15
Hackerspace Profile: The Hack Factory..............................................................................................16
The Hack Factory Space Details.................................................................................................................16
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................17
Project 2: Sudo Make Me a Sandwich Robot................................................................................................29
Hackerspace Profile: NYC Resistor.........................................................................................................30
Space Details...........................................................................................................................................................30
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................31
Basic Building Steps........................................................................................................................................36
Further Reading........................................................................................................................................................37
Project 3: Networked Geiger Counter...................................................................................................................39
Hackerspace Profile: Tokyo Hackerspace.........................................................................................40
Tokyo Hackerspace Details.............................................................................................................................40
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................41
Further Reading........................................................................................................................................................48
Project 4: Glass Block LED Matrix............................................................................................................................49
Hackerspace Profile: Hive13..........................................................................................................................50
Space Details...........................................................................................................................................................50
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................51
v
Project 5: Bronze-Melting Blast Furnace..........................................................................................................57
Hackerspace Profile: Quad City Co-Lab.............................................................................................58
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................59
Project 6: Milkymist VJ Console..................................................................................................................................65
Hackerspace Profile: /tmp/lab......................................................................................................................66
Space Details...........................................................................................................................................................66
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................67
Further Reading...................................................................................................................................................74
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Project 7: White Star Trans-Atlantic Balloon..............................................................................................75
Hackerspace Profile: LVL1...............................................................................................................................76
Space Details...........................................................................................................................................................76
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................77
Further Reading...................................................................................................................................................87
Project 8: Twitter-Monitoring Christmas Tree..........................................................................................89
Hackerspace Profile: Alpha One Labs..................................................................................................90
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................91
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................91
Project 9: Live Wire Go Game..........................................................................................................................................99
Hackerspace Profile: BrmLab (Hackerspace Prague).............................................................100
Notable Equipment ...............................................................................................................................................100
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................100
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................102
Project 10: Hack Signal................................................................................................................................................................109
Hackerspace Profile: Hack Pittsburgh..................................................................................................110
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................110
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................111
Project 11: TARDIS Photobooth.........................................................................................................................................119
Hackerspace Profile: Pumping Station: One..................................................................................120
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................121
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................121
vi
Project 12: Interactive Space Invaders Mural...............................................................................................129
Hackerspace Profile: Metalab.......................................................................................................................130
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................130
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................131
Further Reading...................................................................................................................................................138
Project 13: Telepresence Robot.........................................................................................................................................139
Hackerspace Profile: XinCheJian..............................................................................................................140
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................140
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The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................141
Further Reading and Viewing......................................................................................................................149
Project 14: The Polyplasmic Arcophone................................................................................................................151
Hackerspace Profile: The Perth Artifactory....................................................................................152
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................153
Project 15: DIY CNC Router....................................................................................................................................................159
Hackerspace Profile: Harford Hackerspace.....................................................................................160
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................161
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................161
Building the Model............................................................................................................................................166
Converting the Model to Toolpaths...................................................................................................166
Further Reading...................................................................................................................................................168
Project 16: LED Matrix Gaming System................................................................................................................169
Hackerspace Profile: Forsknings-avdelningen.............................................................................170
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................170
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................171
Additional Resources...........................................................................................................................................178
Project 17: MAME Cabinet......................................................................................................................................................179
Hackerspace Profile: theTransistor.........................................................................................................180
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................180
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................182
Project 18: Book Scanner............................................................................................................................................................189
Hackerspace Profile: Ace Monster Toys.............................................................................................190
Contents vii
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................190
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................191
Further Reading........................................................................................................................................................198
Project 19: OpenDuino..................................................................................................................................................................199
Hackerspace Profile: syncat.........................................................................................................................200
2
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................200
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................202
Further Reading........................................................................................................................................................208
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Project 20: Project-a-Sketch...................................................................................................................................................209
Hackerspace Profile: HAC:Manchester..............................................................................................210
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................210
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................211
Project 21: Power Racing Car..............................................................................................................................................217
Hackerspace Profile: Milwaukee Makerspace..............................................................................218
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................218
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................219
Project 22: Party Land Pinball Game.........................................................................................................................227
Hackerspace Profile: Garoa Hacker Clube........................................................................................228
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................228
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................229
Further Reading........................................................................................................................................................234
Project 23: Store Front Music...............................................................................................................................................235
Hackerspace Profile: Collaborative Research Association of Social
Hacktivity....................................................................................................................................................................236
Notable Equipment................................................................................................................................................236
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................236
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................238
Further Reading...................................................................................................................................................245
Project 24: Wheelchair Robot...............................................................................................................................................247
Hackerspace Profile: Noisebridge............................................................................................................248
Space Details................................................................................................................................................................248
The Project.....................................................................................................................................................................250
viii
Conway’s Game of Life.......................................................................................................................................255
Additional Resources...........................................................................................................................................257
Do It Yourself...........................................................................................................................................................259
Spread the Word........................................................................................................................................................260
Decide on an Organization Type...............................................................................................................261
Name Your Group....................................................................................................................................................262
Hold Meetings.............................................................................................................................................................263
Create Bylaws and Rules..................................................................................................................................264
Choose Leaders.........................................................................................................................................................265 ptg7068947
Raise Money..................................................................................................................................................................266
Find a Space..................................................................................................................................................................268
Equip the Space.........................................................................................................................................................270
Make Improvements..............................................................................................................................................273
Keep It Clean................................................................................................................................................................273
Secure the Space.......................................................................................................................................................274
Be Safe................................................................................................................................................................................274
Resolve Conflicts......................................................................................................................................................275
Share Everything......................................................................................................................................................275
Recruit New Members........................................................................................................................................276
Teach Classes..............................................................................................................................................................277
Help the Community.............................................................................................................................................277
Now What?.....................................................................................................................................................................278
Hackerspeak.............................................................................................................................................................281
Index...................................................................................................................................................................................285
Acknowledgments ix
about tHe autHor
John Baichtal is the founding member of Twin Cities Maker, a hackerspace organization that
has been collaborating for almost two years. Twin Cities Maker has its own rented warehouse,
the Hack Factory, complete with a welding station, a woodshop, a classroom, and an electron-
ics area. John is currently writing The Cult of Lego, a book about adult Lego builders for No
Starch Press. He has written dozens of articles for print, including pieces for MAKE Magazine,
Kobold Quarterly (a D&D magazine), and 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. He has blogged for
Wired.com (GeekDad blog) for four years and Make: Online for a year, with more than 1,000
posts published during that time.
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dedIcatIon
To hackers everywhere, for expanding the realm of the possible;
to Eileen Arden, Rosie, and Jack, for their limitless interest in the mysteries of
the world; and to Elise, for making it all worth it.
acknowledgments
I want to thank Gareth Branwyn for his assistance and encouragement in this project, and to
all the hackerspace members who contributed projects and photos to this book.