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vOIII.

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ak



• technology ,on your time

Vollulme 05,

u:W:elcome

llri to~r Two:.!'" look. oo:ck on o:w- e>rrt:1f'\g flfSt year. By Dale D'ollghre-rty and Mal, Frauemfekler

13: TimO,'R,e,j Illy

·~IS flQm full, f'lrtyre: Fofe'l!Etyithlf!g th<!1 tlS:>'!lr!ed. 00IJ1n eU1!1 ng IS IQst.

14: U'fe Hacks: Sma:rte,r T~-Do liists

IPlalilllmgyour pr~ts 10M' brte..gzed peceata tl1ll!!'. ley M&rlin Mann aoo Danny O'Bnen

,[6,:, iCll!)ryDoc'torow

A 00 IW'1'8 ht-contro lied museum IS a cnneagiJUlst !hunun kilnd_

18: 1M ada 01111 E,arth

..... W2Ullg tnmg5your neighbors builidlll tire. basements,.

26: IB,ruce, Sterl ing

Oulrde-st;!l:rI e:ollJli'l'irllSt makes, a, caXlil'r .... liiS~lfOO1 roo-till!!'! ,out of ~ll>9'ri!}l<!t~

~ lMa.k,e:r: W100dy Noni s

A Q&A witln the Il"M!"ntor of a PIl!:at,e-scaJ!1lilg IiIOlSem3ker. a hil!'lIcopte( fOJ ,~elYg.u.sge. and a, way 1:0 h3:ck glS,viy ii1se1f. 'By'W Illi am LICiW!!'11

l!: Art iin IL,ivil1g

IN5:5.,a collltoeptual ~lOUP fflOM Dooma.nk, creates flJl1lthonsJ art far 11\I1fIg~ breat h lflt>a rnI grow·mg.

ey Bruce Stew:!J't - - -

40: Pr@bl: Eri.e Pauh:ils,

InteheseaJCher Eric P<lu'los fl'\3kes HI rxgs nn,a,t g)\1Ol!' 1ih.1!'if 0,'0:111- ers a i1I2Yi itl<ly of understaoolirlg U'II.!U m.ily wes.

By Oav id ,PesciO\ij 12,

. 44: lit' Cam,e frem M)f' Gar;ag,e!

_~Iod",l kit makers b!'tl1g B'mO\~e monsters 1 o your home :By Gareth B raml)rn

.:H; Re~B,ooltiriig' A.rt

Mlliots; The HobQtiak!ntShow tf. !!! hall1dl-on. IQ'W-In!dg~t anmual elih ib~ 1011. By Doy:gias R~petilo

50: C'a.lcu.lateThiis!

MAKIE looks at lunusua.1 dide rules ffom decades past. By Rob!lt Luhn

11:1.(6, 1'>1 ~ 2OC&.1I!JI.H: (I'SS~lS96~ I~ puI:lINd~I~I·1:i<1 CfRIII~ !L\;Icl.J, In:. in h rn:nh:i o! flIl:n&J,... ru,., A~.;m:j K:._r: erR;; II:; MLdl~' ;,; tllU:i;Jd~: I.(lCl&O'.~"'lJ",~Jn 'Nt ~h ~1:I.l.:;'~.CIl9!S.t12.('rol7i 327, ~oo.Sll!OCR.Pna\lS;; s..ndol~ .... crlP'lcnr~.!cIoW':E.I''O'II ... ,17,0G, 1Ib1 ~~ ~/"~ or.. 9letlS <9SSiO or slbialbil onI,... ~: rmkI~rN.~ .. r u '.I.lO~~S66.JE9 SS<lTlus.OM'II:IC~l,.lIldl.ho:i',mW",tUI<1filii1 iiST' D31 &b.icdPlien::ii i'r .... ....,~ vll:K..$ ~l ~M'~ ~:QI1~'I2i~llnllw 1!S.~S39.$~Dl 1111 !:IIlw'c~~S4ll9SUSIl"~lo:.ziOn !c!O'.lI~:

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TRASHCAH

Make: Projects

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Sensor Int~rfcces

How circuits com. icate with the

outside world, By· , Igoe

160

Muke; Volume 0.5

Once again, SofbNareDevelopers and Development:

Managers ha've selected ~ Dobb's Journsl,3s,th.e best industry publicatio,nl, according to the 2000, EVans Da:te Developer Marketing Pattern,s Study.,

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Vollu!me 05,

54: Saul Griffith

f're·LO\ed wtrj u S!!d can be so ITI1:!Idi ~~ re-ll Uu III rev/.

56: IHeirl oorn 'Te'chnology Mam.l'lc'khammer ,ooatlphones. By Tim Anderson

.58.: 'fiips, and Tri:lclks

tittle ldeaB~haN=and1ar,geycmr Ide. Edi'lt'd by A1i"'~nO'Re111y i

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12: Balckyarcl Ziip L.ine

~!!e l':hJe 1illI: o~ th~ I"II!!Ng borhoodYJII"h<l high·ftymg,l!roo-tlo-hoo tta.nsp,ortet_ By :Da,ve Mabe,

UO: The' Quiiclk. and D'irty

Dr.llb.,g InDies ina st!f.aJ!iht 11I'ie. ht'tvIlo f)I);I)-J'j\let. and how t'O Ibe.oo slioeetmetaL:ay .t/Iis ter Ja.bW

llJ: Sne,aky Uses

Twn a remote oontllOl ear II1to an alaJm system., By ot '"E:yrnony

!§,<I~ The ROlck<etman"s, Ga.rage'

!Meet Mi.nn,erota'!5.cele."tm~ted thnlll-l'l\;!ch~ mak~r. By Gareth B I"illf.vyn

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'iPU'li1e:s for ma.mrs. By MlCh:!eE 1-1. PI)!D:I!'

!E Theory,&, Prac:tic:le,

Get an li'J~re:rOO1 fefflOre to tt:lfnyo.lJ~ room Irghtson aooloff. By A iild,ftet.<iBiun file ~ H wfil

.!&§.: Howt'ooll1s: Be ndiing Ught -By Saul Gnffdh. N'lC Dlegotl8. am!UI!'XiS~&re'n

DO; 1M ake,Shift

C<!n you break eut of Il: willt b!!fofe'~u nlll"l out of :!1M? By 111 rlllilm l.iid~1I

172: Toolb,oX

The eest tools. sof~r'e. gaqgets. books. Al":giU1!~ and Yoebsrtes.

182: Sllast from time Past

IExlildOrmg:lill,E~ lI!i!OrJdl 'o~ Ama[eL.v Qafrsm<l;n's C~C~'a of ~ loMa~. By H.B. Siegel

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Home

Science

_ Computers Mobile

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ISS: Tales from [MAKE: B:log

Philip TOflOl1I!!' prese.nts ~e bed of MAKE's v,eblog.

183: R1etrocomputing

ErntILabonlPl.I·ts oldlcomlpulers inSIde I!le'tIMl'IS_IBy TomOvJ3d

UI,_9_; Digital Video Produetl on

Os'eate el\P:losni'!! VllSiJIa.l:s 'o:Ijjjhwaiel.

ISS: Maker"s, rCa.lelmdar

Oul!" fllw rl te e\!eots hom efoYllldthe wOl'ild.

l2Q: G,le·olrge Dyson

Three winters Ifil II ~eehol!:'!i.e 95, feel.a bm!e th e Ea r tho

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/Ii, SOCM'TIEEOOiOR Ph:III,1jl1 'If'orr:orn e< P;ih'I'I:jI[Gi!,J\o!.Oi:ffl

PI;,Q.Ec;" SE DfiiO~ P'i1ul Spill! I&d ,mQ_~"'i!>O."",,",!

'!i fECIi'lL PII,Q.EC" SE DIl'OR l)aYld Pesc-OYitz

A,SS' STAIDE OOOR i1:rwen O'IReiUy'

COFl'C+IIIEF Go,lj Miohill1ll:madJ

COF¥ EIHTORSJRE'SEARCH Te!1F}' BlfO~S~n KelUl Hallnf'llOOO

ART OI:,R,ECTCli! Kirk yon RollF

~ro:;NERS Sarah HlI'tr41. Krist)! "',cKoy

A'5OC1: "'[ ftJ'lJ,iS1O

Dall V,'oodls

dm!Iu,g,I!'I.c.orn

C;RCtl\.ATICt;I ~,roro R HI~a~hef Hann"'ll

AD\'ERTISNJ COORDlNIlTOR J esslea Boyd

Ml.!RK~" EVENTS C~D;w.TC!'l Rob Ilh.!llingtl.on

CH.RMIlNUlER

Tenie Mmer

!!I,\IoI'!E m;!'i!~jol$!D'I'ISQIlY ~ I'll>:

Gare'llh Bran~!')!T'I, Jlge, Gland.

Saul C'fIH'ltlh. William GUl'5,lelJe,llbll1l1ie Huang, TOlifI Igoe .. I'i,l 5N~r Jla]qp,y, Sfevel-'Odefllil'k -

NBUSl-J:!'DB'i O'REru:Y ',liE BJ.. ;G_

11m O·RE<llIy. CI[() LaCilraBal!h"hl, COOl

VII:SltW, onlll!te al Ilnakezme.com C:omnlenlt5lMy be 5~n~ 100 &hlor" makeZlilol!'.com

rot ..ld.eftismg,O!;nd ~onsoj''Ship 1O:f.J,~'1e5. c;o'1l:ac • [Jan Woo.!ilS., :m'}.a27~,oe;g,dan@o,re~IIy;(:O:nll,

CI:i~l\iC2,!llD60·R<. 1Aeo::!-"'.I~

All nrg~ ~o:I. ~«h,lk;t~ n wll"a.ll. p'aTIU!';li1l,n R Ffi'hlb.iO!:l.

Pr.,1,ed 1111 ihe !JISt\ b}! ~ rrJ;:I'lTI Ptrnim" iroG.

CootrlbutingAr1i50ts;

Howard Cao.Roy Oaty. Paul HanSl!f'l.ChiKt Holder. Ot6m ~ Hostetler. Chl'lstophef' HIJIllII'II!1"I. Tm lJIlS. Topher L ocas. Jemy PfefffEf. N ss. EmIl Y Nat han, Eflc: Rife. N Ik Sc 1Uz. Anne Sigler. Damen Seogl'l, DlMd Sobo

Contributing Writers:

Tm All'lderso n. Thomas hey. Dave Bat tr.o.Joost Boosen, G.eth Bnmwyn.Abe Coma Iy'. Cory OoctolOw. NICk Dragotta. George Dyson. Jon athan Foote. Joe Grand. Saul Griffith. Milam G UfS 1*. K.a1t1 Hamrnord. Larry Harmon. Rob Hartman. Cbstopher Holt. Boof'lle Huang. Tom Igoe.Mdy lIV'IaliltD. t.llSter Jalopy. Ste'il1Il.Jof'les.

CtY IS Kentworthy. Jason Kohrs. t.larlt ~Iu. WIllI am ~. steve Lodeffl(. Robert Luhn. Uerln MaM. Dave Mathews.Josle Moores.. Oa1lnyO·BI'II!ft. llmO'Rellly. ibssO".1bm Owad. Boll Parks. Daw:I PescOllltz.Jenna AlAps. Dan PICard. Charles Platt Ju lie PolIto. MIC~ Pr)Qf'. DCH~ Repetto. Matthew Russel. Bi''101Il Saivy«. Bob Scott. H.B. SIegel. EwiII'I Spence. Bruce Sterq. Bru!:e Stewart C)r "F,-mony. Stelle ~gneau. Howard Wen

I ntern So: M181!'le Ftwema.rn (web) .J. McKenze (~J. Ty NOYodny(mg.).Aly RIt5~en(desl8O)

~ MAKE: ~ pmllKlon rK)iC1ed paPE-"m1n ~ 10'% cost<o-"JSU!'t'Ief waste an:::Ilsac:ICI·i<"eoe Sw 09:" oe-r oop lIeS ·or MAKE VolJme 05

we e sl'liJlo«hn recyclable DIa£lC bags.

P"'=e 1Wte! T~tI10t0s)' the lsNsaM Inlltll .. ltD<IS nposed ~ Rwn"'!l~YI'er'l;~ ~!Cfli _ne~ ~~~U)l g"y,g. .tg Thus some ollhe P' c,e:cts ,de sa tled ifill)' nol wof'k m~ ~ noor='en! "" 'Ih !;Y' ,""1 Q..,.,. .... ~. "8'«""''' ls q nl<!)l danllge a :Id~rseI'j arrl!l:l ~ eQUJlOII=nl

If"our ~~Iy ~)'QU" aIo'n.e!lpCmblltly ~bf~ pr~ I.I~ <lfequ~J':nllnd s3lely'gea, ,IIr!I:I do!!lernll'lK'lgwhelt>er )'0\1 ~ ~qu:lle ~ ande,;per alee PeMer 10015 eedr ICIly. S'HIolhe' fesowa!S~ ror ~ ~ls3'e dmger·

<M.IS, U11e!'Z usedprope rtj,ll nd w Ith a:I.l! cpJ.lI ~e p!'t!Clluhcns, ndJdl'18 SlIre1y SC.:r. Some lluslnl l-Ipho los donol depict !!life 1)1 p"cc&lllOfls a e(NipRl!! nI ., O'de' lo::rttow iN! P"'o;ttd slepsmorec:ielrly Theiep"o~cts IIreMIIE'II~d loru'5e I:i!Ir duldren.

lJ2 cf ItH! nsb'u:ltOl'lS II1d sugges1.::ns n MAKE.IS 1I1)fGU' ow,nriSk O'ReIIyM<!dt::l he dr:ldun!lidre:!llO~tNIol)1 la ")I resu.l1ng dan.e "f'J')I ~ elC'pe-ue 1llS)I:KJI' f'l!!SpcI1SIbfhly 10 n'L!Ike sure ..... l you' "C't1Y ,toes COTI ply wlln ~1x:.1e Is.r"s I'lt: kid ... , cCIp)'f JtIII

Thll L!]IIl5 {WInd FbtelEd G~l& [il~ !:ral~) is stlllwatling 1:n the ha:rd·dtav/f1lbl~ pmls'ltil31 reserrllo Hasbro as a YOlIIg lad lobe macE rnoTransfo:rrne..-s, btll: I!"I. the mean· I!!ll!!, he wOi1o!s as a f'~e desl~ a."1d ,dl...lSlraIOl'. A rec.ent ial'fivallo SaIl Franasco, lJis OTl::e ¥wO'Ked wM KaIf'...I Big BaMeI, 'the wmkfs 0JTiy Live 1iII0"lS1e-r Flghbng Tournament l1"W'M1,g,m:ms l~c<osh.lmE:5 ,1TIIn~1~""" citysc.a.pes, andlgia:nlcatlootl5h props oul: of bam. and, ad Iflg as a ~d!.lCffi' fO('~ fu.1'! ,,·enls.hm's, mcbiM .n:1.u::!erwn,i'lg lta1::!oke, IlWfIIn,g !j:ay 100 m.my P,..II·\S.and 00ss1'lll"t8 whale\'e·1' he c3."1131 natw>Ui:'eca1N1! CO'TI.IHe lcNo!S M!C E~Ies, the best eer e\!f'·.

Cy Tymu)nr {Sll!Mo/ 1Jsa:} leads 'SIX ne~l'Spape'l'S adai/- "I am ullt.JI'5Jb\le a'OO.J1t.rD as~ts oil"lO'l:! bfe'toOrks,"lOe Los Angeles,a...rt:hDt/ll'l'enlct" says.l=I.s cateer sla.-ted asadllkj"

viti I!f1 ti!e made a S ieeI.-e-moUl'ted sI'1oc"e,r ,d~ IOelo defend himself fl'O-'T1 schooI)Std bl..IIlies. HIS Sneaky LJses boo>is exdol'e h dE,ilgiI1l·of ffld!'lg. H! a:lso roll1i!l·s~les. p.racllces ail\! ~ .ID!'J. 1.:Ida. P"J'S w - catd~ ~ ef~ ,arK! eals 1r$\8i ·s.:rlad wl'len tn e is nol '~bng'M Jm~fI!!sIIUrror"" SJ1I&lly U5eS. fo:eve:-}day I~_

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Jen ny Ella PI\~lffer (W'r:!o1y's vro,·kJ DhOlos,) 1:5, ill Sail Fi"aT1ICtsCo-tlaredarltsl.m::l photcgrall'oo. Her OO'lr ads a .. d It .!I!e! D.tuol~r ap tr.Ir R;l.\'e ap:peared m 'S e'rerallocal ard ru IIlTEJ p;Jbllcabotls. SI'!JI! eocollabo.l'a,les VAtI'l hI!r Sister, l...t!:a Fl'fedrer.Ol'llTt..lil:imedla, !o'IotOiS wi haw beEn f,ealtnd IngaDeoes II'l San Ftant:lSoo and P"tagUl!_ Hef'fs\:otl1.e lood IS ~ cream (O,eo coc;..ue).

~gfg'!i' py~l@ll (T~e) ~ a hlslorl.:lin oil:@CMcilO)Jy il'ihose .nte,~st<; t.m~ ~1.M'fi @ de\;e.Io~1"I"II!n1 (a.'1d fede\'eIoDmEfll) ollil1eAleuI ~plo e e.'oiutKll'l 01 dlgJtaI c.~l.Ib!lg, l'ek!cG!"lYl'\\.l"lICaI IOnS. and Ilocleat bomb-D 1"0, e.IIed s DaCe exploi'abon. D,y son, 'litho wes 1'1 !Bell#"!gtlill'T'l. 'I!'ash.. dN!di!s his kne Detv.Een ti;Akl1!lg boots .:mdwn'lngooo"llS. Heoori!S!GI!fS hlmse.l1 a blbwerol Nalhimel: Btsh:l;)). ~mo. while paddlq <Ii pacer J.:a)eilto the G.JI(

01 ~1.e>lIoo·irarn ~Eb!l!<: in 1874, .zged M. a..Idloetoc:e al PnooelOJ'l Ut!1\~S1'!ylo 'sea rI his IrteOdty CMloelha,1 '·ebef W'hich nature of~er:s lo!he Ired b".a.n.l.E,t hlm S:a rltoll1le· wlldelness and !h\leciooe to MIS Creator Il'y sll.!ldylflg "rts 1i'i000itS:

M III'I\l!!lerale Iml<.eferanc!"b!ruO-speck...rn"O!itl:Jyis;l; St.eve l!.:ode"ll'lIk (5odBBMi!oIe Roc~r) IJ,st ,C'an'l say no to a cool PfOJKt AI 3, hevm already rev'efSe-Eng!~~ the oeenul bul·te1 and. ~ sandWld1: -I figl.Jred cwl WI'1eo-e all of tl"e rparts we.le. fourd a good 1001. aod tH.il1 O11e. Ive b!I!:eI1 oomg n e\'eO" SVlC:e." He lAoe:s '1 Seame 'fIlth his !fIlfe and MO s0n5,.l¥10C.aIs,II\'II! lat.ill1IJ1as, and 24 Aft ic:<ln c.ii:hhds. aoo Ihl~ th a I. one 01 ~ le's.great:

Dleas'-lffiS IS .ate.a!Uy sml"f,lagoochedda::" cll!!ese. "I'rna s~1e man; he s¥. He bC!ilt5al IIfe.'s dll!bflS. iIIl: fltull com.

·i'a1I.m:1511Il"11l)1 .... lIth anaUti'llty focfm"e<:{ac~ and vinlii tecOfds," l.ar~ Harroon<~.rwaler ~ies) h.:as l:iI!en~q: San .D.Ego's u .... dB"beJlylru )'YtS. HlSlannne, Genet'Jc D!~g. 6 &""I od& to a<Iltthr'ig "hi \I;r~ emIla!'I"ass OlJr Chanib I!I' 01' C:,!I!VTil!lCe: VI hiM 001: al the Ibtatyd Ol"lg rese.atel'l Io! a boo/( alKull the his tory Cil Sal DIEgO"s pu"I'.t roc" soere, he plays gUlIat Ii'llneDiss.rrli'lats ('Ti)'s=e.cC>'lVl'llK! !i'5l."llll.l'S). ·3asf'lyg.arage· roc~hm!:!." ~ spmas Ills ~ as<lrlecl~Gl' . <I.c.!'.IirIm.urulyn"-"'jS~.· ee b!laiots from tl)e: be:dl:h.

~f Tom 0 'lad {Ref~?¥IU[jI\f) co.J.d be any ani11at,lleld be SOlTetl'ilrtg ffomihe· GaJail& p_ ,HiS 111S(l!S1: 11 ext taO!d lrIaty and IDC~asablE II'iIIngs e.deo::! s 10 ns h'..i!rW'l alS teoce as If.elll. He s peI)l:!.s hi s d a'tS 'llnii.iI!1ing .an::l1eat~'lg, an::l. ISIhi! cmrrer and"t~ ter of <!~oIer"lIe·cO"i\~.,onIMe Mactnlosl'1 co.mnI'!l!I'i!~ of iillt!S~<!flde~eet5 dedic'ated!o toe

~obsc,,",e, !.1mi5w1. ~ e;i;,~bon,r!HIe ~\~OI1 the bQiJl'd 01 dil'e<itOl''S,}I"Id IS v ~bfl"li!Slef and ,'t1'.;;~1Sl or the Apple I O'o'II"Iel"S CI.J~,,an;j ~ a.lsQ IJle il\lthDr of Applel ~Uc;a Crea~-

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D:llo DCJghc"':d Sc.:rIl~one"O(I(:(! told me that)lOu !lofi't create a magazitle ~ you discOl/eI' it You discover anaeeience. if yau 're' lucky, Bind then you have to \vOIik hard to keep up W'i~h U1E:!m.

M;rk: hlJC'1fC'l~o-1j'Ve hoped' there ViOuld bean aL.EdiGtioe rot MIAKE,The surprising thing ilS, oow big tmlt audii,ence is. The world NS far Ilno:re makers U'\alfll would have dreamed lit ll'lli!lkes me feci good about til€! hUi11:an race.

DD I hadan inb;:rvi~\!.'ef ask me. "Doo'tyou have to 00 iPl~tt:v smart I:G do the projects in MAK~"I <'If'lSV.leroo, "I think most peopl~are pcctty smart, It's a rnalter ot halljll1g the time 10 make tlMin,gs, alnd U'Jat's true ,of oooldng. photography, eledro.n.i,cs. aoo lotis of areas" Of Men, the re" s s omt! 1~cl'lfii: iJ'! klitOWledge you ne~'(j to, acquilll, but you leam as~oogo, i:llndyou can have IoU of furl It's like playing.') game,

MF The bast games ~re OI"IeS ~'h.!I~ arC! ea~;11 to learn but Ohalk:nging to master. li~ cMss.1 thi!!dc; tl'le same ~'hingcan be said for gfe'at proj.e.cts. The kite aertal photography project in our first issue was really s imp~e, gill iog you a lot of oong for your buck. aut !YKH€l importantly. it pOint,eO trhe way to a oommll.!lflit¥ of pnotograpn.e!"s woo are mpro,ving on one ana ther's de'SlignS, and building remarkably sopnisti:cat€d systel11S,

DDI gU(!SS, it's m~ move nO'W'! :50 0lI')i(!. af~he b~g surprises for m;e in M\AI([ 's first )~a,r is ooarffing

from ,k1ds or f (om ~Mi( pareats.l got a no~,€! l'eC(!'tltly frorn a fa t.lile r who said he was :sal/iog oock issues a,f lAAKE to db pr~Iects with his 500 when he was o~!d {!fI,ough. [I hope MAKE's projects er.ngagekds, of all ag,es lin science and ted1nology.

MF' I agree.There's a reasonwhll' we don't label <Iiny' of the pml~cts:aS b:eia'tg lOr lI.ids or for adults, If kilids, are irntercst,ed in a ool1'1pl!e](, project, they'llmpe in an sau It to h,elp thnm. t'm su re i~stills ilUlI1iY a:duUs wil[1 ask ttleir kid!> to help, Ihet'1I'l wttl'! t,Jr,e ptojeets. My B-year-otkt dau,ghter i,salready t,eadhing mellow ~o wOOk th!! user interlaces on the t,ocl1l1'K1IQg'JI around our houS,il

DD 'WIlen you'!"tl a k,ia tItId you see sOJtiI@Ulingcool, such as the soda . bott Ie rocket (which. is a project

irll this issue, page 791), you ·don 1 just W~U''It to wa Me iii SOIllf!ont! @1'Sf! launcl, it You want to do lit lIourself. YC<!J wanlt to I'lnow how to bu i Idl it yGUr'Se I t ll1a t's th e mak,e,r spirit. It's run to meet makers and see what they do. n's in~pi.rintg.II'm looking IONIaI'd tOOUi" MaireI' FaiJ'i~ m April.

t.fF So am I. The best part of 1'11)( joo is meeting with lTiI!:ik,El(S and ler ing theitsID(lil'!s. one of the thtr'lgs we'll be ~OCt!l sing on more in loJIAKE t his year is the stories beh iM tne projedS we feabJte. a:oo the oon1ifmlli~ of lTIiB'tkers invol1loo il'l them ..

DD Fina'liy.l'd ~ike ~o ~i\ank ,all those l'eack!(syihoM~ '(!;Ifitten us saying ho\!l much they love the Jmgaz ioe. l"d a lso I iile to tha nk the tea m wc've: put ~,ogethcf to mak,e ~he first yearof tvtAJ(E secba seecess, We'l~ looking fOf\lIa(d to another excrting year.

Man: FrauenlekleJr IS edJlor-lII-duef and DaJeDcwghe,r1y IS editor and p'iI bs fil!.r 01 MAJ<E.

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St .·ff

:> » It beautiful] liardbound book oelebl'ati.ing U'IiD creatlivity' and reSOllJreerfulnes:s 'of the OIYmovrement.

HAD LASER EYE SURGERY THE OTHER DAY, and a.fter morethan ,4© years o~ wearing glasses 'so strong that I waslf!gaHy blif}d wnthou t them.

I cansee clearly on my own. I had a p,eri(tct outeome: 20120 far far visien yet sli II able to read .n1d 00 other dose 'wor'k, as Vie!!. I k,eep salling to myself:

I'm seeing \",ith fiTy <ru!1f'1 ,eyes;!

But in on:mr to f~move (ny noodtor prosM"hetic vision, tM surg€!Orl €'I'lded up fe-Ill' ing OfIIPf'Osthe"es of her a.m" perlarming, Ih€ wlgel)! with the aid ,of high-tech CQl!Jipment and SlpeciaUzed te'cilni:i'.!llls.

First. they m.a.p pea 01Jl ,fifo! s WI~th a, device c a lied a corneal topographer; and came up with a mod j. ficabDtl pl:an.Thcn r.ooll us.cdl.a lasel' ~o b Ii stet the surface of rn),!'c,omea. and.20 minutes later, the S!!Jrgea;n used a III icrokcr:atOft'le to lin U'iC nap of the blister so another laser could do ~'he real mods to' Ih~ deli!j~r 1aY'!1"S et thf! oornea. D'uringthe acbual sufgefll',a:part 11'001 lifting the nap and 'smoothing it back into pla::e afmr the lasel' was done. her job WillS to clamp open my ,e}~s., Iho~~d lillY head. utter reassuriog wOfds, and tell me. oorne~'imes with urge! ncy. to keep loo'koii"lg at tll"le rod l'igJ'l:t. .AJtef'lwmas, I asked WMt would i'lappun. if my G!')'6 mitfted aM I d~::fn't stay focused on the light.. ""0fI. the lalOOt \'1oold s~op.lt ooly' \~rks \!lhen.your <ryes alit! traokil"A<'

In 'short. stl rgery this sophisticalted eou .~d 1le\ll:!J' ~ dane by an un;;lugmented human blling. The hutn:ln ~:oud'l of mysu,pett. (joc,torwas pa i(oo with I:heinhuman accul'<)C)! of complex machines. a 2lst-ccn:tW)I hybridlfre'f:!ing ITI12 from the tyranny et assis~:iVi! oo'Jices first: invent,ed in 13th-cen.tury' Italy.

Whether or nol: were headil1,gfor a KuJ'Z\!lei I· s lyle singlJlal'it:y, ilil whic'l1l oortlan,s nlflrge with ll'I'i!l:Ch ines, an incrooisin:g number of our activities are onlly' possible wi~.h tile aitl·()1comp.!)~:ers and otoor complex devices. My eye surgery lis only 0lfJil!! t!X:atiI1ple.

The revol ... :tk.!n in se l"lSOtS. (:ofnp.u~e rs, 3 nd oc:nlrol te-c'~-mo~!ogi,es is going to make many .of the daily adillities 01 the 20th century seem quaint as, ,one by one. ~hcyan:! reinvented ill too .21st Irs a 111 O'!lCf the !1l@.VS- mmote drol'l€ \l,Qrlare, po.'fElmd exoskeletons, au~omjJtk: laoguagetrallSlator'S, (;,ellpho.nes that know li'lf:!i:r cwnersboJ thewtJ')I tfl.ey walk - but these highplofile' exam p!:e s mnd to obscure n'le ways. ~hat OO'Rlr put~1' tt:!'chnclogy is o:!makil1g tme ~Wlf'ljd;:!ly' wort!,

Take U'W! a utemobi [II! : irs a short stl!p from h~h·

VI "ll-IF

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"THF FUTURE ~S HERF. IT'S JUST NOT EVFNlY DISTRIBUTED VET" - VVILLIRIVI GIBSON

tech whk:les that can only be debugged \II ith ~.he aid ,of compu till" d~Zlgnosti::::s to vchiclestl'lafi: can only bedrivenb).l a eOJil'lt)utar, "~ Inngnr.ll1"- ttle last road rally of those di,ehardswhoinsistol'l dI'ki~ t:heirowllllf!hicles - irna,girted in tile 1989 novel of thesame nam~ bJI· DElnieli Keys M,oran, nn.ay not be tha t fair oft

As 'We appreciate Uile "';.Ionders or teehnology. let"s nat forget too dalogcts o f taking them for gl'alltl!d.

For ,everything that is gained. something is lost.

TM etassie 195! essay "I, Pl:!neil:' by !leonard React cOlnp211ingly makes the point th.!lt lin:a ,cO!'II)(!ded WQrld>rn.'l:!nSimlplf! o'bj£!ccis I ike the humble h~ad pencil f~Qui(E! thrl exp€!rti,Soe and activl~y.of lna,chin· ery., buSllnoeSS processes. and thoo,san·ds of coordinated people. How true that is today ,af ourcon1p~l:lx devices, composed of thrmlJ.~'1alt ,co4'nponents thei11SCllv{lS made m multi·blllljon-do~llar ~actol'ies.

Itl ttI~s war !d. the role of the mate! liS esp.eciaHy important, lest \!Jefall into the future foretold f'Ie'arly:a cctnluj)! ago by IE .. M .. rooter in ''The: MaChil'K! Stop!>:' in which poople ceeeeoed in their high-toch I'IoIrrl@sare 1'lI1:'1j) llli!s S woo n their!;eohno logk:31 assist;ai1lsgosi~nt.

Knowing how thi~ work, b€!'ing abl~ to ~ix N~m when they break. aod Io'nowin,g how to createacceptablesubshtutes when ttr.c~ can't be repaired are not just hoblbi~s but essentiel skills in a world growing ever (nO«! oornpl,0(.

Check In'lkezJntlCOlrVOS/nff UN ralated storli9s.

Tim O'teltly(1 .. lire ~ 0(11) l> b.J~de:' inti eli) c~a'Rellly Moos, l"IC. See· w!\at'!5 0:" the Q'ReIJ\f Radar 21'aW' o'e~ COIL

Life [I"'~ IC C :1<9: Overclocking Your Prod ucfiv i~.y

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PLRI\lhlING 'lOUR PROJECTS ONE BITE-SIZED PIECE RT R TIIVIF.

By !Merlin Manlil and Dal1llllY O'Brien

"" HILE YOU CAN ARGUE rOR rut

'IIIa\,,)I" and apptoocl, to task managenlrlntbhatbes.t suits )'OOr st)l~e. it's hard to disparage the benerits~haIt come ~fOO1 getting task eernmihnants o.u t of your brain and captured in a conslstent locatlco, l"hiink of tiI"\e to-de Ilistas roo ~voll'Ving str:aoogy for fOciusing yoU f €ffort and aUenti:o:n in the immediate fubure.

A:natorny of a To-Do

lhe prImary' idea of a to-·do, is U"'Iat it's al tal:sk that can and sl'Ioul:j be done ~ a point that might seem o:b1iio!JIs until you start unoowl"ing hO\'1 m<lny or the item's on your to-do list ma)' not belong there (or, convtJ's,el),. how many uncaptured items do). The bes~: and most useful te-oes share some comrnon QUalities: lit's.a physicall 3ctiolfl. It can be accorn· plished at a sitting. It supports laluable progress tawilI'd a recognized gp,all.

o lancing at)'Om OWfll to-dolist, do lfOU see any lpotentiall trowbll:!liIHlkers? Not,ic{l ~nll' ltems ~hat tn:ake you squeamish'? My "mystery meat" tasks that seem 'u n-dcabla'' as is? Dorft sweat it. We're .go ing ~o flll,VC you shaped up in no time.

Lot's GC!t Physical

Mt~Uibti;rng JIOur to-oos il'l tt!I'mS of Iphysi.:all actr<lity - even wlr.enth~)! require ·only modest amountsof ae~ual @JIlertion'" has <'I variety of bendils ..

Most importantly, it ensures that ,yGtI v« thought through you r task to 3 poirllt wher,{! you can '·.fwksion 1\0\" it ,,,ill ne~d to be undettake'n and what it win aduaUy feel like ooce you 'Il!' doing it: it's nd just a bunch of words you've Wft~U(!n all a pag·c.

Framing your \!lor!< lin the physical \'iOr~d is easest whenll'ou imagine wha ts being doric, and ~he best ltiok. heft;! is to simply pl\(ase youI' t.a'sk. in £II fotlTI like: '"'Verb the noun with I:lle object" That means instead of remi1'ldir'lg yourself witJII tile mystel'"y maat of "year-eoo report,' you'd more a:ccuratll'!ly first start '!lith "'doI,..,n'load Q3 sw(!·adstll~~t ftrl.')fI1 "!:'iO(~ ·~rVt:lf." And, iMk.'ad of "get wiU'l Mil.:' y'ou;d1 piobZJblj want to "'emaillAnii on MOf'Iday to schedule monthly disco lu 11Ik p arty:· Get sped fi::: in Whittl~ I1,g the task 00\11111 to one activity~hat you can eecompli~"h in ten minutes or :Iess.

Now" No Wi. NOlll

Avoid the tr.:!P of Ijtooringyour hor:iZQnwith pil~s of cl'tl~ty pseooo-tasks that cal'll actual/1 00

.a ddr:f! ssed (or, almost as often, can't be addressed yet). Whi~e you Watlt to always stay aware of fu~u(:e ·obligations <ll[ld ~hc work that ti1ey are l~il<ely M:o

g,e nerate, ~he· lo-d 0 list lsa bso h .. te Iy not ~he· p lace to. 00 it. K·€!.ep your to-oo list a sacred tabsliTlJde for ,cllrrei1tacU!/ity, and m1alintaln b,nger·~:(!nn task and su ppo.rt m<lIOOI" iills as wellas <lP'Poif!!tments wile!;e they bellong - lin a pro jec t su ppo,,rtf old er and lfoor calellCial', n5pcdively.

1ihe trick is that most jobs can be made easier IOI1!g before th.f!Jf'r:e und9rtaken, Stimp'llI' by fr~liInil1!g .and, I'1!emi;"Ig ~~m p(-o;ptlrly af'ld in t1,e fight-sized units, As ,early as ~he c·ap,tu.feaoo pialillli'llg phases. of blJ ilding your ~o-do list, you holdlltH:! pOI.'.iCr and r:esponsibj~ity for ckt~injtng your work properly, Th€! last: thing you want is to wonder wheth!!r you're doing the right th.ogat tm rigi11: time.

"Get specific in whittling a task down to one activity that you can accomplish completely at a sitting.'!

Why A rn I Ooing Ttl is Task?

\1Vtilen COfilpi I rt"lg alli.s~.()f everythil1g 00 JIOOf miM (<Illd !)'I<lte), it's. cruc~1 to unp~'d( M't;'1 ('!'(Jcih task :you accept Of asslgn to y 01.l.fS elf will SUppQlt YOw' projects, your roles, and your goalls. B€r~ ,addil"!g <lila\! item, retlect on the value that each, chunk o~ work blningsto JIIOOF' ,,",orld. Rem~IYiIb€r: lEvel'll m'inute you wOfllc OI1I onetask il:s, ne,cessart~llf a llitii'IU~:e·yOlJ 'cal''I't walk on anati'lGl' .. Don't ace,ept: 0,1' assi.gn a'alp. If it goes 00 JiOOf list it's a eornmltment to seeing mat t:asl:r; tl'u'oogl1 to oo:m~lctiOr'I. Res'pect y,oUI' t~rt'H7! and attantion enough to take your workseriou sly .and pharr. it \WI,ith careand fcr(!.L1)i)u@jlt A[~,l)ha geck statu'sawai~:s OOe@' you C3f'I get your ilrl·dos fro m ed .. flip,ped, an,d ~tiroo as eHidentillas possible.

No:lB: nli s coktmn origlina',IIy a'ppga /{lei if} 1:1."1' expanded version on Merlin Mann's site. 43FoIders.COfl'l'.

learn h:N11o tee :nyour m.-.d at [)aMY O'Bt.en"s lehl!c~s C~ ,an:! ~.1S' on Mnn ~ .t3ldO!!rs oom.

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A COPVRIGHT-CIQNiROLLIED MUIS!EUMISA ICR.IIME AGRllNSr ~IUlIVIIRNKIND.

-1- HI S PAST AUGUST; tMYPAR'E:NTS CAME to.V~Si t me ill l.ondlcm. and wc: had a grand

_s, jg htsee j ng da y bha t OJ Irni:n.a ted in a vilsilt lo, the Roy:alGn!.enwkh ObSf!r>Jatoty. \Mhere clever mak:€rs. in U'IC 17th aoo 18th cCl1trurits ma:de hon'U:e:brewil1is~rul"l1ents to measul"e I!heir physical en1liroomen~s, sensor a rra ys so clC"ler that they enabled sailors anywhern in too werld! to dill ine hir longitude.1illis was the scienti.fic aloo mi,lit<1r"y ,j}I'obl@m of the day, because sailots wl'lo call'l'~ ealculate thflil" I!ongitude can't feliably emss oceans"

Tocmlf, the IGrecllI"i:::h O'bsel""oJ,atery is given over to. a. twill ian t museum too t tracks ~he his~:ory o~ ~I' is paleo-maker initjlative, There arc the mOS~CiJnniing brass clocks, handwritten lagtlool:ls in the al!!bbed script at Royall Astronomers centuries dead, and to\'c/erilflg, proud telescopes bu ilt of \'/Iood and ha:fltd'polis1\e<ll optics.

And the first sign )lOu S(91! wtK!n )/IDUgo through the doofS£lltS "INa' PICTURES:'1be~'s even a pictuJe of a camera in a roo circle wit-haslashlthrou,gh lit.

The temple or measurement demands that it not be measured. The museum UlIat is supposed lo, lnsplre a gellerBltioo of scientists demands thalt the ril'OSt bal'SIt: teelset scictK:e - r"ccoldjr'!gOOJ~:Zs - be kept in our pockets.

I wcnt,iloo asked a curator wll;y this W<'lS: was it because they're \'IO',ffieo about flash pictures fading U-.e eldi'l~lbi~s? No - phot.a.ns oon't hurt old brass, J'KI maUer l\Ow preciS€!ly rnachi~d, lhe curator solid rbar there':s no photosraph:1 allowed in the Glict!n\\Vich o b:scrvalto,ry becau se of cC>p),l"i,gJ1t!

Copyright? How can that be? Tbere 's 00 such bhing.aS;9 oopyri.gtlt on a c Icx:lc There's certainly 00 cqpyr~ght in cool:uti2s-old ~bool!ris~ Maids aren't cOj)'}ri,ghtabioe, and copyright funs oo~: in substantially less ~han OJI couple hundred If{!ars - besioos, th@photogn]phinegor a sil1lgla page out (If a logbook

fa lis flril1ily in tiI\e realm of fall!' den ling. Britain's @Qluival€nt Qf U'I{! Ut"!itG'd States' fa ir use,

AU right, tile curator admitted. It's not really copyrighted perse, but we w3111t to be blTte exc iu Slife pwve)'OI"S ot photo,s and pi:hJrc-pastcams aodse forth, V/ha t's more, some of the ex !"lib tl's a re' Oil loan from t:hkd partles who made US prom se to Pfohibit tl'lle i . Dr2ling poo!:ogrra ph 00 ,

There's 00 'Ilia' wal''I to :SZlIY this: a llUJ:sCIlJ:m curator who takestnis attitude to the exi"lIil;)I[S in Il"Iercl\arge Is a traitor to Illstory. to I~rltnge, and to :scien·ce, Hie iP''Oint o~ a RiU seom is Ito spread ool~ure, not l"eshricM: it in order to run a penny-arnte pid.lJfe-ip;:>s~c'llfd I'ac:ket. A museum curator sI'Iould nat accept an unpho't!:~gf<lphab!le cxhibtl: of' histol"j::; iJ1ltt"!U$t ~ mere than ·she ~ldI accept all e:d1rolt

"A wise steward of Devio would take every conceivable measure

to see that this piece

of world heritage was spread to every corner of the globe."

that co rne s w[tl"l theconditioo t!hat patrons who wlshto see it I'YlLJ'st swear a loyalty 00111. view a pro~:al"ldi'l fi'!ITn. s~,and on one [oot. 01' accept any other ab.ridgment of tlwir personal and cognitive liberty.

HloweVl! 1', thi's i:'l ttitlJdc l:ow:a I'id e u ratOl'sti i;p lis fa st beeoming the norm,. not tl"te €!xcepNon. For exampie, whMi ttMi! [Flam n~:in e !)J raters who contl'o!1 ~CC{!SS' to IlAicl'iel£lf\gelo's David allo\!ioo Star'llfor'd ~o 1.1.1'1.001" tal<ea high.-~oolutiofl3D scan ofl:he' ramees sculpture. it WZlS or! the condiltl:on that the fCSUI tmlg3D files 00 restricted w~th Djigitall Rights Ma,nagenl€nt technology to prevent their use in rnakif'lg copies ,of the ,OijvJKj that were outside of Flo:rentir'te control,

The Oavid is not ooP'Jrightedi. It lsa centuriesold artifact tlhat is part of the world's heritage. It does 11I0t "belong" to BI m.lJsetJl1'l any more t.hBi'l the

MOna Lisal or the EIg,in IMarbl'es do: i~ is, me.r~ly in U"I@ terl1lporalY stewardship of a museum tha~ cares foti~,sothatall of usn'l.ii)t sotI'Iooay 5,{!<lthismasnili· oen t sco I,pture ,and u nders~",nd a little more about What it means to be a m~rn'ber o~ the human race.

A \~i.!*! steward 01 D.3vidwould lnake i~ hilS, bus!' MSS to see to it ~hat eW!1)l conce!voble liO[!aSU Il! \'100 ta'ltel"lS() that this pie<:,e of world hefit.ag€! is spread to every corner of the globe. The surest W<lIY to do ~hat W'ou 'I~ t>~ to usc S~ anfo;rd's highresolution scan to print Il1tillions ottbese at the highest quality possible. distribuUn,g ~hem to e";!(!r)! school. par~l..ltiIuse:um. city Iflall. and public bath in the world. lnan era of cheap, accu rate 3D scaM~:ng and rcprool1d1iM. t.Mrc shOlJlld be 00 person ali:1IC who lacks the £>ppOl'tllf'lit:y to confront Mtr:he,bngelo'S masterpiece in livil1!g Phy,sic,)II I"OOI~ L')I.

Il'IsteaJj. the stewards of Da'ilid and iMl!lrnerabl~ obhel" works etart take i~ as their du tv to restrtc t access to their charge's. all to sel I a few tawdry pestcsrds to preserve tooi!!" sM~ion and power as galteke~,ers.

I'w been 1:0 IFlorenoo.l've seen Nl'fi! David_ Not only that I've seen about a sq,uill~on oop;es a~ the' [lal;lid. T~re's a Oavi(i on practi.callil ev~ry streetoorf'l4!"! r in rlOr@FICie. baca use f OF the past 500 lfE!a rs,

the \~y that blJddil1,g! Florentioo sculptors learn the! ir craft is b~y hacking out ,c'Gpil'!s of U"te Oa!lid~

Eve~ C((:tj tot staoos on thesOOullders of giants: so said Sir isaac N!ewton. The scieoces and ~he <1Jrls .ar(! bUI iI~ 011 cqpying. 00 observ ing. 00 mellsul'iog. on U)e public (bsclosurt! af facts a 001 discoveries, The differ(!oce beb,r.ieen.~ lebemists (who di·dff't publi~h ~he'ir results) aoo cbernists 6vhodid) is that ,e:llel"} alchemist had to learn the hardw,ay U\at ,drinking 111 I:! rcu I"'j was a boo idea. while chemists read their colleagues' papers on mercur>}, skirted da IlgCf. and devoted their energlies to makffing genuil'lely useful new disooVl!(lies.

No curator o~ human know leQge' has bhe nlOfal1 rlrllt to restret the I'cwJ'd'ililg of out WI·OOII,istOlI)'. ihe t'le:d: time y.D1!Iffifid yoor:selfata Ili'lLlseum ~ g{!llf!re3lllyru~d by yowr own blJil doll·3rs - Where t~ rules S~t jtOU halve to keep your camera in yOU! poe keto s,eek out In e c U Fa lor a nd a sk hi III why he's tUITK!d traitor to !listor)l-

Cof!! D::IcIOi"ow{c'~!)ro..nd oo"'l"l)'tIO'1(5 fcrJthe E1ectrcmllC onller F(lI1J"'daio,_"l (eff.o· g) and co-edtt S bo 'lg'::Jo ~ 'leI .. [)ocIOK;W·'S.fr'I;)sl t~II'5S~~.s roTOI'm, s~wl@5rown.lromror Bod<s.

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Graffiti Temple

Mist David &cst is knoWlfila ihis gigantic tcmple inst:a1l3tiorl'sat Bunning Man in IN€1la,da's Billick Rock ~sert: his Ilatest was 115 feet ta'il .• H~~rtcr liOH(!- long. and visitw by thou sa oos. Tile tel't'lPl~ ~ largely lYlade 01Jto~ scrap,and the pIY'l!loodcl!J~outs l[llt ov-er from a local~oy J:actory -arc intt!nded ~o DZ! placcsafsollace forpeopll!! of alII faiths. They'~e also a blank :slllwlor ev>Cry.a11C \ilOO comes to experience them. Visitors are etiCourtl!goo to wl'jte 01' at<'lW ,on (!)Il,posed slJtf:aces .. so Iha t the end res u It is a stu IlIl11ing collalborative statefl'!t:!nt C{ moofnir;g.

this 'last summa f, though, San Rr8i1C.i.sC'o Mayor Gavin NeWSOlil'! ittlIJited Se·stto,mmporail"ily ins~al~la temple on Ha~ Green in S<lfI FI~r'!{;isoo. not far from City Hall and the opera bouse, While SG:I»e might ceasider til plywood temple tih.a~: actuaillfirlvi~cs graffiti to bea risky' bet Best points.out that temporary art allo"iS artis~'s to bypass !he (00 talNl u:suailly oecessruy to approve PlJolic.artThis publi:cwork, 'ho'W'ew. \eva s so we 11101100 that itwa S I!J prOll" a lm()s~ six months, r:ar J~f thal1'loriginal~ly pl1!lI'II"I€ld.6y SG'ptennoor, t1~ sutrpTl.singli/ i'legafit pllA'Jc:odlslI"uctlJl(! ~ part'lhai

t!einple .psrt Brussels lace -was covered with 1'la111n!lS, illa wi 11;5S. messages, stir:lkcrs, pl"lObogra:phs, and 1I0wers as hlgh'3S the arm could read'"!,

~t buildS hissb'uduf'@s \'~ith a part·vol!lJ'lteet clrew. whi:::h tlOC ludes everyo."'Ie from a master ~wcMect to a pc rson p<l1<3 Ij zoo ezoe pt ror tl"K! fingcrttips. M ecerne S up witha drawing. and rhen h€ and hisexpet\iencEld

c reIN' try to rum it intro rea lity. "There are 00, m (stakes:' says Best. "Irs impottant. tOJne to,empower ot:hf.ir people tovlQrik \,.,jth the materia l" He has worked with ti'IOuSllll"tdsof vQIUflIreers OIer the yea!'!>.

ll"M:! lHayesGt@M TEl! mple took 30 people t; "ee dalYS to bLJllcl, Stil~, deSP~lte t1hc intricacy of tl'lof! d:es,~gn ~ t~ shal~ involved. u~ PiOC'MS is ootil'ling eott1l,Clli· ceted . .i4.crording to Be::st. "It's realcaW!man sh.tff:'

- .A~1W,CI'I O'Rcill'y

»[).a.v!d Besl Ha.)I'e5 '(;ir'oon Project; ~c~;-o;: .ca1sO'g/ d~'1d toesl F11'T11

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PO\Ner Pack

Filully, you can recharge yo,1!Jf iP'oo with em bars, letteriD" In their basement shop full of mdls al'ld

'When the military needid tiD redhar:ge batteries 00 tathes, tJ1IE! two add€!d spril1tgs to susp@ndtil€! cargo

tI"K! nrllO~, t~y turned to IUnivel'si~y of P'Mnsy I",:an ia prof!!flsSO( tn rl'Y R'ome, an ,~pert in ft'ILJscle Po.W(';( ,and, it tu rns out. a capab le il1¥ei,tOI', Hi s 'solution: the \i'.Ork:l 'sfirst Qlectricity-gIH'H:!r:atting backpa::k.,

Rome, who studies fish museles.says ~che idea struck h', , in a l\Iavy mcf!ting. U.S. troeps were tu,gging 8:0·pa.uI'ld packs, inclluding.20 pounds, '01 battel'wes for hi,gh-tern gadg,ets. Tile brass wanted to use muscle POWCf to genel'a~e eleetrje po\,;cr" but the bes~ existing ~echnology was SllOe genel'atOJ:s, str.aighto!Jt (j,fGci SlrMl'rt.

"I sai,d. 'Tl\ars a ~el'rible idea.'" reealts Ro:m.e. '"The force of the heel strilo;:e is only over a coopl!e milltinu!~crs.Thc right way becamecbvicus: wiMlh1 ,eW:fystifi!P', toese gu ys are lifting 80 pounds 5 to 7 -centlmeters - that's potentially 3,6 \!Ii:1ltts of n'iecl\ar'lic:a~1 energy."

Toturn his bramstorm jntohardware,Ro:me grabl)ocl an <lId 0< t€!rnal·fr,ll1i1e oo:;:~ck tiro:mcoll~g(l days and cailed hi;; Itab's "very fine IlHI:::hin.i'st" Fr@d

cOO1~l1tll1el1t hom U'M'! P'3:,,:k flfam~" As the wearer's stride raisesaee I,owers, t:he pack. tM lead sli~s up and down, dri'Jing verteal rods to. spin a geared DC sereornetor up to 5,000 rpm to gcneratc',clcdrlcity.

W~<h a 40·80 POllOO load. Rome's pack generates 'watts. plenty of ju~::e to :simui taneous Iy pOVi/cr a tw:o,·way rootio. G.PS .'c'Cewet. 2100 night \l'i5101"1 goggles (Of cellplhone, PDA, digitall camera and iIPOOi). The llead can De lockedfO:r stabili ty ,00 Sketd'lil/" terrain, and then u nlocked to generate power a~ii1l.

U rti'l~ t,ely, too gMer;ator ~ck ,w,atent ~nding) \'lill Vif!'ligh just a <:oupl~ IPC.Ut'ldS mar€: tl)3ln ,3 l'egu:l::II' backpack. Call'ying it bum:!?>;!! % ma.r€! en.efgj. but \>:ICZJ Fe rssa)l' it's more comforta bl c. and tJ"te ex tra work costs on~:I a couple of extra candy bars. ("Food ls 10(1 tinll@'S !l'IO(e efficient that) batteries,") Green 'bonus: tile tcchnolQg}I could keep tons of tON.IC

batterjesout or landtills. '-Keith Hamtnooo

Flying Fruitcake

Ba·ak £11:$. far as ,400 Be. catapult!s were used to hurl titte vilest of projectiles: rOOks. arroI.!/S" cow maoor~. dise~'s·ed horse carcasses, bar'l'aW's of ~nomOiJS sn.akes. wasps' nests. the se'~(ed heads of captur:e<li soldier:s.But perhaps the most notorious missile ot all may be." the Imitcnke. At least that's wl'tllt tnc citizenry of Manitou Springs, Co:b" seems to think.

EaCh,JallI.UVY. Manitou Sprij~s re sidents, gather fOI' U'K! e iI:>/s tlMWl I'FI'uitcake loss. TM town's bes~: and br ightest cembine the.ir initialtive and till'lk.efi:ngabilit'l; to buila.31'1 ~rl'l!iV of m·eCharr.icall and pl"lculmatic'pow:ernd ·contrivaf'lCes ~ iocl1Jd irrg alr ca,nnons. ca:ta~ulls, and~rebuchets - aU 00 signed with one U'iOught b~ mitrd: to hufl Ufi'l'/anted frui~,cal<~s outot town.

10.)1' desiignll'r Dave M eye rs is tile architc.ctol' the M .. 63 Frl.llitca~e Relll0i@j",. It's an indu striat-grade, sliflgshot-s~ Ie catapu It POW€lfed by the ample p;>wr'lhal energy stored litl36 fef!t ·of owre;dooded %linch surgical ru tober tubing .. The m3chir.e has a yoke mo fe{l~ aeress, and two large l11€!n <lIre n:!'Cju ired to cock the spring, TIn! trigger is similar to al sa ilp lane

hitch (ellea'SC!,Sl'li Iplanil'llg be'ing aoo1her of Meyl!rs' interests,

M eyers buil~ ~:his, n~c'hiM laJl"g~.and stroo,g beeeusett has a bigjoo todQ. see, fliUiteake!! are hard lo get rid of .Tbe specific density of ffui~calke is equ Irlla;ient to mahogarny. I t's the one gift that th12 U.S. Postal S€I'vi·oo has not foo net ,(J wJo" to daln~e in transit.And l/'Dusi:mp,IV cal\1lOt Hush a fl'ul~calkc, HeITU. tiI'ie M·63.

"W'illen I started, I essentially began doodling in Au1oCA.lD," says MeltCr's. "Iltt<!ida visioni'fll my head fOf aslingshotaoo this design just sort ·of devel· oiled as II stared at 1l1':Y computer sa::een;'

Of'l@'yea;', roo M·63lallf'I.Cl'Ied mete thatl300

feet. SOO'Ie of the larger air cannons present at the fruitcake Toss, hurl even farther. As fhlitcakc -slinging techn.ology improves, too bar (and tihor! fruritcal<i€!) gets e've!" h i,ghe r.

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LoCost Soorts Car

Now midli1e crises don't have to Of! quite as exp:en· !O.ive. Ron Ohampiorfs cultclassic. (3uiJd Your OilJl'l' S~b: car foras .liUte.as£2.5:0,ihoas spawned a host .of clubs devoted to doing ju~t that SImg1'ltly mCN'~ complceted tha'o yGUi"' traditional kit caf,~he LoCost is assembled cnttirl:!l'y fram :scoondhand parts and raw materials (m€!~'al bar.a luminum shooting), aocl r:cq,u ires quite a biter \'feldIJ'lg.

You also r'K!t!d a oonc.r car .. ""BtJsli:ally lfOU. I"'ie"ed an engiM, a gearbox, and ·either a live rear aele oran ,entil'e ir"tdeper'idCflt Ileal' .axle· unit - ~he rest iSIfl'i:'l:oe LIP:' says Ad. rn S"ttcI:iUcild·Joncs, ofBI'itain's, I..QCost C.alrCI!JLb, Thechassls ooS'ign is gMer~III!I' built (fOIl') Champion's ,j)(ligiftJal drawings., bw r e~n

,3 casual look. at the images postedon el1ttihusials~s" ",€!b:s~t.esmnkes i~C~.aftihat there's a ra~e of vchicl~s -, Same bu ild food cars, for too:nl,galfOl.!loo the .countrySide', aoo others eoocentrate ~he'ir eoorgy'on rae ing cars .. Ail the ears sefUTl to be a loooto~ love.

Infa:::t LoCostcar buildlifilg bacamesopoputar that in 19i5!9 the toecst .F"ommla raO(! was starte-d, rw"lby tl'H:! 750 Mo~or Club, \'JjU~hght construcfion

r~lati1JliTs to make 'Slife t.h.!lrl the WilidlefS are not just the ones with tIw! ooepe5~ pockets.tntact. the rCo!Jf"'ICters in~t:'!ooed it to be a \'13"1 toe,ncQjJrag>e y.a.tln;ger drivers and Ibuilder.s. and entfiesinoclude cars submrtttdby col le:gesand groups as well as ~hrif ty in divlid:ua Is.

According ~o 0f"'I0€l \Mi;!bsite, a car has be-eobuill: for as little as £4·1.50. bu ~ Streatfeil:d -Joaes .adll1lits that "1'ItIOSt builders want theil' car to look good, a!l'KiI thus they g:o for expensi1te paint jobs, nice wheels, and

so on." E:ve I'll with a II the h'immlings. it's still a fat elY from Ule cash needed to bu.y a sports car hot off the assembly Inne. So don't let thalt $35tl b~m ~ hole· in your po.c~et,

-Arwen o 'ReiDy

Throughout histOFy. music !\as playw.an imlp<>rtallt role in eur social. political .. an.d reltgiou5 fi~uals.lt·s b2en u sed to ex press U~ most ·e lu sjl,l{! of e motioos aoositu.attons: IlovlE! .aM loss. cortql!llMt aoo opprt':ssion, jo,} and mourning. You name it theile's a piece o.r mus lc [fiat will fiit i~. And now. th~ muslc can tilt )IOu ~ Alyce SOlnlOfO hascreated a seril!!S or products. that a~lowllolJ to wear your music and listen to your cloblTtes.

As <J chilld, Santoro woold watch the telll tales, rn~defr'OfI'i Cia sse He teee. of her' fi:'llmilj':s sailboot. and il:na,gine t' em playing tl1eir SOI1!g to the br.oeze. uter,sl"K!' learoed abnut Tibetan pra.)ler flags. wnesesacred rnantras are fel·ease-a by

the "'loci and carried out into. tiheworld. The 1:\'10. seemed to fit togctlh!Cl".

Us ing cassette tape recorded \'/i~h music and oouf'!ds significal'lt in her life. the N@.'1'lbrk..(b.a:sed artist 'started making laNlic. Sl'rte l\iid p~lattfled ~o producfl€OOO;ghmalerial to make only a fm"pmy.erflags, but when hqr friGrids saw hell" knittil"'!g (lInd crocheting

tape. ~hell too beeame mspirf!d. With the <ld~ input the Pficj oct took 0111 a lif€!. or lives. of its own.

Hg.J'fl'i~nds,suggesmd various tochniClIJe5 of ~al'l'iftlg and d€<:{)f.a~iftg the e loth. but fl'li€'oo J<)€ Ba~~ 111300 one of the most :significant coo1"ributions. He suggcstl:!ditil"te),l' might be able to listen to ~hc tape. Until tihen. the mesic was purely symbolic_ Sure, Sa.ntoJ'o knew i~:was there and what it represented to II"tet. but hc!r'cr'eatiOI'ls. remained silent to.otliiel's ..

"Ilt naoo·t occurred to me that it Illlght achmlly be j)os!!>ible to. h·car ttICm."she :S3yS. ':And SIJIt! ·enou.gi'l. by slrrl'lplll reti'ofittiog an ol~dWalkl1'IDn by IT1OOIfl~i.ng tile·liIe.1d on the·Oy ts~d~. Ball am-ait·adthrl, fiks~ Sonic:

Fabric ~adingapparatllls:'

Santoro even crafte<l a dress for Jon Fi:;Mhlil, drumm!:lll from the band Pl1ish. TIle Sonic rabri,c was wafUl. LJsing ~'ap€!culled fr:OOl Fistumm's,(!xtensive ·collection, and t'hedress was >'played" ens t.llige in Las Ve.g;iis. IJ S!ng 'specially Gesigl"led ~a.pe-head glove's during a 2004 Phi.s.h sl'\()l,v in.

-Josie Moor~s

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Spatial Education

Video game composers have to be cratty, beeau se ,e.ve:PJ pFOj!:!d: ii:S, a new wotld with nevi rules. George '"the Fat IlAlan" San,g<!t. who's boon at the tQP o~ ~he ,cfaft si~ U'le M.attellntell~ill,is,iOtll (Ut~e-d the Earth., is craftyi~d. HishomeolZlde Leslie speaker _, which he hrst bu~lt out of ,n pWlCtured paint em1 and record playel" _ taps a pe lyethyIe I"II€! drainage 001 ice to get a SWind he describes as "one of the mos~:Ofgan~:c, sptlcious, andbcautiful1l'H!m lis."

Inven~f!d by Don Leslie (1911-20:Q4), the Leslie l'ot:a~iI'tg speakef defif!tCd the SOUl'ltd of tlr.e HMirtiOM organ, beC'ornirag a staple or rock. jazz .. gospel. cou.n· t!)' .and pop music. It'sfreQuMUy used on gu,i tal's as well. As l1'II~' :s:pooker spit!!:! tOWill'd andlJway frOO1I ttl@. listerlel'.1:he DDpplereffect altelfS ~he sound's pitch

,a nd tim bre, prodoc if1(g a rich 11 iibrato" AncI rAe, Wail the p:lojeded so I nd S\'Ieeps around t'l"l@ room'? '''Man, that is good medicine' lortl)@ oo.ut'"saysSa.~(.

Tomalke his de:sktop Leslie. Sangeruserla p'ragesale t!!Jmtable ($05), a 4.xl'rootwire s."h,el~ ($4), and,a doubl,e-oo!t~tcatoh basin (S7},.He bhfl,lladdoo plastic cups to@xteildaoofocus till:!- sou 001,. Inserting Ell

CO·R: spil')dl~ b.a:ded wiU'I tJiW42.mteddiiscs litltOthe basin's bottom proviood a :soUd base and allow@d the (;IU,PS to c le~1" U..e ~one arm.

By il1<:(~!:iing U'le diam~t~r (lithe mt.()(, the (UPS also heig:hk-n 1"Ii'fe Doppler effect. because t1'1e output ports t:r2Jvelfastcr. Sa11lger leund toot one root is the optimal diameter at standard t mtable speeds. The 2JilflP he used ls a Vox Brian May Speciall (abou~: $149 ITteVJ). whid1 ha's, a big sound ,andl a sealf!d back, mak,iog it very diredionat ltseootrols are 00 ttTte top ~eat. wh it 1'1 J):ut s th etn in pe rfee I: opetating POSitioilwl1t!n the 3lTIifP is ~a.oo ,oo\,m.

N~t up: S:snger i's, curnmtli)! plotting how to make a L~lli€! spook,€!l'out of al,ceilif1g fan.

.!lIHear audio eJ.amplE:Si .!it 'T'la.ez ne comlC5I'l"Iad!:.

Huggable -ree

Miaking something oot of T-shirt materia: CI'III'II mean diHflremt t hirrgs to diffe~{!nt :p@ople., Fa,' fhaI"IC!tleonholllnd Shawmunal,it ml':!an~ designing

Po I'se ~Mtth (PI/I). a "ha~py tittl~ 'bor' f j lIi!d wi:th "stuffing and love. Mostly stuffing:'

thil'"r,g,. but I think we nailed it."

The two haW! worked ~ogetfK!i' in th·{! pas~ and h~d ,,9 blast. so when PhOlV!·ticontml found out abou ~ ~he 00 ntoes:t,.he immMiately thought o,f WQ,rking wi~:h Shalwnimal to create a plush, Once

nile btJ,g'~lICd, blue co [labQ(a~' ion \II.lIi:!;, created as it was clCca~:ed, the duo decided that IPu tse Width

an entry in I Lo.ve Your T'Shir t's (iloom),Kl rts.hirt. needed to ge ~ aill"ooroe. Aft·er a lit ~Ie old· fashioned

. co rn) com pe (. ition for SOI1:1cthi.l1g made out o~ T· sl'iil't material, Named tine!' a hH'm US&-a in antilog synthes!z~rs, Pu lse Width \'la's designed in two dim·er'lsioos by tile ,pi.zza·IOVil'lig EriC BjI'ocrs (PI'IO' neticontrol), an illustrator ,and] (j.esiglV!1". "Wtl both needed to change ,OUf il'hillk.ing .3liMtle to bring him to life:' sreers sass, "It W8'S an int{!((!sting chall· Iel1ge.1 Oe:signed the PIN. end Shawl1imal sou Ipted the crap Ollt ·of it."

Sha~m Smit h (:5 hawftimal" ai I1'lU Iti·tale nted artist who paints .sculets. draws. 8100 creates plusn erea lures. 'brought: Ul.e vision in to the third dimension. "The cila!lIenge was ge~:tii~Eric"s s~y.l.e to come through in plush for:rn:' ~ explains, "SOlYl.eoo\'1, ma~jbe the planets al.lgl'W!d or some-

t·o,ssing mto the alr mld rapld-fire photogi'a!Phy, PW was caphJI'ed ai'liJOfl'le all film above Logan SQuare' in Chi'cago. where they bol:ih H'i(~.

Smith, whO 'sells both big a I'ld pocl!t;e~·sizc ~luSh ("I)e,cau·se small equalls cute"), ends 00 a philo· s,ophic-a II"lOt·e: "Ill II lean S<ly.a bou t F\I lisa Width is fl1.ll'r'l:P'l .. huggat>le robots rule."

»VIe'I:t pflo~05: :I!'1Ci''lelloo'l' '01 CC''TI shaW!VrIa!5 co'l"l,lpro,;e<:is tiJ'l:l sloo.1&6rn:i .com

Brucel 'Sterling

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I

IVIAKU G A

OBllE

STRYING POISED AT ririE FF'RTIILE EDGE OF CHRIOS

- --- - . -_ ... _---_ ------ _ .. _ .... _ .. _--_- '--,._' _ .. _- .' _- ... - .. _ Po

VVHllLE THE ClOCI( TICKS.

II'M IN ~E~mENCYAl" AIR!GIENH:~ C?LLEGE

II of IDeslgn 1111 Pasa,dcna" Calif." and ~t dldln t m:k~ _ me '~ong to figure ,out that most €,;I@r~ody here ma kes 'stufli.

F!C/'@ a~ design :schoot it's a dl!l'ho-ot-diii situatioo.

Foriinstance, e'J@l"'jbod'j inm~ "IEoolog'J o~Thil'lS'" class is busily nUlkirr,s dernosaod ptotoDJpes, for highly di.s('ributcd, €,l1iIbfddabllil compu~er chips, These mlcreehlps are supplied to thes~U,.(ie,,,ts. courtesy ofthe' ~seafCh arid design wing or Sun Miarcsystf!ms.

Sil'"lce I'm an a,uthtorandi Mvespcn~ m)! entire career blabbing Iidecidedmydeslfrl s~uoonts,woulj 'su~1lf benem: by se1'!ing en:'! 'bd~lcI something myself.

The, Pl"OSpoct of ubiquitous, ad'tooc'e:d. natv,a'kt'd. pe.IVasive, teM'3y', radio-freQlmetlO)'. spooky. ac~bnat-a-d lstaoee, i,41tetnet'oHhings- ish .. Jalva,sv43pping, m.oto:rizabh'!chips is not jll:st: blllk),. bu~: a.liltUe dai!Jn~hg:, Luckily', t~m's ,a11f1e,ady a ~W~(!t. artsy, famHiar. aoo h~lgrlly pcpular Itel'Sion of a w{)J'tking "ecology of ~"hii1g;s:' It's from U)(!, JYre-digitall age, It's caned a "rnebilc"

Alle:<ander Cal:der (1898-1976). tnat Modernist artist wifih:a mechanical engineel"lll1g degree, lJwentcd the mobile-in the early 1,9305. TI'iIe n'latefwalls lot mobiles - steel! wire, scrap aluminum, and paint - are cheap and easy to flitld. A. v il'ltage Calldcr Jnobile goes for u pwaiU:s ot ha.lf a million bucks at: art auetlcns now, but Sandy Calder used to 00 ~ble to, whip ~ out if) a ,day. So i'l{)w t,01Jg'h could it ee to. just make one?

Equ,ippcd with rum::bNarc-stor£!wire and cI~a:p Cflinese hand tools from thelooall Targ,et store, II .SOOl"! d~oo\!&'ed that ilt's. in fact, dead oo~)' to make a 'lli'Idbil[!_ A mabil:e is simply a cascade of levers. a multileve,l, f!nergy-troptiic ,ecQlogy of levered elements, if yOy willi. The key to success is the fela~iDn5hip bl!(wt!@n elements. If the links are

made too tigtlt alnd rig.id. thf!n~h€ rnobilll has a lifeless. c:!ockwoffi. phony feci. much !like a Soviet b IJreaucracli. I f the Ii Ilks, am too teosa itll€!n. i ~ gets all·c,orrupt and hcrikY-~f!r'ky: Iits .extreme rringes start clattering around .Ir'i v iol,el'l1. inc om pctcn 00 . n'iud' like too Bush ad'mil"lJistr8ltioo.

A successful mobile .a,rtfuHy,combincs central con tm~1 and local in~~:ia tive, artfully pa isad at n"te fertile ,edge! 0 f chaos. Ideally. t~ ~hing sllmulld OOI'lCQ.

My ~'IfIIl"lOde1 rnobil~ (arfb:!f Il"I£Jr'ti'J returns to, the drawing board) dances just fine now. IJnfo~tun<ltelli. since II lack physical skill at .artfully worki.l\1i! steel wire.

"A vintage 'Calder

mobile goes for upwards of half a million bucks but Sandy Callder used to be able to whip one out ina day."

it's ug.I)I:it lool:ls like it was dropped etr a ten.·story build irlg. That doesn't ms tter, though sioce the O(igina~ r'l'loo@1. made trem paper plates. was mCJ\!Iy the W"oflllin,g plfototypf! for a far more £lmibihous effMt.lMy coolp~~et&d mobile lssupposed to hail!!!

a Rlot,()I' on boor'd., and an embE!dded miel'ochip to as:slli'e'interaction w,ith passing bumans . It's go~rrg to be about 40 feet across ..

This entaii (s scaling 'P my model by a factor of teo. Scaling up oh,31)s by a fa:::t(ll( or ten lisa rather noolitll:~a c cHort. The5'.'ilf!ct aoo subtle balancing rorees t'/ithin fll'J tiny mobile ma,quetteare packl~ng some serloes heft now. In my 111 issp{!nt lIOOth,

I used to S'tre~cl'l barbed \~ireaoostting Texan caUIt!

[ences. E\I{!f"yonce in:J while. IJnder IPUlIIe'j tension. a S~iarl(j would pop a 1"Idlash tl"l!{!. wk:kedlill' eager to scar a ndlor blind, Th!l!l'l yoy'd learn instantly ~h:at barbed ""ir'€! isa t(lrftUr'e device with extensive mili~'a~l applications.

As I. wrcstlewith my wobbling polyvinyll pip€!s and cb:llgl'iog chu rlks ,olillUJ str:atio:n bOOlfd, that early les son is retu 111ing with redoubled force. I: nowlimll.y and lu lIy undr!li'stand tm'E!wisdool of a good design-schooleducatien, You cain lie to the boaI'd ·of direttots, bu t 11,611k:s .. you jiJ s~ can'~ Ilit to steel wil'l!.

I'd ~love to rattle on abCltlrt this subject, because the mafll), weir:d. sexy awlli:::attiol\S lOti' digitally ",tel' a:tive mobiles are so intensely oovel is ti:c aed sciellCc-fidiom I. B.ut I've got a deadline and a budget to meet The clock is tic!J:il'!lg atrKll'rn runniog()ut o~ casnl'm 123(n i!)ga lot rea II III fast So I'd Ilike to keeiP talking here,'but. well, I got~a go ..

ISru.::e· Ste'lt!1rg {!Y.x.~ ~n COil) IS a scien::e I1cliIDn ", ...... 1 aand, iE'1;-' me design '~ofes!iO!.

~' ... ~ 21

A Q&A with the inventor of a piratescaring noisemaker. a helicopter for every garage, and a way to hack gravity itself.

INTIEIRVIE:W SV\'llrlllllAM LlIDWELL PH 010 GRA PHY BY .[ N NY PFE IFFER

Woody Norris is standing 50 feet .away [110m me, pointing a rnenacing-lookingsci-f contraptionat my head. VVeire

in the back lot of his American Technology Corporation in San Diego, Calif. \l\Ioody's device is called the LR~AD (for long Range Acoustic Device)" lit looks something like a big spotligh , the rnam difference bei ng that it projects sou nd instead of hght. \Noody yells to me, h\Ne are

going to start ~vith some music. This lis really cool!"

HI!'! f!ddlflswith H1f~oontro!1s and loo3r classical mu'sic as ck!<1I( as iifl were nex!l: to thespe<aJ.ler.1 SlTl1ile and nod back. Woody grabs a mi:rophone and speaks throogh the LRAIO. "'Now I'U play some pre- recorded COmR'1 a I'Kis 00 ing used by our tro~s, in I~fa'f I can hoot him cmearlll. I begin to hear a series or commands like "'Hi)I~" 01100 "Put l{'OI!JIf arms O'l.i'er l/OU r head" quid!jl follov$ed by theil- AI~Ih::,e"Qur"'<1Ilents. Again. I noo.1l'iCriI sec Wood;! and his prototyping guru, Jeff Belkal, chat· ti~ baYk and foM. nc.ddiog. aoo smiling. Thfl)/ sre 1.1 p, te soft'l€::thing. WOMy loollIs my di~ectiioo end 211111 see is a big set of' teeth slowtJ revealed bJI' <II widenl'lg: srni .. II2' .•

He turns, a control ,on the LRAO and .!II lSOdb silli!i'l.scr€!.am:s out or the QeV,tOO ~ m~ hands, instinc:ti!l'ely :shoot up to covel' my ears. ll'lcsiren is. 'so lou d I can't think or do anythhg. I 031111 paralyzed. 'The siren lasts fot 00 Iy a cooplr! of'seoo:nds b2rore WCIOdy turns i.t down. I start to, put m)' hands down and he Cf,jJnkS lit, My hands sl1Qot 'bad< up aoo I stand ther(! at his mel'e'y. we: do this dance a few times until YIfood)! is cOl1\I'ioced that I get ilt. The lRAD lis coo!1 tochool~gy. It has alllll'lall'\l:"leraf communication. crowd oontr:ol, and atoos~it weapon pot(!ntillii. 8efOlrI!! I can clear my he!id . .aoo co:nvert my ~hot.!tgnts to wotds. lWoOOy s~art'S In from rOth LRA10 .3 gil in. '"It is (lOO1! I~ ls coo~t I shoot He groJes me all ap,pllov~ng look and motions me in "Yeah, coer' he says. "Now we can ~.~llOe,"

A Il:!centwinner of the I.tme[s;oo,·MIT Aw:a(d f()( I nNe nti 0fII and Milder of mere thall40 patents. 1fYOO<tjl Illorris is the eta Slsi c Anulriealn Stlcc€: ss s~ory. Born ,of modest means an.d la!rgely selfe.1\i.i.c.ated, Woody is thoe fOllnde; o~ a number of OOoifrlPill"lies, basea oJ''1 his il'i1ltll1ltiiOftS, ranging fl'o;'n personal flying aircraft to a v8J"iety of rewlLltion' 31'V aeeustie tcCMolog:ies. As ir'IVi!l'Itors.g:o, he is a r ai"e breed that ,enjoys sell illg as IfrlUlci1al S i~ntin,g - an unusual b~I"td or P.T. B3rnum.and "~r'fIas Edison.

1No00y's worll~hopiswitihine'~shot of l'1is hu.gc andopu I~nt home on an adj<lccn~ hilllto;p. As we go. inside. my eyes. ali! immediately dr.nm to the notes aod diagr.allls Of! his whiteboolrd. Intri,gt.li~ termslil<e "p~sITila anteti1\a" aoo '''optical cobweb" filii tile beard On Mile workbench,

I spot some '¥ery str.ang~·looking spea'ktHS, ~ gas elVomatogtaph,. and elrea it boord~ that I'Ioe appears to be rel/l!!rse enginnlling. S.ef!ing U'lis am~y of gadgdr-j leads to Il1li' tiirst qu esl:Jlon •..

M~1Cjt did you djscoll6r~'fla~yOl!lI~8nt!3d to 00 an IhwmtOJ'?

My ."ha.1e life I haW! been dtagged aIDng by circumsta nee, :1 became an inventor b)f accident, Aroul"rd 1960.1 \v.'3sfe:ad~a mag;ro!in@ that !Mad

an artic:le a.bout a new kind.of e,lectl'ic shaver that ionized of[' your whj,s'k;@is ~ it had dr:awing~ aoo I!~.rything. The article mtrigucdmc.·The rudher I read, the mOlf€! ireredulous I be-came. andi sure f!j)OO~, at the end i~ sa id, "April fooL"'IHere is too pattth,at e I'ia rrgoo th@, re-:st of my II ife. 'To the sid f! of I.hearticle,thel'llwasa small oox.ooNined in black: ar'Id titled, "Editor's Nott,t!:. Subll'lissioo$ Wanred:'

It W<lS a contest announce ment linvi,ti I'lg readers to write i"'Iru(t ~ar·sarti:;:I!:!.ll1oe- w,illOOrwoolld rt?oo·iW'! $250. I was 001 '1linaki I'lgaboot' $40 O.a ll'IOt:ith

at the biln[!, so that was a lot of mon@)( to me. I dropped what I was doing, dreamed up a lI'I,ew ime ntli:m. and 'Ic'lr:ote the.ar ~cl~e.

rlAy inventi·oo, Idea was a fC!'O:lfd player tOl"K!' atlTill:nat lil'maoe a stral,ght I~IW a,cross t:I'!e r coord instead of pirating at an arc. Since that is Iilow lheycut records, it seemed reasll"lable-to Ine~hat a straight-line playba,ek arm would be superior.

I Wll So l.itf!r~lI.Y in the process of Ilicking the enve[ICij)~ to submit my artiele when I stOIP~ 111f:/self.1 decided tlhat I shou I'd calli oomE! hHi stores pretending that thlswas the· real deal and S{!~ .ut thej \vould oolieve it - (h(j thought being liI\a.t dirt oouldfool them. then it could de fih,irely fool tile l'eaael'S of thE! I.naga.zioo .. So. I called !!lIP every retailer in til:! Sealttleareal and not only did they believe it, tJi'lcy we~ l!Xti,red about it. At tMt poi nt, I dit!c:: .idI~oo I better bu il d the thing:ins:tead of su bmiU,ing ~he ar~icle. And ithat set ml!:: on tl),e· path tOil'lV>entingtli'l.ings.

Of your m2U1Y j~M'Ol'lIfjo.ns. ~ am most intflig;ooo by tJl6 HYPllrSOIlic Soofld t€choo.bgy_ tbw doog i~ 11'I()rk ?

HyperSooic S,QUl'Id is R'!yl:all'ldnlall'k ii'l\l\entkm,lt allows you to PfOject OOoUt'ld like a V€!l"j focused beam of light. With a notnHl1 speaker. sound 'Pl'o;pa,gams oull\vard as Wil'/es in tli'K! air. If I

p()int a normal speaker ,<JIi.v<Jy from you. yoo still can hear the' sOund. With a HYp€!rSoriic Soooo sp~.ahr, if I,point ~1\£' sp~.aker away fr:otrl you .. you \c'lon'~ hetJlr anyll1ing,. HI)I;Y does i~' wonk? !Ultra," sonic keql.leocics are 'very directionall bec'al.lSl! ti1€!i1wavel5!ngths<'lm so short - the highet'tlle rr'€!quencll'. tthlrllli!ore Ilik@a beaR'! they bDCOO1@, So I ~iguJi'ed out al \',/fJy to ioc rca Sf! tht ~ r{t{JJt'. r"lCy ofi standard au,dio content to utt:rasoni:: Ie-Icls. lif yau do this in a particular way.~:hc u[ltra,soo)c; signal demodt!J!'altes, in the air and rul'rn;: into audible SOIiJOO~. So illSt<!a.dof enn,l'tting atJldlbie 'sound from a singhi soutce like a slp.eak(!if. ti'lc soooo is aduallv made ln the air at an infinite number or points along lhis ultmso.nic CO~IUI1rUl.lt·slil«! having a biWo:n little speakers lined I1pandi pointing il'l the S4lil1e d!f~ti:}n. Itisve.ry <x>o1-like ~,gi¢,

I ~rgely irnlMt by ,analogy. I find things tlllabre sueo(!S:sful in 0i"'lC ctI'oJl roruYilenta 001 tMn Mhiilk about paJ'a He ils un o~.hW' mvi ror'llnents wnel'i:! p~Oplii nave not yet discovered or ex plo.ited the oo.noopt !For e:o!3mple.1 eeme u p'wi~h U'K! ideal !QJ' H!lperSon it Solilndby' aoo~.II\!I9s\!j'.atchirgmli!!\!is!Ol'lo:r'l£ da!l' and I noticed thai; the b,gQ oolhe TV ~d three ool[)fs~ f{ld. green.and blue. T~ alt! thE! colors that ar:e 'squirting onto the ooreellfrom thelbao1< of the pj:dliJlr tub£! flrolTilwhim millioos,of oolors.are a:eal1:ed. By millli ng just a f@.:!l celors , you ca'Ogli!·~. l11l1lli,a"ISof eelors.l thou,ght to ll1yse,jff that this was p.t(!tty cool!. A:nd ~I tl'tOLlg)ht oooot e I!'!ctronl,c CifCllJ its. whe!'e there are COOl pOol"le I'l ts called mlxers H\at aillowyou 10 Inix 2Icoople of f t'Cq~eneies tog:ethcrw get n€'Iy.ones. So.itoccliIJ'lf!dto rtlethalt iFyoo (;,lIn mixenergy ~lI:i~11y and eltK:trtmi,cally" why (:1ouldt'l't yOlJ Il'Ilix soo.fld enel'g'J in a similar My? Then I sta itooth in'kil'lgOl boot rille pess ibinty of m.ixingsouoo t.hat is .inaudibl~ to, j)C"opl€! - in this case, uitras,trlic soond - in a WB'} ~halt\,'Jf)ul~d I~slllit in,3l.tdible ffeq~ies..AlJld that is,whele the· liyperSonic SOOI'"I(!~ idea eame frotn. ,Ii s,olvea toe artifk::ial h~,p, iptOblem in a similar "'8:j.

WhIH'I solTlKlll1€!gets an a rtilicim!1 hip. it Gan fall out of sodket qulite easily. It takes mally mooth& of cooscioos (!~fort for patient£. to leaiFf' oow 00 00 thil1gS in a wall tMt prevents ~he artificial

hip from diS{l1l"!g3g~og, When o~ disengages. it is very pn.inful and cesjs t.housands of dollars to reset, Anyway. I \MaS apP1'oocl'HxlI by.a groopo~ doctors ,"11.0 wanted a wa"} to detect woo n an artificiall1ip startedto Sf!paralteand thM sod

off ,anaiarm.In it!is way. poop~~ecould stopwllat l:ihey W@I'(! doi~ and mllS@ up, the,ir muscles fi:o preoJ(!l1t ~tIoc Ihlp ~tom. disengaging . .Addlitionally. the}! did n' t want .any ;l:ctil'oJt! e I~ectroni es or POw€! r som-ces to bJ!! inside ttl€! bOO~'.

Now. <111'00 I"Id the tim:e they coota e bid 11W. I had been pla;ying :3 roo nd with <'l guitar. 1 notioed' that when eoe sb'in:g \'13,:$, tuaed to UM!' samenote as another string, pluck ing one 'Vibrated toom bQth. Tlhj:s is S'IIO'1l)'.altJ~tic lj,ibr,.atiCfli. So I stal'too ti'lit!ki~ a~,~ the stdng I plucked asa rodiDbransmitter sending outa signal and the reoo.ivu as tJ'le O~hcll string that lis tuned to the same ~r:equenC'j. The sec,one string: did !'!let start v,ibrating, fell' tree ~ it takes energy to get it to mOl/ii' .. It th'121'11 eee uU(!C te me thil~ I 00 I.lII ai l'ii"lake a transmitter that sends ,:') s ignalinto too 00051. and;'- there was a tlhiftg inside the bedy that was tu ned to tIle same fre:qoonoy'. ttlcr n we coo.!d

US€! the cha~e in rl'eQu.cnc),',as,!l, tniggel: So I embeddedl a tesonant elreuit ~ which lis simply a coil of 'l.'lilfe - in ~he a-rtificial hip that was tuned to ~.hoe same frequency as an eJ(itc' 11M I III \'00I1"I, trar'lSmitmr.l~ ~he hip!>lartedseparating, the

1. A'liTIcricOlI1'f:cchm"logy,lNorris' compalllj'. donated several MRAD'·sonl'c lasers"

for Hurtl eane Katrina crowd cO.l'lltre~1 {lnd r~sc!.J!'~ QPct;),ti ~l'Is.

2. Ii. component ,of an i:lrtificia'llhi,p .:Jlal'm, Vll'1il en Vlalr FlS Pi!: ticl1lls Il1Ia't thcltimpll ant is about to dislocate.

3. Ii. HyperSonic SOl.llncil spcOIkcr.

rI"(!QtlI.enc)l. WCU let shiR:. and that shirt woold trig,~I' alii alafffl, sure &'to u,gn. it wOl'ked.

1he Air$l)ooter is.3lbjt of a Glepartulie fl1:NlIIjIOUf ,Otil€f inveillUons. WJ1:3! is tiM sk>ry,behindif?

IIAy busioess partner and I be~n dis.cussiog OO\!,I propla love to fly. So we de<:ided to irwent.!ll Hying ma:chine.11 thenll1lade a li.s~. ().~ all the things I d~dn·t Ilike about airplan.es: I don't like to haoJ€!

to be going 100 mph to. stay in the air. I don'~ lib having te dr'il'le to the airport. dC.1 then made a list of all the thiogs I' didn'tli~ aboat hfllicopters:

I oon·t like howhard tk1 M(! to, fly, I dbtI't ~ilke the oos~ to. get licensed. etc. Then wf!simp~ went abolJt cOO1ling up wlitha' prochx:t Hut met a ll ,of tilCSC Cf'itC!ria.

We knew poople needed ~obe able to takeoff and. 1an1W1Y\!IDel\e'.so we went with a reter-basee craft. The taill rotor on helicopters drains about 20% or the power 'lflithou!t adding lin. so we I'eplaood it with <'.II se«>oo rotor' U\at c~ter· rotates, This elimiMted the wastf!d I)DVRrl'l'ld too .g)j'toscopic cffe'cts. 1j!~c knew tlhe oontrols, had to be ealSi'j to use, so we @lliR1imtec the foot pooalii> ana'lfOke and went with a handlebar. Push. pull.

01' tum it U\C dlit'llcti.oo )tOO want to,gp and you .gD~here.

We knew it had to be [Iow'il'l a intetl'an 00 .. The I'atio(>f fly time to il1ai-'~nanc@ for a helioopt,er is about ~:l. )"hich is I"Il')t 3c{:cpmble ~ ff!os,t people. If we could mal«:: it ligh~ enough" we 00I!I1d e~'imiMtea [lot of the: mtorcomplexitry (and oorl~Spondlin:g maintenance) al"ld ool1ltrollitt through rotorsp€l€ld. Addihooally, ih/€ cooldget the crart I!J ooel' 254 peunes, it 'I:'IolJlld qLlalli~y

as an U'ltrahght and be ex~trnpt fitOO'llioel"ising I;eq,ui~em:ents, So we reduced the we·i,ght, primarii, by inventing.iil new nigJ\"j)owet, lightvJejght" foor·sb;okeengirl€. This allowed 111 s to g€l: .tn1! wei,glh~ ,down and redu{lC! bhe rotor (;Q«l~lexity. Now iii pilot real'! use a simple Nool€!oorth({)t1I€! to. go U Pi a nd oown .. lt ba s tal<,€lf1I IJI s ~-,te r:al yea rs to \i\IOrk. QUIt alii of the k,inks, but for 1)I"Ie pr'fCC eran €Jll!)ensiv:e ear ($47,000). anyOl"le earn now bUll aad sJlfel1 fi:)l' their own Air Scooter out of ~he.jr badlyal'ds,. Pretty cool!

Ri.llmor»as it Uu~t WU81i9 1<;(Qf'HriI'1g OllW1'l8 invetlliMsthat IilvoJW) gt.!:wily. A"ylhlirlg yo,u ca~l sllam?

[I am fortLilnate that I am now in al flinaocial pesitlian that ;!l [l~O\Vs me to P11J:S Ile big P roolem s, So for~he last se1~1:;']1 yoors .. 1 have tried to deliber" ate!l)!" linvent over 111)1 !head .. "/hen I (:anr'~:g:et the answers I need' fOf problems I'm workil"lg 00" I iflind pro~essors. who sp'fCialilz~ in tlle'aril::3S that

[I am warkii'lg on and~n pa.ybMIli! to conduct the research or "'fiite me eapers, Tl'lisa[IIo~'1s me toget·e)l!p~rts in niche afeas to e·'IIah.!late l10y lidcasand tell me if they ate smart or stupid..

$owiththclt context I,et me sa,}! tha~ nobody r@':!I[tly understands gravilb]. \Vhat W~ do. knowi:s th.nit has son'icti'iingw cowith mass. af'Id it is the resu It 'Of something going on i nthe !'lUC leu s of UlIe a~orn.1 ttlil1k 11:100\'1 \,'lhalt thalt "s,oo'letJ,in:g" is. I mightbe' ~hf on'll/Iperson inthc \vorld who knows wh.at U'hat '"something" is.II'loo'!!1 that sounds brazeo, but I belifl'le ifstrrue. I have' i>ef!n working on a variety of <CXp!f!rimf:lnts. over the course of years. to test lny tihoory ln a way that lIields clc·ar. unambiguoLil s resu Its 00 tNlt lit can be indepool" dMt!ly r~,ptoduood ~ I clan'hI/ant a Pans allC [FII@isdlll'loilOO situaltlo:n (SQQ MAK,E". ~JiJltle 01 MA Fu s.ion .RMC tor (or tIle Iilles t dUg. ~ ,page .25),

Ba~d 00 the c!IJIJ'l"ent rate of progress. I am COOfl~Mt that witlhm ten Ytl!Brs we will Ullder~ stand the il1 edlaniSlll1 Qf grall.i't:y .a nd ~ ,abl {! ~o liflfluencc it iI'H.pe<:ific \'Allys.11 ~al~e U\8t If"lOOt scitntii·sl:s Jleading tl!lil:S, willi think I am nuts." bl!!~ I am not ris'riil1ganybocty's mI>lK!YOI' reputa~~oolbu.t 111, own. So i~: I am wrong. no big deal. If I am right. the rc\wJlds fOi'everyone wi[1I be tel·ft~i!:: ..

Read more ofWJ6arn .L-":fl1iells iniBl11'liaw Iwith, ~.!Y Norri& .a'~ md~ezmdClOlfv05/J11 fcrlllOI1J;

Rack s of HyperSOnic SOI.md speakers rea dy to ship .. Customers, Inclwdc mSAcy\'l!'orld

and supermarkets, v/ho, usc thcnrI as "audio s,potlighls."

WhatWolody'ls Wro'u,ght

Norris' key inventions, from audio spottlghts to flying cars.

..

A.irScooter

Meel C£'(!Ilg,e Jetson fOI tile prjc~ of .a rnldIrogE' ~pollS ~ar. Tlus l_'fln'IQ~O'I', 25011). ,hel.ic.(!lpter can take olr from yool' backya:1'd and fly up tOll(1) iilule5 alld ~lO.ot)IC) feeti a,.~ Ihlghway sp.eoos. NoffiS says Iti'S as easyas ridJ!lg an otOl'cy~le,

Hlyper$"cmi:,c SOIJ rid System

The,rllf,st fnaJQI' !;fieaktl'ifowgll im:! ,aooUS,lICS sir;lC"e tile IloudsIlOOJr:f!1' \ as liven ted so ye.a,i'S ago. IIiIYlIlerSorue Scnmdls,pfakers 5,end out ·t\_ 0 dlfr~!'IUll wllrasonK signal:;, 1I'''1~ !lll~y IlI!j~f8t U~!r Jntendred!W5tifb'!ltiO'f! (a!1¥ object '(!tlnn 3,00 fe~O. limy «t!llhine til) rOml t'1!J!!l!ble ~OU!!IlI,

\"

lOFilg R,ange Aco'lIJIst:ilc Devi ce

Rela,edl to, IiISS. the LR'AD 'co project ,audJ:oin iB tlg,hUy Iroeused :stOundllb,ellm oy,e-,f 5'00 YaJ'!1Is alt llilsafle vol:iumes" Cood If'Of any sl,hJaUon l'\~iJll-l"g I ong .. (l.is,tI'lrttC'e> tC'Orm;ni:lll~.atlon. WitJn to, dl.is:pel's,e III drunk.en fu)1 a'ner ,ill r,o,otbal:1 g,an e?P'o,lnm one, or th:ese ,a,~ the mob, l!I'il.nk It to l'50db. and watch HleJTl s,catle r. NOllis'L,RJIID _'1m! Iwefltly used by the'c:r:ew (If <Ii Cfl!!!~ ship In Africa to s,careoll pirates trying to tH)3m U)e \le5~'1.

IHless t'llall~ 1,4, 111icil: III ml IA 'ounce, t,l'lis hili)' flM radio c-aUlghi the att,enl.IOlI ef NASA IHIgI.neers alilu Ultlnlale:ty led 1,0 nie lirsti liaiiHII5 .. '~reeeal'sfH. wllichl Hlteg IllI 'led the n Icro,p2lofle IlIKi sp,eakelt'illl the earpiece aile! used blOne .. Illlhe he,oo tlO ~Q:nd!;!c't seu 11 1111

IGravit,Y Ma,cihine

Gl'iiVlty shJeldl? CrM'llydlslCfrholl. ,dwlce? Yloody has boon condu.ctlng experiments, and lo'iOl'kl~ wifth ex'perts"Hel~ nom malk.ll'\g mel.aUs. buls,tay hilnoo - he ::>B_:Y5 s(JnleH~1I1,g ~g i:.Just aroond the,co:l1i:1e-r.

Llvh

functioned art for living, breathing, and growing.

By Bruce St ewart

M :~~:~5,~~~ir~=I?=~E

has clfeated ~'l.!InctiOf'li!llart fot oW!l' a dOC<!ioc.I\l5S cree tes ijlexpefllsi,\le, modular. porta!)le structures. Insta~~3tions ha¥e incllJded flooting p)~~~blorIllS ~Ind 1i1li'l'~ structures .. l.Irbart·farmL"Ilg plant modules .. at'id flooting hs-h farms, aodevena IllOblil€! balcAt the core of NBS's val~ucs is tl"M! idm ·of art as part c,f ·€!Vet"'jday Hfe.

Originc:l1lly a collective cta do·zenartists livmg wOltking. and exhibitiOgtoge~het" 11155 \WS. latet lpared doWIl to the husband-wife team·af 10111 SUlJinand lf1!g'Vi I Hareidc Aa rba~, With til!;! pea sSil"llg Oll\...ay Q'~ his wife last jl{!tlr; N55 ks oo\!lC8r'fioo on so~1y by 5.0:1\110.

He Is oorrentl.)! wotki:ng on the first I"Ilodu!ie for

.a new system call·eeI Micro IJwe,uiJ7gs. alew-cost e.as.y·to-build, ;]Imphibious modular house desigoed te ('!JfK:tIIOJ'l o..l bGth ffiar'ld and water (floatit'tS; 01' subfl'lergud). Tille il100J~!all' Space((&11€1 isa re.coo1igu· f.alii!;!, e~s;y-to·b!Jild, low-ma,intl:!nSoc(!livinrg space sbructur€!. OtI~I' ptOJie<:ts ineliudea floating P/a!fofl'(~ that car:. supp:>rt these Spaoof'':i'l1i1I3 bl1tlding;s, and

a SoaJJ Shelf Sy.sfem that resembles a giant p~l!'ISti·c she!IHlilt:e \!iheel alnd tets people "move around. ·chal'\~ tM:ir WOOltlalx.MJts. and liile in'l8fia.usel'!vi· l~el11s."Vali'ious cramp:ed envil'onm~nts anyw.ay. Many of NS5's projedsare aboutdemof1lstra~il'tg: till! III il1imw11I SIP'1C~ af"'!d materials O{lee<k!<I, rOl" basic surviva,! aad produc ing ~hem eas ~Iy and ch@apl.)!.

N55 's proj;e<:ts range from too pr8(:tit:a~1 to H'le poljti::~L Besid~:s ,d\'Ie!lllirllgs. food-F)1oouction systl!ms. and portable s,oii factories" rl\e(~ is a Ian· ,gua,ge edecatlon kit for illegal immi,granns in the works. aoda "protest" rockc~ tha t can d~ stribute various things over a vast aree from high ,il lti~udes (fO!' exampl~e. pru"Ited l11aU,er or seeds),

000 or N56's most pOPUlar .and Iong·s~andil1g projec~s is tand. which,encourages people to donate 'jJl'o:pertyfOl' public usc. Pl!I!l'cels of land l\!llve bEen COiJ'Itrlbu~,oo to this: ettortinthe Unit,cd S~ate:s. Swibcril~. DcM'l:ark. the· Netiherlands. f(3'flOO. "'Iotwell)!'. aM Swe&!r'l. TI"Ie land i's maintai,ood by 'l.'ihoe'ler is: cun~ntly !Using a:nd inhab.ibng it

N55 smrtcd out as an artist' 5 group in lli994. \.lhenthey were 12 111€!I1'ibers Ih/~ing IDgetheT in an apartment in the center of CQpenh,ag,en, trying to "I'@bu:il!d ~neci1;y from witflil''!:'' Th,€! gfi"oup took i~s 'flIame from it'S address a~ INwlf£!' Far~rrmg5\gade 55. Servin OillldAarbakk€ contill!J!Eld tomOilk~ use ,of this spaCE! as ~he Ial1nchi,ng pad for tJ"Ieir ~ul"ldj.ooo I art

1'he, Sna: Shell Systen (pli"e'Wol:Is pag~) Iss IOW-c<l:s,t illy for peop,Ie' to 1Il1lO¥e aroundl and live in various ,ell){ ro~[nel'lts. Plduredis the la~e Il'lgYll Ha:~elde Aawhak~.o~ of tile JounOeT!l o~ N5,I$. ni.~ S~ "II II.., (ilib~) 15110'1'1-4:'051 .and IliiC'I!il!bl,e: N!iS ~~wI5.lons It as, a UV!If'ig spac,e fo:r'll'ilr'eoe I'D Ion pe-cp~. ''If denMAu,d.s praetlieaJIy ill) mamt.,enanc,e.:"

projects. Fii"IBrICC-d pl'imm'ily by ,cxhibil~OI1S. grants. and eaucatiOl'la1 wOl'ik. S0tV in COI1SidEN'S 1..;155 noncommere itlI, <lind creates ,and documents all the j)1'Ojccts expressl.y·so tl"tey can be free~y dl!t~litalt!d and refil"H!!d by other:!SID"oUioo the w'o(ld. 'too could s~ INS51l')3kes, op!!n source ckll'i1f!st:ic tedhnology,

1\155 p.ublishes m.a:l1Uals fot all of its projfl<:tS ,online (N55.dk), ifllcluciiog detailed instruchions aod photos. socthers can easily implt!mcnt the ideas. TheJ€! is also an NI55 book that ioclludes 1l10S~ of these maauals (3\1ailab Ie as a free downlo.ad) •

Bruce Stll.Watl ta5 WIle-cd tecflln:)bID' ,155ue5ro.rvatlOU'5 p..tlm:al.tMls fGl' 0'I!!e( a decade an:::I s trteedi1.O"raI chrecl.Gl' 01 O·Re.~l "!eellS'S onIi!rne I!lLb!.l:sl"img group.

C.S. and the City

lntol's Eric Paullos and the edges of urban computing.

By tDiilitidF'esco)Jttt

Them"s a bomb instde Eric lPaulos'stO£age space, lt's not your l"ypI::aI hcnU'!Df;(!W .!,!~p losive. Mhough. Tills is an infotmation bomb. tlf you l'iIapPf!r'I 10 \!ll!Illk by when Paalos fires it off, you mall' not even noti.oo figi'lt al\'~y.Bu~ yout '\'4fistwatch wfH probably stop. Your credit: cards ccrtairnly will no 100000000lu be readable.You! OOllphal"'lC! will il"lsh:mtly become a p3:p,er"!:'{eigh~. car'l'y~ng a lapt·()p compute!'? H.opefu lIy. you

remote spac~s over the i:nh!!FMt. His work at lUG. Berkeley bled lii'l~o yt!ars of colLaboration wi~:h Infa· mous Sam tFrancisoo machine perlormancegl'ou.P Survival Res·eareh Laboratorles.ln 1997, Paulos aoo SFl:L diJ'ect:Olf tv!!.ar-k Pau~'ille invitetll afl()fly m 00$ web USCrsfro!ITI arou nd tille gl!dbc to remotely aim and firt! a rna ss we a il" tau ncllM ID.aood wi th concretefilled soda caas, It was, the first tinle' lethllll"lacl'!iOO"J

have arecent ba:ck,up. With the press o~ a sirlgl!e v:ms op[!r;!l~d OIIi!1 the internet. Paulos' awn tech-art

b!JUon" the l-Borrtb unleashes a powcrful electro- collec live. EKp~rir11enta I Interaction Unit, has eXhibited

magnetic pulse€! tha~ kills electronic devices and eor- around U"'I€!''I.orld.

rupts a~11 !ltOf.al~ media within S!'!'Voersl meters.

Pa ulos ha S ·Celiri otiS Ual:ed tile' 1-8o.rnb at pia 00 S like U)(l San f"raocisc,o Museum of tModernArt, but he'd be HI·a:d1.IiS{!d to show it ·oU at work .. Not ~o say tiI'Jat his oolleap;s wO,uldi,-tappreci.alte it. In fact. ~mit;!cts 3S ~i"IY&!lalaM ~rovoc~tive asthe I-Bomb lal'KJed Pau los hil:!> job in the first place. Still. he works fOf a company where fried chips alre pa:rtioolarly distashzfuL

ABIZ:ARRE MA.CIHI ME: LA-ISLET

Paulos is a compu tel' se iootisf at Intf!1 R·eseard'i Berkeley, ;]1 corporate" lablet" in the penthOlJS€l

of a oown~:own offi.ce bu i Id irlg wI'tCte a oozen or

so scientists explore the ooges.of conlputj~~ and Ifttet,vQl1killg technology, '~'llhen Ptlulo:s ioil"Kl'd the lab 'sf!'~I'al Y{>,Q(S i:l,go. tM first thil'rg he <ltd Wi:lI:SS€!t up

a machine shop, with Ia.Ule's" scopes, and assorted Iprolotyping tools. lhe laser clllltt·cr took a bit more 'Ic'lral,gl in.g but isfina Ily doo to i3l1'rive his week. A COf!'~pllter science Ph, D .. Paulos ca.') !laid< C+ + WIth the bes~ o.f U1i(!ffJ. but he"sl'eally a Melong frj.jkcr woo

At Intel R·esealfch. Paulos aired:s the IUfb81'"1 AbnQsph~tes pIi'OgI'allil1 . a group explori.ng t~chnology inth!! citi)lscap:.e,frOffl Billetooth-enabled phones to .aId I'Ioc neh'lol'ks of tiny sensors. Wflile mail}' ·companie.s are DeIJ'oE1'loplfig urban OO!1'l(:Wtlirlg applli::~tiOO'S ,_ floll'lll'~ltion-enabl~d restaurant re00fl1llu!Mation 'S)!stems to real-world bud:dlJ

lish; - PalJ~losSFJ)ls he prefers to k>Ok De'h'lee'n Ul"te cracks il1~he asphaltfof research topics. After all. ent i III conf·erenoos: are al ready de1lOted to U"1e tti1<·es 'Of Iocatbil..enab~ed services and 'Geoweb technology.

"TI"IeI'C! are cetta.inly mOIT'lents il"l life for proo'uc· tivity and em~iMCJI. but there ,are ,a lso moments ~or wo·rttdeliltilenl aM fcnectt~n:< he .$a"/S. "'I'd like to, use technology to ·c·eh!1blrate non- places. non-events" non-adJivities· bhat {ilctutlily matter a gre{ilt deal to th!!! ~motion.al e ... q)!f!rieJ\(;t! of ufban I rle'."

ONIt:. MI.AN'S TRASH IS.A:NOTIHER MAN'S. RESIEARCHI PROJECT

UrbaoAtnl0.SpherElSa imlsto illuinioate the most subtl€ cool'actetistic:sot d)' l'iving. like the rel:ltionshi.ps

.made a calmer out of building: bizanre' machines. )tOO have wi~h peop~e yoo see every morning at ~he

As a graduate stuoonJ:. he d€sgl"lfXl groondbre.aking train station but nevlllr .a:d~no\vl!OOge. the invisible teierobots m:hat 11H'labled people to. physicallY' explore ce lIular linfrn'strud:ure you ma.'!/e acFOSiS, even the

TRASHCAN

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~-

Ipublic: tr:a.m ea ns)lOu "AAl1k by on ·the way to tl"le dfi:::<.>,

Last year. Pa:lIIlos and To m Jel"'lkii'iS. astudeilt

at tllleRoyal Coll2'g@of.Art. spoot countless hours starklirlga singlFil garoagecan lin San Fnmcisco's Financial Distri:ct After fheir field study, U..ey bu ilt wl-.at Paulos halr-pklngly

rerets to as "tm ma:st

expensive trash can in the worklr a 001 set i~. ,00 t111e COIfllef outsiee the lab, Cal~oo Jet'sam. the canis alugm,ented with a variety of hidden ~i1Isers, processers, anda lIiooo projector.. An infra·

red switch detects when fe'fuse has been ~ossed into tM can (or graobEdo:ut of i~:), SI'KI Sf'la,ps a d igital pi:::~·ur:e. A hi,gl1ly seosH:ive scale' too 11 \\!Ie~gJhs the itetr'll!lild a laptop p'e categerees each, bit of (tifuS(! 'b'l tifne and S!IZ{!, Meai1mhile, an e1J01\lil~ vlsualizatlon of tm garbalg;;! photo·s and data ispreleeted out of the cans opening. ,creatiftga rotati.11g galaXy of garbalge on M"Ie ski(!1;valk

"Archaoomogists dig through ~rash to learn history. so \V€l I~ooked at ,,,hat tra sh cal'! tet II us about roo n I iii· itllg." Paulos s;)ys. "If; there.il Ih.lfloCh binge.at reon or a ooffae craze at 3:151' !f there is tl OOtItiir'ItJlQus sbf:!am of lottery Uoket stubs, ·does th3t mean the local denizens ar:e risk takers? Instead Qf hidingbraslh. we c'ho!;I1g00 it into oorrlethi~ that people int,erad: \viltl"

Ldt: J1abbeF\·J~~.ky I:~.~ rnobUe phQne a.pph~~tiQ~1 !lIa,~ de~«t5 "fall il.118.rstrallg.efS·" nlMlilTJ{. To awld privacy Issues. 1iI1I! «Iior .and IIIillO bon of til£" bloek;s oni!!u!' dis.'p.lay pllOVlde hlfGl'lTII at 10 n aboul ('1110 'ld'll mUler than speelHc IndNiduals.

Ibght: ,One prototype for t:llle COlm,e,xLlls project :is.il "fl'l@;J'KIshlll b!3Ce'let" oontaj,llllng 5upelll~h~ U:Os Ulati od.lsplay 01 rang·e of (',0 10 r .and tac tile eutp u~s. i)a;sed on rnput fn:u'n anol.ller bracelet wea,lfe;r.lumlher WI"sh":!Il lIumiC5' lilt! fo:rm fKtol'of a \'Irlsh~ a'le!l, SlJrroul~dllllg the Conneoous OWloes, .are sev·erall "'IlKitli!S:" COin-Slime! :fIJ~less sen.seOI'S. Tile matcllbooks were Pillf~ of an ,experimen.t abo.'Yt: ,aflooIYIoou:s~ext " essa,g;ing.

Aod they did, A young graJHti artist tagged a piece ot paper and tl'K!n tossed it into tlU! can. projectitrtg his l)alme onto thasidewalt. Later. a busi· nessman exiting a photo develop ing sho!> tossed his UI1W2I'i"lted double pti:nt's into Jetsam's mouth. creat1ing all instant photo album on the: pavement.

"It's not as if we think Iflb!1 should 00 dwel~oping trash ears" Pal!.lIosexplali!ls. "But 'INE! \':'1I')t ito propose research ideastl-.alt mi .. ght feel a little awkward, because Itt:'!> rrom~hose unusual vantage po,irllts that we may s·oo oU'ler intefesti~ possibiBties."

"Making things iis much harder than programming because there's no quick Controll-Z undo.

KEEPING, TABS 'ON YOIJII,R IFAMILlAR' STR.A.NGIERS Indt!~d. Paulos chart.S uman territories aJltd d)lMmies that are in)l!isible. ignored, or taken tor grallt,ed. SaShay is a mobile phone applitation M wrote tMt maps your path tIIuough the various cells ina city',s 1l1ol)il(! ph.onH:! ne·two.rk. The IPoblt of :Sashay.lPaulos says. "isnt to !lelp you g~t p!.a,ces. blJ~' rather' cause yoo to reflect on how }IOu move:'Another preieet

f·or mobile phones. C<ililed Ji<lbb,~rwoc1<lI, extell"ld!!d too Familiar Stralngerexperimeflts condocted inl the ,e.arly 19708 by soc~1 pf:.yGholog.ist Stanley lMilgJr.am. A familii!U' stranger issOO1oone \'iho you I'fiay see repeated!y, at the bus stop orcafe, lor illistaoc,e, but n€"'I€f intec:actwith. You n'lutl!aUy agree to ~nQll':e eachother. ll1e J.abbelwockyapplicationgr:abs the

utn:i,que BllJetoolh idetlltiliel'()f the mo'bil~ phones around you, creating.a log ,o.r people )'OU\!e pr@lIiotJsly enc ounte 1'00, even if you've I'iCiIcr t.allketli with I:illelTIl, Later. a qu iel<. glance at your l\andset reveals If Oll"l]f o~ your Fafl1 mar Strangers an! OOOliby'.

"'\lO!ll mlight ootwant to Inal.l!!!, ~fiel)ds \'iitn cvel"'JOrTte )tOOl see l'I!!gularly, but ~1"I6e poopl,€! color your city:' Paulas, Sall/S, "Jab bMVook y e Ill) btes lfOU to ~t a se nse c~ place based ,on \!Jh.o liS tllefe with you:'

A p:revi:o!lS project, CarmeJ(us" highlights jloother form of human iflt~.raction U\at's ral'ely discusse<ll: nonverbal] communlcarion like the fri:~nd~l~l $mil~ acrcssthereern er a rcassur.in1g pat on th~ back, Conn ex us is a bracelet meant to. contain a wireless rad lo, sensors. aoo actuators to tac ilita~e nonverbal' oon;muflicahoo at a distance. Ima,gine a couple both \'loo'ring Corn Ilei'(U S devices and p,erhap,s mi~es ~i!ll·t. A!>, the WOOH'1I1 taj)s an ocr I}l'acei~et..llct !'I1l.Sballd notioos hi 5; braceld gilowing son I)!. not unlik@

a vintalg~ rneed .ring. H~ reSi!>O:l"K:Is by caressing til(! eraeelet atI input that n'l£jtllifes~sits~lr as a gt¥llUe heating sensation on the other end, Palllios never mm\aged to stuff all or the CoI"lIlel(US eompOfiCnt:s into as SIl'l'a11i ,a woorabile devlice as ~'d like, but he says ti1.at prototypUlg lis es sent ial I to, COO1mun ica ting his. re'search goal.! iaolttel's.,

ENVIRONMENTAL RIN(H'ONE SOUlVIENIRS Rlght "001. he's r:abril::at:il~a ool/ice that he OOpl:!s

wHI add a layefo~ audio il'lt.tigue to the uroan atmosphere, hstlI I!!d. say. in a public eernmcnsarea the slTIall objedw!1I grabthe B!uetooth idcl1tmc:ation rom be rs f rom ~1~ mobile devices of p,3SS,{lrs.by. TI\alt ,data willi U1CI'l b:!'l trBrilslated int.o a uniql,uel·irligtoft.!:!', ,creating a souvenir! oftMt location tied to a mom~nt il'l time ar:ld the speciric ,groop of people 1"Iea111h){,

1'iI"Ie devi,(2 itself is ooly one pari of the IPlf'Ojl2ct PaUilos also plans 10 release a f~e·e developer's ~ool' kit to ins'p~e obhars to Clff!~ll.'! and ooplo"), the!lr own ifllteracttive obj]e-ets into tM urban atmo~pl'fel'e', fur PaUilos.eve!"} dty is an idea I laboratory to best \ojhat he calls "objects o~ wonderment:·

"Ma1<lingthingsis much harder than progran:lI'Tli'rrg because there's 00 quick Contr:ol·.L U1"H:lb," he

says, "IButif you're ex!plairlirrg yoofl\cseard'l to some' 'one and can't !present them w~th.an objed, they·m likely going to defau It to, ~alking .about ~hln'1gs tht!'J know, 0111 Ule other haoo. if they can int,erad \I,!itrh ,an object outside their rea lm of ynderst300 ing. t~Y'I'~ usually ruor~ willil'tg to eomewitl'l you into the conversation,"

[)a\,td ~Oi.tz. M,\Kf. 's specw P;"Q)Sds editw, IS also CG,edJlOl' C!~& nsBo""l;t!, '1eliVId an af1flll.;,!e researchef WI lihe In stllu Ie lor the ruture.

It IVll

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~"'r\"''''c ! U I '-'I~v I

Model kiit makers bring B-movie monsters to your horne.

"

MANY MA!KERS L.H{EL.Y GOT THEIR first bug~ for building b1J putti~ together' ilt-Irene plastic vel1ticle and monster

.11iI:>::k!1 kits as, kids. Until too late 198©s.1hc barriers to enh"'i for actually fabrlicating - as opposed

to as S1!!mblir,g - suail kits 1l'11(l,,al)t that only com" m2rcialI concern:!> could aUord to do so, But as I!WW, eaS}'"to"use ma mria Is fm scl!,llpting, rna iding, and casting oocO!nu}choop~r and ,rllQr~ fE!adilly a;,lail~bl!1.l<it creation became s possibility lorjust

a bClU t ~.I)){OnH:! w~tl1 ~I Ii::: k of scu Ipting tal ent, a rf!W bucks lin u~ old IPOC~t. and a world ,01' patlenee. Combioea II this \!Ii~h H..e power of desktop publish" ing. the linter net. and e-cemmesce, and the, "galagc k it" modeling Illoveffl:eot was born,

IJr!UI the efr~e(ger'K:@ of garagl3 model irrg.ibuiidets wer:e Ilimited to commercially alia illlblernooel kits. 1'113 inly m ilitaf'1 hardware, cars, planes, sp.aceslh (ps, ,and l1lainstream rl1ovi~ monsters, But DrV k'it ereators cast Uleir nets much Wtael', Today. a model

0"1 thusinst can buy Ikits of eharaeters ~rOlil') David Lyfldhfilrf1tS. 10'."'" bu dgt't ool'rorflitks .. ufiejergrouoo cornie books. and spaccshipsrl"olln ju st abouti €!Vf:!I)' cult sel-f classic. Aod then thel"e are the crazed. \'lhimsical kilts;. models of aliens, monster's, pinup babes. and mad mac'hil"'K!s, reii1de:!l"ed directly Irol1i1 roo fe~l"ed imaginations of their sculptors,

Terry J. \lVebb, editor of Alm'z~l~r figure Modele, (alT!lazi~rnodclcr.com). aIle of the premit:!r garage kffit maga:zines. is also tM· <;UJtihm" of thrm books t'hat dru:"oni::le theoovebpll1ent of the do··i~·lfOUrS€llf kit seene, from its bf!girlliliflg lin Japan in the .msaos to the present. With titles llike The Garage f<J"t TIlat Ate My WaBet, S!:Nl of me G.ar~iC Kit That Arc My Wall'cl, aod Revenge or the

Gar. Kit Th.atAtoMy WaDct. ~h(';S(! bookS :S311 a lo~:aboot the humor loot underlies much

of tillis movement, the· keen iJ1:t~n~st in S·mo .... i!!! su b ie'Ct Il'Nlltte ell 00 tJ"IJe expense of l'llese smallrun resin- anal v in.y l-east ,I(ilits, which can cost lrern $60 to several

for gpor~ (~'hink: D 1'\1 P~dlltCH"), Besidr!·s playing oH the idea of ~noor'galiactt;:: Iroj.}h)l hunt€!t:S .. there's a pracbi::al purpose to the design of the ltine. "I heelrd rnallY people say they' Wef€! running oo~ of shelf space for m't'l€!W model coillectioos, 001 I figured, how ,about makl~ heads that hang Oil rille ,,,alii?" For his ,designs, B!~tton riUs off {If creature forms found her:f! on.IE.3I"th, even i:noorporatin,g organii:: rnaterials, such as animal bones, inte his or(glinalsculp~ures. Hislatest series is o~ the a lien hunt.ers too 111 se Iv es. Duli)b.lF!d "Boool~ads:' thelil'st bust Admiral Elnoo. is l'iiu ilt around part of a bir:d ~eleton. ,afi~shjln'll .. and .<1 crab m@n While trhks isa sophisticated sculpt, it's also a goo(ieX<llmple of how lou nd c>bjccts can be

i'lu 00 re1i collars. "A lot of wmM: dtiv(!s this hobby:' says webb, "is a love of sel-f and fantasy movies and televi,s:i:oo. Many peopl~ get into kit makirtrg becaus@tmy Io,v@ a n)Ovi~ Of sIlow !SO much th€!y ~nttoarea~e a Imk!3D mOI1i!Jm!'!lI'I~ to itth3to~hI!r p~ople can enjoy."

Ma.1Y' of the model mekers behind garage kits arc involved in th~ movie busieess. oftcnspcci:al F/Xtechs, make-up .artlists, and prop masters. It is UV01.lgh these creative pro~essions th.atthey .gJ!'~ their' sculp~ing ta ICI,t and thei!' fam.ili!lrilD} with rna Idingand cas Hng techrliiques. Dal\!(l Briltton,of H12a,dl'ilJlriitl!i'!!l Studio (head l'lUI"Itc r'~tUdfil.COrt1) is CiLI,m ~j'OO1 this, maid. He W'orlkOO at s@lterall-lo!lllwo.OO FJXsl"Klps in the 90s, b!lt soorlfound hiliOloolf in PoJ'tlar'ld .. Ore .. where h€! sfaltfld to ma,ke at'Id se·1I 1:iJltex monster masks. It was through his mask bus incs:s that he d is covered the kit·making scene arnd soon began prod!.lcjf'lgfigufl2·mode~ingkits.

U~liXe many sculptors and casters wro make' dired coplie.s of ITiollie. TV. or sci-fi cMraders. Britton has developed.a line of mounted alien heads cast in resin, cr~ating a whol!'! scHi OOQkstory about the hunted aliens 8ridtoose \Voohunttmm

assemblliid and alunded with seu Iptingl'na~:eria~s, to cr.eate .in'lJ)l:es;S f,llHocd< ing models . .e'len iif you don't have Bl'ittoo's sclliptingct.ops.

liI'M! SMh!!tt IBrothcl's (shif I("Hom thers.com~.

Br~ndon Olnd Jarrod, are ,another ,e·xample· of kit rnaKers who are also ilWO l\lild in the ,ent~ltainmen~ business.1ne·se Texas brothers got their stat doing sculpture work for the video game series OddlVOfrd. They've also jus t taamedup towOlii< with Nimbal Oreation s, .a U.K. FJ)(c'ornpany that among o~her tlii,l1gs. w,orked OJ'I Peter' JacksolfsKing i0ng. To satisfy ~heir ki~·creator jones, the brothers l-.alit!· proou.ced a line of resin kits. including tne Vl.!.f)J rank ,Girl-esqu:e mooel. Chloe: Avillto.r fOJ" Hire, Whil2 many sculptors in the hobby ·00, eW!l)!~hiog: sculpting. mo~ldli.1g. easting .. andl sales. the SlhifhHts (&nd ,others) do 00 1)1 U)(!'sculpting eod t1'lef'l sub out bl)(!' molding and casting to other hQbbyis~:s 01" smallscale,wll1ll1€!rdail casting operations. "C.asting is ao art in ib,el[" says 13fanoon. ".and fcr u s, find~ ing the riglht: person tio moldandl east our WOf1Kis 1f!1Oltremely impoltarrt."

MostpooJ)le invol'led in rhe glragekit 001l'!1l1U11ity want to give somlf!thing bacl .. often in an ef fort to

Ma,ker

get new-hobbyists involved ai"ld to form alliances with tellow kilt i'Ifi!Jkc.rs.The Sl1flctt Brothers do tihis by malin~~i:ni'rI!g "Sculpting with trlle Shiflett Blrothers." the largest !>CUlptillg ,online ~(}Ji"um 0 fits ~tPB. "Our forum a ttrac ts pros and ameteurs alilkfl:' say's Brandon."' Eve""~ frOO'! U·ye~r·old nowbits to, IPro seul pters WOf'king on the King Kong ~ilnl"

Other modelers like' Dan Perezioclude worikshops. on theil' wcbsites that reach sculpting. mo,lding, and casting. ,And then~hete·s bhe co,ll[!ctfve pol icing of recasters, \\!'hila mo:s~: garage kit ae.a tor 5 don't bobhe r \¥ it1l1 II i ce I'S i rig the su bj ed mat~er of 1:i11Ieirki~s, they don"t itake kindly to those WOO buy one of t.heir kfts. create ~ $Ccotac-gen mold. and U'lei"l cast kf1lOCk'off Ikl[s at a Ul:ird a~ U-.e wmc~ (c'~ll~f'!d "recasts .. ).

"we're a close-knit ooltlll'l1lunit>/' ~:lS lerry IN@-bb. 'We look out for €:a,ell other, ,and when recasters rip one of us oH. it impacts us ,I;Iml."· lie adds. "This ls an art form. and thoS€! 01 us ifllv.o~lved in it tak€! great pride in what we '00,"

Ga.-en, ;B!;ltirt1)<'1 writes a!iQ - the Il'Ile.:''se<:~tcMi of l:eci"nology Y'Kik.JIhJl'e and IS "cybmg-l'l-Croer' .of St'ee~ler::h com. --

Inspilled by books abo'lull G.llg,foot Iilnd the [Locll [!\leu MOlllste>r.DIlYeBritton begal'l crea'lmg nlOdels, ,at ilg,e 15. ,eventually fll<lvlllllg, to HOUY":.ood to~rk 0-5 a ll~lake'\i!lp ,a:rti!l,t and l!lb ht4ihllllleiaMI., r'~Q!l1 (If h15, models, are "lui'll sl!.e" - UltE! II.qualulan I~ead (ll"lS;hl) is 2!,~ tall.

MAKING YOUR OWN MODElS

Wh~lle ~'ra,ge Idt making can be expensive and rt!q1Jin~ serious dedication ~:o the aft of sCt!llp~ing. oogil'mt1l":Sc<Jn gftt their haodS duty with minimal effort. lihe easiest w~'J to get started is to buy

a casting kit. such as Biue -Meta l's (bare -metal. com) M~ol~d liAakingand IRes'in casting Starter Kit ltcomes with,alll or nUl rnatterlal:s)IbU M@d to moi~d and cast a few sma'il model,s,

1-12re are too basic 5,bl!ps to model making:

1. Sculpt il1lg IM(I ster Mo dOlin;g

This part of the process obviously require.s some talent. but beginoots can uS€! "kit Da,:Shiog" (cann:iballizing e-:istin:g: models) to cobble together desigrl"s or their oWI1Il1UtllnL cff~tiOf'is.By cornb.ining existing kits wtrh plastic stock (found athobby'store sand C!'-Ia ill! I"S I~ ike p Iia stru ct .Con1 ). you can create a unique modoel that can then 00 InO Idled a 00 en st. Figu re modeling can al so bencfilt from ooshing e:<risting kits as well as using srmanrres (wi~€! terms m'ootcan be bent into des iroo poses}. Sc !l . .:Ipt~I'ig materia ms 11 Elf)' widely. frortJ Super Sculpey clay. M,o two-part epn.X)I putties. to Casteline Imode Ii ng \,J.lX. Every sculptor hasa f avol'ite.afl(j. difterent m!1JIlI!r ials aF€! used for difler€nt mooell!:L

2. Mold Mak.l",

Once ~u r master model lis romp lete. you need to create a nnoldfro:rn which the succcssi." .. e kits wi111 be cast. lhere are a i"KJ mba!' o~ MeU'IOds aocl materials for doing [hilS. but the most common app'I'Oa:ch is to create atwo-Ipaf't moid aroooo your model. one half at a time (see MAKE, \l()fuJ»~Cl3. pal$! 135 .. ~Squooz,abJtl NfgJ'Wig.nt).

The bottom ha ~f otthe model is 'SlUt'OUOOOO by a soU. non·su rrur-ooood nloo.ehng clay bed. lool/ing the top half of t~ mockH to ~ molded inrubOOr .. Ned, RTV (room temperarurevulcani.zil""!II) si~licone rubber is mixed and poured over til€! top to create U"1IO firs t mold. T h€! two molcl halves are later joined up sewfely. tha!'iks to "keys." a series of dim,ples thalt are pre:sse'(j into tihe clay bed arowna the mode'l berore pouring in t~ rubb{!f; Air "M!I"Il's and <l pour ~p;)yt am

'tOi.! '",III not be ali)l!e to Ifllak.e anylhjmig this ~oo.1 011 YOilif flrstlnodel·makill1g 8Uempt. Tilyl'oOO' 8, cl1I.I:bby pe~t.llflIRStiead.

created by press~n,g brass rods intothc mode'~irrg clay on ~op of~l)@ model. A team-cere moldingbo:< is blJliltrto SUffOOOO til!:! model m'Kil cor1tain U'ie rubb('f mol~ding IllaleriaL

Oncel.l1e rubber has been PQuredlinro tile b(l.'( to create tine top maid. al'lld is allowed to, cure. the mold ili:s fIi.!ppe-d (M'!r. U'le clay bed lis remoW:!d. and the first mo~ld i:s treated w,jtill ~ releasjng COI1"1j)Ound. which.can be as simp,le as bru ~hed· on pe'troleumjeUlI'. This prevents Ule 1'''·0 mold halves trorn stickil"'lg togel:ilcr. Once bo,th mold 1:.aIIJeS have been created in sil i:::,CO(! I" ubber, castii1;g of your model] can begin.

3. Co.", sUtm g

Be fOIt! Ci3$tit1ig< the molt1 ha I~ all! tree tea ~'Ii VI"!

a spray-oo i'eloolsiog agent (such as Parafilrrl mold relea se), Wj~;h the two-part meld 'held se<:ufely together' with rubbe'r OOI'ldS. U'I(! r~sin is p:>.tJred i 11~:o H-.e sp out u nti~ bhe mol d is f iUi2d up. TI'"Ie most common casting material is a tll.lO-palt po!tUf€lthane resin. such as Vagab.:>nd Corporation's Moool·C.ast ('1agaOOnoc~.<::om).

O(K:{! the casting material has cured, ~Ilt! mold ItS carefully removed aod the cast mooe'l is ch;~al1€d up. ready for pamting.

l:lc-'Bn

\..... UU



me II~

A new art ven ue for the robotic age.

By ID;o!.!glas Ftepetto

WHAT 1$ ,A, RO'BOll?'V~IHAT'IS ,ART? Joosellte:r'l"t ca:~ 'Ql.lt!,stions to .il:llswer.

. 1110\'1 Iry'oolinin.g rooot~ art or decide

wMt exactly an art-Itl<l'ki1ilg (Oi:)ot is.

111 20m. I "JaS learning the difticu:lties oftlying to Show 1'000 tic' WOI'k in tradlttiol'l3lart il(!nUes,

(I~: took oecaoes lor gall€'fie's ,andl mu~ums, to

ern brace v id eo art: rceot lc and kin E~ic wOfik s, '" ith their sometlmes-termidable technical andle;gjstical oolnpl,eJ(.ities, halve .qu ite a way to go.) IBut at the same hme, robots were ,3 II ever the' popular !rIedi'<1!I, Most of the attenti,oo was foou sea on violent appli· cations, like BaltUe80ts and Patriot Missiles, yet I ~w of Inal"l}l' artists working wit!h robotics wmS€! stral'lge, subtle. or whunsical idieas had little in

,OOI'li'lITlOf'l with the I'cmctc-conlfolled aha insaws on TV.

'1lith tho,S£! two issues in mindl, I start,ed a rooot talent shm'l ,Mlaillist Ov{!r the next severali mOflths, many people ool'lh'ib1.rtci:l idea$ fol' hOw ~o create such a show. As U\Cs@ dii5Cussiol1ls quickty illa,&! evioont. robotic.art is h3rdly' a wr!l.l·defiMdgetlre, and it's oot <::1e'!Il1' what sorts ,or works quallrty. Is

an in.kjet prhter an art·making robot? Is a purely mechanical SCIJ tp lure fo,bol:ic art? OUl'respons,c to these kinds cf qoestons was to. OOdgethe.m @ntimill': our OP~I"I call for f!('Ib'iessays: "If you thi~it's oil rooot ,and you ~hiink irs, art. then senai:!: in" That str ategy of inclu siveness has pa id off, a od some ,of rnyfavori~,e pi!ll<:€!s hOlil€! b!:!enonesbhat most lib@raUyinteI1pi'et ooth"'Brt" and '"fiobot"

A,! ~s: JJl€I :I'1bbot r.afenr SllOW is now a~n anlll.W~1 art exhibition (:see artbot~.ol'g) ""1\1'!'r~ an Inten'llatiOll'lal group of artists g;:JUlt!f to ~MfC theif ",ooI"1l: and their h'a:de m-cMiques. andg~1I'e;1 general I lJIJdieru::e a chance to see wl"lal kinds of answers (afld newqoo:stion:!!l!) are b!!lrllg cooked up tn labs, ,§\\uages. andstud les .a~l'ld ~ \ilorld,E.a:m ~<1Ir, 0111' location chal't_g~saoo I i;wit~ a coup~£!' of n€!\'1 people to co-curate the' ShO'~MWi~h me. (Philip Galllntcr. an artist andtcacher, joincdme in co-curetiogBOOprooocing too first I:'woit,eratoos ()r~h€! ~\!I:)

We hop,etthat by h~aklng tm 'speclHc:s. we can k{!(!j!) thesl\o:w opel'laoo .aocessibl'e to a cilver's£! fan~' of people, works, and ideas. Them Mlvt: been reeets tltalt draw. rebets u,.ndancc, i:'lOO t!':J'etything frOOl 1:11 Sl€!llf'preservatiCrn l11!1chil"ie to a robot race in an in~init£lloop"Art80ts is lImIt-budget and l)3oos-on (all of the artists atbE!M and h,(:lp mount th€l show). andi,s; ded cated to ti'IC idea that techoo,logy is ours to usc and create. and trut 1l1aklirng art and a:sking questions irs anessential IJseof any teclmology.

:Douglas 11f\!1'lg l1:e-peUo is analillSl and leadie'/lf1\'Ol\'ed Ii1 a "lLL'liil er ,of a.rllcomTILlrvty gTO.JPS 1I"'rt:1..ldirg dot bol:,t.rIBots, org,MIi!i m. an::! mLJ5 t:: -ds n,

VII IdlIO'l'lel Meado ... GIa<:It"1 by James P'olvdel'ly.

Mlielwlle IKel pn,er. Tom IKQmledll'. Todd Pelelllb(lrg. B,'I'll'ndan Fd:1gemld. and Pa:uI18ariletr.Sea:le lTKIdel of ,an ,enorWOOiJS ,a I I.HJ.e.lal ,g,lalSI i?;1' Ii'lWlfig ~lilloiJJl:h Denlra:1 PAlk. le~iI'Ig ,ill ~a:trl~ of wlldllowel'5, Ifllts J/ake, The' >deflsny of IIq~~ef 1Jl!ill'lth~g is de te~II~llle<l by '!:OflliI!WIlS fl"!Ql'litOfillfll: ,or tire 'CO,lievelsln Mbe IO~<'!II e!w~rQ!lrne',ll!.

II Robots L Ikii:" H .. D. Plio tosy"thf:-!lIS r .. r p&tual Moho II M ael Ill!- by Futul'efaHllers: Amy F'liIneesehhu aluil Mliehool Swaine ..

~' ... ~ 49

MAKE LOOKS AT SLIDE RULES

Ca cu'ate

This!

By Rober~. LutHI

In the Pre-Digital Epoch, people building bridges" launching rockets, or trying tofiU an inside straight used manual calculators. It rrught'va been a snazzy side rule, or a paper wheel with dials that (when properly a,ligned) computed a sales cornmission. the proper valve fitting, or how big a hole a 20-megaion H-bomb would make.

As one observer put it; manual calculators like the slide rule and its kiln "radically increased our capacity to perf Of m complex mathematical computations. They literally enabled us to develop our modern world" Here are six classic calculators, ranging from the mind-blowing to t he arcane"

Gilson Binary S~lce Ru le ~40

When people ~'hink of sl ~:je rules, theythin~ of U"Ie

c lassie recta'l-.glilar s!i:psti:ck But mailY ,cl'Igli,neers" sci~t\tists, al"ldi marchants turned to this FI'isibee· sized bifll~UY slide· rule ~lfOm GilsolTl (a WhOp,plill,g SU wH.h case). T1~is was t.he HP calculator ,of itsel'a.

sp Of'trinrg n earl,)' two ooze n sea, les. frOftl trig ful'iC' tio,ns to log3rithn~s to lll,ultij)Ii::.a,ti:m, But tlhns cateulat,(lI( was. footed tl"l the reall world! ~ fot met'chants. the Gilson oou 1:::1 qu ickl?l eompute fetai I prlc irrg and add andsu btraet fl"<l:ctions. for cngineus. the GlilSOll eouldcompute an olnswertolive figllr€!s - not bad fora ere- Pentiu III device. As with all slide ru les .. your abilir.; h:a!stimate l'Iurtioors and k.cep tfaclic 'of deci· mal points was key to.gettingthe fight answer. (For 111~<:al::y[lating, go to the S,I~oo Rul~ .u11~'/Gf~ at ~Ollefe.b::: .calte!>tisI'Ul1ivcfM!.hh>ll.)

Characteris ICS Calculator for Large anc Mirnature Filament Larn~1952

How long oo,fore that incandesoont bulb bl,ows'?' This handy Gef'K!ral Elect!" ic: ca loolattor - probabilicreated for GIE sale!1l,pcopl~e pitchil1lg tile oomp,any's wares - haslhe alilSVIer. lu m bhe 'bulc-cum-pointer unti~ it Zlltights on th€l socket voltage and bulbvo'ttage, and you can quic:k.ly learn how much energy thE! bIulbconsurnes:, bhe r~lative'cost of ligfibng YOUf oolel with U,is: par1:ic:ultll" bulb, aoo ho\v bngthe' bulb wiUlast befo.re itgees nova. (To shed fwrtlher light on~hil> topi,;::. seck euttre Hla~1 of I! led rica I HistG)' at s.coor'ICclcld~I11useum.org:>

Bnstol LlqLJICS S~nchroVa;lve~acl!t Calculator 11943

l~o.t11S isn't fOf luning up you r flux Capa:ciJtoc Bristol manufadurM sensers. r€!OOfG€rl'S" 81t\CJ otoor ins.tl'ltJm:oots for oon1p~nli(!s working wi~h ~li<llUi:dsand g3Si:!S. fmilT! W3t,er to :steam to p.aocak€! batter, This handy muIHeol;o:r:e~ slide IlI!~ €!'ngio~rs, quk:kly figille 00 t the rlSl'lt valve type ,afldi size fora givetl fluId ie situa~on. Bri:stol c lased its doors ~ars ago; according to U'le' EPA, the company site is a heacf:y s~,ew of lubri:::arnts. solvents, PCBs. <lrirl o~ncr to'<ic: byproduct!>. C,aIC:IiJ:tat,1:! tihe cost o,r that.

Poker Pal 1 1955

When the d1ips life down - ~!I'Id yell worndcr if you'll ever ~i~lthat inside, strai,gtll ~Feachfc», Perrygral"s PaktH' P311.With.!! "wid< )/~11I1< ,of the slide" you can de~{!rmine \'fNlt l'laooyou oooedl to. win (in draW!)f s~d) ,_ aodl Ul€: odds. of getting it, Yoo can ""'I"tat-if' w~th ea sc by' :scttirrg the l11Jmber o~ p lalyers. number o~ cards wanted. whafs Sho\!/Iill"lg on the ta'ble. and secnln business sioce ~934, Pel1)graf is still "THE

SOlIl'ce fat inoovlItive Slide-ChalltS. Wheel-Charts.

!Pop -Ups and other dill1ensional marl<etil"lg p.roouct:s:'

(1Q SElf! its modern-day ,e.quivalenl sh::k! over to

, poker-paLco '11.)

MAKE LOOKS AT SLIDE RULES

O~+-H+t"++++lf-CH-l--I"!!]; [w6B Flight

~- - ,,"C Computer 119f~6

~~ os

Time. speed. distance. fl1~:1. These -H-I-!-'--I-I-If-H!-H-H-t'Di9 C are the mentras .of the pilot In

- -1-I-H-H-I-II-Hf-I-I~l-+-t1:.l!v the old days (pre·1990s)<. pilots

;.:g f~ n eel on this d€ll i:::e to 00 Ille sw:;: 11 ,il1l·iflight quandariesas"llfl fly 4(l minutes 3na consume 75 gallililS, when will l sun out of gas and plow into n'lat mountain?" (bna sid!!! of the< iE·6B is devoted to such j·SSt.H!S, and thIH)th€l',. to ~ig· uring out )IOUI' true dir:edion and spe,ed \vh ile correcting for ('!hoe I'M:!f:ariO'lJls erfects of wii'ld. Tlt.ese day s, yo U ttl n pick up a digi tll version of the' E .. 68 lor $60 t1h:a~ do es a 1'Ied<: ofa kit mOIl€! - bu t noth il1lg S<i1y5 '\tct(lrall aviator"

t ike ijhi· II ba by tucked under }lQ,!J I" arm. (10 see how ITIi),dE'tr'l mel'S plot their mght'S. c'l1Il1:!ck out the DUATS system .!lit dL!!ats .com~)

.'_

Today. when everything lis programmable. irs reassuring

to discover dedicated calculators that are as

illl0l: straightforward to use as a

hammer.

I mID 1__ 1000000iJIII "-"IIIE mfCTlDri orroSIJ:E nUE lij)'E!:"

, lOOT QH) UP fROM COOI.!.W (6) B..}

:iJUIISI CWi'OSITE TRUE 11109: 'If

I'~ i1$ U",!lER TU i\I,lrm'OOl fll) h~1 SKfD IJ~D[R 'CIlO!iMET"(Il) IXIW,CTIOIl iVi3LE liT WI~D OOV 'i'WJ

..

Nucje'ar 80mb Effects Computec__1'962'

Wnat ever-j n~cl'e~l' faJ1ilil!, needed in the m9'60s, 11"1 an cr.a when buHdiiilg a bomb shelter w~s mere fashiOi'liabile than budding a 'Slvimmiog poo!l. tM AtOOl ie Energy CommiS'!;iof'leootract,oo with ~N' l()velae~ roo 00 a lion to create tl,is haro; eompoter, Know U1e O'lf!gatOI'llI"l~f! of that iocon1 iog Sovie't IIC ElM .and where it hilt? Turn ttM! wheels to ~Iilose va lues and you can learn tlhe mal< ilil1WTl radius ot ItK! f ir:eball. the velocit-j of burst wiflldow glass, your chal'llCEls or StUVill,ing 5.000 rems, and more. F nfer the \!/ho!e family! (For more histo(y and the' sccop 00 building )'Our,owo bornbf!'ffects computer. skull<: ()¥efto foum1Hab. chlbom b:alc).

Saul Griiffl th

r-D

-----------

OR. VVHV USED eRN BE so rlJlUCH BETTER Tf-IRN NEVV.

IV

Y GI RLrRI END RECE NTL Y SAl D, "l IT'S gE!~ ad irt b~ke."

'Woohoo! "I said, ThM, "\\f:ait why do YO!JI '(':ant a dirt: bike?'"

The motives,.according toher, were a stl'in.go~ It!C'Cf'lt events.L Deep (mpact. the movi,e: remember r~ seeM where ~'he 1;'>'/0 kids escape the tsunami caused by Mhe meteor impact with tll'le Earth?

2. TI'ie'I'I€\'1spapct coverage of t~amc jams. of poop Ie bryingto getoutoHhe way of Hurrii~anes Ka~:rim and Rita. !.Wt.! lill.lt! in the East: Bay of San Francisco in a l()\i!lo lying aF@B ooly a fe~iJ mill@£; trool abu nch of I~jor fault Unes, with the 'Pot!Mt.(a1 for 'Still more pest-eisaster t!l'aff ie jams.

Ofcoorse, it rI'tayhave been none· of the-St!l'eaoons.

She i,s an <re'st'hcte, al tera!t and her choice to Nct11 ix the fabu lou sfilrn On Any Sunday was pl'Qb.aJbly~he major infl~C"lce", however subconsciou S .. It's a 1971 documental'lI en dI it t bi'ke fa C in.it ballkl'olled by. and starring, Steve McQu &en, prodoc,ed by the same filrnf'l'lakel'who ma,de' the cult surf ela SS i: fooll!'lSS $.Hl1lntF.1Ne both loved the movie, j)ail('Q.clJl.al"iy the siffij) Ie beau ,,' of dirt bi'king before 3dvi!'l~i.sjngand logos m::wde (l'lefy amateur look 11~~;a lim(!grool'l adllertis,ementfor e:dren1€, sports drmks.

One of the mos~' bmlUt~ul aspects or O,lAny Sl:tnday is the footage of trials·riding lagertd Ma~colrll Smith participating in an amaz ing motOfq,tC~ing m.atathort A. rtiultiwy event WI1W"e the I'itiler was expected to ride the same bIKe. all COO1PO'fl€nts. if\Cluded. across ill 10f'Ig <lInd torteous rout-a ioclh..!dmgth(lllloont<i!lins aru::! roods B:OO mud aoo dirt aoo deSf!rts of Spain ~

sort of adirlt·iblkeToW'Oe france. The ,only person allowGd to Iix the bike during the' ride listihe ri(fe;r himself. right down to chaf'lging h is own tire. As the rtde lisa tlime trial. one mu st complete each section wi~hina given time pcrioo. inc I udi I1Ig repairs, sa it pays @Qu.9I~I).I te be an awesome rid@( .and-al:aliMltOO and intlJitive (epail'm.af'l. Yl'hat a refr:eshil'!g fOl1'nat: a COfflpetiti::mfor renalssance men. ~opl(!.vha, understood tlhcir machinery as much as Mv,ing l1'111! II!stoste fOIIlf! to, fide it r astest I woo Id I ave to' h.av"e seen U10e fencing-wIre and duct-tapesoletlons U'\at got tl'M:! winning ma:cl"iin€S o\I-Cr 1M, fil1isl1liil!! .. I sall winning machines b:ecausethe ~ce was not forfirst place .since anlJC\Ile \'400 lini:shcd w~h origli:MI bilk!! within t'hc tirne liir11it got arnedal.

I could S(!.(! \'11"0/ my ,girlifr iE!'l'Id might haW! been se1:J:u<:,ed. 'but II wcsstill suspicious. I bfOOCJ~d U,e sub jec t with 000 or my dea r fri.eoos. "A dirt bi ke?" he said "YOOI' girlfriend ils :su,ggesting y,OlJ bUI}' a dirt bike?! Don.'t worry about the' motives. just S8ly y,es, yes, yes!'"

I stal't,cdlilookii'lg.at dili blk-esonline.1 md to filter my search by cube engine capacity as much as by spac,e for two l'ilidel'S Bind thea,esthetic rf!qu:il'ements of my ila diy., beca use aUf! r a 11. if you a re go i )g to escape ~hf! ~F>DCa.lyp:oo, you must escape it lin st)'le.

I ,,,anted som~thirrg I could fi~ witih minimal tools and equip:ment - this ruled out an awrullot of the ncwer bilres, \'Jhich were too expensive a ny\lla1I. and manyot the OId,Sf b:ikes, wh iell were terribly troublesome Iookii"l,g. IEvel1ih.la~lllI'. wefou nd the' au:ltaco, wlllicl1.it so Mpptfls, .is a Spanish rnachiJ'le \~/hose heyday was in tile m970s.1 quickly lou OOOilW nealrby on Craig's List (cl'~ligSli!>l.o(g). OnthC web. I else foond] a plethora of sims about passionate Bultaco hobbyists, a good sign I'd find COO1R1U.l"lity s,",Wort .and I'li nts OIl Keep ing the machi ne a ~iWl'. A ItII'IOugh the last manuel was .printed 20 yearsag,o. I'd still be able to trZllin,myself ill the finer arts 01 Bultaoo;·ownii"lg.

BUyji'llg anyt:hing secondhand, particularly a 30- year-old f!"iI3chioo designed to be abused, is al\'tays risky. I fu lIy ,expected to be buying it frOiti a 30· year-old hooligan who"d thrashed and be,aten it and was n{!W disposifilg of it I ,~s del ighmd.l!hweror:e. uponapprO£lcl'ling the Cu partine drivl!wa-j to- see

a midcllc-agc'(jl man mounted atqp this Ina:ci1ifllc \'Ji'~h the 00 otic! en 00 arid man-maehi f'I€l res pe-ct of

Mia 100:1111 Srl1ith; he was having a HUIf'!'g.oodbye ride," likely I'etnifliscing, bch)I'~ we a«ill'ed, I was 1f'l(!11 mQi(e ooligh~:edwhen I entered his workshop. Ih~asthe epitome of the ptlir2lse "<I place foJ' every ~ool, and f!W!f'lj tool in its ploc€':' TI'liswasB bike that ha:dbeell nurtured a Ad 001l(i shed 31"1dloved by a nat lisa n,

CUJ'i,ously, an ,old afl1lbulaflOf! sat if'l t~ driveway alongside a new Mustang. and viatage kit car, \iVhik! I d iscussed the f'ime points of oill changing and the reserve fuel tank of my gir tiriencS"s n@.~ au Itaco with Toml, she found! out fi"0011om's wi:le that he \:ItaS a kcoo cOI1r\Petit ive alna~eut motol'C'je list. 21M thalt he had oenserted the· ambulance 'So it was !loU, bme ltafll~ort <It'ldl mobile wol1<:mp,lLegcnd ha s iM: he \!la s known as the on'llIl'ider to. arrliV6 at races ill"! anambulance.

Toofs e;<lpertisew,itJil bii<es ~xteooed to less Iricked-out transports as. we'I~: I was happy to learn the hi'JO -tie-do\"n trick for booting a dirt bik.e in the baclo: of a piokup (Ol"l€ to each sid@of the handlebar, coo-.p ressing the I'rontsuspensi:>f!.a f'!d looki ng do\~ too front wM'el- the n~ar ~hen ooes!ft Ile'ed tying), Wh ile add iog this arcane detail to I~j repertoire,

I ;as1<edknowingly. "':(OY'I1!.an en,gine~r?"To ,!/hidh he a:ckl1O'l!Jleagcd, "rup," Sometimes a word has

curioustly high band\i'lidth: this one signaled that he knew'l too was an engineer and that I {Ii care ~or his. machine as he had. not poolish ing I~: to a s'hIrK!, but r:atilt!1f dcV'elopmg a symbiosis, uooetstal'l,dilflg the ra ttles and wha t Liley mean bef·om riley develop into Il1Oft! tenrnir\;;ll mechanieal problems,

50 oow I have aooth€( old machine il'l my eare. It wm require !~riodjc tuning (andyay for i'l1e, pl'!rjooic

"This was a b ike that had been nurtured and nourished and loved by an artisan:'

'"Mst" I"idil'llg) to mak~sure it is ,ready should the big wave or crack iii thtl ground ~r ceme. I ebeose to belie·ye HlE! disasters are unlikelyand I.iha~: now I'll get to sp~nd ttle odd "any Su.f"ldl'ly" tuning the ,c.arbuootorand Il'idi:ng:.aJrou fIld the b:locil!; imagining !'"!'l'y*lf ill Spain ina mao-machine marathon.

Sa<.d G' Itf'lth ttunt-ls abC!.JI. ~sC!.JI"Ce harct..are w1'IiE 'l'.orkl1g wl1h .It! e ~D'~oeT-I'IefdS at SqcllClLabs (sg...ocl- bs .co.." ).

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8y Ti m An derson

AND A DlSCOLJRSE ON IElL,1(t'4i[) riEhl".

C:iHI,Pit·'IU~4ii~:S •. , HHIRLE,S •. RI:r~[Jl THE FI..JTIJRE.

I made ~iI1}'first pa in- of jackhammer headphof~:S 8lbout ms years age whl~le dOil)g volwn~'eeF' work ~or~1he blind. Many Ofganizafi:ian:s are

aevoted ~o he~lpirtg t:I'H:! blind. including the, libra',.., of Congres's(LOC) and the Minnesota Braille Press, where I was a vo!:oote1!t.

Tht'! LOC rnailloo blW1d pe<l{D'le audio books 00 half· '~eed easseltes ti'I"I3t played Oil special ora!l\!te taP'! reccroers, lu s@,(j to repa ir these machines along with a group of retired telephone OOI't1I;pany wenkers .. Otil"K!f volunteers, mostlvactors. read! books onto tape in many souod booths. We vollunteers W€F€ allowed to check out audliobook'soul'sel~es lrom the oo.ge eeltectlen. The flirst '0Ilr:! I got was Moby Dick Rather than using: one' of the clu nky LOC triIa,ehiIlCS.1 used my (no'ru'lrtle bl'.3nd) W3lkrrian .. 1 foo:uood 11111 wal.krnarf s motor speed until it S(i!@nle'd a:ibou~ rightand the narr.!l!tor sounded like !il chiipmunk. ifven so, it 10 OS< a Iiongtime fOf Mister Chipmunk to recite the bo~ ,ot'I, about 30 cassettes, (In my rinE!rno:ry' .. the book is like tl1is:"Oh b:o~! Hcre'sa bUl1lCh mom facts about wN'les! Blah blah blah blah!,)

At thalt hme .. 1 was driv,iog ,a VW bus with no mufflet and hardly .any bo;Gy len. The body hOlid rus~ed away from Minnesota food sal~t On the li'Iigh\!la)',it was so loud inl'he cab that I wore jackhamm{lr ear" mufBt I wan~:ed to hear what happened to Captaiin

Ahab dcspi~c trile noise, so I shoved hcadphol'1K! speakers into my ear protectors. maki,ng Ul€l First pair of the hc!adphorlie that are thesubjec t of l:hisalticJe.

FIJNCTION IN A NOISY WORLD

This project is the easiest and pmbab'ly most usefllJl Uling!l've ,ever dl'$i,gned. I'd haVe! ~ro!Jblk!!rlJnc" tiooing in this !'IoiS'lj \YOfI(J without them, The'sc homemade hi-f he'adphoTlies work as well or better ~han lBose or Sony noisc"canceling headphOii'lif!s, awording to friends \ltho have tried both. Ul"l~ike tbecommerclal models, these block ,ootside noise Inste<'ld 'of ,ca!llCelilig it They save }lOut ooatingby bloc,king outside noise and allowiAg you to pIali' yout musie at alO'l"el' volume.

1'\It been making U'lese for many years flOW and uS,if1!g toom daily. PeopleSOI1l'tE:ltiR'}eS a:s.k, "lsn't i~' dangel'ous ret !x!i~ abll!! to he'ar'?" Maybe. Ask a dear person. t've neller had a proolem. Lots of my friends 'U se them aJ'"Id 00 harm has come to 2myo,ne.

When driving eross-eeuntry, I check out !5 ,gallion!> .of audio books f!"om the local li'brary tc Ilisten

to on Il'le rood.l~t's the 001)' tnlJ'lg tMt woriks to keep me Jt';rake,and (somewhat) sane-on a long: drive_ VJh~n I get to I1'1)f oostination. Ill1aill'h(! ta~:s back to my home libralY,.

MAKE YOUR OWN HEADPHONES

Co5t. $20 UI ~ to Ma1l.C'. >C111~ M.J]IIiiI~·e COli !lIe-xII)'. INane

he lu ee Iitgredu:llb

1) Imdusb:lal ear-proteetlen e·annuffs ~'lIm ti.lcM"~5Iel'· Calrifl!'lIlcmaster.col )'0,' anothel' vendor. These arePellol'lllOdel "1I10h. the ()est II\rerol1ill1d., Tiley are Hie q!ll:etest eannufl's IIIvalla:b.le (:!lOcUli:) !!lInd Ilave a lip hil~Kle that Iholds H~!>pe.aker In pl~cCe.

2J Any Illrlilflle 0'1' w'a'lkman l~pliC'JH"'!l o~ the one·\~iI\':· .pe r-e.Eli If varle ·W.

31 {o, CI!IUjllg toot

Step 1, Cut otr thE: 11 .. ~ loop.

CUp •. eut .. oil' chew on the p,last<ie 100,1> tlhat eo,:lifHl,.c:ts Ihe headpilo,:ne eal'piooes .. N'ote, th.~ "I,g IU-a Mglle -stylee Ilhoflo jack. TilliS ty,e IS good. lit is less. likely to darll.a;ge yo Ul' wa:lkllll1l!ln Ul'<In tl!es:II"<lI~ht k~ndl. TI~ stralgl'lt enes tend lQ lillY tll;e !I!!l.djQ'<I~t ;5Qcke·t leese frQ!_ ilslnternal 5()ld~:r C:O.l1I:Ile'CUOUS .• 1I. Innp cable is .also de5ua'b,~le.

St~p 2: sneve a 5peakcI IIIlo II eal piece,

Let IlIle 5aythls again. Pelt'or model ~;:I!OI1. ,esllintllU:s are pe~fect 1'01' thl:5. They hav~ a rinl Illa,r'ilIe lhal..ll·cll,ds tille spea'ker Inp;lace.

filii shed!

ReI) eat wi t I~ tI~'e (I,ther ~pe~ tel' .. and you ire do I'll! ! EmJIOJI!'

T m Afid.e: son, flJJ.l'ldf'J' of Z. COrp, roo a lXilVIe: a I 'TlIt.ed.lkGbot.

+

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FROM l'VIR,KEn TO M!=IKER

Who doesn't appreciate a really good tip now and 'then? Especially he kind. as one reader put it. "that changes your Iife."Whethe'r it's something as practical as revealing a way to remove scratches from grass, or 'Something more creative, like how to make sn origami envelope. we all rely on ourtnends and neighbors

to tip us off to the new and the gO(}o. -Arwlen O'R:eWy

Tip Your IGII!ass

To m Sf Idg~saves you from ,ell1oorassment: "When )fOUI',e knoak,ing back a pint at IlfIe local bar; you lo,ok like an absolute idiot wiler} that little cocktaill Ilwpkin is stuck to the bottom of your gmass. Grab the salt shaker from the guy 1'K!':d ~,o yOU! and dash out a bit onyour oopkil'il_ It will soak up beer and conoonsahon, ~ t not stid< to, )lour gbss. l\low )IOu can drink a beer witMut Iloo1<:if~g like an ufIWa~he1j cr:etlin:'" (Thars why some or us drink at homs.)

~nner liube' ine~Downs

What won't MAKE 00 IlIlYUlist Saul Gr If11 th ever 00 found without? Far more useful than a bu ngoo corti. he uses bic::ydc inner buiX!sfar E!'verytiling. trOO:1 strapping broken partsrogeU':ler when somelhilMg fa ~Is aw:tJ'j from the VJotkshop'. to I£lshil'lg kitesuffiling ge,a r to·t11e oo,ck of hi s bi ke, to fi)li rig the fa n be I t of ~ broken-down Chinatown b!l s, Most blic">,cle,mpa if shl)ps tWow out use-d tubes and \!fill be !lapp:)! te pass Ulem atlongto you.

No Motr:e Scratches'!

SC:I'atched CRT m:o:nito:f?' Cal'll S{!(! tliltoogn)'OO rglasses? RatMf th.al' I'tlPl!:iGe ·Ihe glilssot buy an exp.f!li'Isive soratch·remo/i'lll product, jlJst uSfl'alittle :bi~o~ toothpaste (makewre it's p,arste, no~gel,and one·'WI~t:1h baking ,pmvdct is best). Rubover the scratch with SOO1:e lint·f ree doth "in a small circu lar motion wit.h rnederate pressure for a. minute or tWt"" ana willi!! otf, says MAKE r~der PUll I Shor t

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Better Shoelace Tying

James Arler wants to make sure you never trip over your shoelaces again. Tie your shoes the normal 'vvay~ but after you make the first loop. wrap twice around the fi rst I!oop before pushing through the second loop. "Yes. it's that simple.' he says, "The knot won't come undone. there is no need to 'double knot.' and you can still I undo the laces just by pulling the free ends. his works with bike shoes (notorious for corning undone). running shoes, dress shoes, boots. and especiailly little kids' shoes!"

1-11=IND'I VVEBSI rES

DIY Il,aptlop Feet

Ilyoor poo,r Ia;ptop sl1eds l:eet like chen)!, blouOllIS ill

ill Ugllt. spring rain, here's.iii Ililougliltfo you. flllil5 page hils simple IDlY Ilm'~fuction5 II,oFIINakjllllg ewn s'ltllr(ill('r rep,llIC'enr.en; foo'l at ~5S tha:nl olw·t'enHltfle price 01 colllJmefciaHy ,),wlla[)1e OI~5·. :i'~11 you need are ii, piKck!ige 01 self- adl~,e,s!ve IS urf ace protect.o 1'5 (llil e kl ndl .yo LI p ul uJildelrll.an p,:s and such) 81l1!l1 8,shlrdlyh:ole pUl:~·CI1 •. the·'Iil!be.c:ollll/llotebook./laptoll·reetl

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Tricks of the "Trade

!~ whdl e web site 'of Ups olIe· rs .. prof'es slona:! seoeret sl'ro In those In the kn.O\v~" EaClll:!log ·entry t.akes U:~e 1'01'11 or

a l'oode:r·s!ubmIIHed ~f_ k·o Ilhetrade, It hils Ildv ce by eve ryo me rro m "vi ,KI<III; ~as hers ( ~asht eaoc h .s:ld,e Ii] al d i ,. l'eFem~. direcllon so you !mOl:; ~jlllch5me str6ks af!~ on) tosolldle;rsln Ill'aoql who lue IIISI,1lg Silly Stn:ng 1.0 dM'Ck

rQr bQ:11fI1lo t~pw!res h~ra)" !n .£Hi!!I:rk fOOL !md It ~I!!lg~

lQ e¥e!!1 ~he tl!!!_e'5:t 01 ~j~re5.). Pf<tC~k,(!II .• mdl beauUf!!!1. the slt.e IS yet anoth'er elJWi 1Ilj.l Ie 'of why 'Ie areg.treater 01811 U,·e S'UI'l1 0", our Iparts. 'II adell lek5.01.l;

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The Shelf Ufelndex

EYer \'[olme.r ~iII5~ '110 ... ." lol'll,g your rnaYOiiumaise win roolll.Y keep? How a boiU t tllat old ean ef so,da? What '.5 the dure~ernce ~'etween~onlethillg Just t.asHng tHidl ami a<:b!H!.lIy n~kl!!!.g :roy si~k? R:eal Sinple' l\liis. II :gre<!~ llst

01 TI C9!T1ll'1Q!l f0005 .a.nd their :she Ilf 11,,",,:5. ~.o ~ol:v'e your last-minute j)iUllcs and latl"Hl'ighti IlII.iSlfr,s:s.

malit.e2Ine.(O m/.lto/sl~lIli fe

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Giive, AW.i!'fI Unw:anted Stluff

Fir~y(le I!S BlI~ hl~eJ·II!illiol\lIlll11l'b'IQ!"~gfl~al g)i'(!I!J~~. ·,110 use elNilll1stse:rvs 'to' ~os,1 aoo'Ul tiltin.g:s (1Iuy), \Qill to g,lw In'l<l)' - u:5,ed·~o'Uches, e:X.el"dse 'equjipmelil~, brokenb!J~·llxabh~ electlr,onics. f,lLcanistel's,. cardbo.s.rd boms. pllallt ceutlJn_gs .. Everyone '\~l'll5l1ere~ gl",e.~s get I'RGf!! .l}a:rage space, talkers, ge~ soonetiling lo:rfIi'N. and Ilandlilis am c-'OnsenrE!(L PillS, you get to !neet yOU? Ml.ghliilo:rs.

. "e-ec yd "'.(IJi g

_1 1_,_1 ' __

GIP'$ Sta.mping for Pho!t\Ii)S

The "'~o~ofolla 186'0 o:nlile Ne,xtell Ileitl.vOfk wolks 'lH11 an ap,j),Ucali,on that allo_'ls you ~o iJ:j)~load s:,oo·:sta:mp&d ,e.ame!<llfl[hll!Wp'i~'tu(l'eS fO it ~·~bsi~,!1'. "Tllel~'$ ~f" an Eallhl'r egg that 'letts you uptON du\ect.ly t,o flICk! .eem," says Alle~1 Sill ilth,. "TII(~ phone .llJ.!ilds.lags ,of flu! Cli!y. 5,ta~e, alldl .zl.IP' code wl~·er:elhe picture 'las t,skelil. es we'll as, a Mall·qu es t lin k. To, ente ryou r nekr 'elM I, Ipres s 1# "yo ur pjlni' 8"]' 5 Q Ii frolll lhe flf'it 5.t·art-up screen, and ili lPOP' up SUMn Ile~s )iIl'u en ter YOlllr Ik:kr email andpa5s~~o]'d." g.eosl1appel.~omlrooblre," Illig

Origami Env,elopes

Letter writirg may be quickly beoomiog a lost art, bu tf1.' < f It.. L IOV.ll basfound jus ttille '1.-'1<1'1

to, sp.ioo It up .!il,ga.in. Fly log Pig, ,a \vcbslte of wilimsi:::al p.<!iper animation kits. also h.as oil fr:oo oownloadable PDf of instructions Jar linking a paper e.nvel.Qp(!. "I've seen a letef dilfel'ent ways to fold an origami envelope:" sajlsBrown, "but ~hf! smp!est and most eleg-3l'1t. bar none, is. this one. Too cool."

II 11

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11"': ~ 1'", C"'olleil 1 roW r :0;; !'Ito l"'_'itwo ~1J!j ~d1I... 1'1.1.1 S I 1..1"110"- CI'l_~e (1', or _ "d IO:! 'ti$ t

OINIA IFRIDAY N~IGt·n·A'1' il"fn!:i

Po(Uaoo h'jt€'fflati;)MI Race\'~y. teen-

age greasers in tricked-au t muscle cars g.ather

to strut their stulr. Ou t in the stag~ng area. purple smDke dfiUs (1'7001 burnou ~ under fl1E!fOl.ll f'j-vaptJf spD~ligI'It's. while l:liudspeaker ai"li'lOUl'1iOOmen~s «:00 abQWij the (umbk: of blown VSs. Here in this allAmerican ritua I felOOI by ga sol iioe .and testosterone, rm sitliog in the pas-

senger scat of a t.!:~tally

incongn.!lOus ~1terlopr!r ,

~ a C:1.!I'~'sha~d postal

Modem bat:~e.r ilils.and high·am'pl'!r.age cQf1i~rollets eansa tisf'1 all) 1'e3 $OJ).1]) Ie f'l(!ed for speed - ina cat that looks liike a ,normal car. In fad. tifyou have minimal m och8f1ic a I ski lis, yOIll ca n de you r own gas oli re-te,eledric Illa1<eover for amere $7.00.0. acquiring an aut,ornooile that has zero emissions yet still boa s~s enough ·I~w-e!lld torque to burn fubb{lI1' Of (morEl sensibly) merg:e· \'lith baffie doing 75 on ~he ~n:H!\'JJy ..

If you have minimal mechanical skills, you can do your own gasline .. to .. electric makeover for a mere $7~OOO, acquiring an automob.ile that has zero emissions yet still boasts enough torque to burn rubber,

d@livery van powered cn~irely bJI' batteries .1he owner. Roooriok 'Will:j IMan '"Wilde, did tile ceoV@.i'Slonforaoncihoot

s haw on the D i soave ry Charu'lCL His moH"e'l,l/as simple: to prove that electric vehicles don't ha~ to perterm lik~ golfcarts.

As I perch in th€! ~ssenger seat DesideWiloo.

II am uJ'lComfortably <lWZlfC that ir he presses ttlc pedal ro U"Ie metal, the trio of €!Ieclric motors dr iilII"!!! all four foot-wide dl'l!l,gstel' radial s wlH be juiced with 2 ,000 <Jmp~ at 240 'KIlts trem 40 EN.ide XeD ban€!r~:es. Thait'sal1"l1Oist haU-a-!me:gawa~t enough electricity to:sustait'l50 .average homes.

"When II was a kid,"Wilde FefrMllfi'ls, "lll'l fa~jhGr was a service mar\O,Si(!I' for a Chl}$~r dealership. and M ~old me that Iilsolirt€! motors are s~up id. The pist'(lwn has to go up'. stop, and 00 me· back down - it's very ~mfll i::i:C!tlt." He smiles relilecttivc 1)1 .'"I~ I can take tili:s postal van, weigtlil'llg more th.an twetens, and hurl ~t down the qoarter-rnlle. ifllaybe people willll"wise son;eo~ t.heil' <Inti-electric prejud:i~es."

Afew minutes later, after I s.tep out of the van, he peels out \"ith ti(eSSltHikil'i,g~na aeeejerates to ao miles pill" houIF.I-iIC·S disappoilfilfed: he hoped to break 10 0,

11'1 an era where{! a larmists spool': of '''peak oil"

and gal:!: prtces have jumped 50% within a y.ear. E:V

n

~ advocates SC!e all unprecedented opportunity to

~ deliver a mess9g.€l that bas been persisten tly' mis- 15 r:epn~oonted or misunderstoodl, !;;Ied:ric vehiclesdo j'

:.. r'IO~ OO\l'e to be we rpI"ic::ea .andovelWe~ght.. like GM's;

!Jj

~ IEV:lor Tb,yota's RAV4. Nor dotlhe:'1 have to 00 II imsy

co ;,Jbsurd~ tiesS'.!ch as the Gi~no or U'Ji!1! Twijr;€", which

~

it· look like r(1fug;e~:s from reruns of TlH9 Jet:sC:)Ils.

Thif> s,e.emirllgly impossible d(eamor a hi,gh'

pr:! rlO.llIrull1OO ride \"iHl.in the constra tints of (!cotQpi<Bln ffHgalnLy raises en obvbu:s CIIlK!stion: i~ IEVs can btl

so easy tabu i'~d, cheap ro run, and fuMo own, why aren't we all drl"II'lg them? Even 1'I10000e pelple:< lng, wl1)' hilw today's <Jluto. InanufactUl'ets abiiillOOr'lCd EVs linltavorof~rids. Which deliver less perronmnoe wlith gtearelf oompieJolit;y eta hig~r price, While still ,enlitl:iinggreenhouse gases ft:orn !:he.ir tailpi.,p@s'?

,ON 'THE SATURDAY IMIO'RNING,

after Wjl!de's racetrack atilVCGItul"c .be tows his mail truck in In oowntown fl:ortfaod, where a

m iscellial1eou,s assortment of ~hlcle·s Is gathering at thePiiiI1kil~ IQ~ ootsi:deti Village IMdi!"IeI'. Till'S anrruall'shQl:'/ of street-'Iegal eleclrles is being sponsor'Ca til"lfOli'tf'iaUy bJI' local fcsident Jol'rll'l Way lar'ld , whose inillovative baokllardengil'W!tlfling .aoo persistent :pmsel.vtizing have ~amed him gUJi\! s~3hlS ift too lEV wotl<l. Wayla nd is di sp lay itlg U\f(l~ of his, ,O\!{I), creations: a co:rnmuter-friendly reoovated 19(7:2 Datsun, wl'llch looks.sufficicntly imRulcutJfi:e to be

·a s ii)()w' ca r: 8100ther 1972 Datsu n dubbed U'le ''Wlh it€! Zornbie:"which is the worid's,quickes~ sbfeet-Ieg;al ,electric cali', i'iIJIlming a 'QUtlrter·mi le in jLl s~ O'let 12 seconds: and - as ir the man ooeded to plfove that h(! hasa sense of humor - an ,elI!cb"iri0d lawn traet()j' enhanoed will a thu.mpirrg stereo sysfi:em.

Wf!y.~nd il:sch@erful,amiable, and r:e.12i"1tl!'lss. @ver'I when a sktptricall elderly \li~itol' !!JUers U'te inevitable

variations that 11l@ doesn't halve to touch ~:h@ gearshift. "Se.cooo gea.!' is ~ for up to about 45

oompla int: .. Do )fOU' ~\Ie to plug tilTteS{!' Ilh il"lgs. in?" miles per 11OIl.ur, end third gear takes me upto 75;'

Well. dull, yes, you have to recharge aoE¥. just as he exp!lains,INOI' does he oeed to slip the'cllutdh,

lfOO would recharge a laptop •. an iPod. or a ceJlphone. when starting from a red light. because an electr lc

Amd 'so we g<!tlo too ir'llevHable follow-up: "How far will itrnke you 1'"

Alll'l1os~' all the vehicles being shown there share the sarae ~lii11lit: around 401 miles, Il1e<1itabll/', this, llOOSCS, dooM al1ld dism<ry, sioee <31 tard!: of un leadedl t:'lpicalt~la:sts for 200 mih'!'s 0( more, The fad is, tihoug1t most of us: seldom use this capacity. Hallf the homes in the United States cootaiin M\!I'O or more cars, and the number-

b.~o car perfOM11S, local

errands 'su:ch as pick trig up he kids from school, oon-rumuting to wolt.

or visiting the supermarket ffirt'his kiooaf duty cycle, an EVwith.~ 4O'rlli'~e ta'nge is ideal.

Wl"len b~g cOfTlp.<ll'lies suchasf'ord and GIlA affer~d Elfs, tl'tiily didn't

doesn't: hs\/otf! ~o' ((!\I up in pl~p!lr:atlon for II:alillfi1lg oft

B.ac~ in the ,palrkiog lot I inspect R'i~ 6ames· 19,86 Chevy Sprint. tihe dOl.'di:e:sl: W!hi:::l!e 0111 displ3'j, "I was going ~o,coovert <:lllfugo;' he says, "but I found this already cO.l"lvcrted, far sale in Seattl!i!:'He says there is an adlvC{! ,Sf!condhandl market tor EVs, because 00, M{l wants to thmw th€!m ,away. He didn"t bother to pimp his ride rOI" this car show,

Cruise past gas stations with the same feeling of superiority as an ex-smoker bypassing a display of cigarettes in a convenience store. 'Middle Eastern oL?' Sure, I [used to

_ urn it - bUlt I quit,,' "

even bry ~o pursue the

strort'I'alnge :paradigm.lnsteaa, tOOl/' ~ttempted to guarantee as rl1.any !TIi las as pQ.ssl~bl,e byloo:dirlig theirrvellides with massive baUe.ry steaks th<Jtt d@"IOI!ln?C ~1t@l"br :spaoo,aoo crippled Pl2rtOfJfl1ICl'nce. The resu It w.as an !JnhapPll' compromlse that pleased 00 one,

MindllJlof this foollishness, oocli;yardbuncSers

a: knOl!J I'edge the I lrn its of today's ba tte I"'J t£!chno,logy and sa:erifi:::€! some range in order to salve "ll::!ilght, ITIiiYnimize e!pense, and n'U:lJ(ir'nize' dnlv.abiitty. Here's a cl~'ssic exampl,e: alcute littl\'! green vintage Fiat the S'tZe of an old VW B@etie' .. 'T~Je al~~ys had a thing .about Fiats," eemmeres its OWt'let. rutar'k Mongillo, "but tll@l/w@l"enl fast enough as gasolinecars::' After cra.mmifl(g a coupl€!' ,of 00 tte.ry stacks into the ,'OOr' etfgil'lce eemeartment. 'l'lel'las a Iiv.e'~'~el'W!hick! ~'Mtstill seat's four adults. "I bought it for about $2.900;' he say.S, "and put a boo t $2.000 in to the oonvef!:;ion, \vith a lot of used parts bought over tihe int@rl"'!e'~ and through friends, It took me stout

a yealfo~ till"dlering -.a few 'hours here and there. ~I niK)st,J' did it because it's 11.1111."

Mongillo drives n1c.aroond OOIY1e back streets. and 1 notice that th@ motor is so.tolerant of speed

because the Sprint isno~ a ~Mw'cal'. HeOOffillilut(!s in it €'Joet)( day to his job at a I!ocallntel c!hip factOl"j.

A.t the other-extreme .. Flussial"l-OOffH!leetrollics ~ngioo@r Vlictor Tikhorlov dlsp lays ,an ongo:ing reS{!~rclh project: a 1991 Honda C,R:X powe,l'ed wirh state··of·the·(jl't lithium'ioo (li-Ion) batteries. \!Jhichoflei" g~ater l<lng,€: but have a higher il'llterflal res istance that I limit U Il1 pe rage alitd acceleration. To com pe nsete, Ti1<hol"lov has addeda l11assiv,e array of capacitors, visible beneath the Hoi1d:a's fastbac'k rear Wir1OO\'!I. ''1here£lr(! 1'60 of thoo; at 2.7'0(1 farads each" he tells me.

A.nother llithium·ionaavocate i.s Jukka Jarvinen, who flew hen:: trom h~s f1Ia(:iil€ Fin land. Jarllinerl is tall, thil1l. lintense, and dogmatiC in his passicn fot a II ttl iJ"!tgs etec tl'ic. He bili It a I i!:'hillM' io rrp C\'It:!' roo mowqcle,3ndrecentiy o'biai:ne<l gcwernment rund'ing ror his own EV battery devclopml:!nt ,cQmpany. "Yoo .g:e'~ aboot 25,{l00 miles fromon€! I ead-a cid baU€fY pao1< before it mu st 'b·e repliilood. but I ittl iurn ·ions ea sily gi 'I@: :fOIl 150,000 rniles,"he daims. "That.'Stli)oot lCll{OOl's from OlIlf!' set of Oaltil:eries, 'with 160 mi!es P2fcl1all:ge:' He' believes tlh.atlith~!JrrHon prio€s will plu liilm~t. si~ the t:i1rnesc 11IB1I@ iri!ltl!stt'!!d $.2 billion in baUery

1. R:otiterlek 'It,'flde '5 500.000- • aU postal 'II"illl1lluf1ve5 on Itr. trailer to cor pete wnh sh"t'e~·ilega.1 drag5,(,ers ,a.t tile P,orti'l.i ndl n tel'll.it i olTlal Ra,C'~lay.

2. [eln TrUll!' (left)1 enl:,ist,ed assls>tanoe from E'V veteran Don CrSl!bh~e (Ii,gl~n ,'then hoe nrn~~ 1:0 ,elech·l~y tlus Dat S'll " ,Z. WtliJle aU Uit~ ,oli,ginal aeeessertes sun wOtk. 11'KllJdlngpuo'lel''I,int!tNl'''' al~~ f,ildiol ~heg,asoli.nle ~I~ilil'le ha,s :Ueen Ifelllaoc,sI ~'ii'll,i .i\ clus,te'F 6f ilirH ele.c:l'riC' I!ilOb::n'!>,. 3 011 the eon oret,e floor of J oil n Wayla IR'I'S ga "~ge IJ re the colt:iponents fora typ cal tEN 'ool'lversion;eigthl12·wlt lead,~ldba;t~erh::s. a rorkUU ~rl!lCk mO(Qf IIl1ld C<I~ltlf~' IeI'. I'UliSlf,glmllg modi:ll:e. DC-DC COii\fel1el'. fOOiliIrnMng lIardlll'am. ,andl dr,iwhi311n1 eeu p1e, r, Iota! coS'! Includj !l,lt b~Hi!rles: S,;OOQ,.

II~searoh aod l\al\ltll:itl"lium"liichore ck!pos its in Tib"t.

SUit fl'l.OS~ Fv'ooi Ick!rs prefer the l'e liab Ie 'stJ"flplj:city of lead-acid baUeries and fefu ro,isl'IC:d DCforkllift buck motors .. Pioneers such as Way:I!,aloo JIneS Wilde fiiu !fed out 1(1 yea rs ago tha I: yo IJ can sa fe Iy fi eree 96 votts through a 48·volt rnotorH yoo M:ufn~:M oommu ta tor ring to change til(! timing. Jim Hasted, who fan a business rerurbh>ning torkliUsfof 24 yeall's, was stunned when he discovered what til1e lEVers were doing, He Is I'llOW a true bc,licVoCI'" h8.'I'llgiing out with the nerds andsprea:ding the gospel with wide·eyed intensi\).,

"This is vel)' e;;:citing fOI' me," 11e saltS, ;'1 want

to ge t more of these' ea rs out on tile rood, I' ll wed: withir'lar'lJ! EV bu i laJef':s budge'~ ~:o make his C';!!!' better, send me a motor and 1"11 $e1'Ki it ba.ck wibh 1;"'Ir,~bletiming.1 W31"1t to mate a retrofit kit a userf(liflndly way to 00 ""I'!at t1~ guys M\i{l boon doing: on a much more technical basis"

He SOllIMS giddy withtrhe po,ssib.iliities. "There are t hoo sands, of d n f.erent models of DC meters tnat have been btl ilt in the past 40ye,ars. Some wooldbe ideal fot motorcyoles, And I'ltIlook.ing to wire <II pair or ill10!nrs so t'hey can go from series, to S{!r'il1;s-paralll'€.lL to para lIel to make a thre~' speed t~·.aI,snlissj.O,ll.II'm pr:ood to be a pari!: of allthis."

tbed to'mooera,te

IElghl'12·volt: lead~acld po,wer.,$100·$1S00

batteorles. S! 00· 52.00 O.

Chan,ges OUltput volitq:'e, 5150·S300

l500W home heatlr-e e:le me:",,':.. S 50

AftER 'THE SHOIW.I V'IISlll'''IJ'HE

two-car gl1Irage behindWaylaoo'ss1Jburoon heme <'IIKi ask Iili rT1 to s how rTletoo pa (liS th at ate needed for a conversbn.lt takes him onllllO minutes to gather and anay eight 12-volt b.aU,erlies. al motor (r€'fur'bisl1ed ~mm:an @~c;t,ric forklift ~:rll:ck).,

a contl'OUeJ' to,moder~lte the jXlwer. some he'a~y .. duty eo,Pper caeles, and ill r'eohargirt,g unit. With minor additional items suchasa 5,OOO-ohm petentiametef tru~ ~ik under the ,ga s pedal aodcostsjess than $10, thi!s is ell you need The lesson is ebviou S~ EVs are ldeal for ba:ckya:rd bui Iders because they can bi! I'eall~, I'oolly smple,

The first step in a cOIWtN:sion is tofioo a "donor vehiele," usually 1:'11 I i,gI"Ihvelght compact g;!lsolil'u!· powered ,.;lutomooiI2 from. a scrap yard. You throw ;Jway almost ;911 a,f i~s mechan lea I components: th!!! €:'1,gliM. raetater, hoses, carburetor. ail' clellr't€!(. i,gf'll~Non$,ystelfn,stafter motor, ,exhaust pipe, Il'IU~· fler, catalytic converter; ~uel pump. and (of course) the gas tank An electric motor needs non,€! of these peripheral cklvi~es.lt i,g ,alsoone-ql.!,artu~he size of a fQUI··cll:~il'id@i' galSQ lil"K! ,engine, about four times as eflf.iCilent, and fair more rellabte.Arselectrlc v{!hicl~ N!{!ds 1"10 eJ(tIYl\alI cooi iog syst~n1. filtering systems. Of oil supply.

After lfOU·.get SOl1100.n~ suches Jlml-lusted to I:we·ak your meter (o(buy a pJlc-t:wtaked motor rrOOl a source such as EV Parts (evparts.com), you'll liteed to attach it seeutelll to thoe frame of the car. l1'1isshooid bs simple e!F1ougfh, si '00 JIOO don't need I'!Jbber mount's. To attach the motor to your car's trW"\ smill~sioo, you can g~t,a loeal m~ta~ f.aMcatioo shop to create a suitab 1:/ drilled qua rter- inch aluminurn pia te for mall' be $100. You'll a tso l'K!!!d to get a bubadapterto conned

Ex~ct to spelKl bl'!tw,een $5,(JQO and $!C,aoo,

or more i~ you wal1~: e:d:r<l15, :SIJch as saparat,e motors to power a n air- oond itioningcompressor, pOWElr steel"ling. or powC!r bl'ak:es. Most EVers choose small. lIght cars in which poweras!> is ts are not neoos·s.arj.

I),wring the wint>Of months, tl'W! efN::ie,ncy qr ~n ~I€!ctrie meter actualllli,r COUf\~S agail"lst it. because

it generatesvlw lually no waste' heat to warm bile cer interior. Still. )Iou can UlSC the exis til1tg car bearer

the motor 'sNlflL with

)toot existiflg lI.ywhe-el aod clu, teh. These are a'laili:'Dble fot m.a~types of cars on various EV ~ts n"!tai1!ers on the web,

You'll wire your batteri~s ",im-h cau tienand respect. since their high

aJyrll)efalg~ at 90, volts is hazardous. tt'sa ,good idea to iiW{lst in 00'f!1e' EV conversion how·tob~s ·suchasCOnvetf U! by Michael Brown or ,fjuiUJYoor O;vn fJlgclricVe1lic.le by SahBrant:. Of go online to diSCli!ssi~ silteswheret€chni(;<!II(I''JOiYI!'la~ is

You get albout 25,000 miles 'rom one lead-acid battery pack ut lithium-ions easily give you .150,000 miles."

if you insert a ceramic (!Ie'm~nt from a 1,5QO"\va.tt (miflimum) heater of the t'jj)e sold for home· use. When yoo run it from lI'Olll' DC batteries. lit will deduct about 10 to 15 percent of your mnge_

Cold weatihe.r \!Ii II atso a Hect the banefli!'ls ~hell1- seliJes.At 3.2 <k!gre.es f. ~ad·ac iel ~lectrocllelnica I

r~ctiDi1I S cre{lt@ anI)( h,ar! as I'l1uch power as at 80 de:gre-es, Smt ~ can lin€' you I' battclY box with s~)'rofooni1, <I nd kt:!'ep JtO!!JI' c ar ina ga raga avem ight. Alterootively. according, to ytay[tand. "I~ YOUican

a1 ford a set of 1'1 iCads, t'hey hall€! a eye Ie !i fe in the thousands, aoo li"ley'rc 0111 the secondhand market !lOW, At 20 degr{l{lS, tl"!€ystH I hrl\!!il 98% of th€'ir PD\'A'lT Ni:::kel-rnelal h)odridesa:nd nUilium-iorlisalso are not sigwlirk:<'Il1tty affeeted b)! cold:'

No matter \,,1'1 ic hi b a tte ri e s you u Sf! , they' 'II mqll ire some nurt!Jring You'Ullry to avo id di'scharg!r'lg tlv!m oomp I,mel),. and y,i)Ij'll use a pro~rl)! eng iflt!er-ed unit to r'€charge them. With a smalll amount 01 em-e. 1hC')!'lIlas~ several years. and you"H have the pleasure Oof driving alruly uniqoo" stilent, nonPOoliuting vehie Ie, You'll cru is(! past gas !ltdioos wtilh the sa:m12 feeling o.f superiori!:>, asan ex-smoker bypassing a display ofcigarettes in a ,convenience' store." Middle Eastern oil1 5:ufe, II used toburnit ~ but IqUirI.."

Of course. electricity has to be ,geMra ted somewhere, ~ t ideal!.II it m~ ceme trorn hydr:oelC!cCtrie instalilations Of wioo tUfbir\~, ar'ld~vetI if it Mjg~iMre!> rrOOl 'fossill fuels.a large jX>Wer plant is more etri:::if! rnt and cleaner than a small lntemal-comaustlen engine, A!s.o. it may use d run est iea I III mined coal, of which \oJe have copious reserves,

'tout EVITl'ltif not have tJ~ lil'legawaU.ag,e to bum rubber on a drag stripln bhe style' of Roderick Wil,de's de rncnted postal van" but it wiH be more

HYIBRIIO OWNERS PLUG IN

spiritnd thana hybrid while also bei,f1!g slim~kll", rllMf!' feliable, dheapt!f, and more eHicieflt "The ,only reason that hybrids are ,catching on," says Wayland', "is they get people over their ~eaif .of not ha'lil1lg ,enough bat:tery power. Poop [I£! can still goO to I.:h!:! gas p1l.Imp. TIleY ha,ve gas to rescue them:' He sh.akes h is, head sadly, "It's a crutCh! HlI'bfids are tra tin i:11lg wlhoeels for the masses! eo

From li!li"I ltv Iper'spective" 'hybrlids are not OJ1ly lame but cripp~ed, since t'Mir batteflies on onlv b~ r:f!d'!i.arged'Via the ear's gasoline ru1gtiOO, Pe.rhaps in ,an efto.1 to,avoi(j Ulf€! "EV sti,sma:' mal'!l.lfa:::tul'ets OJ'I'lli~· t€!dall)! option M·o recharge thsrn from an external source. If this fe'al'ure were added ,Wayland points out, "You cou Id drive a hybrid in the ci~"y a [I 'Week loo,g an,a I'tIeVU turn on it's gase li.1'lII"! £',ngioo. IBut l/'OU'd still Mli€! tli'ie engine wnen you need g:re'a~e( fang,e."

How I:> ng wi II it ta k€r or la l'ge ·21 uto com pa nies to stop thillkiAg that consumers wi II 'be afraid of pluggi,llga car into a wall outlet?

Fa.titI.IMtell', \o,ie dm"!i't ~ to pondettlhhs.quesbarll eecause ~~ OOf(lp~nts 00 Way laM's g.atage 11001' ·offer an easy qption. If )lour daily driving habits ~alll wl~~lhin a ,4Q-mil::!1 irnit. YOUC<l11l h:lJve ~'OUf own rationally €t11lginEl{!md [E'If right oo\!{.AII ~ hall€! to 00 is make i~yourself.

RESCHJIRCES

Ell discus s liOO8 ndl advlCi-e; f!\,)dk.,)tl'(Qnl/e\!le ... !!s~.h bill

Pho~o album ,(,noll&th8JlI GOO IlGll'l&-llL~1II. EVs): :\l.Istll'lev.org/evalllum

P.arts, ~or E lois:

e>lllii rtS'(OIll. e\l·ameI1c.a.(om, manzanllam 1(10,(011'1, cloudelech le.com

MOI1E!' Ell lmks: ptIges.jHod!g¥.net/lweLil/hel'i 'page 2.htl

'('Iet,or llUlonov's "hlgli-.eml Ae drive sys:he'll1:s": ~"I ~I.IToe 1IIcI1l~llld.co'n

Nor!)!! Anlencalll [1:e~t!1.C IDrag, RMmg As 500.1 atll'Q Ill; \~I\~ .... nedl iLCO II'l

~nel Plan ~ ~n!il, s t'f1igt \'1 fit ~ lor IMred 1I11<Ill&. iJlo!:' and has\'/fIUen !iltle:nce htUon oov&1s such as 1heSlm?MiOO.

~' ... ~ 61

rr-s U:30 [P.M, O'N[ A,FRU)AY NIGHT'

in Sa n Diego afKla gtoup 0 f 00 lI,eg.e gu }IS from a handtu laf dif'fermt !.I11iltets,itie's arc hangin.g out in balhro.besand swjlnsui~s b, the pool at a resort hot:el[on the harbor.

But it's not "that )Iou think. Instead o~ cha,:sing: girls anerbt1€( chasers, tllflse gtI)'S, are-lalia Qut(lln recliool'S. writing last-mioute pto~r<ll11mi:ng changes 00 tIleir laptops. or thc~"lle lin tbe p'oo[ tinke-riAg with 1~lq~:e submarines lmt [look I~€! too)l were built lrem £!Ii"CC tor sets. PVC pi pe . ,a,nd s pia rlr! PC COO'1 pan el1ts.

The students ~ a mix 01' 19 teams (e,P(~sel\tiftg univers ities and trade schools across the US. and Camdal, :along with a

Bay Areal high schcol

tea m a nd even one fro Il1 India - are in town for Iihe8th Internati:>nal AIJ~:OOOO100S UnderwatcrVehid~ Con1petrt:ion, helda~ the S~ceand "'~3~al WartafE! Systems Commaoo (SPAWAR}

W,iMil1lgall'@aboutB,:sl[ik@l,y.a,sa high school footbal[1 t,eam beat i r'tg th e AUa ota fa lcoos.

Hisfoo,iball refenY'loc is \'1try aut of p'!aoe among tile talk ofvedorthrust. pf{SsuresensOfS .. aodsoaar pulses, and it's qui:ckly apparent why he s!ands out from the oU\e1' students at the pool.

"I u sed to be ;]1 IX> lic~ officer. W~had U'loe big remote-oootrotlsd rohats~or the bomb squad whichwas the fiU's~. tri:IiI'1E! I (!!J.Cr messed with any type el robots bl1!forl.':!, and it captured me imtantly. We had four goys on tiI~ bomb squad. all about my age. .and wlletl ~fe ~lere iliiOM wi,th that ,cOOtro~P,M~1. it lookf!d like a bunch c,f guys sitting:ar:oo,nd playirng

Each vehicle sports plenty of zip ties and duct tape. evidence of quick fixes after going throu,gh damage .. inducing practice runs in the pool., ,

tf<lliningp,ond ollCrlo,dkil1lgthe Pa.cifi::: Oceam, a PlayStatiollgame .. Wc'd be sittil1g there jelikir,g

A~ stake is $20,000 in pni~€l '("rilol1ey, of ,'!hieh $5,500 the joys~ick baok and for('h, and U"I€ only ~'hing missil"lg Wci'l s a 1lI'I! bu Mto n"

All of t1'te teams arc at tlttc j)OITta by 7 a.m, Uli! oex t morning far boo qualify ing heat:s. There are

19 [~I'ItsrQ4j'ming an l':shape sl.I.froond[iag the pond. ,organized til)' [.as~:y€a(splacir1lg. The top ~ive tent's l'Io!JiStl thC!odds-on ravorit(!S: MIT. folla.'fad by CorncH Ur'li~ily, Qu:{H:>.€!c's EoolE! 00 Te.cI'u)Olcg~ Su~i@u(e. UllivelSi~l/ of Rhode Island. and Duke Univers,R:y.

At the b:oUOlil1 of the list. mOistly becaescit's their first tlime cOirrupeti:ng, are North caro~!ina S~'ate Unil' versity, [lrlCllailLlndeI"\~ater Robobics 8oc1iety, Georgia tech's Mal'il'K!Ro'botic Society, -af'ldi IDeWy.

Like artl~sts asked to pa int the same portrait, but wlitl1l wia:ety v!ilII'J,lir'lg Skills, experleoce. aM buqgets. eachof the 191 teams approached U'K! dh,all€i1g,e

un i'l Uf!.ly.

"That's ~:h€! beau Ly of \'1Orkif'l(g~ in [hew,ater," says Dar)!1 Davidson. exeeu tNt: director of U-.e Assoca-

will be given to the first place team,. Co:ns,ideflng the cost and !l,mO! to oreateasubn'l~(il'le. mot'Kiy isn't the 'lnotiilatingfador.lt's all about the bra.ggi11lg rights.

TI'K! AUV cempetition Ilr'lvolves lhl;'c(! tasks. Once a l.M!hi.d.e is lowe roo by a small, portable crane into SI'AWAR's rI1!d1rky C!ooo. it must subrnergi! by itself and Iptoeeed to !rave lappfoximat~lyffuve ya-rds to an urmf'l'latrergate" which it must enter. This wi1[1 prw.e the vehicle ls capable of I:raw[irm: in a sh igllt iine.

Next, each roboticsubmarioe must locate a fia shing beacon .and trump lin,to it to simulate .an utr.QeI'l"a tel' dock. i ng.

Fmailly. the vehicle musttecate ill length or zigzaggalj:lipe ~i.d,oot on IDe, Mt~OfI'I anne pond and follow it Ulntil ilt f inos a large gap. Once it locates the

'R

~:~p. it: must drops marker [identifying the miss i~:

~s.eeti()fl. The final segm€'l1t I'e-Quires thesut)(norine ~ to listen and locale anaeouste pinger io a marked b

u

~

I.'

~

target zone and surface ro be recovered, tion for Unmanned Vehicle Systems [lntef1l1atioonall

A~: the resort pool. tfl.€! teem s alfe doing ~Tjal runs (AUVSI). W'h ich e rganizeod the competition.

of the pipeline s irm'! latioo 300 ~inkering \'1 ittl their "When lfOU think aboutthe a irC(,ail't industry it's.

,..

.. fTi:il'cniIieS,OI'l the pool declil. 'wl'ys,pecifi:: <lInd 'lel'y ... elegant::' he· sm..s."Tl'lars I'IO~

.~ -"

:::1 Andy Linnerucohl, all electrical engineering major the case here. Some of them do hiave· vel)' el~gant

J from Sou thGl"n Polytochn i::: State Un iversity. locat€d thi.l1Igs to them. blJ,t iit's not so Im!J.::h. When they get

0. jrst OOt5 ide 0( All a nta, says his team's chances,of into the propulsion sy:s,tem s Of baU:er)' systems,

our IL~OiJR S

some o~ U'M!!m are using Vtl1ry Sil1a[1I corncu tsrs.so ~I 'lie bee n able to pack eve !)Ithi ng OOW(I int.o a small Cil'se. 000 team has a bw.y design that looks like Rhode Island. lif)!Ou have a long. sheamHned S'jsmm. it takes tess €l'I€rgy to push it m'hrough the water. but once it,gets going. it's going to MI'U'oe a l'1I8l'dertime a:djlIsting al1!d correding. Som,{j of these lloond vehic,[es can pmlty

mu ch tum on BI d'i me "

The bigger the budget. ~more intric:ate the vehicle, and it was: obvious that till(! Indian team didn't have much of ,one.

11"1 'fact team member Anum Sehg:alsaldl they hada ~oti:ll budget of $1,000, whioh iocluded travel e)1pe.nsesto SM D,iego, To save mo:tley, 'tlhe entire team w~s stay in,g at a r"eI1altive's apartment: in the I:ow'fent suburb of [EI Cajon. appra.x.imatcel:v 20' mil'e:!> cast: of San [Diego.

They li}ooght 31 maj()fity of !.'he vehicle parts aifter Mi'ivil"lg. Inc-ludi,fIg the mainbooy. which W.!l S ill bl.adk. Sq1Ja,I'isn. w<llmrlptOOf cal'ryingcase ,complete \"itih handle, Bilge pUIii1P motors powered four thrusters - one faciAg up and one f i3cing diowtTl on each :sidle oflhe case. givi,ng it too appearance of BI gyl'OSOOp ic batwing,

The'fe wal'S,I'I't el'lough monel/in t I'tri! tmaget for any typ,e of cameral or Ii~te.nin,g de'vice,. which means thl2vchiclo real[y has oo,way to complete

v.ehicl@ strays oN cOUfS@ by foUo\!iiog til!! mtlectbn of the SUft takil'fg third .. whil,e Uftillefsit"l of Flor'id,a's Subjuga'lor - a door cyl.indc:r with a ('c,ar spoihu and foam strapped on lor buoyanC'J _, surprises eve,ryone by tlkil1!g first. with Ecol€t de Te<:hnologie SU~I'i(!u A'!!'S IWlI:ar·!aftdc!.r'!ooldng Stlbwli,Mir~g the second place slot.

One reason for the competition

is to bring tog'e,ther these bright engineers to create robotic vehicles that can remove human beings from dull. dirty. and dangerous work" such as bomb disposal or de-mining'

a shipp"ng lane, "

any of i~s missions,

No matter wMlt the teams spent. eachvehlcle SpOl'ts plenty o~ zip ties and duJct tape. evidence of quick rixe5 aUer going t~OtJgfl a couple of damage·iMUiC~"tS pta.ttite runs in tI'tC IPOl'id, U a \lchide 'l!laS ha'Ving 81 pl'oofem with tmoyaocy. a handfull o,f washers, M~I bo,lter a plsstic Coke bo~tll'!' nlledwith l\al'(jefl(!"(i insuliation resm wOtJI~ lbalance the craft,

But oooyaocy is the least ,of their problems, Thel'e illrcfr~f.'!d boards, water [leaks, sottware issues and 3 host or other problems. Murphy's Wlw is in full effect today,

Duril'lg the qtU.ilii)'ing:heats,ITl05~: of the \Ifol'hid!e:s l'I8'te problems~in.ishing:an)! tasks, and cnly,a handful COfllplete the entire ceerse,

Come iN finalls 00 5unda,Y. tile favorea MIT

Despite !.he hieli1d:~ oo:mp@titiol"landcama'adelrie beMt!t!11 tl"te ~,eams. ~he pctentel tor heavy-duty military and ind ustria I qp,pli~atiof'ls i:sever present ii"! ti"lf! i'llind'so,fboth the student:sandi the competlt ion 'O(g3ni zers

Dav,idso.n i's clear that one reasonlor U'\e COOl' petitiollis to bfilir,S together theS'e bright el')gineets to Qieat(! mbotic W!l1id@stha~ can fernO"€! human beings Jrom ·'dull. d~!:y. and dangl:!fCUS wa.rli<;' such as b::wnl) disp,osal Ofde1'l1ininga shipping lane.

And he' sees.tbe po $Sibil it tBS as eoole'ss, "You can C!I cS'ign lh€! ~lhi"gsto ,go as dee p as ~ne' ocea 11 is;' Iv! says, ''They don't have too t flu man factor of de'signlnga vei)! huge. rdbust and v.cry tight syst,c,1'1"l to. preted a pel'soti., You ju st ,pack it all ,in ;!jlitd you' tenot constrained by lUlling to protect human !tire. The same th in'lg goes witili tll'ie UI'Itri31"1r'1Cd aitPlaf'tCs, When you take out U\e cockpit and saf,ely elements, yctu::~Il~i!JU -3H sorts efG'S~lld do thirligs that 00 1'I1anl'l€'d ,ah'(;(af~ COlJld ever do,"

Oa"Jli:jsool adds, "I~ you can take pBoplle out of the m i ssl OIlS tha t have a risk of hife and put.a m<]chine i 11 that same missjon and somethinggoos wrong. \.tho can?s? You blew upa p ieee of ma.chioety,"

L.my HJ::"mofil ~ been COI.<e'1Tlg San DiegO ""..ISle, s'lrange· ne.s:s • .an:::I C'ITII! InhlS i"anzme, Gen,eU::Dlmrde.r. and a l'IU'l'I'ber olotrer pi.EllC"aboJ1,s k'f I'T'D'e I. han 10 )@3ts,

1. TIH!r~t:lT team"s ore,a" "~I'~ieh \~a;s fayol"H tc .'in thlls year's, Intel'mlillt.ioMI AU\OM,m!lU!; Underwatiel'\tehll,ele Com~ehtrlon tin Sam OIII'&gO,. carne in tihlr(t, lostng (out to the 'Unlve!~lly ot flh, .. !ii,d, .. ;'~ S,!AJp~'tOiT a~!d £c,Q!e d~ l'~h,~IClIQg!e S!J!pti!f!0!1:!l!re'5 S.QNJ.A,

2. SOl!! !he!"!! 'QIJ{t~[h:!lj~ St,,~(1 UI'!VO!1:I'!!!!Y'[, Auvro~bo! lamled sq ua mly m Mhe I . Iddll,e or ill I e pae'k. eo flung ill iII~ lO1l1 place.

3. Beea1ltlse (If ,ill Laist-mllullte ,openrtjonall1lushall. No. ~h CalOllnla State 'UnlV,enily's delta,·.6.'llaped Siea'~li caine III 18th ol!ill(lU.9 entrants.

4. Be'sti In Show; 'Ufljvel'sl(y,ol:Floflda's SUb~¥atOl'

b ttlUgilt. IloOmne the gold by 5L10C.e'!l5,f uHy' compietmg 'one' of thl"eeIa5li1s. <lI'IHIL for we Ighhlg In at only 3t>llbs. <f'a, undetrlhte,ll()lb. C'.(I'lnpe~lti'lI1 III 11).

YOU COULD BUY A DINKY. R&:ADY-P.:IAt!IE this 01"100 M'he sUPlpl~s arrived,

kit with a short zip Itine for I':icls, but why not y!)U'1il need a Duffer beh¥een t.heeable andl the'tfe'e

it is attached to - o~hcrwi:sc. the ilr:ee wlill acwall:t' grow around the cable and. overtime .. comple~el:1 ,e~"1Jtl' Itt. For this purpose.t ooughtbhree !xl) boo.rds ,of pressUi'c·treaM:ed deck [loorlng and oot ~hem mto S€vflr;all-'foo~: ~ngths, I went ah!;:.ad and drove-the Mtls partway into the boards so I wouldn'~ haW! to do, so once I was at the 1;op of t:heladdel'.1 nailed the Ib 00 I'd s il'l~o the tree IJl:l'ltically so' t>h.d tihey

In!:lke your own industrial~-:dref~gth .zip line that

will support the heaviest of neigi1bors1lrs a fun proj.ectyou can tackleint3 ,('1ee:keoo', You can !)fOOl' a]1 U"Ie parts on the web rOlf less than $300.

First you'll need to f il)d a su:itable location for lfOOl' zip line. Depending:oo.lfl.e la)' of the land. you'll be c'hoos.irg between t'l'lO basic types o~ lip line. If)'Qu \"oU Idil ike to put you.!' zip liM on a steep hilil. YOU'Il,Med to usa a

!bl<BII<t:d zip line. which has

a brake blook . attached tobungee cords that sb" you down as yoo approach the end or tile lim .. If your site lhas a more gradual inc~jl1lE!, lIDU can use a gravity-stop, zip Ilinc that

Sill':!;) Iy u S I'!$ gravity to s low YOu down. I k ~w s rna U cl'Bd(~f'lwould be fj:jing miOf! .. so I chose a gta1.dty s~op because it is tamer, and eu f p:roP'l2rl:y layout n1la:de t'h~I:S, optton ideal.

Instead of risking life and limb.,

I took the cable halfway around the tree and then chose the base of another tree to secure the cable. "

I.F.11R:S', S.TEP.S

I Suf':'IICll'ed my ptopcrty<'lM ioontifi,ad MO large 00 kbrees tha t Vie refa re noug;h a:par t <'I nd only had a ft!w veri small trees between them. I rneasu red titte distance bew'I@t::i'I the· trees and Oi:'oored th@ followblglP,n1s from Starlight Outdoor Education (star~ightou tdoorcd .001'11).

For a permanent zip Itine. yoo'll need 10I"Ig eye" bolts. drilled thtoogh thecl1':irc ~ree trunk. to .attad"l tii:.e cable to. I koowl migj)t rn:)Ve U'I€l.zip line iottle future. so I ebose a more te.l11pofal'y techn lque to aHlI'c h t!he COl b~.e.

Depend iog on the run yo U V€!' selected, :vou'I~1 ooed to detelir'lt"IC how I'lfluthcal)lc tOPlJlftMse.1hc cable comes in a spool in IlUJUiph::sof 250 feet. You sllould g:e'~ mere than you Il(!{!d boca!.! se ~I' IIl"1eed a bit ef pl.ay 00 oolh erKl:s.

INhile ~l was \",ailing fOl' ~he' supplies to. ship, I, s~.artcdprep21ril1g tloo sttcJ had toclear SOIl1:C small bI~€!s and unc:klrbrus.h to create a j)alrh be(ween the t\vo trees. I also started viStNllizing how fa!' u,p' each

,..

.. tree I was going to lle1!d to .atbldh tile cabl'l:! and

.~

:::1 11lO\iV stee P' the sl.ope 'sOOu lei be' .. I k new the re wou I d

J :prdbab~ill' ~ SOI1l{!' trial 31'lld error. bu~ ta~ing: some

0. time to plan a~ad of time deltnit€dy mif'l irnized

,eoci'ch~dthetrunk with ~I~ gaps in betwMn'tham. 11'1is auews the cabl:e to. at tach se<:ufely te the trci!' witlhout adu.ally touching it. On a oouphl! of the 'boord s, I drove-a nail about half,"'1ay in so the ·cable \!,Ould b:!lsup'pDfted by it allldwoo~~dn't slide down ~he tree.

• LAV111N:a C.ABLE

\lVhellthe cable arrived. I unwoundl some from the speel clinlbecl U)@ '1Iat1derand oi.rc:ledl tll'1@ tree one f!J~1 time. and thllt'lS(!cwmd It wi~h two cable clamps, De1pelldingoo the diameter{)! the tff!i!. you may I'Iee'd a seceod person and ladder to help., as the cable tcr'lds to be U11Wll::!ldy. especia [lyon top of a laddt:!r.

I un).voondthe rest of IhecablB to\vard U)e otij)0f t((!~ and nailed Ule boards to U~ 9CCOi1d tree. Because the cable on the second tree is so Iii~gh.

I knew lit woold be' dilfl'ioolt aoddang,erous totlghten tfIC cable at'id elamo it at tMt Might. Ilf'lStellla of risking life and limb. II took the cable halhvEI)! .around the· tree -3M then dlOSIll1w base of' :,eooH)er tree toseeore Md tightenthe cable to. Tl'lis.aIIo\'1ed me t.o.uS€! ~:he'corne-along i(ai.l<.a. the hal'ldwinch) to tigjhten the cable stancili11lgon the gr:olUnd rat:hl:!f than at tJ:.e top of anextension ladder.

To· tight,en ~'he cable. I tool< it aro.uoo thebr{l(l.and p!:Jltwo ,eltlmps on the cable without tigl'i~enln,g them. II then clamped ill loop on the end of the cable so II <:oolld aUadh r~ CQn1{t-,i') long to it. 16ecause them was se mum tightening that lleoo!ool to occur

MAl, TERI AL.S i

to' ralsetne C:1bl~ to the prqper ihc·ight, I captured t~ .gain try tightening: the cab Is clan-ru;p:s aod then reposlti·onoo the come-along and U)if! loop .!lIt the Ctid of ~ cablt:!.ltlis t~. ~(all'epetitioos ~fore .t!he cable was tightened (and U'ler:efore raised) to

a uSt!flJll'iding height.

• TEST' RUNSANID S.AFE'TV 'COINS.DERAT_ONS,

For thefirs~ ceuple of test ride·s .. I started well shy of tille top to make sure I woo Idn·tget a moo thful of barl<if I hit th€! tree at the bottem of the run. I .used a w~n handle from aaotd ax ss a htlnging bail' <3lla dtilll2a an cy€oo It thtougl'i it. using a Q!,rabi· 111Ier ~oat:~'ach the pulley to the li"langiing bar.l rnade more test runs by startif'lg cleserend closer ~o the to P tree. c a re Iu,uy 0 bS€! fll ing: gfOUl1'td e .Ii!!a IfB i"IOO and w1lether height adjustfl'W!nh: i'loI!(!ded to' b!!'In\ld~ 0.1'1 the bottom tree rocreate more Of less "gl;lIlviJ:ij" at the end of the Ilill€!.

Depending on thcngc. strength. and ooofidCllCC

of the ri,oor, there<3r€! a variet,Y of options fer attaching t~ ride"!' to U1Ie .zip line. Po. dm1blng harness is the safes~ and eas i{!st fotyouJ'lget 1'jd.eI·S, but it is bme-oonsummgto transfer and adjust the· harness lbei:wcer'i diffcl't!tlt fiOOl':s. Q'la:ii!l'aM s~(o~rti~rs can use a couple or climbing straps as a seat by siffl!!)lya tta:ching thestraps to ~ ,carabiner and sitti"g in tJ-.e loop. The strol'tlgest and most con~i' OOflit rilioors carr. simply hang from U'te· wooden bar, a:lthOllJ.gh because of the heigih,t from th·eground at th€! end o~ the line, this lis dis·oourag,€!(j dUl~ to safety COI1C(!'f('lS.

Dave Mabe e;1:he a J~ oot of BJackBe.!ry· Hac!!: s (0 'iRellt.:;' f.~ echa) ardlNe.s III ~II=I . N.c:.

I. 'rot<ed tihe If'ee' IU:~l!lIg tI~e 1:<'6 boards I!OUleWilSce tile ~~H' ,',III .gl'Ol'l Qt(!u:ni:l itl e- c.al!lle)..

We Put the Power of Windows Embedded in our Robots

Each day. devke developers like Rober' Bonin are harn~ng the po\ .. ,'e~' of Micro~ft W,indo\V~ Emb-a>dded to build 'grea' devr.:e:o, lilke the letest indu~tri3,1 fOOOI.s. from Chav.erla,t RDboDtlque,

Microsoft Windows CE provides hard real-time COIlPabflity to their robots and powers a user·friendly ilandheld device ~vh lch ell3 ble~ factory floor per:sonne I to rnskepreqrarn changes om title fly. Witih these a nd other innovall:Jns based on Windows CE, Chave,iat Rol!JottlCjue has l1ea:sserted itself as a saiousforc:e in the world of robotic arms. with rolJols that are more functional and le:s.s e>:pensl~.

What's more. 'Wlindow5 Embedded offsrs the ~imesa",ing tools, operahrn.gl system lechnologies .and th·o,usands 0' drllvers device d,evebper~ need-w ~hat Lhey have the prn'l.'el to truly i,rrnrn,ova!e_

" We chQse Windows CE because it offers real-time lind graphics at the right price. " - R 0 8 E RT BON I N I Rose arch &. Dc yc lopm.cnt Manager I C ha,ver lat RollotiquEi! F ra nee

The P,ovrerio Blli:'ld Great [),evioes-get it ~ .... ith Wil1loow5i CE Windows XP !Embedded, o:rWlndowsEmbedded fOl Point o,f Servke.

Wlndows'Emlbedded

W'O~ YOU re .. lIy .:.re,OlI'S good as falk~ 5J)j you are.

-Xl'll

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-Mn

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-Lauy

Iha nks ,<lga i. n ! \b ur II/ellsi!€' Rocks,! ~v!'Mytime i''I!'€! had a question or problem ~'OIJ have been right OIlJ topotn. Nlc,e<

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rou d~se,rv~.ll}l:gl ~t 01'1 th~ back and Au ... on your report cardi K,eep up the g§eat work andhere oornes my next order. lhanksagain!

- Richard

You rocl<l:~

-Sholle

lhes~ DVlDs .lire EXCRLENm

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- CoNn ~h4lppy OJ5fM'l(!('

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'IICEIO AIENi1i,A,L



a

e. Projects

Get your sugar rush setting off a soda-bottle rocket powered by air and water. Then harness the wind with a PVC windmill generator made from pure junk. And if 'that isn't enough excitement for you, raise you r pu lise by spen di ng an afternoon igniting a highoctane jam jar jet engine.

Water'IRocket

78

'W,ind Turbiine

Jar Jet

02

PROJECTs.: SO Dr.. Bar TLE nOCKE r

LIQUI,O [FUEL ALT'[ERNAI I'VE

l've been a big fan of model rocketry since

II buillt my first Estes Alpha lbaclk in third grade. Nothing is more exciting to a S-yearold proto-geek than launching a homemade rocket. But flying those one-shot solid .. fuell rockets can burn a hole through a young hobbyist's wallet faster than they burn through the atmosphere, and with today's larger, h. igh - powered rockets I locati n,g and traveling to a safe and suitable launch site can require substantial planning and effort.

lnstead, you can use ,2-liter carbonated drink bottles to build an inexpensive. reusable water rocket. The thrtll factor is surprisingly high" and you can flly them alii day long tor the' cost of a little air and water. It's the perfect thing for those times when you just want to head down to the local soccer fie lid and shoot off some rockets ~

TIll e sllmpl'e Ifelease mechlUll SID, lllisserecil by IPUIlU1lg a 'lIre ret:allnu~~ pjllll 01'1 a S.'oo1.ed seetten of PV,C, iSlIObu.sl and re:liable,.

In UIIS des18l1i. U laum:h lube etlends fully mto

the boUle .. .,Illeh boos's pel'fO£mance by aehl~ as a sort of ius:ton. IeUmg the !I'~ke' 511001 up 50!~ d,;15ta.l~.~ btfO~ Il5~!f~ If~'5.ltlS: \'i3t~1 and Io!ilng pressUlle.l"he tube also eets as a I'auncl, gUloo, helping 10 keep the rocket heiHled straight.

I)"ing creafes a seal. 50 Ule pre:ssull'e c~n burld,

r-aE'SSUfH: TESTED

1\'lO,·I:merea:rOOnaMed drink bon~.s .itrem&OO to withstllmd hlgl1 !ll~erna:1 ,pressures. 50 they're natural 'wal,er' roc ket ry matertal,

Corni!!l~e'ssed all:' rorces a .ret o'r _ .... ti}f (I ut tlll'Qugli tile e-.xhausl flQule. PIOOUCu~g tI!rns~ and ~f!d!!lgUU~ f1!(~t sky!.</<!l'd.

PROJECTs.: SO Dr.. Bar TLE nOCKE r

LAUNCHIER PART'S

[II] <1 ~ngth 01 1 P'iC pipe For ~he re'l,oose boo,)!

[61]"0 length 0 t -h.

5 <; Il'OO 1I1e 40 "\' C p! pe Fer r tire II;tWlc:h tub e (not S 11;0\'11;111')

[C] -I~ PVC e Ibet.,. PIpe FQ r Ulfl 1!f1d ~,ap

[I)] 1 PVC pipe COU P' Ie I Fo,' the Irelea:!iiI!' eeller

[[) -h rovc pi u.!: cap

[F) RublJel 0 nng, 2211 II outSide dlilillehn (00)

[H] Hell bolls (3)

[II] h length or VIII CD x IY!~ 1I15lde djall~te I (I[) lIelub~ !J 1Il)'1 tu billS

[K] 1 ~r e all waive

[ILl It~ It WSIC ~,lIe

Fo f t he, II~ 1ea:5e :s pring,

[101] Nylon cord

[N~ Sn.a II bllJdel I mg 5 (3) Fo :stay CI.liP!i!

~Ol] :s IT .. II len t !'.ta kes (3) For stays

[P] P\IC cen >e!ll

[Q] 8lCJ.de pun jl ~.Ith p'lessure sause

(Itot sli:m'lHl')

--

,,' :,t'

~'1"' .. ~ ~'"'-

IR:QCKE:T PAIR'liS

TOOtS

[111:];2 hl~1 cadJO lli! l~d drink J)cH~s (3)

[S]4 d~ll cup ltd

(X] La ~ ge gal bage bag IFOr p'l!I~clmte maOC,erla1 e'OIlBiI"

Utility knife lie· rile

(1f]J f III II a lenal. 5 uc h .IS b.I~!iia., II~III pi)' ". 00 d< OJ P~5h uct sheeting

M ROlJknld hole-

rein to!cen ('11t la Ix-~ s

(til 2" <i':)leooll

eZJ QUjC k set ~PO.ll.j( Citl ot ~un:il1)

120-g1it: sandpaper

M Medlun 11) Ion ,'.astr.el

Thl'ieaod-oCutUng tap.s a~ld >dies (Op,hOllll.r)

BU~LDYOU:R SO'DA-BOT'T E ROIICK_~,T

START)}

1 IBUILD'THE

• ILAUNCHI iUI:U::

Ia, Cuti, thclaill.tnlcli'l hliDe. Use 31nacksawtocut the W'PVC pipe tGtlellg!ll1.A50~ tube 1.:,till ma'ke 3, ~'lJIlilCllet til13t'sa conveni'ent height 'for mOiSt adults to load fmrm ,a, st:.mding po siition.,lhe Ih - Schedule 4'0 PVC pipe' fftsp,erile,ctly into the neck of a standard 2·lit,er soda, boUle.

lb. li1s~~11 the' O-~I.ng, Ma~k ,t he O-liillgposttion by ftllly inser1:mg ~he launch tube into the ~lIpe 'of boUle thalt:),olJ plan te use for y,o,ur fOltk,ets. Locate the 'Q'-ring~r:olJghl,Y in the mkidle of tile bottle's neck. ILlse UH~ edge of ali leta cut a c lloa Illle'l tor the O-ning to occupy. IiItltatethfl launch tube OUUWhUfil you \!/OI'k to maintain an ,even d@pth of cut. and be caJ:E!ful noot togo. too d(!(!p, Then Slip thQ' O-Ming over Ul-e launch tube and seat it in the gmOV€l.

2 IB, U,I,',L,!O,I T,H,-,E,~ REtl1.EASE • MECHANISM

2 a. Assemble the-release body, Cut a 4l~ length of r P'\IC pip@and prsss-ttt it into. tile 1" c;Q!lPlef, Cut SQ1u'!r~iY

! aM deb'WiI' all PVC cuts With 120~rit

~ sa 11 d"pap,er .

.9

!I.i

~ m

.s: !' ~ ~.

~

,Il,;

PROJECTs.: SO Dr.. Bar TLE nOCKE r

2b. Cult 't1i!'Q' r~I~~s~ ~s,:pl'i ng $I(! ts, In!Se(~)'OtJ( bo,utE!'s neck il'lIto the' release al'S'"s,embl:y and dettmnirrethe distance of ~he bottle's neck fial"lgEl from the end of the bottle. Mark U'fi€! nang£! locatlon on the 1- plpe couP:~€!1' and use the hacksaw to cut a ¥lei," long slot oneach side. Theseslats will !hold the retainer/release sprir'lg.

2c" JUt:nch bo'lh.,ID.rili three ewm'!y spaced ho les through the release OO!lt.liI· and retease body togerher, and thread the five'€! <!)i!! Do Its rinto the se holes. Similarl:y, dl'il~ I:ke1!' OOIIeS in 'tihe Im\l@l" release bDa-J tube 110 accept the three hex bolls.

Optional: Cut thrcJ)uis in tileS!:! holes ,(o,Iitha talp to accept tl"!!:! 1'!eX/eye'bolms. If ),ou won't be tapping them" drill~he holes just IJ ndcrsized, and the bolts 'Ic'lill rut rhrougl) th@ PVC just fine. S,e careful not tos.trlp thew holes.

2e1. Make the rlct.liner/rc:lca'sc 'sprili'!2:. Bendal piece OfVs·111l1'sic wirn B4 tum sarounda piece of scr~p V:/ !pipe da!linrpM into a vise. The spring ·shoo Id be rougJ'1ly V· shaped.

Make a fetal il'l€! F clip for the spring: by drilll'ing Mwo holes ina scrap of 'h~ pirpe~ TI'rte ends o~ thecolnprcs:sea spring 'l.vill ri~~nto these holes. This kee.ps~he sptiag: ,close~ aoove the bottle's r~,ock lIa'l1ge. holdil1!g the bottle in place.

Tie a .IS" trigger liM to tl'1€! elip. At lauoch hl1ile. you pulilhe' c[~jp off with this tri~ggCf line, \Vhk:hallow:s bhe spring to, open alnd ~oo roc~et to tal<.e off,

3 MAKETHIE • ,AIIR HOSE,

3 •. !:llrill a M.:,r hole in the center of the threaded lfi" end cap. :aM press if' the 3h,; bal,'1;) fittirtlg.

3b. Thread 'the end eapinto ~.he elbow'fiUing and! tighten itwlitha wrench. Using IPV'C ,CeH1)f!l"lt sol!#mt· \~Id VM .elbow to ti'rf! bottom end of the lau nch tube. The end c<llpis, taperedso it ,!1ihauld requir:e no lefbl1l tape or adhesi'Ki.

le. Usc a I..It.lllity kl1llife ,to ship the rubh erfrom the tire val'le to. one' inch from the end. Insert the 'val~ into Oint! end of U"Ie ¥l~" Hexibllf! hd~,ing.

3d. Pus,h the other €loci of tlh,e aliI" lube OJlIto the ba rb f tt jog.

OpUol'lal(V,olJ ean tlise a die to cut tlil'eadsint,o tl~,& Ililaifl ellld ,0 r tile v,llve stem, ,and lbfn twt!>~ n j!1~O the ~ub~"

4i'1. Stak'G: down tl1~ stays" Tlw Ii!!lur'K:lilCr j$ installed illilhe field 1JI$,ins 'ii tiJ"U'ee stalYS. eadl ,coosistil1!g of a 72" --=

i Ie ngth o~ Ilight Ily Ion COJl"d, Stake one

..... end of each line tot.he ""'ound.;and

~ b"

~ dip the o~her end of each stay to H'Ie'

-I

~

l~ :;.. .::I

-§ ~

j



C)!eb:olts o:n the launcher.

PROJECTs.: SO Dr.. Bar TLE nOCKE r

4b. PresSIJt'C'-les'l '~he'I~!.lI1~~e-r" Now I rs .:Ilgoo,d time to. en sure that all the launcher's cOllnectiOlitSa,re airtight. Flill a boUle to the top with water (this ~,:-/. if tll'i!! oottlefalls ~his presSUI:e test. it wi,llIlllot ,~plode)_ QIJ icikly invert title 'ootUeaf"td slip it onto 'the II a unc I"te r, ' A I:ittle Va,senll~ inside the neck \:,/ill he:lp tim' bottl~e make a seal ,against the O-l1il18. SQueeze~he release spring into tile slQtsi!l the releasee,ollarand dip it il1'IIPl:ae,e. use Ule bicycle pump to pressllllflize ~he slI'sh! 1111 to 70psL If' the pll'es:surel~lds sleady. all is we~lI. Qtherwise, fb: alrt~ leaks and test agail1. ,

5 ~s, os, -,~MlBLE TH E • RO'.cKET

'\r"tI'tC'f' rQ¢k~td~c:s,liS"S ~~'lJlS~ fr'QITI a simpl,e: fin[n~d IbQUlet~ ~I~borat~ six-stage W$t~fIi'!!s, with i"Ocl<ct·dj,eployed paraclilllb~ recovery O'Il1d on-board 1l!ldeo ea mera 5" OUI'S k:;, a painte<ll single MUle ,aFfair with wood fins and par;a,du.rte' recovE!l)!. Chute deployment is by lillie p'a'ssive "nose cone tails otf at apogee" rT1eUlOd.

Sa. Cut 3 air 4 fins troma light. stiff; rmatenlal suchas balsa. t:I'iiin plywoOO_ or 1P13Shud sheetimg, R'oughfm the sUI'fac,e of the boUk!.\·rI1leI'le too flirTS will attach. with SO'JiIlQ s an<lpa per and t:hen glue tit~linsl:Q the bottle' witih e,PGJ('j. er a pol.yuretillall>e adhes,iVe such as PlPremiuliIl. s,a:l~ ~he Ie'a.dingedges smooth.

5b. N ake the 111 os e scetton by,cutttflg ofH.llIa ned and oo$@,ofanotllel'DotUe. C~.It r! S~ (;ir(:I~.e Qfl1l"!i\!t(!ri«1!1 frQfl"i ,a third lootlJe. Make;) raw,al s~t,onl tile circle. 'fashiDllit into enose cone. and cement lit ill plaee atQP tile nose sactlon.

I P. Gluing ,011 Ule, hnsati a, sljgll t. angle wlll ,CIlIiil5e tI~e Jlocket to s p jral as 11, flifs .• <!dding 5t.ablUy 1'0 th!!' llight.

Sc, Outfit ~h~ In()~(: ,c,on~. Ylihen U'le cement is,Gry. tum the oose O\i{ll' and epoX'j the ,2"eyebolt to t'he inside tip of the nose cone. This bolt serves-as a pl,ace to aoOh(H the parachute shock OOIi'd.ltalsoaddsextif'2I mass to, the IlOsesecti:on. which will h£!lip ~Q pull this section off as the' rocke'M: d eos IeI" ates, exposing the par,ochu~e.

Sd. M~~1f1 'thq nO:S~'5t()PI ~t ~h@ cen~ef trem a 4 p ooli contain'l€f Ii::!. IEml,linganly t~ out(!j' rim. CcmlZ!ntth@ rim ontotihe rocket's lower "motor section such that ft allows the nose to sit loosely' aoo stra ight on Ifle rocket. TIlis "nose-stop '"will prC"~nt the noS!! rrom be ing ja m moo on it!OO ~:ig!l"lt l!j &1 t!he teree ()~ U'le l'aWlCh. which censures tihat the nose willscpar:ateoU and dl1plol' ~h€! paraClilutll! during descent.

5e, l1Jakc a paracli1utc canopy from a 36~ argo circle cut frorn:a largl'! trash cal'll illl:!l~ For best resu lis , use ill2 or 'more sII''Uoods made from ,kite s~'rirrg. Applyp~r ll'!il1forcement labels lo bath 's,ia@s of the chute, \ttI1l@(@ U)@ shl':ouds attta:dh, tokoop lhe chute from tearing. Tie< the loose ends of ttle shroud s to ill ny Ion washer or I'Iing to rnake th~ cbute easy to 111Z111<llgC,

flP. Ideally, a p.slachute's shrouds 5 lie uld be a 1I1~ longer than t he diameter 01 the chu le (;<1110",]1'.

5f" Epoxya pa(1Jt,hute-atltlftOJ'il'l!! ring to the top of the rocket base ,aooi tie the parachute t.atoo ril1lg:wHlh a short cord. Cut a 4' c~ting (lordl and

tie it between the nose 0000 e'yebolt <lifldthe IMraahutc"aocOOring fling. This cord \",ill keep both halll~s of ~he rocket tog,eth@f du rin.g oesceot.

TIP.l.1akesure the COnll1e<:ill~ tOld IS long enough ~o a 110 ... the pal.KhlJle 10 con p lelel), pull out IrOIl~ LIM" ,IJqse corH",

~' ... ~ 81

PROJECTs.: SO Dr.. Bar TLE nOCKE r

'THRE EI,T'WOI, ONE., LIIFItT'OFF!

S,AFETY

'~,~."ti(ler rockets prodwc:c a c:ol1lsldI'a-mble amount ,of t hru'St, and getting lin the way' 0' on:c cOIJII~ Ci'HJS,C SC'M~rtl iflljury_ Tak@ tliloe same 000'111:0:11- sense pJ!l':!<::aI!JUOItS that you would v~hen launching all]{ tYPE! of rocket. Miake s'I..Ire tlUili: ev,el)'olilE! ill the area ls elsar of the rocket Dndlaware that it is about to, 11':lImdl.Doa vel\bal eountdovJn. or li\2lil s,ol'l'le~hh'lg alarm:i~. suehas "Fire in the hole!" jusf be~ore you Ilrumeh lheroc,ket

SEtECTI.NGI A g,I"JE

A weDI-bunit. slng;e·:stage \ltater rocket ls capabte af nyhlg sev@ral hundred feet into the ai:rand drifting

OPER.Al'ION

1. Set up tlrlc lalJmdll,cr by dippIng the three support: s:ta,ys tia the!aundheri's ,e~'llbolts. lake' up any slack in the line,saoosta,k,e tha other ends tothe ground. evenly sptlcC,ed. U:I1.cail UK! all' lilQSE! and 'tuc:k it under one of the tent stak.es, tok@~ n.from ooi'ling;. Atta.dh UKl bicycle pumph> the ail" hose.

.2. P:telk tile pa '0'1,(::butc. Grab the ,oentier ot the parachute C!f!llQ.PY be,tweelllfOW'~hWl1b andf'oM'e-

~ nge I: an d ioe,t It .Mng Dr.aw UlE! dll1te tluough your dosed' hand ~o gather lt.and then fold i~ into, thirds, .zigza@; st)le. Lay down the PlI,rachuiI:! s:h.rot.lds on the ground, :Jlldae,oordi:Qn·'fold 'Ulern back en them-

a considerable distance dUlling descent .. Less well- s.eh.\E!·s. Oon"t wrap the :sluowsaround the canopy: built l'oclll,If:!'~s may choose to travel sevel'alllUli1dred just slkle the wlIwle thiittginto the nose sed ion ana

feet to. the side. In ill'mycase, you need~o cheosea brilltg UK! two hailies of' ·the· I"Ocke'~ togetilflf:

:!aunch site that is large and opel1eoough 1..0 allow lI-our rocket to wander aM 'w(tilout gaUirig lost ina treQ. Qr on the rOQ~Qf some R()twJeiler's dog)1lO'uS>e.

Big spons fields al'~ U-.e I()'giea'i sit:e' cMice for most of us, but if yOIll are ina rural ,area" iJt'i!Y wj.(Je· open sp.ace \11111 wark asa rackeby range .: l!esur(! to 'take wind ,dire:etion inlto cons:idel'ialti:on wh,en decid· :ingall whIch side o~ UK! 'fie~ 'to set up the tauneher,

lU>.l.J'nw Ihe 00S<" sectje n ,',Hh p.iI'hll'",n~ ·paP"" 01 TeIJOll baku'S ~h_lllnf."1 ~o help II~ paola<.hlJle dep~oy smoothly. 1\ light (j ustmg 01 laic u n powder 11 •. 1.11 a~5c hel p kfoEP Ule <.hute h om £1 1t1l1!1J:.

3·. Fl:IIand set up the nlcKet. Ij'ifhlle holdi'llg tile nose in place. tum the rooket over and 'fill it onethird1uJl ofw.ah:!r.App!ill petroleum jelly to both tile launch tube O·ning t:illd the il'~siae of tlite' bottll'E!'S mouth to help it sUIP onto the 0 ·rillg. Hold the mou~h ,of t.oo rocket Ulpto the launch tube .111 one simootll, motion. pivot: U19 I'ocki!!'~ up. slid!:! it oo\:l/n

onto till!} 19u.nch tubf!'. and twist i~ back and fort!h. if ~SSaty'. to help it ,engage ~he' O-ring seall.

4. Compress 'tbe relea SC' spring into the slots of tille re lea 00 colla r. lee king ~h e boMtl e: na;nge i I'll place. lnsta II the :spring'retaining clip on Ul{! ends of bhc spri~, ,al'ld carefully run bhe ~rigger lille back to. your "gmund cenlrol" area.

TmP: Tie Uu' 1 elease spllng to tile Is uncllel ' .. Ilh some

st. 1118 to k*p I t 110m 11,111& .11:1055 the lu,.ld and p-,;,t l,ng lost e~ I)' Mune yo II lauueh,

5, Launchl!' Jum,p 'OV€I to the bi::;ltC~ pump and bring the pressure up to abDUlt 70ps'i. W1l!!n yauarc ready, dearth€l area. OO1Jntoown tczere, and p'llIli ('he triggerline, relca:singthe spnrngand fr:(!-eingthc rookct

lt atl go(';S"as planl"lCa. you (rocklH will shoot up\v;]'l'd, dil:spensingwith its entire ~uellood in less than half a second Then it will begin ~o deooleral'lc. a:ndboo nose will 'Wa11t: to separate, As the rocket reaches a.pogoo, the two halws. will come a~r t. de-plO'jingthe r(!Cove!'"), d'IU~eal1d b.i'ingi:og the aran ,gen~l.y h!!:ck. to Earth, much to tlhe'excitem:l1!1lt of the assembled cram.

E:!Cp{lfimmt ~vi~h different ameu n~'s o~ ''1alter and ali' pressure until )Iou find the 5\~/C(!t spot U'lat sends JjIOOf tockcti ti.na highest. Doole.M,ceoo U'iC t:lmounti of a ir pressure l'ha1: yoUIl" ba ltl~e is, designed to wiNls~a ritd;. 1(1 ps II see ms to be abou ~.light fo I' a stan da I'd 2·l.it€f soda bottle.

WiUelll a \I,H:leo dip cOl auther S,teve I.ode.ftlnk .md IllS ,4.yearo(lld :!iOI! Iva.n lau(l,¢'hll1,g liIlelr sod~·boIIIJe Ifockel: a'l. l'nAkt'Zitl'M!'.COi 1051 ~!c;e_l.

The' OIuUlor kH!I.:iIly (andl ~fe'd say sOlnewll!l!~ nawely) alJio'Wed1 the MIi.I{iI!: t,ellliIl1 to bom:,w Ills rocket-Anew ITI!Ildng ~he reu nds tlil'l!Iwglh HUll:'IelrOiJIS plio,to, shoots. kids • bhtbd,ay piI,rhe:s, alnd a Iligh-d,ecI.lJoe<I, cooe-Ylolatil1g l'ha:nksgJvjl:n,g ,aHalr,lhe lOCket sustail.led ~hedalna:ge' you see 1IIIM'e'. 'iI:e deeply ~:gr,e't the IITIli sl:lfjlP aIm PJlomls~ not 10 do.it to tile ned f''Ocket "!Re've asked S,teve to bUild fOor us.

A[)VA,NCE[[) DEVELOPMENT

o~ you, 'viC! tasted the joys of base wa~c.r mcket!)', you will inev ita b Iy lyant to !n1J)roW! and refine your rocket d,es.igns.lf you Watlt you rreesets tofly higher. the best improJement )~ucan m<lke is, to ir:.ac'ase till!! volume o~ the rocket "mot,or:'This is usually cbr~ by splicing or atl"ien;vise ,coup I~ng tll/O 'CiI" mOl'£! battles lnto a single pressure c!-.ambel: lhel'C ~U{! a'~'sa various :sc'hemes k!l·buildil'igmul~i· stage rockats, as ~1I.1 as more ,elabaorate pal"achu.~e ,de ploy.n e 11'. seurps.

TiI'Jef@ is an abu,ftC!a,nce ,of 'watl!rF ~ooket il'l1o:rma' tio,n av~ilable online, Her€! are a few seercestc get :you started:

Antigra\!iw R,escarch Corporation _, ready-made wal~f rocket components: antL:!f3'l'it'/resc3I'ch.com

'Watel'l'ocket Ii r'ik siou "'101' Id.compus.crve .COI'1:/ homcpages/pagrosse/h2orockeUinxsi.htm

ihe Miart.inet LaUnclle'f. the basisf,orlhis project's

Tlher,e are no limits to what you can do with wind! power. lt's abundant" clean,! cheap" and easy to harness. We designed this Chispito Wind Generator (that's Spanish for "little spark! ) for fast and easy construction.Most of the tools and materials y'OUI need tOI build it can be foundin your local hardware shop or junk pile. We recommend that you search your local dump or junkyards for the pieces required. Or.If youlive lin a city, search] fr,eecycl,e.com for salvaged parts" and see if you can install one ,on your roof.

We believe that anyone can bein controll of where' hisor her electricity comes from and there lis nothing more rewarding and empowering than making a wind-powered generator from scrap materials.Remember: puro yonke (pure Junk) lis best!

I f.lIo: aile! JoSIIO: C (Hilla!:!,. a'e CJH-g·lda(h~'1I.Y1S1:s !:lased 1'1 L'Ie 'e'l-.ole Big 8e'ld 'eg 1Ci'l 0 I TeJl..1s. )t,r.ere I'ley

e.:~e'I'Yle'll ard II\~ 'J>'lI'1 5 JS'~I '\l~e lee '¥lobgles tl -Id! 1'0"11 ::>..1'0 ~<D'L(e {le.iat:rea!JO!l5. rom)

WINDI GENERATOIIR IBIILOW~'BY~BLOW

The Chisplto \lVlnd Generator IS a sim pi e [little rnachme that's great for getting startedwith wind power. In a 30 mph wind. ours gives us about 84 watts. 7 amps at 12 volts.

ftle' ~~lirO!i' Ihe-CJm." pltQ's t!il!fb!l\e~.!'e(;!!!t hom PVC pipe - strong. Ijgllh-celg ht lT1late n .. l '{Ith a ge'liltlly curving shape ~Illllt. hlu,e&ses elf jliea1t:':1 by 5C-'OOP'IU1,g 1;11111 IllO\! 1I1g: an:. rather tll,an letting n

b ounce a n,dl bl:(nI;! IP !lost.,

The Chtsplto cll~lfges,

up baUer~,5 IllfOl.lgl1 a reg;ulla to r. \vl~ !elll proteets tihem frOll' oJ'verchargll1g. These sal - ,e IIl,ac k-eml c,o~npo,neniscoul,d also shire pOI'l@iI"rro:nll III soiar eelt !i!1T<!]{.!!! n luo·l~ydro tu II:! e. O'if <lfft other

(I fir ·,gri:dl .. e tW _fOllll~fl till 'pa.'.er SOtllliC~.

Whe~ the 11'10 l.or I s c~nn«ted '10 a lead rafhe~ ~h!an to IP:«~rer" ,a nd you tLlrll the f(ltol;, ttl erlel d IIINg nets '~/UI hlt! uee an elecllllc current lin the rotatillg'electllol'llliigMlet (;<ills. Tills Is how' the Il-.ol:or \~Iks ,sIS a geoIU!I',atol:.

. I,e ameli p pe mtlllgs tnakeup tl~eChI5Ipllo'5 tOwel' aoo nlOlUnllllg hardware .. At tl~ll<iiSe" ,iii ,sllO<~lll1~ PIP~ InslM o( a,l:~'lJlIlpec~ale-s ,iI h'lllt:e tha ~ .a110".'fs the 19!.~1' to ~iHM5ed and kiI'Iered.

It dllOde betweel~ the wilnllrnin and rille'

b aHeo,y en S W'ES, (h a'i th e POWeol' CI nly now!> III (NH~ dll:e¢'tI'Qf'!. ~ll<!lrg,!ng tile' b<! !tel)' ratlite than 1:Ia:\Nlllig pOl: el'iiiwiiiyl'fOM\~lle baHe and iruIlIImg !lie lnoto . for ltis diode. thiS piI',oj~t LlseS!li bridge lleeUlier. a 'C'Q!lI!ponenl thaI 1J!5eslhrw or four di'CJd~s t ... ~O!!\!O!!!'~ IJ,C !Q D,Ic., You co~ldal~ !J!se,~ shnplll" OIHl'"\'I~y diode'. b!i!t UIO!!~O!! !J5u~lIlf aren't :sea~1 or~lrotee!oo.

.19



MATEIRI,AlS

MOTiQiA: ANOI He:cnuc [ll.) 216'0 volts DC. 5, amps. IJlea<lIilIlUI uJO'l.or ,,~lth al

G~ Uwea<iled flJl'Viliee I You lnay us~ailJl' otllers,unple. ,~nlllit!1'e"t·malg!!e~. DC !n!!IQ!1" ~11!J't returns ~'t ~~, 1V IOf ev~;ry 2S rpm slIdl ea~ 1!000illtllle upwanls, 0110 l!!1lI1pS. 'OUf rnomor Is ra(ed at SA, flO load, anti \'.e'v& to!:llll'ciI thaM lhe coils c.anl withsllil,U:l, 'lSA,gOil1g UllIOu,grl tll,em wllholJl heaUn:c U~.

If you use aoo,'IIre:f moto.'. C:hiilli.~e ibis !;uppllf Ils.l1 to matdt IFol·exaI1l1ple.lf tbe IlIlO tor lacks :a l1~vheel. YDIU wlllll'IOI,ve 10 find a hub rOI' ,1. A cl.rtular5a.~ blade, \'.1:1;11.1; "·!aliJn ~a~lo:r will 'fork,

[8]3'0-50/\ bridge ree'lI[ler ''lltb center hole m01J111 5111111 u.5('I}n I er.coIll,_

Item 'it.22-naO

[C) MounHng screw (1)

tIS (01' .ra Ilge.) ee pper wu~e.1t!d andl black. 00111 slrudled lilougillengtll rol' bol~h a red and blaCk

p Ieee '10 rtllI~ frOIiTi tile top 0:1 tile tower. dm~11I tlll'ough iel1lgtll 0 i pol:e. to battel'" les, 'i!'{e IF'eQotl! lllend oil t

Ie~s' #8 _,jre. but jf your lower _mJ be fJted <Ii long dllstalllCe '"'fay fnlll'l YO'Uf baUernes, y,oul may need a he.;rvh~ir gauge.



D] Spade (>allnedors for \'lu"es, (4) 'in lin-kls£' IlCiCti Ue:r

Heat-sll:niHllk h.lIHn.g or,e~ctr j,e-al tape

~tte!'Y b!l!~k Wereoom!'!lendl dee,p'~~I:e Ileado,}~1d sll,otage baUer es, ,and a t£ltal baneli"Y ba.rf' e-ap,a'cHy ,o( a1:least, 2:00 amp-I!ours.

Rq::!IJIlat,or or ch,arge ,c-C~ltroller

FliiIse

BIJ\11ES

[Q 2' lell'lg tlh 01 .8' SchedYle 8D j>\fCpilpe IllPVle I~ IJVreli iI:5t<!~!~, YOYI \~iill not !flee III to I>a .:nt it.

01/6" #20 bous, V~· long {G}

_11) Loek was h ees (6,)

I) Hose el .. m,p (])

VANE

[J] 1 sq. It. (ap,prox..) 0,' sheet 1M tal

fK]1 1.100i:JIlIjiliig S(;f.f!'l.'I,S and 10:1:11,. wasbe~s (appl'ox. g,)

MOUNT4lTOP OrlOWER (L] 36· '011 s(!J~r~ I!let ... 1 tubing or:ll' angle j 'On

(tot] 2;' 11001' nB~e Ifllpe I!lU.~

(1\1) ,2' steoell P,lpI! 1IIIIPp!,e.al leas,1 4" IOll:S

[0) MouJltmg 5CI~",5 ~,2)

MOTOR MOUN'

(P'JI #72 !lose clalMps {2)

lfOY"ER P(J;m.[

'10" -30'I~flgth or 11k· 5h~'if1 p.ljle. threadied alt boHl ends

1'0\1.' £A: BitS[.

,2'x111.~ st.MI J):'p,e Ili,IPple (,2)

11/." 90'deI:ree stHI pi,pe ellJo\vs (2)

10 lb. bags 'of qwck-ml!X concrete 112-3)

J.4" #flO slleet metall serew5(4)

T01N.E R $1I"/~IILjTY

G,~ \!.lfe. ga~va.mz.edl steell Wi'lh a ;,\Orting Iloi}(!l ,of 200 pounds

::!I.v... U-boH

Stakes (4)

Tumb~ekle-5 (4)

TOOLS

DlllialHi dl'lli IlltsVn~, 'lI'n", V."),j.tigsaw, tih:l'e,adl· tap pillg set, 'P 1,11 e , .. ,.en cl~. ~1',e5C,,~mt ~"lfelli(h, Halfheadl !U, rewill rive!". vjs e'Hidlo:r c.IIl'lll_p .'\~i~ s,ti1pj)er5.

fI..e lal punch 01' &\'111. tape rne!!!~r'e, level.nHll'ker. tape, coompass !ilild pro1factor. slwwt -"lieel!iant'O'i-~, s,ew r.i:1 ro pes (each i'i,t !!east twice the lengtlHlf tbegll..ilf' _Ires,).,a.nd an eJl.tfap'el'500t1

or t,~ to heXp.

IBUII.LD ¥O-WIIINID-POW ~IR-.D

GENERATOR

STA.IIRT» Tim1e::.A Coulpl1e Weekends C·omplex.ity:M edlium

l_cur T·HE. 8: LADES

I •

li:!t's begin by. cu tting.

l!a .. Plac'e the 24- length or PVC pipe and square tubiog (Ot other straight edge) sioo by .side·on a flat surtaee .. Push the p~PI!' tight against the tubirng and mark. the lioo allong ~he Il:!ngt'hof the tube. This lislUne A (se~ Flg.I),

lh .. Starting ~rom Line A. dmw parallel Innes at ]!j,·oogrce lntervals along the length of·the pipe, You should 1i'l!;3,m

a total of five Hoos 00 yotJ_f pipe as Shown m left Figure 1. No 00' ltiat one strip "Ii II have an arc wk:ttho1 001)( 60 O!!gJi"t!es, That's OK.

Ie. Use a jigsaw to C !,Ita bng tiI""te line s, splittir'!;g ~1'Ie tube in~o five strips. Foul' will be widerlhan .the- rnh (00") strip. Set ~h(!·OO~ strip. a si.de loroow.

lLa .. IPI.ace the fom· 75'" strips concaveside·OO\:'tl1.Fote.aclllone. I1lake a nial'k 20% of ~he widbh of the~trjp from ooe CWlf'ICt al.Qr'Ig tne diagonally ·opposite side as shown (see Fig. 2).

Ie. Mark a di~onallin€! b~h:'1een too two mall"ks y<)ujlllst made on each piece. and u se th~ ji.gsm" to cut along tihcse liMS (see Fig. 3). You shoo'ld wind up with Ei"'~ identi:::ally shaped trapezoiclal blades, You can trim a ninth bIDdle out or the 60~ strip le'lit Oller. You now have enou£tl blades for ~hr(!€ ~Il(!rarors. or plenty of spares tor one generator.

Fig. 1

u. NO'ii'l )1'00 are gOi ng to (lO ~ Oiil!'! cornet from ea:d1i blade. First. measure the W"ilnh o~~he bl a dc (if }'OU am IJsing an 8" diameter PVC pipe· as you r s~ock. it should be a boot 5:7S~ \Vioo). Gall bllis value 1f1. Then make a mark along the di'agona I edge of the bt",j.e. a distaince ofWI2 fronl1 the wide ,end (3P ilis g()lJo!j eOOl:!lgh if you are lFsingap PVC). Makeaoother Imark an ~hcwide en d of tll'"le b~l.!ld e .,9 t 15% ,of Wfrom the long straight €!dge (1" ,viti'S" PVC) (see filg. 4) ..

19. Connect the·!>€! two n13fl<s and ou~ alang U'le Ihle.l1:emoving ttliscorr"lf!r :pl'wents the bl:i.ides trem it~t£tfefing wj~h sachother's wind.

U,. The blades :should look Ilike the Ql"!Iesshowrtl ill Fig,;5, P,icli ;he throe bes~: Of'! es of ~he bate l'Illl'''H11!et 's moW! to till£! nell!.t step, ma'king ~'hI:!. ~.ail.

8<0% FJg •. 2

Fig.J,

...... ~ .....

' ..

.'"

2.

MAKE, 'THIE, 'TA.IIL

2a, CU t tm tali!. You can 11)$lke it ally SNip.!'!' you ~nt. as long e3S ~he!!nd n~S1Jlt is stU·f rathe-I' than nOj),P)I'. The exact dimensions of the tail~ alee oot im~ortant bu t you 'II ~'1ant to u se aeeut Orlle squafe foot of 11@ft,!\veight materiet. preferably metal.

2:b. Uisi~th€! ~hl·dr.lll bit, drill ~woor three ho,h:.'S. spaced evenly. in the front enaof the ti:aill.Tnellpltlce IN bailon one end o~ .~ square tubing, r.oting tMt it w~lll attach to viMt will bOCOli'le eitllel' lie ri@t,Of left side ot the lub· ing. as the generator sits upright, Mark tl~ tubing U'lrough the tail holes,

2c.IDrilll hol~:s il1 the square tubing at: the mariks you just made.

2e1. AU:acn U-.e wi Ito too 1lJ be with shed metal screws. (Or)pu call do this latl:tl: so it doesnl:g£t in the w;:,rJ/.)

3 ATt.A,. CH THE .• BLAD'ES

3~. TalIlethree bl1ades. Foreacl"ll blaoo, maJ1k 1\'-'0 hoi f! sa long til(! Iiong. flightangle sioo of tl'tte blade (as opposed to the long diagonall side)<, at the wide el1C. ne.d. ~.o U'ie cut·offcorner. The first bcle shool'd be Jts .. from t1helo,l1Ig 'S!ck! and Ih" fram tiv end,.and the 'S€!cOf'!d holtl ~ould be %~frool U't€! straightedge.aoo B1.i"'ffOO1 th2end .

.lb. IJs.ing th€lI.4~ dril1 bit, drill ~h€'se six holes forth€! three I:l'la:1es.

3c,. [)dad'l tm nubfroo'l too mo1:ot shaU.With out motor. weremovedlthe hub by hol:ding tIle ,oodot U1e shan firmly w~lth pliers and tUII'nil1lg the hub clockwise .Thi s hub IJnscr:m,ys clookwise, coenter to the usual directia.111, which is why the bllades tum oollntefdockwi:~.

3d.. Using:a ccmpass aod protrsctor. makea hHl1l)late of the hub ana ~loceo~ p!lIpru-.1ihen mark l'hlile 11"K:Iles. each of which is .2'%" from U'fe'c,entel' of the cifclc.120,d€grcces apart. equidistootfrom each otl~r.

3: c. Pla:::(! t:hi s tern pll a te over ~he hu b and use a metal I punch or a~vl to punch a starter holeUhrough the pape:r and ente tm hub at eactlhok!.

31,. Drillthe hoJ('s with tM Y:!'2~ cifilil bit, til1en tal:p them with the lA" t~.

Jg. AtM(:h U'le blades to. ttl€' hub U1Smg ~;obo!ts. running them thro~'rM·he holes cbsl$~' ~o the ends ot the blades" AUhi s point, the three ()uterholes on the hub have natt'been dnillcd.

3h. Mearsure thedtstaaees betweell the ti~iS of ea:ch blade, aoo MjlJ st them so tha t they a re alII equ id ista nt, 11[) en mal1k ~nd J)l,Inchstarter holes lew too three outer ho!!es 01'1 t~ hi.! b thd'o Iltgfl ~'he e,ll1pty 1\DI,es in each b'lade.

3i. Label tm b!laoos and hb S{),Ih'at y{)U, can Olatchwhi:::hblade goes wMI'e.

3j.Remove the b~lades.and drill and tap the tih n!€! 0 utter hal es 0 n:li\€! hub.

3k:. PosiUon>e3'Ch blade in its pla~e on thel1lub. so tl~t aU the I)i)~s lin@'iLlp, Using the IAH bolils and washers, boH: the blades back onto the hub. For the innerthnH!! 1)C)I,es. use two wi),shen; pel' bolt, ane enaach SidEHJf'tlK!' 1b'lade. F<ll" the outsr holes. just lise .cine washer IleXil: tiOtl'M!'l head of the bolt, lighten,

4 ASSEMBLE. THIE, -:. GIENlER.ATOR

4i.'1. Orr:iIlI a !;hl' I~e in tile tubllng. alboll1! 5,ilxhes trolill the fn:mt end of the tlube. ~~PQsit@ ~he tail holes ,end, on any side, Place the' br idge I'ectiiier O1l!!!lr ~he hole., arid screw it to Uw tubing ILIsinga, #]Oslooe,t In eta I: saew,

4!b. USing hese clamps. IllO:Wlt the mater on the e~iJd opposite' the tail. Do not tighte 111 the clamps. beca.uoo)'01.I Wmllulke' a bal,ance adjustment later.

Iik. Crimp' spade connet:f.l!ll's 'o'into Ule blackand r·ed '\!i'llresfrom the Imo~or. and conned themt,otihet:wo,AC voIita,ges 111 tarminal son tilE! brklge re~titfjei", U! and L2, Ills~~~tie conll{!{;l'l'ons, wRh Ileat-sllrinktl.lbing er electr i:c.11 ta p e.

4ld. If lIolJ haven'~ all'E!'ady a ' aUacll 'tile la'iI,

44::. R'e-anaol1l the blade Illssemblll on themotot.

4'" NQw'\i'le~l!)tta~h 'tile tQ\,1er InOWlt Using .~ plp'e wrt1!nch. St::rQ\:'1 the nipple tigh!'ly in!Qthe nQQrf~I1~. Ol,amp' tl'loe IlippJ.e in a vice soth@ 'fborflo~IIlgE!,faoes up and Is level.

4ig, Set the germra~or IOn thefllang,eJltippl~e and balan,oe iii by a£ijustiingthe posltlon ,of the motor, UK!r1 t1ightell 'tile hoseclall1p:s ,d,own. IMark s,po~s ill tlu! squaretubirtg U~lt matchup with the flang@ holes,

4h. Drill ~.hese two holes using a s/liHdrili bit (You\!till p'()bably' haw to take oft the hub lind tail to GO UliI:5,,)

~' ... ~ 91

5 PLANT THIE

• TtO,WER I3.A.SE

The tooler rs one ,01 the most Important components Inyou.r wiJ''id generator system. It must be strong. stable. ea:sHy raliS1Xll and lowered. and weli.al'lChoroed.

Sa. O]g a round hole about 1 foot in dil:'!lmt2~efaM 2 feetd£ep.

Sc .. Screw the piP1l! elbows onto each @lildof the nipph~. one on either s ide o~ U1Ie T: so that they bo~h po,il1t in 'the SlImedil"cdi:on.

Sfl. SC(t!li'/ the Mo,2~J(1v.i," pipe i'lippll!'ls rn~:o the treeends oHhe,elbows ..

5e. Set tiltS hiogedbase assembly in U'IE! hole, so that U1e T just clears the grouJ'ld. [),ig around, fJd,jl!l st. and p,osi~ion things so that the 2' Ilipples point str.aight do'i!ln and the hcrJi:l!ol1tal~ I~rt of ~he Tis ,~'rilctt:ly level.

Sf,. Witt' the base properly po;si~ioood, mb: some concrete and P:)Uf it into the hole.

The higher y.our tower Is. the more wm your,gencrato'fwill catch. and' the more power it will produce.

e,~. Drill a large hole ,a boot l iloot ~rom the bottom of the 10'-30' plipe, for 1:i11te copper wires to ,exit.

6c. Mlake but str:Oftg. fl€'xible rings out ()~ ~uy wire .. ab;)1Jt 5 inches indi~metct. For each ring. loop tM wi((l around several tums.ard twist it dosed.

Gu. !Plaice ~h€! Iljz" U'oolt around the pip~, 3 feetfrO'n1 the top of ~he pipe. Thr{!ad ('hQ four wire loops 811'OU nd. tihe U -bolt. and :space them evenl1l8roufid the pj:~, Then tighten the nuts of ~M U"bDIt.

'e~. Seeurea guy wire toeaoh of t:1he toeos on t'he U-boILAlso IIOQp ~he' ropes (safety ropes) th(ou~h loops en .oppo,site s~::ies of rh€ PO'lfL

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