Build Your Own AutoGyro Flying Machine

An Autogyro is an odd, yet fascinating flying machine which uses a helicopter rotor for lift while a standard plane rotor provides thrust.

You can learn to build a DIY autogyro yourself and even build autogyro models using miniature servos. Heck, even a remote Chinese farmer built his own autogyro.

read the rest of article...

Customize your Car’s Electronics using Arduino

Vehicles these days come with a lot of electronics but you can learn from our collection of car hacks to add your own custom features.  For example, take the Jeep Wrangler and put in a couple of Arduinos, an LCD display, shift registers, relays, and you get the ‘JEEPuter’:

 The JEEPuter is a programmable push-button system for controlling things like ignition, GPS navigation system, CB radio, RF scanner, 110V inverter, external and internal lights, and garage lights too. The JEEPuter also has temperature and light sensors which can set the dash lights and internal lights on autopilot.  As a final touch, the Jeep’s ignition starts when you type a passcode instead of turning a key.  While the JEEPuter is specifically for the Jeep Wrangler, you can learn from the build and apply the techniques to your own car.

read the rest of article...

DIY Google Street View System

Now you can have your very own copy of Google’s revolutionary camera system!  Use it to make your own street view videos from a car or you can even mount it on a backpack and take it hiking with you.  You can even install a remote control for convenience.  The system below is a pre-made kit, but you can also learn how to construct your own street view system.

The camera provides 360 x 160 degrees of coverage with a resolution of 7500 x 3750 pixels.  Images are automatically geo-tagged and your altitude and heading are also logged. Go build your own system and tell us about it!

read the rest of article...

How to: Integrate Google’s Nexus 7 into your Car Dashboard

Let’s face it, most automotive manufacturers (besides Telsa Motors) are horrible at designing user friendly dashboards.  It’s 2013, yet our dashboards are still filled with dozens of non-intuitive knobs and buttons.  Enter the highly affordable Google Nexus 7 which makes for a cheap, yet fantastic upgrade to your car for years to come.  In this example, the tablet is removable for use outside of the car.

Internet is passed to the Nexus 7 via 3G cell phone tethering.  Using additional 3rd part hardware, the tablet can take control of key parts of your vehicle such as the stereo. Overall, it’s a unique way to improve your stock dashboard and add value to your ride.

read the rest of article...