Awesome Electronics

Inspired by footage of a futuristic garbage can from 2017, Blytical became obsessed with replicating its design. What makes his can special is its proximity sensor which triggers a mechanical iris just in time for tossed trash to land in its receptacle. Someone needs to put this idea into production.

In this video from The Wrench, the expert maker shows us how he created a miniature, remote-controlled tank. It’s driven by a pair of tiny motors and can be controlled using a smartphone app. The tank also packs an FPV camera, though he had some trouble getting it to work at the same time as driving.

Artist Zak Miskry makes amazing metal sculptures of insects and animals from recycled electronics and scrap metal. In this video, he shows how he created a larger-than-life firefly that lights up like the real thing. It was a painstaking process to pick and place all the right parts, but the finished sculpture was worth the effort.

Mehdi from ElectroBOOM shows us how he modified a battery-powered plasma lighter to produce sound. After showing how it’s possible to listen to an AM radio through a pickle, he moves on to building a circuit that modulates voltage to play audio via the lighter’s arc. Warning: electrical engineering lecture ahead.

Split-flap displays used to be common in everything from tabletop clocks to arrival and departure boards at airports. While not as popular these days, these electro-mechanical displays are still marvels of engineering. Scottbez1 walks us through how they work with a demonstration of his single-digit Arduino-controlled display.

With this 112-bit driver kit from iFixit, you’ll never be caught without the proper tool for opening gadgets. It comes with 1/4″ and 4mm bit driver handles with magnetic bit sockets, knurled grips, swivel tops, and high-quality bits made from S2 and 6150 steel. And if anything ever breaks, it’s covered by iFixit’s lifetime warranty.

We hate when we get snack dust between the keys on our computer keyboards. This convenient kit includes multiple brushes for getting into cracks and crevices, along with a keycap puller, polishing cloths, a cleaning spray, and a lens cleaning pen for cameras. It all fits into a carrying case with a retractable main brush.

Designed for teens and adults who want to dive into the world of DIY electronics, the Make and Plug Kit comes with an Arduino UNO computer, modular components, a base, and Qwiic cables. The cables plug only one way into each module, eliminating guesswork and risks. There are online guides for seven gadgets that you can create with the kit.

This unique clock by Bulduper displays the time on a hexagonal grid filled with 127 RGB LED hex-shaped pixels. It can also display colorful animations. Want one for your own wall? He posted a detailed build guide on Instructables, including the 3D models for its parts. The code repository is up on GitHub.

For the 2023 YouTube Makers Secret Santa, Sam from Look Ma No Computer drew Ali Spagnola’s name out of the gift-giving hat. Given her passion for music and fitness, he got to work building a unique drum machine that changes rhythm based on her heartbeat. Sam received a similarly awesome gift from engineer James Bruton.

Electronic geeks will get a kick out of these coasters from MODelivery. They’re made from real colored circuit boards with a thin layer of gold on the conductive circuit traces. The circuit design is based on a microcontroller board layout with “Place Cup Here” text printed on its edge. They’re sold in sets of two or six.

Over the years, there have been numerous different ways of storing data on physical media. The 8-Bit Guy went all out, finding more than 100 different information storage media, from early wax cylinders to punch cards and gigantic tapes used for mainframe computers. That 16″ vinyl record is crazy.

For years, Tokyo’s Akihabara district was home to one of the most amazing little shops. But after 43 years in business, Koichi Shimayama shuttered his tiny electronics shop under the tracks. After being gifted the remnants of the shop, Norm Nakamura from Toyko Lens (with the help of his supporters) paid a crew to dismantle and rebuild it inside his studio.

Digital assistants like Alexa are impressive, but they’re built into boring-looking devices. The AI we encounter in science fiction is more relatable because it has a face. Workshop Nation gave Alexa more personality by connecting an Amazon Echo to a vintage CRT screen that displays audio waveforms and topped it off with eye-tracking animatronic eyeballs.

Learn about circuits, soldering, and writing code with this duo of CircuitMess electronic music makers. The Synthia is a digital beat maker and sampler, while the Jay-D is a miniature DJ mixer with audio effects, built-in speakers, and a sweet LED light show. Grab the bundle for a special price in The Awesomer Shop.

These stainless steel rings have a high-tech, cyberpunk look thanks to a flexible circuit board wrapped around their middle. The circuit doesn’t just serve a decorative purpose – it has a built-in NFC NTAG213 chip that can wirelessly store data using a smartphone app like NFC Tools.