The Digi Comp II is a replica of a binary mechanical computer that can perform basic mathematical functions. As shown by Windell Oskay at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011, it uses billiard balls as its counters and performs calculations in real time as the balls make their transit down a ramp with specially places guides and levers.
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5300
Inspired by his friend’s couch on wheels, William Keller built this motorized La-Z-Boy to get around the Playa at Burning Man. It’s controlled by a modded video game controller and driven by an electric motor. Kids and adults alike are delighted by the moving recliner as it zooms around the grounds of Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
http://www.wkeller.net/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5261
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Joe and John DiPrima’s Arc Attack is a performance group that creates electrifying melodies by controlling the frequency sweep on their solid state Tesla coil. This is accompanied by a full drum set that’s controlled electrically through a series of rotary solenoids. Filmed at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
http://www.arcattack.com/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5327
Jimmy DiResta shares his unique one-of-a-kind keys at Maker Faire New York.
Lisa Pongrace’s cupcake cars are powered by electric motors, and evolved from a costume idea for Burning Man. After building the first prototype, her friends wanted their own mobile muffins and helped create a fleet of confectionery art cars. Filmed at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
http://www.acmemuffineering.com/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5444
The R2D2 Builder’s Club brings one of the world’s most beloved fictional robots to life. Steve Simmons and his hobby roboticist club use fabrication, programming, and remote controls to build exact replicas of R2D2. Their R2’s are quirky friends who roamed Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 delighting everyone they encountered.
http://astromech.net/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5022
Randy Sarafan started Simple Bots on a bet. A coworker wanted a simple introduction to robotics, so Randy set out to prove that he could build a functioning robot in ten minutes. This was the impetus for a family of bots shown at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 that can be easily made from a variety of parts that are on hand for the average diy enthusiast.
http://www.randysarafan.com/
http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/5079
