Hack N Mod - Amazingly Cool Hacks, Mods, and DIY Projects » automatic http://hacknmod.com Amazingly Cool Hacks, Mods, and DIY Projects Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:19:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Absolutely Ingenious Wooden Rube Goldberg Machine http://hacknmod.com/hack/absolutely-ingenious-wooden-rube-goldberg-machine/ http://hacknmod.com/hack/absolutely-ingenious-wooden-rube-goldberg-machine/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:53 +0000 Saikat http://hacknmod.com/?p=8213

The Marble Lifting Machine would probably impress even Leonardo da Vinci. Mere words cannot describe the play of physics and craft that goes into this machine which has a single task – take a steel marble and transport it to the top of the wooden structure, then to the bottom, and repeat for 24 hours without any electronic parts.

That’s right, the only power is provided by gravity. The initial impulse is provided by a system of weights and counterweights. A complex network of wooden channels, lifting devices, pulleys, and trapdoors keep the marble in almost perpetual motion. The smooth flow of the marble towards the top is kept up by a series of governors and escapements.

It’s quite a journey for the marble up and down the 6 feet tall wooden device (a complete circuit takes about 24 hours). The marble makes 1300 trips from the bottom to the summit and back again and travels an equivalent distance of 12 miles.   The video is not only about the motion but also how the sub-assemblies of the Marble Lifting Machine are put together. It’s science wrapped up in art.

Top Rube Goldberg Projects:

]]> http://hacknmod.com/hack/absolutely-ingenious-wooden-rube-goldberg-machine/feed/ 2 Internet Enabled Pet Feeder http://hacknmod.com/hack/internet-enabled-pet-feeder/ http://hacknmod.com/hack/internet-enabled-pet-feeder/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:26:28 +0000 Joe L http://hacknmod.com/?p=6626 pet feed
Learn how to build an internet enabled pet feeder with streaming video. Now you can feed your pet from work or on vacation directly from your computer or phone.  The whole system is fairly simple and is controlled by the status LED on a Cisco switch, a superb way to avoid spendy ethernet relays.  The user simply logs into a website and can specify how much food they’d like to dispense, click go, and watch the action unfold via webcam.

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]]> http://hacknmod.com/hack/internet-enabled-pet-feeder/feed/ 3 Home Automation Using the iPhone and X10 http://hacknmod.com/hack/home-automation-using-the-iphone-and-x10/ http://hacknmod.com/hack/home-automation-using-the-iphone-and-x10/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:47:29 +0000 Joe L http://hacknmod.com/?p=3452


Like most people, we’re huge fans of home automation.  We’ve even covered quite a few ways people have used Twitter to automate your home.  This time, however, we’ll be automating our homes by managing SmartHome’s X10 home automation modules using the iPhone.

X10 runs on your home’s existing electrical wiring allowing for easy installation without tearing up your walls.  Plus, the best part is the iPhone app is free (itunes link) and easy to use as shown in the videos.

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