India is experiencing a shortage of coconut harvesters. It's dangerous work, as harvesters must climb trees that are sometimes 50 ft tall. Once they reach the top of the tree they have to hack away at the stems with a machete, making their grip on the tree more tenuous. To deal with these problems, researchers have designed a robotic coconut tree climber and harvester. It wraps its way up the coconut palm's trunk, then deploys a remote-controlled circular saw to release the coconuts from their stems.
This robotic coconut tree climber and harvester could save lives
Clever uses for blue painter's tape around the shop (and house)
Here is a tips video with a bunch of useful ideas for using blue masking/painter's tape around the shop. Some of these will likely be familiar, others new. While this video is geared towards woodworking, these tips can apply to other types of making and home maintenance. READ THE REST
Turning a pile of broken glass into a lampshade
It's time-consuming, it's expensive, and it's ridiculously tedious, but as well-known YouTube maker, Peter Brown, puts it "This should not exist." Peter took broken glass from a large shattered window and turned it into a lampshade. The process involved making a wooden buck, then making a silicone mold, and then building the shade on the… READ THE REST
Dumpster fire 2020 candle and tree ornament
Our friend, Becky Stern, was part of a group of makers doing ByeBye 2020-related projects. For her project, Becky molded a 2020 candle that burns away to reveal a metal 2020 dumpster fire tree ornament beneath. Perfect way to encapsulate this year. READ THE REST
There's a new school of car insurance companies, and Clearcover leads the pack
"Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." That century-old quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (sort of) is just as true today. If you build a better product, offer a better service or create a better infrastructure for customers, then with a bit of time and attention, the world… READ THE REST
The hand warmer in this portable heater might just make it your favorite item in your home office
Sometimes, you'd really rather just boost the temperature in your bedroom or home office by a few degrees without firing up your central heating and paying to pump that heat throughout the entire house. In that case, you just need a portable heater that can wrap a cocoon of warmth around a relatively small, contained… READ THE REST
The Sky Lite Laser Galaxy Projector can turn your bedroom ceiling into a beautiful night sky
Earlier this month, stargazers were dazzled by a rare celestial event as The Great Conjunction offered a view of Jupiter and Saturn huddled close together in the night sky. The planets themselves aren't actually in closer proximity to each other, but just the idea of seeing this optical convergence that hasn't been viewed from Earth… READ THE REST