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Hi-fi, Radio, and Retro: The DIY Projects Spectrum Readers Love

Cars That Think

And a follow-up to that article, “ A Web-Enabled, High Quality, DIY Audio Amp ” (March 2022), comes in at No. The remaining articles are a potpourri of topics, but I think they all share that magic element of unexpected delight that engineers are always hoping for. Are there trends in DIY projects you think we’re missing?

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DIY MG ZS EV Mod Provides Superb Regen Braking & More

CleanTechnica EVs

Yesterday, I was invited back to the cluttered but always exciting electronics and engineering workshop of Francisco Shi. An all-wheel-drive Tesla and a track with this technology would be amazing!” […]

DIY 98
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A DIY E-bike Conversion on the Cheap

Cars That Think

While it would have been nice to engineer some sort of spring-driven mechanism to control how forcefully the motor pushes against the tire, I kept things simple: I just deflated the tire somewhat, bolted the motor solidly in place, and reinflated the tire. So I bought an outrunner. In that position, it's hardly visible.

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A DIY Calorie Counter More Accurate Than a Smartphone

Cars That Think

The road to the calorie counter began in our lab (the Human Performance Laboratory in the Stanford University School of Engineering ), where we study things like the metabolic cost of walking. The answer is yes—and it's one you can build yourself with parts any maker can easily obtain.

DIY 97
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A DIY E-bike Conversion on the Cheap

Cars That Think

While it would have been nice to engineer some sort of spring-driven mechanism to control how forcefully the motor pushes against the tire, I kept things simple: I just deflated the tire somewhat, bolted the motor solidly in place, and reinflated the tire. So I bought an outrunner. In that position, it's hardly visible.

DIY 98
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Can This DIY Rocket Program Send an Astronaut to Space?

Cars That Think

meter-tall Nexø II rocket was powered by a bipropellant engine designed and constructed by the Copenhagen Suborbitals team. The engine mixed ethanol and liquid oxygen together to produce a thrust of 5 kilonewtons, and the rocket soared to a height of 6,500 meters. Even more important, it came back down in one piece.

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Building the Future of Smart Home Security

Cars That Think

From video doorbells to robot vacuums, automated lighting, and voice assistants, smart home technology has invaded consumers’ homes and shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon. It redefined the home security space by introducing wireless, DIY products and pioneered giving customers the ability to monitor their homes via a smartphone app.