MAYER MAKES - IDEAS | PRODUCTS

DIY motorized Focus and Zoom for any DSLR

Clem’s Video production is a one-man-show. He has to switch back and forth between being the subject and the cameraman. Constantly moving around the workshop for every single little correction is very tedious. Why not upgrade any common DSLR with a remotely controlled Zoom/Focus? Commercially available motorized zooms and focus pulling devices are very expensive, so Clem develops his own cheap and flexible solution and finds out if is it worth building this sort of camera equipment yourself. What kind of expensive equipment should he try to recreate next?

Find all the parts and download the Files for free here.

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Smart City model for Infineon

Everybody likes a new toy, for Clem that means new microcontrollers and sensors! Infineon has a new range of powerful Arduino compatible 32-bit ARM cortex boards and motor driver shields, as well as, sensors! So Clem ventures out to explore them and build a compact demo unit that demonstrates the use of edge devices with 3D magnetic Sensors. It could save a lot of energy in tomorrow’s smart cities of the world!

At MAYER MAKES we build Demo units and models for various purposes. This Infineon XMC Demo was designed to be shown at tradeshows and demonstrate how easy it is to use XMC MCUs and sensors with the Arduino IDE and typical maker workflows. While big companies use this service to demonstrate their understanding of the market and show accessibility to boost sales of their product, startups and individuals can also benefit from comissioning a demo unit. If you got a business idea for a physical product, showing a physical model or even a first Proof-of-concept or prototype drastically improves the chance of finding funding for your startup!

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let there be light!

Clem likes to hear Podcasts and Music while working on element14presents videos but he’s not keen on using headphones and does not want to pump the volume to max to hear his speakers across the room. So he turns the ceiling of his workshop into a giant speaker, by building Studio panels. These Panels also reduce room noise for better audio recordings and by adding small LED lights act as soft light boxes for filming. Dragging around big lights with softboxes is not needed anymore for a lot of shots and the right background music helps keep the groove. All in the name of better, faster project videos! Praise the everlasting Din5_180 Connector for its versatility!

Download the Files and discuss on the project here.

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From Fake to fabolous

Everybody loves a 16-bit retro gaming handheld, but that hardly justifies possibly wrecking an old original console for it. Clem encounters a random fake clone console in his storage and has nothing to lose for ripping apart a device that should not exist in the first place. By reverse engineering the pinout, and fabricating a slick case, he builds a slick retro handheld that plays and feels much better than the clone console before the conversion! Thus, possibly saving a lot of old consoles while removing knockoffs from the market!

Find all the Files and Parts here: Element14 Community

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Network of Networks! #mastodon #fediverse is the content future!

#youtubeisoverparty
We always want to stay on the edge of tech, that is why we have moved on from the old fashioned social medias to the new Network of networks the #fediverse.
Do you remeber the good old days of interest specific forums?
When I dabbled into the internet for the first time, I searched for a Forum to learn about that new hobby I picked up, I chatted, learned and made friends online. and then cam social media and we all flocked to it. More connected faster and more inclusive…but also more intrusive, and filled with garbage.
I don’t care for mom-vloggers whos posts are 99% adds for junk I don’t need. I don’t care for the seemingly perfect live of instagram-models. I care for thougth, inventions, tech and skills. I want to see content that is meaningfull and not driven by the need to please an algorithm.
I want to produce content for people with similar interests, not a hoard of brainless numbers on a sub-counter. The truth in business is that it does not matter how many people see your stuff but how many can use it and convert into a customer. and the same goes for any media. High numbers are worthless if they consist of dumb drones. A handfull of the right skilled followers can be more than enough to come out on top.

The point is that on conventional social media you are bombarded with uninteresting garbage, adds and propaganda.

the Fediverse takes controll away from the ones who run the services to those who make the content. Can’t find the thing you are looking for? Make it yourself, the framework is free and open source! build a videoplattform for your special interest! the one for tech guys like me is https://diode.zone!
want to make a texting community for a highly specific business? Found a mastodon Server!

Why should I run a Plattform that nobody finds?—You don’t! You build a node in a network!

When you start a community/service/plattform that adheres to the fediverse comunication standard you become part of the network! link up to other networks with a similar audience or general servers like https://mastodon.social and open your „federation tab“–Boom thousands of people with similar interests are in your reach!

the Future is decentralized shared and networked within networks.

follow us on mastodon or any other app.. it is your choice!
we post content as @mayermakes on the old dying social medias.
even a linkedin article is still relevant (for now)
and @mayermakes@mastodon.social
and distribute our videos as @mayer_makes@diode.zone
and these are linked to all the other hundreds of places for your individual field of interest! welcome to the content future!

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Make a Wearable DIY Synthesizer!

In 2016 Clem built a very annoying synthesizer in the form of a wristwatch. After showing it around at various Maker Faires it broke, so he decided to rebuild it better louder and more annoying than ever before! It is user-programmable thanks to the Arduino MKR and a haptic interface with satisfying sliders! Download the files for free and make one yourself.

Download all the FIles for Free here: https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-94183/l/episode-423-programmable-arduino-synthesizer-watch?ICID=hp-element14-triptic

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is AI taking over?

Finally, the BeagleBone® AI has been released and Clem is very excited to take it for a spin! He goes beyond his comfort zone and explores PRU (programmable real-time units), OpenCV (Image recognition) and much more on his journey to build an animatronic Terminator inspired skull. It even cites badly impersonated Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes when it detects a human face. This might not be the beginning of Skynet, but it may lead you to build your own AI-powered projects! http://bit.ly/31ViRQF

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Giant 4k resin 3d printer!

I have built a giant (28″ diameter) MSLA style Printer that does not use a FEP foil to seperate Resin and the masking lcd screen.

maybe the first of its kind

Al lthe files and more information are availabe here for free.

NEWS

BEAGLEBONE AI Cooling

if you can’t wait to get a fan-addon for the Beaglebone AI : here is the link to order the pcb right away: https://aisler.net/p/SWHBYGQV

it takes the recommended Fan and allows to control it with pwm from a Pin on the Beaglebone (compatible with Beaglebone AI &Black).
It also provides an easier to reach debug header(has to be soldered the other way round as in the picture(don’t know how to flip it in Kicad3Dviewer) and a debug cutout for the BBAI.

Find the BOM and all Details here.

https://www.element14.com/community/message/282753/l/bb-ai-cooling-addon-board-available#282753

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Worlds first Mac pro that grates cheese! FOR REAL!

this is a real powermac G5 that does grate cheese!

Download all the Files for this build and get a deep dive into the Code at:

Element14 MAC Pro grates cheese!!

This project also demonstrates the use of the brand new MAYER MOVES motor control DEV KIT! Available right now at:

https://aisler.net/p/HAJZPEAG

The new 2019 Mac pro looks like a cheese grater, no doubt. Earlier this year, a Maker exposed the fact that its design did not allow it to be effective for grating cheese, much to the disappointment of Clem! So he took it upon himself to build the world’s first Mac Pro that actually grates cheese, and does it with power! The build started out with a Power Mac G5, the first iconic Mac to get dubbed a cheese grater! Clem develops his own motor control development Kit over the course of the project and puts it to use in the iGrater /Cheese pro /Mac‘n`cheese..