Several months ago we wrote a short write up about making a cheap optical shutter out of a hard drive disk controlled via Arduino. Since then we have had two Uniblitz shutters fail. We have now seen 6 Uniblitz shutters seen fail relatively quickly, with different users and different use conditions, over three labs. Even […]
Tag: DIY
ODX: $25 For Turbidity (OD) Measurements
A couple of weeks ago we covered MicrobeMeter. At $420 it’s not exactly pennies, but you can buy it pre-built or as an easy DIY kit. For a similar price, we also covered a user friendly low-cost turbidostat. But now we are aware that there is a cheaper option. A much cheaper option. Ganga C. […]
MicrobeMeter: A cheap Turbidimeter
MicrobeMeter is a compact turbidimeter designed to measure aerobic and anaerobic microbial growth dynamics. A formal description of the device is available on bioRxiv. You can buy one pre-assembled for $600, or you can assemble it yourself for $420. You can also download the design for non-commercial use for free if you register with humanetechnologies. […]
The Wally120 OpenKnit Machine
Inspired by the work of Sabetta Matsumoto and Julianna Abel, we have been looking at programmable automatic knitting machines on the cheap. Several scientists research the creation of unique metamaterials by programming them with lattices of slip-knots, a process colloquially known as knitting. A low-end industrial programmable knitting machine, from Shima Seiki costs between $90,000 […]
Precision for $100: The OpenFlexure Microscope
The OpenFlexure Microscope is an open-source 3D-printed microscope, based off a precise flexure translation stage. If you’re making them in bulk and without the high-res parts, the per-unit price is probably below $100. If you’re just putting together one, the price will probably come to more like $200 and you’ll find yourself with a lot […]