DIY

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Art Design Photography

A Floating Photographic Lab by Claudius Schulze and Maciej Markowicz

Last year collaborative artists Claudius Schulze and Maciej Markowicz launched the aptly named project [2BOATS] — a duo of water-bound vessels that the pair steered from Hamburg to Amsterdam’s Unseen Photo Fair and Paris Photo over the course of several months. Both boats serve as traveling studios for the artists, however with vastly different functions. Schulze’s handmade houseboat (with outdoor disco ball and hammock) doubles as a hub for creative workshops and discussions, while Markowicz’s studio is also a fully functioning camera obscura.

Schulze and Markowicz plan to end their journey at the Hamburg Triennale of Photography, which opens on June 7th, 2018. You can keep up with Schulze’s explorations on Instagram at @claudiusschulze, Markowicz’s large-scale camera obscura at @obscurabus, and read about previous events visited by the two photographically-centered boats on the [2BOATS] blog.

Design Science

Papier Machine: A Book of Six Interactive Electronic Paper Toys

We’ve seen a wide gamut of paper project books lately, from shadows and cameras to planetariums and architectural models. Joining the DIY library today is Papier Machine, a collection of six interactive electronic paper toys all gathered together within the pages of a book developed by a trio of French designers. The various experiments are silkscreen printed on perforated paper and activated by button cell batteries, conductive silver ink, metal marbles, and other electronic components.

The six included gadgets include a piano “tuned” by hand-drawn graphite zones, a gyroscope, a marble track that plays sounds, a wind sensor, a centrifugal force track, and a tilt switch. Earlier versions of Papier Machine won Audi Talent and Red Dot Design awards, leading way to extra research and development in this final book which just launched on Kickstarter. (via It’s Nice That)

Design

DIY Paper Beetle Sculpture Kits by Assembli

Designer Joop Bource of Netherlands-based Assembli just released this colorful trio of DIY beetle models. The flat-pack model kits are available in three different beetle species including stag, hercules, and atlas, each in a number of different metallic colors. (via Lustik)

Update: Assembli beetle kits are now available in the Colossal Shop.

Food

DIY Edible Glass Cats: A Translucent Feline Water Cake that Melts Away in Minutes

In 2014, a dessert shop in Hokoto, Japan called the Kinseiken Seika Company exploded in popularity when the internet discovered their crystalline mizu Shingen mochi, a completely translucent edible cake that looks like a huge water droplet. The sweet gelatinous rice cake comprised mostly of mineral water and agar is so delicate it can only stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before disappearing into a lumpy puddle.

Earlier this month Twitter user @mithiruka took a modified recipe for the mizu Shingen mochi and paired it with a silicon cat mold to make this jelly-like cake that’s now being shared by cat lovers across the internet—apparently there’s quite a few of them. (via RocketNews, My Modern Met)

Design

UGEARS: Elaborate Self-Propelled DIY Mechanical Models

UGEARS are a series of 11 new mechnical models built from wooden pieces that spring to life with the help of rubber band engines, cranks, or with the assistance of gravity. Similar to balsa wood insects, the laser-cut pieces assemble like a puzzle without need for glue or adhesives. The most impressive design is an elaborate 480-piece steam locomotive that’s 12″ long and propels itself up and down a provided track with an internal engine.

UGEARS was designed by Kiev-based Ukrainian Gears and all of the models seen here are currently funding on Kickstarter for another 6 days.

Design Food

Edible and Stackable DIY LEGO Gummy Candy

Grant Thompson of the King of Random just shared a great tutorial on how to make completely edible gummy LEGO bricks and figures using a mixture of corn syrup, Jello, and gelatin. Using the right molds, the pieces are so precise you can actually build with them. Unlike the chocolate LEGO bricks we featured a few months ago, these look somewhat simple to make. (via The Awesomer)

Animation Design

Animator Dillon Markey Reinvents the Failed Nintendo Power Glove as an Indispensable Stop-Motion Animation Tool

First off: language warning for the kiddos. Stop-motion animator Dillon Markey works on projects for animation powerhouses like Robot Chicken and PES. While on set three years ago Markey tired of moving back and forth between the set, camera, and computers for each shot and conceived of a numerical keypad he could use to help control some, if not all, of the devices he uses for animating.

In a stroke of nostalgic brilliance, he realized Nintendo’s failed 1980 Power Glove—a wearable device that was supposed to offer novel ways of controlling video games—possessed the form factor he needed. While the Power Glove itself was a commercial flop because of imprecise and awkward controls (not to mention crummy games), Markey teamed up with an electrical engineer to completely rewire the device so it could interact with his stop-motion software via Bluetooth. In a move that would make Inspector Gadget proud, he further modified the glove to incorporate animation tools like retractable tweezers and special sensors that emit the perfect phrase when you use the glove for a fist-bump.

One would think such modifications would be interesting for the purpose of making a quick concept video like this, but that in practical application it might not really work. Not the case: he’s now used it for over 1.5 years on projects like this. It makes you wonder what other outmoded technology had the right form factor but wrong application? Film by Ava Benjamin.