Weaving Circuits from Electronic Threads

A person's hand wearing a black glove is shown in the right part of the image, making a series of gestures. A representation of a hand mimics those motions on a laptop screen.

Though threading is a old concept in computer science, and fabric computing has been a term for about thirty years, the terminology has so far been more metaphorical than strictly …read more Continue reading Weaving Circuits from Electronic Threads

A Ruggedized Raspberry Pi for Sailors

A black, rectangular box is shown, with a number of waterproof screw connectors on the front.

Nautical navigation has a long history of innovation, from the compass and chronometer to today’s computer-driven autopilot systems. That said, the poor compatibility of electronics with saltwater has consequently created …read more Continue reading A Ruggedized Raspberry Pi for Sailors

Building a Rotary Evaporator for the Home Lab

A laboratory benchtop is shown. To the left, there is a distillation column above a collecting flask, with a tube leading from the flask to an adapter. The adapter has a frame holding a glass tube with a teflon stopper at one end, into which a smaller glass tube leads. At the other end of the larger tube is a round flask suspended in an oil bath.

The rotary evaporator (rotovap) rarely appears outside of well-provisioned chemistry labs. That means that despite being a fundamentally simple device, their cost generally puts them out of reach for amateur …read more Continue reading Building a Rotary Evaporator for the Home Lab