DIY

The UK's Matthew Perks has been running a YouTube channel for about five years, where he walks viewers through the ins and outs of making their own gadgets. For his latest project, he's rescued some broken televisions and computer monitors and turned them into artificial daylight panel lighting.

​Cardboard is generally used as packaging, to house new instruments during transit for example. But we've seen a number of gear innovations actually built using cardboard over the years, and the latest to join the cardboard band is the Beatbox, a MIDI drum machine built into cardboard housing.​

Cleanyst is compact household appliance designed to cut plastic waste by allowing users to blend their own shampoo, shower gel, handwash, liquid detergent and dishwashing liquid at home by simply adding water to pre-prepared sachets.

A technology-enthusiast has invented a Nerf gun turret that can automatically track and shoot down small drones. The ingenious contraption uses a Kinect v2 sensor and a milled steel two-axis gimbal, all controlled by software based on the OpenCV AI library.

Making and coding are important skills for future engineers and technicians to master. With this in mind, Kano has partnered with Microsoft to release the Kano PC – a DIY Windows 10 computer for kids that gets them making , coding and creating.​

Product developer Jono Matusky wanted a way to play his albums while working in his studio, without needing to keep popping into another room to change sides or set up multi-room streaming. The Plynth is the result.

The Elephant In A Box collapsible sofa comes delivered in a compact box and, according to the creators, takes less than five minutes to assemble. Incorporating a honeycomb technology core, the sofa simply stretches out of the box and is secured into place before the cushions are placed on top.

​The Arduino Nano has been at the heart of many projects over the years, including the captivating Edgytokei clock, a six-legged stinger and the retro-tastic Synth Bike. Now the Nano is getting a bunch of baby brothers in the shape of the Nano Family maker boards.​

A British engineer with a long career in electric vehicles and hovercraft has created the KwikPro system, which he hopes will revolutionize the way tradespeople work, and get around.​ The 10-piece array of trade-worthy tools fits into just one case, because the motor is in the handle, not the head.​

Electrical engineer and product designer Samson March decided to build his own smartwatch. The result is stylish wrist candy with a 3D-printed wood-like outer case, color LCD display, Bluetooth connectivity and its own matching charging cradle.

Tired of staring at the paper-littered wall of your off-white office cubicle? This work/play off-grid adventure van escapes that dismal 9-to-5, packing a multifunctional interior complete with an impressive productivity suite based around a foldaway office with integrated iMac.

Lego is easy to use and allows creative types to build whatever is in their heads, or adapt something created earlier to fit new needs. The MPA Platform from MakeProAudio offers a similar experience for folks wanting to build custom audio gear – with nothing more than a screwdriver.