It makes sense…because of the nature of gunpowder and other ingredients, fireworks can’t be mass-produced by means of automation, as even the tiniest spark from any machine could cause a catastrophic explosion. Before you watch your favorite fireworks display, take a look at how these fascinating little rockets are made:

First, The Main Fuse…

The basic construction of a firework is an exterior shell with several separate compartments. The burning fuse explodes one compartment at a time, creating those staggered bursts you see in the sky. For safety, the naturally colorless glue used throughout production is tinted blue while liquid but dries clear. The first compartment of the firework is the lift charge, a gunpowder bag with a long, fast-action fuse placed at the base of the shell that launches the firework about 1000 feet into the air. While the first compartment dries, the second compartment is built, where a powdered explosive is spooned into the center and then capped. A brown cardboard shock absorber is added to shield this section from the first compartment explosion, followed by a corrugated cardboard disc and a plastic spacer.

These barriers allow approximately one and a half seconds for the fuse to burn through these two components, creating a slight delay between the explosion of the first and the second compartments. Gluing the second compartment together is tricky: if it’s too tight it’ll stifle the explosion, but it also has to be tight enough to withstand the delay.

Next, Stars and Comets…

A sleeve is glued onto a case, then filled with hundreds of stars. Stars are carefully formulated and measured explosives that give the firework its beautiful flashes of color (fitting name, right?). Coloring agents range from magnesium for white, to copper salts for blue, to charcoal for orange. These are very delicate and must be handled carefully, or they could detonate.  Comets (which leave the long trail of sparks) are then added to give another dimension of decoration to the firework.

Finally, the two compartments are assembled and the remaining space is filled with the same combination of ingredients. Once the shell is full, the cover is glued into place. The tighter the seal on the compartments, the more the internal pressure will build…which makes for a more spectacular explosion.

Ready to Launch

The lift charge, which was created first and dried while the other compartments were being built, is now ready to be placed at the base of the shell.  At this point, the fireworks are wrapped in craft paper and a label using international color codes identifies the size and type of shell to the pyrotechnic engineer who will set up the display.

Finally, Thank Your Local Fireworks Pyrotechnician

We know what you’re thinking… “That’s fascinating, but how do all those explosives dazzle the audience?” The actual choreography of the display is thanks to a fireworks pyrotechnician, but the basic delivery is the same: When the computer system sends the electrical pulse that lights the main fuse, it starts a chain reaction. The secondary fuse running down the outside of the shell will ignite the lift charge, sending the firework almost 1,000 feet into the sky. Meanwhile, the time-delayed fuse inside the shell burns a few seconds slower, allowing the firework to reach altitude before detonating the gunpowder, comets, and stars for a bright, sparkling, almost magical display that, upon viewing, can’t help but leave the audience feeling a little more patriotic.

The post Invention Spotlight: Fireworks appeared first on Inventionland.

Since the 1800s, the telephone has gone through hundreds of changes. Some are minute, others are complete upheavals. No matter what form the phone takes, however, it still completely revolutionized how society communicates and interacts with each other and continues to impact culture to this day.

Due to the vast history of the phone, only a few major highlights will be covered here. For starters, the first phone with the ability to dial a number was invented in 1905. Almon B. Strowger is credited with creating the first rotary phone, eliminating the need for switchboards and operators. Despite this, they didn’t catch on until the 1920s. The Frankfurt “Bauhaus” is considered the first mainstream rotary phone.

Jumping a few decades ahead, advancements like touchtone dialing and cordless phones are growing more commonplace in the 1970s. Around that time, AT&T began experimenting with a telephone that could transmit images during a call. It was deemed too bulky and expensive but laid the groundwork for what would eventually become video calls and text messages.

The 80s were a major turning point in the evolution of phones. Caller ID was being implemented. VoIP services were going into testing. And biggest of all, the first mobile phones were in development. Well, “mobile” in the sense that they could be brought with people and had a larger range than traditional cordless phones. They were still bulky and clunky, a far cry from the sleek models that rule today’s markets. The release of the Motorola MicroTac9800X in 1989 was the first modern cell phone, with its slim case and flip design.

Cell phones would grow to be more mainstream and accessible throughout the nineties but wouldn’t reach the popularity they enjoy today until the new millennium. Still, the first smartphone was being developed, long before the term even existed. The IBM Simon was a revolutionary device that combined a telephone with PDA elements, making it a precursor to devices like the Blackberry and iPhone.

In the past two decades, the advancements made to phones have been massive and rapid. It’s amazing to think that when the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, it was unprecedented. Now, even phones with full keyboards are considered dated. Skype was integrated into both smartphones and computers, giving people even more communication options. New operating systems were being developed, each more sophisticated than the last. Built-in phone cameras also improved, capable of capturing pristine pictures and later video. It wasn’t long before books, movies, and even games could be enjoyed from a phone, making them all-in-one entertainment devices. Assistants like Siri and Cortana gave phones more accessibility and, to some at least, a personality.

The future of the telephone is bright. Almost every person on the planet owns at least one, even if they aren’t strictly of the latest model. Resources will continue to be poured into developing new software and hardware and improving existing technology. The telephone has come a remarkably long way since that fateful day in 1876, much farther and faster than Graham Bell could’ve anticipated. We may take them for granted now, but the technology behind smartphones is staggering. And it all began with a few simple words: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”

The post The Evolution of the Telephone appeared first on Inventionland.

Long before traditional cameras, people employed camera obscuras. Images projected using this natural phenomenon were larger than normal but inverted. Functionally, it was like our modern projectors. Some artists would use the projected image as a guide or even trace the image, much like a lightbox. This was the only way to preserve the image after turning the device off.

In 1816, Nicephore Niepce successfully made a partial photograph using a camera he built, and a paper coated with silver chloride. Unfortunately, he hadn’t figured out how to remove the untreated silver chloride, meaning the image was eventually darkened completely by the light needed to view it. In the mid-1820s, Niepce used a new sliding wooden camera (created by Charles and Vincent Chevalier) to experiment with Bitumen of Judea. Only one of the photos from this experiment, View from the Window at Le Gras, has survived.

Louise Daguerre continued to experiment with cameras after Niepce’s death in 1833, resulting in the first practical photographic process in 1837. Dubbed the “daguerreotype,” it used silver-plated copper treated with iodine vapor to create images. It was wildly successful after debuting to the public in 1839, where both it and the calotype began introducing photography to the masses. Normally, having portraits taken was an activity exclusive to the upper classes. The cost and amount of time needed to produce such works were unreasonable for most working-class people. The speed of the camera, which only increased as time went on, made it possible for anybody to have quality portraits.

When photographic film hit the market in 1888, cameras truly began to resemble the ones we know today. George Eastman began selling his Kodak cameras, which were affordable and small enough for the average consumer to consider. The film inside could hold up to 100 photos, and the entire device would have to be sent back to the factory for processing and printing. In 1900, he introduced the Brownie camera, introducing the snapshot to the public. It was during this time that movie cameras went from expensive toys to tools with legitimate commercial use.

Another common type of film was 35mm. Typically, cheaper cameras used roll film, whereas higher-end would utilize 35mm. Eventually, even lower-grade cameras were equipped with 35mm film, although the least expensive cameras would still use roll film. Famous camera company Canon had its start during this period, gaining popularity with other Japanese cameras after the Korean War. Single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras were also gaining traction with the public as the technology made them less bulky. Both SLR and twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras were available previously, but mostly appealed to professionals due to both size and cost.

Instant cameras, such as the famous Polaroid, first appeared on the market in 1948. The simple nature and ability to print and view photos within minutes made them popular with families, even with higher prices at launch. Automatic exposure followed a similar story: expensive at first, but quickly catching on among consumers and lowering in cost as time went on. All of these elements combined would lead to the earliest digital cameras. Unfortunately, the history of the digital camera is far too dense to cover in its entirety here, but to give you a rough idea of where they started: the very first digital cameras stored their images on floppy disk.

It’s hard to imagine where cameras will go from here when now professional-grade images can be produced with nothing but a timer button and a selfie stick. At the same time, however, it’s fascinating to think that just over 200 years ago, photographs, as we know them, were still experimental. Technology can change drastically in a short amount of time; maybe in ten years’ time, we’ll have camera eyes.

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What’s the difference between a MakerBar and a Hackerspace?

In short, there really isn’t one. Think of a Hackerspace as a smaller subsection of the Maker movement- something that is a Hackerspace can also be called a MakerBar, but the reverse isn’t always true. Essentially, a while a MakerBar focuses broadly on any DIY project, a Hackerspace focuses solely on DIY projects involving technology. So, while a MakerBar may include woodworking, a Hackerspace will solely include things like 3D Printing, Laser cutters, programming, digital art, etc.

Where did they come from?

According to Makerspaces, the origins of hackerspaces can be traced back to 1995 Berlin where the world’s first hackerspace, C-Base, was launched. It was originally started as a community for computer programmers to come together and meet, work, and share infrastructure. At the time, “hack” originally referred to making technology do something it wasn’t meant to do. Over time, however, 3D printing and CNC routers became more affordable to the point where these spaces became part of the Maker Movement.

What are the benefits?

There are several benefits to the spread of these spaces. The first was shared among their original founders at C-Base: these spaces create a community. It allows programmers or digital artists to share their interests and ideas with one another in a safe space. It even allows them to collaborate with one another on projects and learn new skills. In a New York Times piece, Mitch Altman, founder of Noisebridge in San Francisco, states of his hackerspace: “It’s a community supporting people in exploring and doing what they love. That’s the main thing, and you can feel it.”

Mr. Dougherty, of Make magazine, echoed the same sentiments on the benefits of hackerspaces. “The big value is community. A hobby starts as a very personal thing. As soon as you express that interest, you begin meeting people who share that interest. It can really help with motivation.”

Not only do Hackerspaces provide a much-needed sense of community to tech workers, but it also saves a lot of them time, money, and space. When the Hackerspace community originally began to spread, they weren’t popping up in rural areas with large houses and plenty of space. They were solely popping up in urban areas. This is because Makers in Urban areas are severely lacking the space to create. The ideal situation is to be able to tinker away in one’s garage, but people in Urban areas like New York City barely have enough living space for themselves, let alone all of their various tools.

A lot of Hackerspaces operate similarly to how a gym will. You can sign up and pay a monthly membership fee for unlimited use of the facility and its tools. This gives a lot of city Makers not only a space to work in, but also access to all of the tools they need without having to actually go out and purchase them themselves.

In addition, these spaces also serve as great networking opportunities for engineers and inventors. They’re great places to meet like-minded individuals and find others to collaborate with. In fact, business-like Pinterest and MakerBot have grown out of Hackerspaces.

Root Access, a hackerspace that runs out of Fresno, CA, it an excellent example of all of these benefits at work. The space is open for members to use freely and they also teach beneficial classes such as Electronic Hobbyist, Intro to Soldering, 3D Printing, and more. Andrew Runner, an employee with Root Access, spoke to us regarding the benefits of Hackerspaces, stating, “We see a group of people that haven’t had a space to meet besides work or tech conferences. People who do net security, robotics, and cutting-edge tech but didn’t have a venue to meet people of shared interests. People gain skills that are obscure and difficult to learn on your own. Our community provides friendly help in a not usually social scene. Jacob Joaquin has dazzled us with his group, Art Code Tech, fusing code and creativity on a monthly basis.”

Along with the Maker Movement itself, these spaces continue to spread through urban and rural areas, bringing a much-needed sense of community, collaboration, and resources along with them. And the owners of these spaces continue to work hard to teach new skills and pass their expertise along to their fellow creative professionals. Say what you will about Hackerspaces and the Maker Movement in general, but they certainly aren’t hacks.

The post Makers and Maker Movements: Hackerspaces appeared first on Inventionland.

The idea behind this new technology is that it can turn any object into a musical instrument. How so? By converting the vibrations that are made as a person touches it into sound.

Here’s a quick rundown of this latest invention. Let’s say you place the small sensor onto the surface of a cereal box. Once you connect this sensor to your smartphone, an app will begin running on your phone that both detects and analyzes the vibrations and transforms them into musical notes. You can either keep your musical cereal-playing talents to yourself or you can hook up your smartphone to speakers for everyone to hear; and, depending on your musical skills, this could or couldn’t be a good thing for your neighbors!

The best thing about this invention is that the sound that a person hears is actually coming from the object!

So, who can we credit for this invention? The answer is a music technology researcher by the name of Bruno Zamborlin, who offers a better explanation for his invention:

“It’s a principle called physically inspired sound system. When you play a real instrument, like a guitar, the sound is created by the combination of an exciter and a resonator. The exciter is the plectrum in your hand that hits the strings, and the resonator is the combination of the strings and the body of the guitar. Mogees works in a similar way: everything that is picked up by the sensor — your gestures, the object itself — is the exciter, and the resonator is emulated through the software. We just modify the signal to respect musical rules. We augment it.”

This invention’s app is very hands on and gives the user the chance to select the musical notes and tones that they want to be associated with their gesture. If a person makes the same gesture more than once, they will get the same sounds, thanks to the invention’s functionality.

If you can’t quite picture how this invention works, take a look at this trailer:

We must admit that this “sounds” like one very cool invention!

Copyright Inventionland 2014

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2014/09/03/tech/innovation/mogees-make-music-from-anything/index.html

Media:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPMqAEIBfJM#t=48

The post This Invention Can Turn Any Object into Music appeared first on Inventionland.