Gearfuse

A narcissists dream, the Self-Portrait Machine takes a photo of the user and transfers the picture into a drawn image of themselves. The catch is that the user is actually the one that does all the drawing, as they are physically attached to the machine. The machine itself performs a little dutch rudder action, guiding the user’s hand along the page.

If you’ve always wanted to be a talented portrait artist and never had a lick of talent, the Self-Portrait Machine not only allows you to draw, but damn well forces you to. Check out more pics and a video after the jump.

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Here’s a video of a RepRap machine that can print out its own three-dimensional shot glasses. Does a robot get any cooler than that? Yes. The kind that brings you a beer. Why not get a LEGO Mindstorms setup going on that pours liquor into finished shotglasses? Now there’s an idea.

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You’ve probably been looking for that first-party Rock Band stage kit for your Wednesday night parties. I’m here to tell you not to bother with that overpriced junk. Instructables member Marc92 shows you how to make your own fog machine and light show that’s perfect for real and fake bands alike.

However, unlike your typical fog machines which spit out fog from a single point, Marc92 has built a pipe system that emits fog from a much larger area. Mounted on the pipe are red and blue LEDs which gives the fog its patriotic appearance. Gwar would be pleased.

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In light of this coming Sunday’s Handcar Regatta, a race of human-powered rail-track creations, the team over at Almost Scientific have created a ginormous 10 feet tall 10 feet wide hamster wheel they’re calling the Lumbering Contraption. What purpose does it serve? Well, it controls a slew of doohickeys that mobilize a giant nose picking machine. Weird, right?  If only we could use human-sized hamster wheels.

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I used to have a sweet little fog machine until my roommate lost it. I may consider this Bubble Fogger as a suitable replacement. Instead of just belching out smoke onto your stage a la Spinal Tap, this little fucker burps up bubbles filled with fog that remain perfect spheres until popped. Once popped, the fog will flow into the air creating a ghastly scene. Sounds fantastic for Halloween or an opium den, whichever is closest.

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If you’re one of many Wii owners that are tired of using it at as a DVD player or a dry-erase board, then you’ll be happy to know that the homebrew scene is still going strong with innovative concepts that are pushing the capabilities of the Wii more than Nintendo ever attempted to do. Wii Physics is one of the newer homebrew apps that almost makes the Wii seem enjoyable to play. Using your trusty Wiimote you can place objects on a stage and adjust their size and rotation.

Sounds boring, huh? I’m not finished, asshole. Pulleys, ropes, gears and joints can be used to connect objects together and when all is said and done, you press the play button. That’s when the magic begins and The Incredible Machine turns on, causing the objects to fall and interact with each other. It’s free to download and the source is also accessible in case you want to expand upon it.

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It seems wind records aren’t the only vehicular-based records being broken this year. Pictured above is the 66-pound unnamed unmanned flying machine that broke a world record for the longest-lasting unmanned flight. It remained airborne for an unbelievable 83 hours and 37 minutes.

That’s three and a half days of non-stop flight thanks to it’s power source: lithium-sulfur batteries charged via solar panels during the day. The craft remained steady at a height of 60,000 feet while being flown by an autopilot guided by GPS. Who says you need a piloting license to operate an aircraft, let alone an actual pilot?

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Bastards. The team at NYCResistor have a new laser cutter and they want you to know about it. Check out this tiny, tiny, TINY dinosaur that’s like half the size of a fucking penny. How in the world do you even design things this small? Either way, it’s awesome and I want an entire fleet of robo-dinos to battle my toy soldiers. Rawr!

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There’s no rock and roll here. Just pure fucking metal. Oh, and a pizza too. Watch in amazement as a 2KW laser punctures a pie to perfection. I love the dude at the end who actually goes in for a slice. After all, if you’re not going to eat a laser-cut pizza, then what the heck’s the point of making one?

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For those not familiar with Marc Owens’ work, he’s the man behind the Avatar Machine. It’s a suit which allows the user to view themselves as a virtual character in real space via a head mounted interface. Now he’s working on another suit that’s sure to turn heads. According to a study that found that 54 percent of all males and 68 percent of all females gender swap in a virtual setting, psychologists have proven that the majority of people aren’t satisfied with their gender and want to cut their genitals out.

Thankfully, Marc Owens has the cure. If you’re the kind of guy that feels comfortable dressing up in your mother’s clothes or the kind of girl whose always wanted to play QB on the high school football team then the Virtual Transgender Suit was made for you. It replicates the aesthetics of the typical virtual female form while portraying it in physical form, kind of like if you were to act out Facebook in a real life setting. So, if cross dressing just seems a little too gay for you, how about trying out the Virtual Transgender Suit? You’ll look like a woman but no one will criticize you because you’ll look like a virtual woman.

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