The winners have been selected!

Thank you to everyone who submitted their ideas for this contest. Check back for new submissions and RadioShack content regularly! To see each of the winning projects: worlds smallest security system, Homeland Security Helmet and Wii-Wheel, home-made.

Submit your stuff!

rubik’s cube

Will Welch | August 1st, 2008 | 2 Comments

Im working on creating a self solving rubik’s cube.  This would be a rubik’s cube that you could hook up to your computer, run some solving software and then have the program send a series of permutations to the cube. The cube would then (using servos or motors) solve its self. the cube would have to be large for this to works but after its done it presents many more functions. for instance, you could remotly solve it, you could have solving instructions that appear on the cube itself. you could have online real time solving solving competitions and tons of other things. currently i dont have any time or money to work on this but when i do i will post the results.

Shocked in my PJs

Anthony Bauco | August 1st, 2008 | 2 Comments

I am now 40 years old, working as on optical and electrical engineer but I started with electronics when I was 10 years old. It began with a Radio Shack 150-in-1 kit from a garage sale. I was so enthralled by it that the woman selling it gave it to me for free.

I first studied electronics formally in high school. I was in my sophmore year and I was building a 12V power supply from parts I bought at RadioShack. I was nearly done with the project when it was “bath time”. I took my shower, put on my pajamas and ran back down to the garage to finish the power supply.

I wanted to make sure the ripple was low so I hooked the output up to my grandfather’s old oscilloscope. Now this was in the mid-80s so I am talking REALLY old here. My grandfather was one of the first TV repairmen in southern Connecticut and this was his oscilloscope from the early part of the 20th century. Back in those days plugs were NOT polarized. Also, one of the prongs on the power plug was hard wired to the case. Well, when I plugged it in I must have oriented the plug so that the case was tied to the hot part of the 120V outlet. Of course, our garage had a nice, grounded, cement floor and my feet were still wet from my shower. When I grabbed the oscilloscope I immediately started hopping up and down from the current flowing through my wet feet to the garage floor. From that day forward I was always very careful to be aware of what was wired to hot and what was wired to neutral!

IR ( infa red ) Detector

Aiden Gibson | August 1st, 2008 | 2 Comments

I wired a IR reciver LED to a 9 volt battery and hooked up a 100 ohm resistor in to stop the LED from blowing out and then put it in a project box it is pretty simple.

Rechargable CellPhone

dawna perez | July 31st, 2008 | 2 Comments

My cell phone was in my pocket it was an old nokia. And i went to the fair by my house and i forgot that i had it in my front pocket i went upside down on a ride and as the ride held me there for a good couple seconds it was just enough time for my phone to plummet down. As me, my cousin and 2 other girls behind us start freaking out about my phone, it was on the ground. And the best part…it still worked. only the battery came out and the back that holds it. So you might be wondering “why the story?” Well about a week later my phone is still working just like before-until one of my friends and i are playing with water. My phone is in my bag and my bag barely got wet , yet it was good enoungh for my phone stopped working corectly. It was possesed- it beeped telling me that i had a text-no i didnt, and the only way to stop it for good bcz the phone beeped even while on vibrate and slience.And it was with this “possesed” phone that gave me an idea, bcz whenever my phone was off it was charging- BY ITSELF!! i didnt even connect it to the outlet. Though to my dismay it was in charging ‘mode’ yet nothing happened. So i present an idea, similar ot the shake the flashlight and it charges up- why not with cell phones? Either the same things or something remotely close to it. It would also save on electricy (some what) bcz that means no outlet, money bcz there is no need to purchase car chargers or extra battery packs, no need to replace the wall charger . Convience is key with this idea.

infared goggles

Matthew Mantia | July 31st, 2008 | 3 Comments

I was on youtube one day,looking up hacks that you can do at home that made some very cool and unique things.  And i was tired of watching people hack things and make a completely useful item out of different items you might find at home so I want to try it for myself.  I came across a kipkay video about an infared goggle hack for about 10$.I allways wanted to make it but i never had the time.Someday ill get to it.This video really inspires me to do hacks and maybe this week ill get to some cheap hacks.

440

Car

svrobots | July 29th, 2008 | 2 Comments

We Would Like To Know How To Make A solar Car.