Edible Makerspace https://ediblemakerspace.com Organically inspired conversations through food science Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:23:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://ediblemakerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-ems-Logo-tightcrop-512-32x32.png Edible Makerspace https://ediblemakerspace.com 32 32 The Development of the Mystifier https://ediblemakerspace.com/mystifier/ Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:20:38 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=16069
A Collaboration Between Saad Chinoy (EdibleMakerspace, Singapore) & Stephanie Krawinkler (MissBubblebliss, Austria)

1. Introduction

The Mystifier is an innovative tool developed to enable bubble artists to create white bubbles—a crucial element in bubble performances—without relying on electronic cigarettes or vapes, which are increasingly banned worldwide.

This open-source project was initiated as a collaboration between Saad Chinoy from Edible Makerspace (Singapore) and Stephanie Krawinkler (MissBubblebliss, Austria). Together, they sought to create an alternative solution that is legal, eco-friendly, and widely accessible to bubble artists and enthusiasts across the globe.

2. Background: The Challenge

Bubble artists use e-cigarettes/vapes to generate dense white vapor inside bubbles, creating mesmerizing effects. However, due to growing health concerns and legal restrictions, these devices are increasingly banned in multiple countries.As of today we count 35 countries that have made them illegal. 

This situation presented a challenge:

  • How can bubble artists continue to create white bubbles legally and ethically?
  • Can an alternative device be healthier, eco-friendly, and accessible to the global maker community?

3. The Collaboration: North-South Innovation

In 2024, Stephanie Krawinkler and Saad Chinoy joined forces across continents—Austria and Singapore—bridging different maker cultures and expertise. This North-South collaboration aimed not only to solve a technical problem but also to challenge stereotypes about who develops creative tools in the maker scene.

With shared values of sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity, the duo embarked on developing a device that replicates the visual effect of white bubbles without the need for e-cigarettes.

4. Development Process & Prototyping

The journey toward the mi(y)stifier involved multiple stages of experimentation and iteration:

  1. Understanding the Science – Researching vapor generation methods that do not rely on e-liquid combustion.
  2. Material Selection – Ensuring components are safe, non-toxic, and sustainable.
  3. Prototype Testing – Developing and refining the design for optimal performance.
  4. Usability & Portability – Making sure the tool is easy to use and transportable for artists on the go.

By 2024, the team achieved a workable prototype, proving that the concept is viable.

5. The Idea and technical details

The tool is 3D printed and contains 3 humidifiers. Modern humidifiers use ultrasonic vibrations to break water into tiny droplets, creating a fine mist. This mist appears white due to the scattering of light.In addition the mist is cooling and not drying the bubble up, therefore it enhances the lifetime of a bubble. Humidifiers don’t have any known legal restrictions and the device runs on water. So its application is globally possible. 

It is a battery powered tool so it allows being used outdoors and indoors. 

Description:

  1. Ultra-fine spray particles, large atomization, high atomization height, and non-wet table top;
  2. circular ring, intermediate spray, 5um ultra-fine spray aperture, 740 ultra-fine spray hole
  3. anti-oxidation silver layer protection coating process, life expectancy of up to 3000 hours.

Specifications:

Type: Atomizer Film Plate 

Diameter:16mm

Driving Voltage:DC 3-12V

Power:2.5W max.(Normal use 1.5W)

Resonant frequency: 108.0±5.0kHz

Resonant Impedance: 150Ωmax

Testphase with USB Air Humidifier Water Bottle Cap Mist Maker 

Power

The first version was still attached to a power outlet. Then we switched to a battery to increase mobility and then we realized a smaller battery is enough and fits better into the design.

Performance

close up of multiple soap bubbles on a light table

6. Features & Impact

The Mystifier is designed with a strong focus on sustainability, legality, and user experience:

✅ Not illegal – Designed to be compliant with regulations, making it accessible to bubble artists globally.
✅ Healthier alternative – No harmful substances, promoting better air quality for performers and audiences.
✅ Eco-friendly – Sustainable materials and low environmental impact.
✅ Fun & Creative – Preserves the magic of white bubbles, keeping performances engaging.

By open-sourcing the project, the team aims to empower the global maker community to experiment, modify, and share improvements—fostering further innovation in bubble art.

7. Next Steps & Open Source Contribution

To make the Mystifier widely available, the next steps include:

  • Finalizing the design for user-friendliness and production.
  • Sharing documentation, images, and videos on open-source platforms.
  • Encouraging maker community contributions to enhance and refine the design.

This documentation will also be added to other platforms to invite further collaboration.


8. Conclusion: Breaking Barriers in the Maker Scene

The Mystifier is more than just a tool—it represents a movement towards responsible, creative innovation. Through cross-continental collaboration, it challenges norms in the maker community, proving that solutions can be ethical, sustainable, and open-source.

With this project, bubble artists can continue to craft mystical, beautiful performances—legally, safely, and with a positive impact.

Stay tuned for further developments, tutorials, and maker contributions!


For updates and more information, visit:
🌐 www.ediblemakerspace.com
🌐 www.missbubblebliss.at

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Microbial Fuel Cell: Midi-chlorians from a galaxy far away https://ediblemakerspace.com/microbial-fuel-cell-midi-chlorians-from-a-galaxy-far-away/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 11:01:10 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15892

They’re alive!

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ReCreate: PET bottles to 3D printer Filament https://ediblemakerspace.com/recreate-pet-bottles-to-3d-printer-filament/ Fri, 27 Jan 2023 06:33:23 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15828

The Recreator DIY recycling machine is the perfect project for makerspaces looking to encourage community involvement in addressing plastic waste. This innovative machine can be built by anyone with basic DIY skills and can be used to recycle a wide range of plastic materials, including bottles, containers, and packaging.

The Recreator is a simple, yet highly effective machine that can turn plastic waste into usable material. It works by taking in strips of PET, which are then heated and molded into 3D printer filament. The resulting material can be used to 3D print a wide range of items, from simple household objects to more complex projects like furniture and even building materials.

One of the best things about the Recreator is that it is an affordable and accessible solution for communities looking to reduce their plastic waste. It can be built using inexpensive and readily available materials, and the process is easy enough for anyone to learn. This makes it an ideal project for makerspaces, schools, and community centers looking to engage their members in the fight against plastic pollution.

In addition to its environmental benefits, the Recreator can also be a great tool for promoting creativity and teamwork. Building and operating the machine can be a fun and rewarding experience for people of all ages, and the end result is a tangible, useful product that can be enjoyed by the entire community.

Overall, the Recreator DIY recycling machine is a fantastic project for makerspaces looking to make a positive impact on the environment while fostering creativity and community involvement. It is easy to build, fun to use, and can help to reduce the amount of plastic waste in our communities.

work in progress partially assembled 3D printed parts for recreator
Using Ender3 parts to re-create the Recreator3D

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ChatGPT makes 3D sculpture of sadness https://ediblemakerspace.com/chatgpt-makes-3d-sculpture-of-sadness/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 07:20:20 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15878 This will create a basic shape of a head with a sad expression. The head is created using a cylinder and a subtraction of another cylinder to create the depression in the forehead and around the eyes, which typically associated with a sad expression. The eyes are created using small cylinders and positioned in a sad position, and the mouth is created using a linear extrude of a polygon with a sad shape. You can adjust the dimensions, positioning, and shapes of the head and facial features to suit your needs and create your desired expression.

openscad code
3d rendering of openscad code showing abstract AI representation of "sadness"
// Define the parameters for the head
$head_radius = 40;
$head_height = 60;
$eye_radius = 5;

// Create the head
translate([0,0,0]) {
  difference() {
    cylinder(h=$head_height, r=$head_radius, $fn=100);
    translate([-20,-20,$head_height/4]) {
      cylinder(h=$head_height/2, r=$head_radius-10, $fn=100);
    }
  }
  // Create the eyes
  translate([-25,-30,$head_height/2]) {
    cylinder(h=$eye_radius, r=$eye_radius, $fn=100);
  }
  translate([-15,-30,$head_height/2]) {
    cylinder(h=$eye_radius, r=$eye_radius, $fn=100);
  }
  // Create the mouth
  translate([-20,-40,$head_height/4]) {
    linear_extrude(height = 5) {
        polygon(points = [[-10,-10], [-5,0], [0,-10], [5,0], [10,-10]]);
    }
  }
}
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Caffeinator – DIY Cold Drip Coffee Machine https://ediblemakerspace.com/caffeinator-diy-cold-drip-coffee-machine/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:26:14 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15744 Made from clothes-hangers, used PET bottles, aquarium hardware and other bits and bobs found in response to a caffeine fuelled 3AM bout of inspiration. The Caffeinator uses cold-water dripping on coffee grounds with the slow-infusion process to extract nearly twice as much caffeine from the coffee as other hot-water methods.

It makes the thing that makes conversation happen. Now you can make the thing that makes the thing that makes conversation happen.

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Tardigrade FieldTrip Friday https://ediblemakerspace.com/tardigrade-fieldtrip-friday/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:03:52 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15736 Pulau Ubin Island in Singapore is known for its rustic island-off-the-island charm, biking, hiking, and little seafood places but it also contains a rich biodiversity and diverse habitats, making it a popular destination for citizen scientists and casual researchers looking to study and explore the natural world. Recently, a group of young scientists and researchers had the opportunity to visit the island on a field trip led by 40-year-old Saad, a self-proclaimed “geek” with a passion for all things science.

Saad, who has spent many years working in the tech industry, has always had a love for science and exploration. When he heard about the opportunity to lead a field trip to Pulau Ubin, he jumped at the chance to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with a new generation of scientists.

As the group traveled around the island, Saad led them on a hunt for tardigrades, small aquatic creatures also known as “water bears” that are known for their ability to withstand extreme conditions. The group searched for tardigrades in a variety of habitats and water sources, using various DIY scientific tools and techniques to collect and study their samples.

Throughout the trip, the young scientists and researchers discussed the significance of tardigrades and the role they play in the ecosystem. The group shared knowledge and experience, asking questions and thinking critically about their observations.

In the end, no tardigrades were directly observed however the field trip was a fun one, with the group discovering a wide variety of microscopic creatures in different habitats and water sources. For Saad, it was a chance to share his love of science with others and to be inspired by them to explore and discover the microscopic natural world around us.

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PUMA Microscope https://ediblemakerspace.com/puma-microscope/ Mon, 12 Dec 2022 04:53:13 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15725 3D Printed, RaspberryPi powered, OpenSource all the way!

The PUMA microscope is a revolutionary piece of scientific equipment that is poised to change the way we think about accessibility and affordability in the field of microscopy. At its core, the PUMA (which stands for “Printed Ultra-Microscope”) is a high-resolution, 3D-printed microscope that is designed to be assembled from low-cost components and open-source plans.

One of the most innovative aspects of the PUMA microscope is its use of 3D printing technology. By leveraging the power of 3D printing, the designers of the PUMA microscope were able to create a microscope that is both highly accurate and extremely affordable. The 3D-printed design allows for the creation of custom, high-precision parts that are otherwise difficult or impossible to manufacture using traditional methods.

But the benefits of the PUMA microscope go far beyond just its low cost and innovative design. The open-source nature of the project means that anyone, anywhere in the world, can access the plans and instructions needed to build their own PUMA microscope. This level of accessibility is truly game-changing, as it means that scientists and researchers in underfunded or resource-poor areas can now have access to the same level of equipment as their counterparts in more developed regions.

The potential impact of the PUMA microscope is truly staggering. By making high-quality microscopy more accessible and affordable, the PUMA microscope has the potential to democratize science and research, and to open up new avenues of exploration and discovery for scientists around the world. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or a student just starting out in the field, the PUMA microscope is a tool that you simply cannot afford to overlook.

In conclusion, the PUMA microscope is a truly innovative and exciting project that has the potential to change the way we think about accessibility and affordability in the field of microscopy. Whether you are a scientist, researcher, or simply someone who is interested in the world of science, the PUMA microscope is a project that is well worth keeping an eye on.

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CentriDrive HDD Centrifuge https://ediblemakerspace.com/centridrive-hdd-centrifuge/ Sat, 29 Jan 2022 10:46:22 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15866 Repurpose high RPM server Hard Disk Drives into functional lab equipment

Ingredients to make one:

  • Plastic enclosure: repurpose a similar sized mass produced container like a lunch-box
  • 3D Printed Bowden Tube holder STL merged with a coupler you can customize to fit the drive you have on hand using the OpenSCAD file
  • Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) module: repurposed from a broken drone, commonly available module for drone motors
  • Arduino nano or similar microcontroller with a potentiometer to control RPM
  • Optional: LCD display to show estimated RPM
  • Optional: Infrared sensor to count and display accurate RPM
  • USB power supply for the microcontroller, DC power supply for the servo. Be sure to use a common (-) negative if using two power sources.
  • Follow wiring diagram from the source:
    https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259886.g001

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259886.g001

See Also: Lab-in-a-backpack

Contact us if you’d like to collaborate and build this into a workable solution for a meaningful context.

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SCOBY Parchment https://ediblemakerspace.com/scoby-parchment/ Fri, 22 Oct 2021 04:54:25 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15728 Taking the SCOBY vegan leather idea to an extremely delicate level with making them (literally) paper-thin. It’s a delicate and time consuming process but the material is so much fun to work with! Transparent, breathable, extremely light, and yet surprisingly durable for its thickness (or lack thereof).

The dehydrated scoby lay before me, a barren wasteland of cracked and crumbled organic matter. Yet, as I examined its gnarled surface more closely, I began to see the potential for something greater.

Gently, I ran my fingers over the rough texture, feeling the bumps and grooves that spoke to the natural origins of this unusual material. It was rough and slightly spongy to the touch, with a unique, earthy aroma that hinted at its past life as a living organism.

But as I continued to explore the scoby, I couldn’t help but be struck by its innovative nature. For here was a material that was not only vegan and environmentally friendly, but also remarkably versatile.

With the right techniques, this dehydrated scoby could be transformed into a sleek, supple vegan leather, suitable for use in everything from fashion accessories to furniture upholstery. Its unique aesthetic and physical properties made it the perfect choice for artists and designers looking to push the boundaries of traditional materials and create something truly original.

As I continued to marvel at the possibilities of this remarkable substance, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and possibility. For in the hands of a skilled craftsman, this dehydrated scoby could become a canvas for artistic expression, a testament to the power of innovation and sustainability.

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Kitchen made DIY BioPlastic: Rice Starch https://ediblemakerspace.com/kitchen-made-diy-bioplastic-rice-starch/ Sat, 16 Jan 2021 04:54:52 +0000 https://ediblemakerspace.com/?p=15730 Fight the single-use plastic scourge! We feel the making of disposable plates and cutlery should be part of the food-prep for potluck parties and picnics. It’s simple enough, super good for the environment, and sciencey enough to get deliciously nerdy about it all.
Surely one person in the friend circle can cook up some utensils, literally?

Test sample of home-cooked bioplastic placed on a drinking glass
Water resistant yet entirely biodegradable
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