HackerTube
HomeLongsLikedHistoryWatch laterCategoriesPlaylistsSettings

Measure the mass of an eyelash with a DIY microbalance

Applied Science1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2018-2026
YouTube
141K views · 12 years ago · demo · evergreen

Ben Krasnow of Applied Science builds a DIY microbalance from an analog panel meter with an optical servo loop. It reaches about 5 micrograms of precision and is used to weigh a single eyelash at around 35 micrograms.

Pointed to as proof that you can weigh micrograms cheaply at home, and as a clear breakdown of how such a scale works.

Embedded systems & DIY electronicsElectronics & circuit design3D printing, CNC & maker projects#precisionmeasurement#servoloop#labequipment#diy#analogmeter

4 comments from Hacker News

@pvillano2026 · in “A4 Paper Stories”

Paper's uniform mass per area makes it useful calibrating very tiny scales. 1mm² of 80 gsm paper will weigh about 80 micrograms. "Measure the mass of an eyelash with a DIY microbalance" by Applied Science ▶ this video

CitesView on HN
@s0rce2025 · in “Strain gauge made out of PCB”

My dad built one with an electromagnetic coil many years ago, can't find the design, capacity was limited but had 100? microgram resolution, maybe similar to this applied science video ▶ this video but I think simpler. maybe something like this: link link I found some old emails about the scale from 2005/6 but can't find the link and it would probably be gone anyways.

CitesView on HN
@mikewarot2023 · in “An Invitation to a Secret Society”

Measuring things precisely is way cheaper than it's ever been. You can weigh micrograms without too much effort.[1] You can buy time/frequency standards for $200 or so that time to the national standards.[2] Float glass is a cheap and relatively flat surface plate that you can buy almost anywhere. Lasers, detectors, computing, everything is dirt cheap compared to the past. If you have something you want to make, or measure, this is likely the easiest time ever to do so. Don't worry about being at the leading edge, just do something, have fun, and you might be the first to notice some weird little quirk that turns out to be important. [1] ▶ this video [2] link

CitesView on HN
@jcims2018 · in “Making Penicillin at Home”

Saw this DIY one a few years back on youtube, looks like the Erowid one, thought it was a neat build - link YouTube just dug up a a real nice breakdown that Ben Krasnow did - ▶ this video

RecommendsView on HN
Laser diode self-mixing: Range-finding and sub-micron vibration measurement27:46

Laser diode self-mixing: Range-finding and sub-micron vibration measurement

Applied Science
491K views • 7 years ago
Open Source 8.5 Digit Voltmeter from CERN: Build and Test33:52

Open Source 8.5 Digit Voltmeter from CERN: Build and Test

Marco Reps
830K views • 5 years ago
Inside a cheap set of eBay digital calipers23:32

Inside a cheap set of eBay digital calipers

bigclivedotcom
758K views • 5 years ago
Speedrunning 30yrs of lithography technology46:07

Speedrunning 30yrs of lithography technology

Breaking Taps
1.9M views • 2 years ago
DIY Scanning Electron Microscope - Overview14:57

DIY Scanning Electron Microscope - Overview

Applied Science
632K views • 15 years ago
DIY mass spectrometer measures potassium in dietary salt substitute26:45

DIY mass spectrometer measures potassium in dietary salt substitute

Applied Science
452K views • 6 years ago
Homemade Transistor Demonstration3:10

Homemade Transistor Demonstration

Jeri Ellsworth
151K views • 16 years ago
Adam Savage's Epiphany on the Science of Measurement!45:08

Adam Savage's Epiphany on the Science of Measurement!

Adam Savage’s Tested
1.1M views • 4 years ago
Antique 4x5 camera creates 20 micron photolithography masks: Super tiny tax form30:15

Antique 4x5 camera creates 20 micron photolithography masks: Super tiny tax form

Applied Science
429K views • 6 years ago
EEVblog #646 - Gravity Detection Using A Frequency Counter!9:54

EEVblog #646 - Gravity Detection Using A Frequency Counter!

EEVblog
68K views • 12 years ago
Build a DIY full-frame CCD camera12:09

Build a DIY full-frame CCD camera

Wenting Channel
207K views • 3 years ago
A simple guide to electronic components.38:06

A simple guide to electronic components.

bigclivedotcom
8.5M views • 10 years ago
Making Microchips at Home - Cooking with Jeri Part18:53

Making Microchips at Home - Cooking with Jeri Part1

Jeri Ellsworth
296K views • 15 years ago
"Z2" - Upgraded Homemade Silicon Chips5:46

"Z2" - Upgraded Homemade Silicon Chips

Sam Zeloof
2.5M views • 5 years ago
EEVblog #1132 - The 3 Cent Microcontroller!29:49

EEVblog #1132 - The 3 Cent Microcontroller!

EEVblog
257K views • 8 years ago
DIY haptic input knob: BLDC motor + round LCD2:11

DIY haptic input knob: BLDC motor + round LCD

scottbez1
2.9M views • 4 years ago
TSP #133 - Keysight UXR 110GHz BW, 256GS/s, 10-bit Real-Time Oscilloscope Teardown & Experiments54:35

TSP #133 - Keysight UXR 110GHz BW, 256GS/s, 10-bit Real-Time Oscilloscope Teardown & Experiments

The Signal Path
191K views • 8 years ago
Inside a smart meter, and the REAL problem with them.16:45

Inside a smart meter, and the REAL problem with them.

bigclivedotcom
1.7M views • 8 years ago
Turning Smashed TVs into Realistic Artificial Daylight12:50

Turning Smashed TVs into Realistic Artificial Daylight

DIY Perks
4M views • 7 years ago
Weird webcam mod that enables eye-contact conversation13:28

Weird webcam mod that enables eye-contact conversation

DIY Perks
1.6M views • 6 years ago