Mike Warren (designer)

Mike Warren (born August 22, 1980) is a product designer, inventor, and best-selling author based in San Francisco. He builds functional open source prototypes in line with the maker culture, and are carefully documented to inspire others to follow along.[1][2] As an advocate for sharing educational content, his work aims to lower the barrier to participation, and transfer a static audience to an active participant.[3][4]

Mike Warren
Born
Michael Warren

(1980-08-22) 22 August 1980
NationalityCanadian
Other namesmikeasaurus, dinosaur mike
Occupation(s)Designer, artist, fabricator, author, educator
Years active2005 - present
WorksGlow table, head in jar prank, flamethrower skateboard, iStab, dinosaur heels, nitro coffee
Movementmaker culture, DIY ethic, open source
AwardsNew York Times Magazine Innovation Whiteboard winner
Websitemichaelsaurus.com

His most notable designs include the Glow Table, a glow in the dark (phosphorescence) table made from photoluminescent powder mixed with clear casting resin set into Pecky Cypress, and the Flamethrower Skateboard, a skateboard with a built in fuel delivery system with an ignitor that leaves a trail of fire behind it when riding.

Mike Warren is the author of several published maker books for all ages, and has also designed and edited two books for Instructables.[5]

Achievements

In 2020, Warren collaborated with the Bay Area Discovery Museum to create an exhibit loosely based on his book, Cut In Half: The Hidden World Inside Everyday Objects. The How Things Work exhibit features everyday household items cut in half revealing new and unique views of ordinary objects[6]

His book Cut In Half (based on the YouTube show of the same name) was an 2018 Amazon best-seller in the Science & Math department, under the Experiments, Instruments & Measurements category. The book was also featured in Make (magazine), Real Simple, Duluth Trading Company, Florida Weekly Newspaper.

Mike Warren won The New York Times Innovation Whiteboard in 2012 for his umbrella light, an illumination device retrofitted into the shaft of an umbrella to indicate location to others in the dark. This product was selected by James Dyson, calling it "a good precaution for pedestrians at night or in fog — and a bright idea in the evolution of the umbrella."[7]

Notable Projects

Mike Warren has built videos available on his YouTube channel.

Warren released the Flamethrower Skateboard in 2017, a skateboard that leaves a fire trail similar to the DeLorean time machine from the Back To The Future movies. The dangerous nature of the skateboard has received mostly positive reviews, with some critical about the safety of leaving unattended flames and the risk of starting fires.[8]

In 2014, Warren created a glow in the dark (phosphorescence) table made from photoluminescent powder mixed with clear casting resin set into Pecky Cypress.[9] This table was later republished in Wired UK magazine in 2015.[10] The video tutorial has over 2.5 million views.[11]

In 2014, Warren built a centrifuge from an old circular saw. The centrifuge was designed as a molecular gastronomy experiment to separate food, and can achieve 1800 g-force.[12]

In 2012, Warren was featured in Popular Science Magazine for his project concealing a battery operated soldering iron inside an airsoft gun. The airsoft pistol had a removable ammunition clip which the batteries for the soldering iron were hidden, the trigger action activated the soldering iron.[13]

Published works

References
  1. "Cool job: Get paid to whip up fabulous Halloween costumes". SF Gate. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  2. "Mikeasaurus".
  3. "How YouTube inspired a new generation of DIY makers". DailyDot. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  4. "Why are brands dying to take a bite out of Millennial makers?". Digiday. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  5. "Mike Warren - Published Books". Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  6. "How Things Work. Reveal the Extraordinary in the Ordinary". BADM. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. "The Innovation Whiteboard Winners". New York Times. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  8. "LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOUR…SKATEBOARD?". Hackaday. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  9. "Glow-In-The-Dark Table Will Make You Want To Get Your DIY On". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  10. "How to build a glow-in-the-dark table". Wired UK. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  11. "Glow table". Instructables. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  12. "CIRCULAR SAWS IN THE KITCHEN, GOOD IDEA OR BEST IDEA?". Hack-a-Day. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  13. "PROJECT OF THE MONTH: THE SOLDERING GUN". Popular Science. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
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