How to Build a Star Trek Communicator

The folks over at Make Magazine has done something really cool. This is a Star Trek communicator from the original series that lets you make or receive phone calls by pairing it with a cell phone via bluetooth. This awesome gadget is created by former Project Runway contestant Diana Eng, with help from Dave Clausen. Here Diana explains how the communicator works with an iPhone.

If you want to make your own, you will need this Star Trek toy communicator as the base, a bluetooth module and a microcontroller—then a bunch of tools and parts to finish the job. It's not something you can do without some level of expertise, however. Hacking, drilling and programming are involved. If you think you can do it, Diana has schematics and instructions over here.

If you can't manage that, well... The toy communicator makes sound effects.