Homebuilt machines are machines built outside of specialised workshops or factories. This can include different things such as
kit cars or
homebuilt computers, but normally it pertains to
homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes. Homebuilt aircraft or kit cars are constructed by amateurs. Homebuilt computers have been built at home for a long time, starting with the
Victorian era pioneer
Charles Babbage in the 1820s. A century later,
Konrad Zuse built his own machine when
electromechanical relay technology was widely available. The hobby took off with the early development of
microprocessors and, since then, many enthusiasts have constructed their own computers. A homebuilt vehicle is a wider concept than a kit car. A homebuilt vehicle is a motor vehicle (car, truck or motorcycle) built by an individual instead of a manufacturer. These machines may be constructed "from scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits. Outside of the United States (for example in
Russia) people wishing to build such complex machinery often have no professional networks to rely on for spare parts, plans, or advice in the matter and therefore have to rely on their ingenuity and intuition in order to build a machine that works.