As someone who exercises daily, I know the hardest part of any workout is actually deciding to work out. People make a lot of reasons not to exercise, but one of the biggest excuses is they simply don’t have time to go to a gym. The xChain isn’t a portable gym (though that sounds like…

Unlike science fiction movies, where “A.I.” is commonly associated with usurping humanoid robots, real-life artificial intelligence looks far less creepy and is a lot more specialized. They still do our bidding, but without the constant worry that one day they will wake up wondering why they’re doing manual labor without pay. Getting the jump on…

Hold onto your SpaceMouse! Announced this week, Facebook will now support the industry-standard glTF 2.0 file format for Facebook 3D posts. Also known as the “JPEG of 3D”, the glTF 2.0 file format offers rich, high-quality 3D content with support for textures, lighting, and other commonly-used rendering techniques to create realistic 3D models. This isn’t…

At first glance, you might think this weird-looking sphere is either a fancy lamp or an oversized paperweight. While it could, theoretically, hold a massive stack of paper, this sculptural piece contains something a bit more useful: powerful and secure Wi-Fi. Unlike more conventional Wi-Fi router designs, most of which are uninspiring boxes with bug-like…

Homemade weapons have come a long way since the traditional slingshot. Since nearly everyone, their dog, and old aunt Emma now has access to a 3D printer and the internet, more designs for must-have office battle weaponry are poppin’ up like inflamed nostrils. Case in point: this devilishly deceptive mini-crossbow. Created by Etsy user Edwards for…

Taking a break from creating cast parts and mold boxes , designer Eric Strebel cracked his paper coloring knuckles to bring you a sketch render color paper challenge which has him sketching a design concept on… you guessed it, COLORED PAPER. The design in question is a modern approach to a Tucker truck from the…

If you still think your desktop PC’s storage space isn’t enough to hold all your CAD projects, then you’ll be happy to know that Samsung just combined 32 1TB NAND flash packages to create the world’s largest SSD. The PM1643’s name doesn’t roll off the tongue so well, but the 2.5-inch SSD holds 30.72TB worth…

It goes without saying in any professional setting, but to look the part, it pays to play the part. In other words, you wouldn’t expect an engineer to show up at a design review with a plastic children’s pencil case. At least, this is what the folks over at Onehundred believe (we kinda do, to).…

Not much has changed with the wheel since it got us moving millennia ago. It’s design in the simplest form: a rotating donut which adapts to do everything from power machinery to provide exercise for your kid’s overweight hamster. Seeing as the invention has survived years without a lot of improvement, designer Andrea Mocellin has…

3D printing in color can be costly. Given how much time and resources spent upfront, having a failed print isn’t exactly as easy to deal with as printing a 2D color picture incorrectly. MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)’s new ColorFab method (not to be confused with printing filament company ColorFabb) doesn’t aim…

Start-up capital has been a pain point—and roadblock—for many brilliant ideas that never end up seeing the light of day. Considering how costly software tools alone can be, it’s no surprise that some innovators refrain from moving forward at all knowing what they’re up against before even having a prototype in hand. Both Siemens and…

While the term “3D Printing” has become synonymous with creating physical objects, the underlying method of manufacture—additive manufacturing—is a diverse and complex concept spanning multiple materials and design constraints. From ABS to SLS, there are a number of different pros and cons when picking the best methods or materials to get the job done. For…

It’s not uncommon for SolidWorks World to feel a little bit like Christmas for serious CAD junkies. Not to mention, it’s a great time for partner companies to get their announcements heard while everybody is in the ‘holiday spirit.’ Among other announcements at SolidWorks World 2018 earlier this week, Meta is going to be the…

Remember those scenes in Iron Man where Tony Stark fiddles around with an interactive hologram? Of course, you do. Well, Google is about to bring that same experience to reality, because one of their latest projects seeks to make this technology available for everyone—right from your favorite device. Article is an upcoming 3D model viewer…

Always one for ingenuity, Eric Strebel puts his industrial design expertise to good use even with the simplest of tasks. This time, he’s been commissioned to produce 120 cast parts from a single solid master part. Seeing how costly it is to make solid parts, Strebel decides to take matters into his own hands and…

You know the book you’re reading is excellent when it escapes your imagination and enters the reality. Fan fiction, cosplay, recreations – these are just a few ways fans show their (sometimes creepy) appreciation for fictional worlds made up by an author. But Zack Mclaughlin is more than just a fan – he’s an illustrator…

If you’re a CAD specialist in Colorado with a love for all things bicycles, then you might be in luck. Yeti Cycles, a high-end mountain bike manufacturer, is looking for designers who can help them come up with unique bike designs from conception to execution. Specifically, they are looking for a Design Engineer and a…

While nearly any tech or mechanical junkie can appreciate a hulking giant robot, one should always leave room to admire its smaller brethren. Sure, bigger may be better, but giant robots don’t always have the level of precision that many smaller robots come equipped with. Delta robots consist of three individually controlled arms connected to…

For most, the most significant, most practical expense they’ll ever make is a house. But considering how substantial and costly a home can be to maintain, some homeowners go through some crazy remodeling projects and insurance policies just to keep their house afloat. Hover isn’t an omnipotent solution to remodeling problems, but it does make…

Picture, if you will, a dog: brown fur, floppy ears, mouth full of drool. Easy, right? Now picture an AI system doing the same thing you just did. Since computer language is essentially ones and zeroes, translating human words into picture data isn’t as easy as you might think. And yet, this is what Microsoft’s…

The LighterSaber, as its name implies, is a lighter which looks like those wonderful laser swords from that one movie, whatsit? Ah yes…. Star Wars. Instead of spending years in Jedi training, running around Dagoba with small greet creature attached to your back, Iqbal Ameer and Singapore-based Expedio Design are bringing you the next best thing in…

For the entrepreneurial 3D modelers out there, there is no shortage of 3D file marketplaces to generate a nice little bit of side revenue. But when it comes to 3D on the web, Sketchfab’s YouTube-like ecosystem of discovery, publishing, and sharing has consistently been among the most user-friendly. The new Sketchfab Store is the next logical…

If being stuck in traffic every morning isn’t your idea of a good time, relief may soon be here by way of the friendly skies thanks to the aerospace geniuses over at Boeing. The company’s new Electronic Vertical-Take-Off-and-Landing (eVTOL) prototype stands four feet tall, measures 15 by 18 feet across, and weighs over 700 hundred…

From a working Tic Tac dispenser to the iconic 7,541-piece Millennium Falcon, almost everything under the sun has been created using the deceptively painful iconic plastic bricks. Really, as long as you don’t accidentally step on one with a bare foot, you can never really go wrong with LEGOs. LEGO Ideas is the latest project…

While nothing short of a nuclear threat would get most claustrophobics into an underground enclosure, they might think twice when they see this particular slate quarry. Bounce Below, one of adrenaline park Zip World’s many attractions across England, brings out a fear of heights and enclosed spaces at the same time. What was once an…

If there is one thing kids really want to do, it’s to drive a car just like mom and dad. Inversely, if there’s one thing a lot of grown-ups wish they could do now, it’s to return to the simplicity of childhood and play in a cardboard box. The full-scale cardboard Karoq SUV by British…

It would be relatively easy to mistake this bed design as a bunch of thin wood planks stacked atop each other. Apparently tired of sleeping on mattresses held up by squeaky frames, the Polish home designers at Gie El have created a bed whose frame is just as alluring as the prospect of getting a…

While just about everybody loves dogs, caring for their daily needs is far from easy—the midnight yelps, the endless appetite, and perhaps the most time-consuming of all, taking them out after every meal. The last problem in particular is what the designers of BrilliantPad aim to solve. The BrilliantPad is a self-cleaning dog potty which,…

A good hoodie can last you years. The only time to get rid of it is when it’s worn so much it falls apart or is just too darn small. A small hoodie – that’s just the worst, isn’t it? So, two inventors design one big enough for any… well, most people, to ensure you’ll…

We’re all familiar with the old ‘pull the chair out from under an unsuspecting friend or coworker’ trick. But what if said chair did the whole ‘pulling out from under the unsuspecting individual’ thing on its own? Such is the premise behind a new furniture collection from RISD students George Duan and Megan Lee. Teeter…

If you’re a beginner looking to get into the wonderful but painful world of skateboarding, there are a couple of tips you might want to keep in mind. First, a good helmet might cost a little bit of money up front, but it can save thousands on medical bills—not to mention, your life. Second, treat…

With icebergs melting at an alarming pace, it may only be a matter of time before doomsday prepping becomes less of a crazy idea and more of a necessary one. That said, not everyone can just pack their belongings and move into outer space like Elon Musk. They could, however, move to a floating city…

Those who suffer from acrophobia now have another reason to fear this vertically-inclined planet. After fourteen years in production, the world’s steepest funicular tram——the Stoosbahn—is now complete. Connecting the town of Schwyz to the mountain village of Stoos in Switzerland, the €44.6m tram (approximately $52.55m) travels 1,300 meters above sea level at a dizzying incline…

Count this one under one of the coolest engineering class projects, ever. JetX, an aerospace student team founded by University of Glasgow President Chris Triantafyllou, is currently working with Rolls Royce (yes, THAT Rolls Royce) to make the world’s first COMPLETE 3D printed scale jet engine model. Aptly named the X-Plorer 1, the engine measures…

Ceramic craft is considered to be one of the most primitive and natural examples of product design. For Seattle-based artist Katie Marks of Silver Lining Ceramics, that means quite literally taking inspiration from under the Earth’s crust for her latest collection inspired by crystal formations. But just as mesmerizing as her final product—is the way…

There’s very little to dislike about Christmas: food, presents, days off work — all for the low price of having to spend the holidays with relatives (some you may not have even knew existed). While it can be fun meeting new family members, some would prefer to have less social interaction during the only time…

Ah, LEGO blocks – the real-life equivalents of Minecraft. From tiny model PlayStations to a gigantic 7,541-piece Millennium Falcon, almost everything has been made a subject by these Denmark-based construction blocks. To add to the never-ending list of things you can create with this deceptively-called children’s toy, Astonishing Studios has created a handy how-to guide…

Considering the vast amount of hackable devices out there, it’s safe to assume that hackers see vulnerable everyday people as easy targets. Certain companies even live off selling products that help keep customers’ digital data safe. Anti-viruses and RFID-lined wallets are some of the most common forms of digital safety, with RFID bags marking a…

Better grab your kids and grab your wife and grab your Buzz Lightyear — Disney’s Hollywood Studios will soon open their newest money-sucking attraction: Toy Story Land! *Record scratch* Wait. Two questions. 1) Why did it take three movies (and 22 years!) to make this happen? And 2) Why are the toys and characters, regular size in…

You’d never realize flooring was such an important factor in a living space until it isn’t there. Stepping things up from self-made toys and coasters, Good Works Studio is using 3D printing to do more than profit. The Houston-based company comprised of Scott Key and Sam Brisendine has a mission to relieve unnecessary suffering for…

It’s easy to overlook the cultural significance of the original 2001 Apple iPod these days due to a smorgasbord of mobile devices and streaming music services. Apart from being a design marvel, it allowed millions of music lovers to lug their favorite tunes around without having to carry a clunky Sony Walkman or bulky boombox—not…

As if printing your own desk toys and battle armor wasn’t enough, researchers up at the University of Washington have recently developed a method for transmitting data via Wi-Fi using 3D objects without the need for electricity. The objects in question use a series of 3D springs, switches, and gears to translate motion into data…

From the day we enter primary school, we are taught that apples are round and watermelons are shaped like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s head. But one company is already uprooting that notion. Fruit Shaper was established in 2013 with the purpose of breaking some of those most basic truths. The company sells specialized molds affixed…

Industrial designer Eric Strebel is at it again – this time with a how-to guide on making reusable mold boxes for casting silicone or urethane parts. Eric has already skipped the boring part and cut the pieces out, so it’s just a matter of predrilling the sides to prevent the wood from splitting. He overlaps…

Created in 1998 by the now-defunct Tiger Electronics to be a demon furball companion to children, the infamous Furby saw widespread success before being repurposed by countless modders. Among others, Zach Levine, an electronics enthusiast at howchoo.com, has taken a 1998 Furby and outfitted it with some modern upgrades. He replaced the original Furby’s processor…

At first glance, the Velux Cabrio looks like an absurdly large window. It could even pass as a solar panel. But see it in action, and you’ll soon realize why its size seems so ridiculous. Just take a look at this video: Simply put, the Velux Cabrio is an ingenious window design that converts into…

Not everyone loves cats, but those who do think they are the cutest thing since… well, dogs. They’re cuddly, fluffy, and can cough up a gooey hairball on your keyboard. What’s not to love? But one thing that apparently drives cat owners mad is their cats’ unsightly behinds. But don’t worry, there’s a design for…

Before you get to work on the final product of your design, it’s in your best interests to make a prototype first, right? Of course. You’ll have a physical sample to test and abuse, plus you can adjust the aesthetics of the design without worrying about the cost. We’ve covered plenty about 3D printing, but…

Considerably more complex than a typical desk lamp or a child’s nightlight, the folks at CE Lighting have come up with a modern reinterpretation of everyone’s favorite boogeyman buster. At first glance, the Skala Lamp looks like a pencil holder without the…you know, pencil holding feature. In fact, it looks like little more than a…

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos aren’t the only renegades out there building rockets. “Mad” Mike Hughes is a 61-year-old limo driver who apparently has had enough of driving on land and has set his sights to the stars. The ‘Flat-Earther’ has spent the past few years using his self-taught knowledge of rocket science to create…