We’ve said it time and time again, but the Raspberry Pi is just so dang cool and we believe all designers and engineers should have one in their toolkit—if not on their desktop. While there is a bit of a slight learning curve, it’s nothing that today’s designers and engineers can’t handle on a leisurely Saturday. So why not start now? The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle includes 8 courses to get started creating your very own Amazon Echo or even a KUKA-like robotic arm for your desktop (how’s that for office bragging rights). Throw in any of your own 3D printed housing designs, and the opportunities are limitless! For a…
Protolabs has selected two innovative designs as their Cool Idea Award: Healthcare Grant. Protolabs is a well-known 3D print and manufacturing service based in Minnesota, and they’ve been operating an awards program they call the “Cool Idea Award” since 2011. Since inception, the program has awarded projects some $1.5MM USD in services to aid in the development of products. The services awarded could be any of Protolabs’ extensive manufacturing services, including CNC milling, sheet metal work, injection molding and, of course, 3D printing. Cleveland Clinic Healthcare Alliance Partnership For this particular award, Protolabs has partnered with the Cleveland Clinic Healthcare Alliance, a group working together to generate and eventually commercialize…
As we inch closer to the future promised by the late 20th century (still waiting on you, flying cars), technology we thought to be impossible is now starting to become reality. Just take a look at Everett Lawson, a research assistant at MIT’s Media Lab. Born with congenital clubbed-foot, his left leg was weaker and prone to breaking easily. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, which resulted in the complete deterioration of his leg, the decision was made to amputate the leg. As an RA at MIT, Lawson did the only logical thing: make a leg of his own. Unlike a normal amputation, he underwent an “Ewing amputation” – a procedure where…
We’ve all seen the intensely cool robot development coming out of Boston Dynamics. The latest videos from the company show a level of untethered quadrupedal and bipedal agility only previously imagined in movies. It’s a level of tech that seems inaccessible outside of a well-funded company or government research facility, but one company is breaking down the barrier to research and development in advanced robotic systems. React Robotics React Robotics has a goal to create an open robotics platform for anyone to create robots that can go anywhere and do anything. The Guildford, Surrey-based company is a team steeped in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and industrial design. Their first…
Most craftsmen think of CNC machining as a means to an end, but for the filmmaker and digital artist Dom Riccobene, it’s the best way to make miniature landscapes of both real-world and fictional locales. We’ve already seen his AR map of Game of Thrones’ Westeros, but this time around, he’s gone back to the real world to create a giant data sculpture of Washington’s Mount St. Helens: Using a model of the volcano from Google Earth VR, Dom completes two test carves on some high-density urethane (HDU) to see what ball end he will use for his final result. After deciding on sixteen-inch tooling, he sets the CNC machine…
Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you want to hear and what tunes get you through the week. Shoot us an email or leave a comment down below!! *Note: if the embedded playlist below doesn’t…