Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. 8BitDo Kits Turn Wired Retro Video Game Controllers Into Bluetooth Rechargeable Ones Back in the day, when video game software was all pixelated and had far less storytelling capacity than the games…
Since its founding in 1995, Lockheed Martin has made a myriad of contributions to the aerospace industry with groundbreaking new technologies. With the introduction of 3D printers and the onset of additive manufacturing, Lockheed has leveraged these tools to create everything from missile components to spacecraft parts. The aerospace company can now add giant 3D printed satellite fuel tank to their list of accomplishments, taking the record for largest qualified 3D part created for space applications, beating out a toaster-sized electronics enclosure. In order to handle the rigors of being launched into space while withstanding the hazards associated with the harsh environment, satellite fuel tanks must be both lightweight and…
For those who think of black as the darkest color known to man, they’ve likely never heard of Vantablack. Created in some dark, unknown location by Surrey Nanosystems back in 2014, Vantablack absorbs 99.96% of all ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light which passes through it. Fast forward to 2016 when researchers created ‘Vantablack S-VIS’ – a stronger version of the color which blocks 99.8% of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. It’s so dark it makes real-world 3D objects – like the masks below – look like flat, empty voids. In case you’re wondering, the Vantablack S-VIS material used on the outside of the left mask and the inside of the…
Since screaming on to the rapid prototyping scene in 2013, 3D Hubs has been relentless in making sure their message is heard. Billed as the “AirBnB of 3D Printing”, the company’s business model is based on experienced 3D printer technicians renting out their equipment to other users on a per-project-basis. Not surprisingly, the 3D Hubs crew has learned a thing or two about what makes for “good design for 3D printing” — and now, they want to share it with all of us. The 3D Printing Handbook | Technologies, Design, and Applications is written for design and engineering professionals looking to master the key aspects of 3D printing—from connecting parts to…
An interesting 3D camera has launched, the Wunder360 S1. This is a 360-degree camera, similar to one you may have or others you’ve likely seen: it captures visual activity happening all around you. It’s developed by Evomotion and a follow-up to their highly-rated Wunder360 C1 camera. But the S1 adds quite a bit more. It’s a 3D scanning system; so not only does it capture the 360-degree view of your surroundings, but it processes the 3-dimensional information automatically. It will do things like stabilize the video. I saw one application in which the camera is strapped to the back of a friendly dog, who runs around while the camera captures…
Researchers from UC Berkeley’s Biomimetic Millisystems Lab have been busy developing their Salto jumping robot since its debut in 2016. Back then, the robot was capable of jumping at great heights, but had orientation issues and could only complete two jumps in a row before crashing. The researchers have since solved the orientation issues with the Salto-1P (Saltatorial Locomotion on Terrain Obstacles), which can now jump higher, longer, faster, and with more repetitions than the previous version. The original Salto relied on a rotating inertial tail to control its pitch while jumping, and it worked well, but for only one plane, making it difficult to control. The Salto-1P has been…