Over the course of evolution, plant life has gotten pretty complex. There are carnivorous plants, poisonous plants, heck, there are even plants which camouflage themselves to either look more attractive for pollination or hide from predators. But there has never, ever, been a known existing plant which grew legs. After seeing a dying sunflower in an exhibition back in 2014, Vincross roboticist Sun Tianqui modded one of his company’s toy robots, a six-legged HEXA, to cradle and care for the plant he installed on its back. By replacing the factory HEXA shell with a dual-layer “flowerbot” body, Tianqui was able to house a living plant (in this case, an Echeveria…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional and this week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it into tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! TED (iOS — Free) Explore more than 3,000 free videos and learn from the world’s most remarkable people. Search by any…
When it comes to functional workspaces, proper tool organization cannot be stressed enough. After all, does anybody enjoy having to bounce from drawer to drawer looking for that one special screwdriver? We didn’t think so. While it may not organize every took in your shop, the handmade Waterproof Waxed Canvas Tool Rool from Hide & Drink is still one of our favorites. In fact, we like that we can bundle specific tools for specific tasks in different rolls—making it easy to grab and go when the time comes. In total, each roll includes slots for six different tools (or a variety of small tools). Not to mention, the waxed canvas…
Xometry made its first acquisition, and it’s a big one. Last we reported, Xometry was up to $23M in two rounds of funding. Since then, they’ve added another round ($15M in June 2017) and just this week announced another $25M bringing the total up to $63M from seven different investors. Along with the $25M round announced this month, 18 winks, and 47 high fives, they also revealed their first acquisition: MakeTime. The Lexington, Kentucky-based company is another leading on-demand manufacturing platform like Xometry. Now, the platforms will merge under the Xometry name to create the largest on-demand manufacturing network, growing from 1100 manufacturing partners to over 2300 and increasing their user base to…
Founded in 1959 as a professional tool manufacturer to support Japan’s burgeoning manufacturing industry, Trusco—a combination of the words “Trust” and “Company”—is still manufacturing some of the best toolboxes, today. While their stripped-down design makes them a must-have for many design aficionados, the pressed steel boxes are ridiculously useful for just about anything—tools or not. Still manufactured in Fukui, Japan, Trusco toolboxes now come in more sizes than ever—capable of whatever storage challenges you throw at them. Trusco Toolboxes — $12.22 – $171.12 Features: Steel body, formed for extra strength Versatile sizing for specific storage solutions Double-hinged construction for smooth opening Dividers included Equally useful in the home, office, or…
About a week ago, I talked about how YouTube user kiwami japan made an insanely sharp knife out of an Amazon cardboard box. Somewhere in the same article, I mentioned in passing about how he recently made a knife out of jelly. Well, curiosity got the better of me, so I had to see how he actually did it. Unlike cardboard, which has at least a little bit of hardness property to it, jelly has almost no solid properties. Unless frozen, even a baby could tear it apart with its soft hands. So it’s amusing to see kiwami do the exact opposite and melt many jellies into a fine liquid.…