As Avengers: Infinity War makes its way towards the box office-shattering $2 billion global earnings milestone, it comes as little surprise that the superhero movie has inspired a small legion of creators to don their maker capes and create their renditions of the iron-clad superhero troop. Among others is the SolidSmack favorite wacky garage inventor and YouTube star Colin Furze. In partnership with James Bruton of Xrobots and eBay, Furze constructed a real-life hydraulic mech suit that stands an eyewatering 10.5 feet tall: https://youtu.be/AshvBTw5Z84 Describe by Furze as his “most complicated project ever,” he highlights that this build, in particular, is comparable to what many robotics companies have spent years…

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. This week o SolidSmack Radio we’ll get the groove going with “Lemon Grow” from the ALL NEW Beach House before diving into sweet melodies from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Talking Heads, Redspencer, Hotel Eden, and others before wrapping BACK up with “Dive”…

Well, it’s finally happened. After years of fumbling on quadrupedal legs and jumping like patients with back problems, robots have finally learned to run on rough terrain. ACHIRES (short for “Actively Coordinated High-speed Image-processing Running Experiment System”) is an Ishikawa Senoo Laboratory running robot system which uses a high-speed camera to detect the legs’ position up to 600 fps. This information gets transferred to high-speed actuators which adjust the legs based on built-in reference postures (which is how the robot stays stabilized when pushed as well as on different types of terrain). In layman’s terms, a camera reads the terrain and position of the legs while actuators do all the…

Few shop tools—yes, we’ll call it a “tool”—are as indispensable as a reliable work apron. While not a “tool” in the traditional sense, a good, durable apron can serve many purposes ranging from tool organization to even psychologically making yourself ‘present’ in the workshop. But no two aprons are alike—and striking the balance between functional and economical isn’t always easy. Which is why we like the Cross Back Adjustable Apron from Hudson Durable Goods. Made from thick and durable waxed canvas, this stylish work apron features design details that are as carefully considered as the long-lasting materials they’re constructed from. Additionally, the cross-back (X-back) straps ensure that weight from tools…

Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…

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. Apple Reportedly Working on a Wireless AR/VR Headset Set for 2020 We’ve seen just how much potential there is for AR/VR headsets in the design and engineering world—whether it be modeling in…