The 5AXISMAKER puts a mill, 3D scanner, 3D printer, water cutter and wire cutter into one desktop box.
Changing the machines function is done through a simple head swap, making it both easy and versatile.
When it comes to silicone molds, the possibilities for fun are boundless. Whether you’re using an existing Death Star mold to create a concrete vase or are creating an entirely new mold for a space shooter prototype, silicone molds have always been one of the most fun—and educational—ways of creating a three-dimensional object. Among other…
When it first launched, few people could have ever expected the Coolest Cooler to be as successful as it has been…it would have been impressive just to hit the $100,000 mark for a product whose sole purpose is to keep beverages cold at a picnic. Currently sitting at just above the $10 million funding level,…
Previously, SolidSmack reported on the Sense ‘Smart Sleeping System’ that launched on Kickstarter a few weeks ago. The well-priced $99 sleep management system aims to ‘combine the insight of your sleep patterns with the data of the environment in your bedroom, including noise, light, temperature, humidity and particles in the air’. In an age where…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where swimming pools can project live feeds of some of the world’s most premier diving spot for a fully-immersive virtual reality experience, a world where ‘Smart Homes’ will be able to be controlled by emotions rather…
Sleep. Some of us just can’t get enough of it and will spend plenty of money on products to make sure that when we get it in those seemingly small doses….we get the most out of it that we can. Within the last few years, sleep has been looked upon as one of the most…
Inspired by the desire to buy a quality, well-designed luxury watch but frustrated by the current state of the bloated luxury watch industry, Leonard & Church founder Jeff Leung set out to establish a new watch company that cuts out the unnecessary middlemen including wholesalers, importers and retailers. This ‘eliminate the supply chain’ business model…
Open up the pockets or bag of your nearest design or engineer buddy and you’re bound to find at least a couple of common items: a sketchbook, a pen, a multi-tool or knife, and if you’re lucky…an embarrassing driver’s license photo that you can run and make copies of to post around the office. In…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where 15-year-olds are filing patents for 3D printer technologies, a world where virtual reality can let users explore their real-time reality in a third-person view…how do we find the next ‘big thing’? Maker Galaxy is a…
Hold the Cheetos and fruit snacks! The average child throws away an estimated 55 lbs of food a year from school lunches…and we’re pretty sure that the majority of that is damaged food (smashed sandwiches?) or food that isn’t being served in its optimum state (who wants cold tomato soup?). Needless to say, fresh food…
Kids these days… Inspired by the need to create a cup for her grandfather who had difficulty holding onto drinking vessels due to his Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, 11-year-old Lily Born of Chicago created a unique cup design that has already surpassed its goal on Kickstarter in less than a week. The three-legged Kangaroo Cup was…
Already the king of crowdfunding, Kickstarter has announced today that they will speed up the approval process in an effort to make it easier for people to get their campaigns launched and their ideas out in the world. Announced in a blog post this morning from Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler, the new ‘Launch Now’ feature…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where creating on-demand custom apparel and footwear is the new norm, a world where the common manicure will be able to include custom embedded sensors, how do we find the next ‘big thing’? MakerGalaxy is a…
When it comes to creating innovative products for musicians, leave it up to the industrial designers who are musicians themselves to solve some of the more infuriating problems of traveling with musical equipment. Such is the case with Portland, Oregon-based industrial designer Patrick Triato, vocalist/guitarist for the band Bears. Along with fellow Portland industrial designer…
With summer coming up just around the corner (June 21st to be exact), it’s going to be time to dust off that bicycle, pump some air in those tires, and prepare for another summer of epic rides. If you’ve been stashing your bike in a random corner during the winter months and don’t have any…
Already the creator of one of the most successfully funded projects ever on Kickstarter—the Elevation Dock—Portland, Oregon-based industrial designer Casey Hopkins is pushing to create an even more seamless workspace environment with his new Elevation Stand Kickstarter campaign. With 38 days left in his campaign, the Elevation Stand has already more than tripled it’s $25,000…
Last week SolidSmack reported that in celebration of NYCxDesign happening this month in New York City, the MoMA Design Store would be selling a collection of successfully-funded Kickstarter product designs that are among the “most impressive, new and innovative we have been finding lately”, according to MoMA’s Director of Merchandising Emmanuel Platt. We stopped by…
Always one to be ahead of the times, the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) Design Store will be selling a collection of curated Kickstarter projects as part of the upcoming NYC x Design event collective starting this month. If you’ve had a hard time finding a successfully Kickstarted project post-launch and will be in the…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where high school students can 3D print and revolutionize food packaging, a world where astronauts can take bracelets up to space that feature earth-bound scents, how do we find the next ‘big’ thing? MakerGalaxy is a…
In case you haven’t seen it, Silicon Valley is in it’s third week over on HBO and is definitely worth a watch…if only because Office Space is on at least one of your top ten movie lists. If HBO isn’t your thing however (note the first episode is free on YouTube)–and you still want to…
It seems like people in the product design community didn’t really take notice of Kickstarter until Scott Wilson and his group of talented designers at MNML raised nearly $1 million for their TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits. The kits—which were essentially a bezel and wristband to convert an iPod Nano into a digital wristwatch—ushered in a…
Mini Museum project creator Hans Fex comes off like the kind of guy you might want to talk to at a party: he’s a bit on the eccentric side, knows a thing or two about history, and has spent his teenage and adult years developing a museum that you can carry in your pocket. Well,…
As any office prankster worth their salt will tell you, launching objects in a parabolic arc at an unsuspecting co-worker is one of the greatest and most-satisfying ways of communication (assuming that said objects are gummy bears, marshmallows, and the occasional spitball). E&M Labs is offering a new way of stepping up your office warfare…
This week we’re talking shop with Jon Troutman and James Krause–AKA the guys behind the design of the Indiegogo sensation, Canary! The Canary is a multi-sensored home monitoring device that aims to replace existing home security systems. We’ll talk to Jon and James about the ins and outs of developing a smart home product, why…
Each month, tons of fire hoses from the thousands of fire departments around the world end up in landfills. Oakland, California-based startup Oxgut (sweet name BTW, inspired by what firehoses used to be made of) is aiming to re-route at least a few of those through their network of designers and artisans where the hoses…
While the concept of 3D printing eyewear frames isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, new company Protos is aiming to use 3D printing as a method of final manufacture on a mass market scale. For those with tiny noses, wide faces, or anything that’s overlooked in ‘stock’ eyewear designs, this just might be the next Warby Parker for…
Those who use a 3D mouse swear that once you use one, there’s no going back to using CAD without one. It’s hard to argue that it can dramatically change your entire modeling experience and speed up your process tenfold when used effectively. 3D mouse maker 3D Connexion offers an entry-level 3D mouse for $99,…
Philippe Starck once famously said that there should be no cars on the road—-only motorcycles. While some soccer moms may disagree, his theory is valid: less pollution, more space, and dare I say it—more badassery. With all the recent developments of augmented reality-based windshields seen in concept cars in the past few years, it was…
As the number of 3D printers purchased each week increases exponentially, many proud new owners of a 3D printer are also learning the limitations of their new device. Chances are, an entire weekend may have been spent calibrating your printer or waiting for that very first test print. But what about the other limitations of…
When Kickstarter first launched, it was a hotbed for garage hobbyists, indie game developers, and the occasional ‘pro’ who wanted to test the crowdfunding market. More recently, the platform has made its way to more commercial projects that while having been successful, are arguably exploiting an indie-based platform and have led some into a pit…
When I’m wrestling a ham and cheese sandwich in 3 inches of water, I’m not paying attention to anyone else around me. There are already devices to get people like me out of the pool (tazers hurt) but there are just not enough (read: any) device that take advantage of modern technology to save the…
For those with ‘well-behaved’ dogs, carrying a leash at all times in order to obey leash laws can be…well, extremely annoying. Between trips to the park, hikes through the trails, or even a jaunt downtown, finding and carrying a leash can be a cumbersome experience. Rollo co-founders Tony Lord and Sid Fohrman saw this overlooked…
In this brand spankin’ new mini-series we’ll be interviewing kickass individuals who lined up their targets successfully to launch their Kickstarter projects. In this first edition of the series, we’ll talk with Patrick Triato, Design Lead at Portland, Oregon-based Carbon Audio. Carbon Audio launched their Zooka Soundbar on Kickstarter and have since placed their product…
What does it take to launch a successful crowdfunded project? We talked with Jamie Siminoff (also the founder of the new crowdfunding site Christie Street) about his latest project, the Doorbot and what process he went through to launch his campaign.
Aiming to solve the myriad of problems that bog down Kickstarter projects, Entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff launched the new crowd funding site Christie Street with the goal of providing “a platform that gave inventors the support they needed to succeed.” Will the more filtered process of launching a project encourage more inventors to launch, or will…
Good news for our workshop/bedroom/garage Maker friends in the UK! Kickstarter has officially launched their UK Kickstarter page and with it, reasons to turn those loose ideas into golden opportunities.
Whether you’re recharging your mind with coffee or recharging your iPhone, you want to do it with style, you want to do it with ease and of course say, you want to say, I saw it on Solidsmack and bought it on Kickstarter. This week we bring your two projects that are crucial to charging…
Rumour has it that Kickstarter will be going international by the end of 2012. This is freaking awesome, as I live in the frozen reaches of Canada, and know quite a few other people stymied by the rules as well. Indiegogo is great for non-US makers and creators with a super idea and insufficient funds…
I walked into Vancouver Hackerspace the other day to hang out, There, in all of it’s colorful, tabletop printing beauty, was a new 3D printer and a smiling man named Brad (aka Sublime) giving a little demo on his Tantillus 3D Printer. It’s a small machine that packs a punch. The details were marvellous for such…
Have you ever wanted to actually interact with your 3D model? Sculpt its surface as if it was clay? Feel the response to bending your rubber do-hicky? How about have an snazzy-looking, aluminium 3D printer for less than $1000? Or, how about a low cost construction system without the need for specialty hardware? It may…
If you’re an iPad user soaking in the retina display rays of the latest tablet tech, you’re flipping open a cover that’s flimsy, only allows viewing at 10 degrees off a flat surface and doesn’t even stick to the magnets you’ve embedded in your abs. That’s about to change in a flippin’ big way. The…
You know what’s amazing about Crowdfunding? You’re not just buying something – you’re helping make it happen. If I had seen any of these projects on a blog or at a store I would say “Neat-o… Im glad someone made this.” And you know, I might buy it. Now I see these projects and I know…