our digital manufacturing ecosystem
Digital Platform
Global Manufacturing Network
People on the ground
features
Instant Pricing
Manufacturability Feedback
Fulfillment Transparency
3D Printing
Processes Available
CNC Machining
Finishing Options
Injection Molding
Urethane Casting
3D Printing Materials
Plastics
Metals
Urethane Casting Materials
Digital Manufacturing Resources
Resource Center
Content Categories
Learn about fictiv
Help Center
Topics
featured reads
DFM for CNC Machining
2020 State of Manufacturing Report
Introducing Fictiv Radical Transparency: An Industry-First Solution for Production Visibility
Article
search
content type
filter by
Role
▸
Topic
Industry
Manufacturing Processes
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.
Thank you for subscribing!
Katie Ginder-Vogel
05.06.2016 Industry Insights
Your source for hardware insights.
May 6th, 2016
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon are testing a project called SkinTrack, which lets people use their skin as a touchscreen to play games on a smartwatch. It works the way cell towers triangulate signals to locate your phone: In this case, a ring on your index finger emits an electrical signal that can be read by an electrode-filled watch on your opposite wrist, allowing you to swipe and tap your skin to control the watch.
Inspired by fabric-covered bike trailers for kids and Swedish winters that rival those on Hoth, the PodRide is a souped-up bike that boasts a fabric cover, electric motor, turn signals, a cushy seat, windshield wipers, and even a trunk. It’s pretty much a bike-car hybrid, and we think it’ll be a game-changer for both dedicated cyclists who really hate riding in winter and reluctant drivers.
+ A bicycle that travels as fast as a car.
Puma’s new robot, BeatBot, is designed to give athletes a worthy competitor. Currently available only to Puma-sponsored athletes like Usain Bolt, whom it rivals in terms of speed, the BeatBot can be programmed to match an athlete’s speed or provide a faster challenge. We’ve heard rumors of BeatBot being available for athletic programs later this year.
London design studio Layer has created the first 3D-printed, made-to-measure wheelchair, which can be customized by inputting a user’s biometric information into 3D-printing software, which has never been done on a mass consumer scale. The seat is made from resin and shock-absorbent TPI plastic, and the foot bay will be made of titanium, giving the chair a cool modern look.
Shenzhen Valley Ventures and one of its limited partners, Zowee, have launched a new hardware startup incubator that offers prototyping and manufacturing equipment and testing labs for things like electromagnetic interference and compatibility. Startups who gain acceptance into the program will be mentored by four full-time Shenzhen Valley Ventures engineers and receive $50,000 to $300,000 in funding.
Analyzing the most popular terms in YCombinator applications reflects which technologies are the most successful at the moment, according to Jared Friedman. In case you were wondering: Apps are still hot, AI is on the rise, and Slack is the company to watch.
FormLabs, which offers a stereolithography approach to 3D printing that was once unique to high-end industrial printers, is acquiring Pinshape, an online 3D printing community. The combination of FormLabs’ printing methods and Pinshape’s fast-growing community should be formidable.
+ Microsoft has acquired Italian IoT platform Solair for integration into its Azure IoT Suite.
Central Standard Timing, whose CST-01 product was going to be the world’s thinnest watch, raised $1 million on Kickstarter but has now gone bankrupt, leaving its Kickstarter backers with lighter wallets and little recourse. No word on how the money was spent or what the heck happened.
Learn More