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Teardown

Clash of the Controllers: Wiimote vs. Fake Wiimote

In 2006, Nintendo took the world of interactive gaming by storm. The launch of the Wii welcomed gamers and, more importantly, non-gamers alike to physically interact with a virtual world. Whether the user was playing a competitive round of Wii Tennis or customizing their Mii, the Wii remote (otherwise known as the Wiimote) invited users […]

Teardown

Epson LW-300 Label Maker Teardown

During pandemic lockdown, I noticed several issues with my home, including the broken sprinkler head, dog stains on the carpet, and my mother’s spice cabinet. My mother has a metric ton of spices that used to have labels that have rubbed off after constant use. I bought a portable label maker to replenish the labels […]

Article

Real Hardware Engineers Code: How to Use Code to Maximize Efficiency in Solidworks, Reporting & More

Go, Go, Go—we’ve all heard the inspirational and aspirational desire of upper management to get it done, get it done right, and as always, get it done faster. One way to be more efficient as an engineer is to learn to code. In this blog post, I hope to help convince you to start coding […]

Article

Introduction to Clearance Fits for Components

Developing a robotic joint may seem like an overwhelming task, but there are some common issues that can be tackled ahead of time to make your project easier to manage.  There are a lot of parts to stuff into a small space – typically, a joint has motors, transmission, encoders, brakes, electronics, and wiring. One […]

Article

Getting from 3D Scan to 3D Print

From scanning your favorite pet and creating a figurine for your desk or reverse engineering a part or tool, 3D scanning and 3D printing can be used together to rapidly generate and reproduce ideas. These days, the world of 3D scanning has grown to include hobbyist level equipment all the way to full room setups […]

Article

How to Design an Assembly for 3D Printing

Engineers are always trying to make designs faster, better, cheaper, lighter. Before 3D printing, the only way to create prototypes was through subtractive manufacturing, where a block of material was cut away until only the part or a mold of the part remained. These components could only be produced and assembled one at a time. […]

Article

How the Movie Industry Relies on Hardware

As Hollywood blockbusters tend to be laden with computer-generated imagery (CGI), it’s easy to assume the film industry no longer relies on hardware to wow audiences. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that hardware design and engineering are at the core of animatronics, a vital component to the process of modern movie-making magic.  […]

Article

Five Ways Design Optimization Will Protect Your Bottom Line

Measure twice, cut once is the adage carpenters live by to save on time and materials. Design optimization software enables designers and engineers to measure hundreds of times with multiple designs to visualize the result of these designs without the time, cost, and frankly, hassle of creating the product in real life.  Engineering companies that […]

Teardown

Furbo Dog Camera

One of the coolest things about Fictiv’s San Francisco HQ office is that it’s dog-friendly! Our furry friends can work alongside us everyday, getting their daily dose of head scratches and belly rubs, and we get a daily dose of adorableness. For National Dog Day, we thought it would be fitting to test out and […]

Teardown

Anki Vector Teardown

For our teardown of the Anki Vector Robot, we were joined in the studio by Leanne Cushing, captain of Team Valkyrie on Battlebots.  Anki’s Vector Robot, released in late 2018, was designed to listen and respond to its user, interact with its surroundings, recognize people and objects, and avoid obstacles. When released, the robot sold […]

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