Robot Chess – Building on the Shoulders of Giant (Robots)
There are a lot of interesting robot projects that you can find in Make: or other blogs and magazines. I remember a couple years ago, a Lego powered robot made the rounds on blogs because it could autonomously solve a Rubik’s Cube. This project takes the the same problem solving concept to a whole new level. More robots, interaction with the environment, and multi-robot communication. This seems like the product of ambition combined with the bedrock that has been formed by all the amateur robotocists that preceded it.
KopyKake Projector
People are going NUTS about the MakerBot and 3D printers generally. I’m a huge fan of both, but their ability to reshape the way we make things is dwarfed (in dollars and lives touched) by the development and impact of crafting technology. The CriCut personal paper cutter is a $250MM a year product. Now specialized technology is starting to move into the kitchen. In this case a projector that shines designs onto cookies which can then be traced by confectioners. Even if the designs aren’t your cup of tea it is hard to argue with the quality of craftsmanship in these cookies.
Core-Toons
Core77 is the best blog on industrial design and a recent addition to their content have been very funny cartoons (Core-Toons) lampooning design culture, products in particular.
Johnson & Johnson Donates Garbage to Make Custom Made Footballs
Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest companies in the world, they make health care/wellness products that could make a difference in the lives of millions of the world’s poor, and are bragging about giving them garbage instead. In their JNJBTW blog they use the World Cup as a way to bring up how many people in developing nations make their own footballs out of trash so they can emulate their heroes and play the beautiful game. I thought JNJ would be talking about providing real balls, maybe Band Aids to help cover up the inevitable scrapes, but not their waste materials! It is better than nothing, but I would not be bragging about it if I was a corporate citizen of their size. While JNJ’s actions aren’t classy the story of the world’s poorest using waste material to build products is inspiring. We shouldn’t forget that “personal fabrication” was a common event for people across the globe prior to the industrial revolution.
Hershey’s Customization
Mass customization holds a lot of promise, but hasn’t been an engine for a lot of high growth companies, yet. Part of this is due to the fact there is still a lot of experimentation with business models going on. Hershey’s is channeling Disney by making a customized chocolate bar creation station part of their factory tour. The economics of mass customization aren’t as good as mass production, but charging for the experience might close the gap.
