The Bowflex SelectTech 560® (ST560) is a “smart” dumbbell, a piece of exercise equipment with embedded sensors and processing to provide training feedback during your workout. The ST560 has an… Read More
WHY YOU NEED A GYRO TO MEASURE POSITION
WHY I, AS THE CEO, GET THE SAME BONUS AS ALL MY OTHER EMPLOYEES
I’ve been thinking about whether or not to share this publicly, but given the recent talk about how the working class has been largely ignored and how the rich are… Read More
MECHATRONICS AIDS IN EMBEDDED SYSTEM DESIGN
Over the last few years, a lot has been written about the future of computing as centered around “big data” algorithms running on servers in data centers. However, embedded systems… Read More
TOP 10 TIPS FOR DESIGNING INJECTION MOLDED PLASTIC PARTS
Injection molded plastic parts have some wonderful benefits including scalability, the ability to make simple to extremely complex parts, and uniformity, the ability to make hundreds to millions of virtually… Read More
BRITISH SCHOOL KIDS AND CAR HACKERS: THE WIDESPREAD APPEAL OF OPEN SOURCE
In product development, choosing open versus closed hardware and software platforms requires careful consideration. Selecting open source hardware has advantages and limitations, concisely described in this blog post by Simplexity CTO… Read More
WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSIDER DESIGNING CUSTOM GEARS?
There are typically a number of considerations when choosing whether you want to use a stock gear or to design a custom gear. Two of the key considerations are cost… Read More
CONFERENCE REPORT: OPEN SOURCE HARDWARE SUMMIT
On October 7, 2016, I was lucky enough to attend the 2016 Open Source Hardware Summit in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I attended along with Norvan Gorgi from Simplexity, who posted his conference report here…. Read More
WHAT IS A MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM?
What is a Motion Control System? At the most fundamental level, a motion control system is any system that controls energy flow to generate mechanical motion with some desired properties…. Read More
THE TOP 10 QUESTIONS TO ASK A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FIRM
If you’re trying to decide whether to hire a product development firm, or determine which one is best for your needs, here are the top 10 questions that you should… Read More
THE POTENTIAL OF THE APPLE AIRPODS TO DISRUPT A WHOLE INDUSTRY
When I worked at Oticon, one of the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturers, we were acutely aware of the strong negative connotations associated with hearing aid use, especially among baby… Read More
Software: Design Complete
Hardware: Pre-production units for design verification
MFG. Readiness: CM schedule and budget, Unit build tracking