Collaborate Disseminate
The shape of an antenna can make a big difference in its performance. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have used shape memory alloy to construct an antenna …read more Continue reading Might Morphin’ Antenna
Generally, when we’re looking to build something that moves we reach for motors, servos, or steppers — which ultimately are all just variations on the same concept. But there are …read more Continue reading Generating Motion Via Nitinol Wires
Another Kickstarter, another opportunity for people to get mad at delayed and poorly functioning (if delivered at all) gadgets. But the real star of the show here is NiTinol, a …read more Continue reading Nitinol is a material we need to be playing with more
When a limb is rendered immobile for long periods of time, its muscles will inevitably begin to atrophy. A new implant could help keep that from happening, however, by mechanically stretching and compressing those muscles.Continue ReadingCategory: Medi… Continue reading Shape-memory implant may keep immobilized muscles from wasting away
You’ve likely heard of Nitanol wire before, but we suspect the common base knowledge doesn’t go much beyond repeating that it’s a shape-memory alloy. [Bill Hammack], the Engineer Guy, takes us on a quick journey of all the cool stuff there is to know about Nitinol and shape-memory alloys.
The name itself is like saying Kleenex when you mean tissue, or using the V-word when you mean hook and loop fasteners. The first few letters of Nickel Titanium Naval Ordnance Laboratories combine to form the name of what is essentially a nickel-titanium alloy developed in …read more
Continue reading The Metal That Never Forgets: Nitinol and Shape-Memory
We’re beginning to think the “S” in [Jeremy S Cook] stands for strandbeest. He’ll be the talk of the 4th of July picnic once he brings out his latest build—a weaponized, remote-controlled strandbeest that shoots bottle rockets. There are a bank of money shots up on Imgur.
This ‘beest is the natural next step after his remote-controlled walker, which we featured a month or so ago. Like that one, the locomotion comes from a pair of micro gear motors that are controlled by an Arduino Nano over Bluetooth. The pyrotechnics begin when nitinol wire cleverly strung across two lever nuts …read more
Continue reading R/C Rocket-Beest Burns Up Fuses Out There Alone
Most of what we see on the wearable tech front is built around traditional textiles, like adding turn signals to a jacket for safer bike riding, or wiring up a scarf with RGB LEDs and a color sensor to make it match any outfit. Although we’ve seen the odd light-up hair accessory here and there, we’ve never seen anything quite like these Bluetooth-enabled, shape-shifting, touch-sensing hair extensions created by UC Berkeley students [Sarah], [Molly], and [Christine].
HairIO is based on the idea that hair is an important part of self-expression, and that it can be a natural platform for sandboxing …read more
Continue reading HairIO: An Interactive Extension of the Self
There are individuals who push tools, materials, and craftsmanship to the limit in the world of micro RC aircraft, and [Martin Newell] gives some insight into the kind of work that goes into making something like a 1:96 scale P-51 Mustang from scratch. The tiny plane is 100% flyable. It even includes working navigation lights and flashing cannons (both done with 0402 LEDs) and functional, retractable landing gear. It weighs an incredible 2.9 grams. Apart from the battery, everything in the plane was built or assembled from scratch. A video is embedded below.
[Martin] shares some of the techniques that …read more
