Jerry Project: Update

Here are some pictures of a couple final prototype designs for Jerry, a low cost, vision-based, personal robot. I also added the first official teaser video. The real prototype will be soon to follow.

The Jerry personal robot with all actuated components opened and extended

The Jerry personal robot with arm retracted and an added screen for improved telepresence functionality.

Illusion Tee-Shirt - Because I Can

I was taking a cognitive psychology class. In class we were running through all kinds of illusions. I wondered if there were any shirts out there with good illusions on them, I mean they would be great conversations starters, right. I couldn't find a tee-shirt with an illusion. So I thought I would make a few.

I discovered TeeSpring, which is awesome because it is a new platform and was fun to just try out. I chose the Rabbit-Duck illusion for the first tee-shirt, because it was quick and already set for black and white.

This was a project that literally took less than an hour to do. There is now a Rabbit-Duck illusion t-shirt in the world.

SlantWatch

Another conceptual design. How I would make a smartwatch.

Smartwatches do not need to have large displays. In fact, the less obtrusive they are the better. So the SlantWatch has a thin profile.

Straps on smartwatches are also a waste of space. For something so dependent on battery more space needs to be made for the battery. So the Slant watch would house that battery in one half of the rigid cuff. The other half would hold excess electronics.

The entire piece is semi-solid. The flexible points would be near the top of the cuffs before the screen. This allows the watch to take some extra abuse while being put on.

The watch uses a flexible OLED display, with a solid glass capacitive touch screen. Though E-paper would also be an option.

The interface would be like a wheel on the wrist. As you scroll through apps you would eventually circle back around to the beginning. In order to change categories or menus one would side-swipe, basically "changing the wheel."

In a future version it would be great if the display could go all the way around the cuff, making it effectively seamless, no mater what angle your wrist is at.

Wrist Multitool

Over spring break from school I decided to build a multitool that I could wear in a shop were it would always be quick and easy to grab and use for just about anything.

The Wrist Tool is an early version. I have adapters on it for screwdrivers and socket wrenches. The top also has an english hex set cut in it. And what tool would be complete without a bottle opener.

The entire thing is 3-D printed. In the future I'll add holders for the screwdriver set on the inside of the tool.

SlantBook and Phone

What would a cellphone and a laptop made by Slant look like? I decided to design and phone and a laptop the way that I want those devices to be. The result are digital mock-ups of the SlantPhone and SlantBook.

The SlantPhone

Who says the flip-phone is dead. Use it as a normal phone or watch videos without crouching over the display (and what video is rectangular anyway, a square display still give you all the size you need). Also scroll and control one display with the other.

Set the SlantPhone up sideways to show feeds while your at your desk

The cylinder hinge adds battery, cooling, and ergonomic capabilities to the SlantPhone that a typical smartphone doesn't.

You don't need a case anymore because the phone can take care of itself.

To really use it as a table piece let it support itself.

I will be 3-D printing this model of the SlantPhone just to see what it would be like in the real world.

The SlantPhone would also be separable. So that you could take a call with one half and browse with the other as if it were two devices. Each display is 3x2.5 inches.

The SlantBook

Basically, a larger version of the SlantPhone. The SlantBook would not have a keyboard. Just two touch displays which allows for a completely dynamic user interface. After all a laptop is limited by its keyboard and mouse, a tablet loses half of its display to a keyboard, and a tablet with a keyboard is just an under-powered laptop. The SlantBook has none of the problems of those devices.

Precarius Stacking Game

Precarius is a game a designed to be a game to learn how to build stuff and have fun. It was something that I created when I was bored. I am moving toward manufacture and intend to ship at the end of the summer of 2014.

"Precarious" Engineering Game

"Precarious" is basically the reverse of "Pickup Sticks" or "Jenga." Instead of taking pieces away until the tower falls, players add pieces until the tower falls.

Players build from the two "foundation" blocks attempting to create an unstable structure that will force the other player(s) to cause it to collapse while not doing so themselves. The stucture is "collapsed" whenever any piece other than the "foundation" blocks touches the tabletop. Since there are limited pieces, players must make the structure become precarious quickly in order to win before the game becomes a draw from lack of pieces.

It is a lot of fun to play because it can either be very strategy intensive, for the expert, or just a pastime, for the average player. Changes in the arrangement of the "foundation" blocks changes the difficulty and type of structures. It can even be played alone to set records of highest tower or most pieces. It is incredibly versatile.

I am planning to begin building game sets and probably selling them on Etsy. I'll add a link when I'm ready.

Images from a Ranch

Images from a Ranch was a photo book that I published with photos that my little brother had taken while we worked on the home ranch. It is actually the first book that I ever published.

Universal Mechanisms LLC

Universal Mechanisms is the parent company to many of my other ventures that are business related. We focus on innovative concepts in engineering, design and business.

UniMech was originally a robotics company based on the modular, Model R hobby platform, but quickly morphed into a more general product design firm.

UniMech was shut down in 2014 in order to be rebranded as Slant Concepts.

Quickbot from Model R

This was a project that I made to demonstrate how easy it is to create a working robot with the Model R platform that I designed for Universal Mechanisms LLC. So I grabbed some surplus drill motors (one of my favorite power-cores) and a model truck battery with a couple of switches and built this guy in under an hour. Gross and ugly, but it showed the concept.

Model R

This project is the development of the Model R modular hobby robotics platform. It was recently presented in an uncompleted form on Kickstarter.

This is the link to the Universal Mechanisms website                          er

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RC System for New Holland TV 145 Tractor

I was contracted to build this system for a local rancher so that he could control his tractors from a wagon that they pull so he alone could complete a certain task, which used to require two people.

I completed a product form of this system several months ago that the rancher is using extensively. The very first test of the project can be seen below. 

It is much prettier now, believe me. It looks nothing like the first draft prototype in the video.      

Test of RC Tractor System

Longboard Electric Illumination Concept

This project was an attempt about a year ago to implement electro-luminescent lights into long boards, skate boards, and even snow boards. Below are pictures of the first quick proof-of-concept. 

 

3D Printed MultiTools

These multitools, which I designed with Google Sketchup, are something that I wanted to have around.
So I made them and had them printed. Since they were there, I decided to set-up a Shapeways store so anyone can get the designs printed.

The PentaTool at the right actually has, up to eight separate tools in it.

This bracelet multitool was meant to reduce
the clutter in my pockets if possible.

The TriTool at the right is actually my favorite. One because it is cheaper, two, it is just better. It has the same seven tools in it that are also part of the eight that the PentaTool has.