Tag Archives: Videos

Former Toy Designer Constructs a Giant Furby: XL Sized Creepy

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Tasked with making a toy for Makers’ Secret Santa gift exchange recipient Look Ma No Computer, former toy designer James Bruton decided to construct a giant-sized version of a Furby. The XL Furby features a regular-sized version living inside its chest and has a moving body and eyes that run on a loop, as well as 16 different sound effects, hopefully none of which are, “I’m coming to get you.”

When the Furby’s motion detector is activated, it performs a different series of moves and sound effects, so its actions appear random. That’s great news because the last thing I’d want is a predictable giant Furby in my living room. I like to be kept on my toes.

The fact that people like James have the ability to imagine a giant-size Furby and then actually successfully design and build one never ceases to amaze me. I’m great at imagining things, but turning that idea into an actual physical manifestation is the tricky part. And by tricky, I mean next to impossible, especially if electronics are involved.

The Hydraulic Press Impaler 10,000,000

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Because there’s no limit to the fun and destruction that can be generated with a hydraulic press, Finnish workshop owner Lauri Vuohensilta of the Hydraulic Press Channel created a custom tool for his press called the Impaler 10,000,000. The Impaler features a pointed cone-shaped pressing head, which is received below by a negative space of the same shape for MAXIMUM IMPALEMENT. Honestly, I’m getting nervous just looking at it.

Lauri described the impaler’s action as a three-part process: first, the spiking, then some traditional crushing action, and finally, extrusion. In the video, he impales a variety of objects, including a bunch of fruit with googly eyes, crayons, candles, books, toys, and other household objects. I’d pop some popcorn and watch it on the big screen if I were you.

Did I ask for a hydraulic press for Christmas? Of course I did. Will I get one? Not a chance. My wife knows me far too well to think that me and a hydraulic press is a combination that could end in anything but absolute disaster. Which is why I need you to get me one and say it’s from Santa.

Georgia Tech Researchers Built a Robot that Plays Tennis

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Developed by a team of researchers at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, ESTHER (Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot) is a wheelchair-based robot designed to play tennis. The team was led by Assistant Professor of Interactive Computing Dr. Matthew Gombolay, who named the robot after Dutch wheelchair tennis world champion Esther Vergeer.

The robot is built around a motorized version of a wheelchair designed specifically for playing wheelchair tennis, with the addition of a racket-holding robotic arm in its seat. The robot uses optical-tracking technology to figure out where it needs to be on the court in order to meet the ball with its racket at the predicted intercept point in the ball’s trajectory. Currently, the robot is able to hit balls launched by a machine and has started to learn how to hit against human players. That definitely beats just hitting human players.

The researchers hope that in the future their robot might actually be able to volley against human opponents, and potentially be used as a training tool. Me? I’m hoping the robot can also be trained to hit the objects kids throw at me when I’m yelling at them to stop playing in front of my house. Kids these days, I swear. They have good aim.

[via Mashable]

Super Mario 64 Reimagined as First Person VR Game for Quest 3

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Redditor yeldellmedia recently showed off footage showing what a first-person version of Super Mario 64 might look like using the Meta Quest 3 virtual reality system. It looks like a good time. Will Nintendo actually make a VR version of a Mario game? Probably not until they develop their own VR headset, and it becomes the must-have but impossible-to-get toy for like three Christmases in a row.

In the video on Reddit, you can see the player in front of Princess Peach’s castle wandering around and interacting with objects, including Mario’s hat. Unfortunately, in its current state, not all of the in-game objects are interactive yet, so it’s more just imagining what the game might look like.

Would I live in a virtual reality version of the Mushroom Kingdom? There’s no question. Of course, they would need to mod the game further to include a snack bar and toilet in every other level so I don’t forget to eat and go to the bathroom in real life. Otherwise, I might find myself crouching over a warp pipe to do my business, and knowing my luck, it would be a pipe inhabited by a piranha plant.

[via Reddit]

Smart Workshop Organization System with Inventory Tracking

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In an effort to better organize all his electronic bits, freelance prototyper, YouTuber, and cyborg Zack Freedman is building a smart organization system for his workshop that can track inventory, tell you where a certain piece is, and light up its bin with the help of over 8,500 LEDs. Hey, the more lights, the merrier, that’s what I always say.

Zack uses the modular Gridfinity system as the backbone of his project, which is a system of open-source, free-to-3D print organizer blocks that all slot into a 42mm grid. He then adds lights and sensors to each storage block he creates, adding its contents to a database so he can track inventory and search for which bin a particular part is in.

The video follows Zach constructing a single long smart bin, but he plans to build a bunch of them, then make a vertical carousel system to maximize storage space, allowing him to call upon the specific piece he needs, and the carousel presenting him with the correct bin and lighting up the compartment needed. The future of organization, everybody! Wait till The Container Store hears about this!