Hacker Dad Rigs Air Hockey Robot from 3-D Printer Parts
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Young Sara Julio now has a strange — yet formidable — opponent to help improve her air hockey game: a robot that her dad engineered from 3-D printer parts.
Jose Julio recounted the months-long construction process on his blog — all which began with a simple question: “How could I hack the components of a 3-D printer to make something different?”
The result, seen in action below, is a remarkable achievement in that it can detect the puck (by color) and smack it back to opponents at extreme speeds.
Related: Hershey’s Foray Into 3-D Printing Could Allow You to Be Your Own Willy Wonka
Though technically complex, Julio noted that the robot is composed of “cheap and easily available” parts, including a PlayStation 3 camera, PC fans and other odds and ends.
While the robot is currently tricky enough to beat a child, an experienced adult — like Julio himself — can still triumph, he said. He has provided a detailed copy of the build manual so that other aspiring engineers can reconstruct or improve upon his creation.
Young Sara Julio now has a strange — yet formidable — opponent to help improve her air hockey game: a robot that her dad engineered from 3-D printer parts.
Jose Julio recounted the months-long construction process on his blog — all which began with a simple question: “How could I hack the components of a 3-D printer to make something different?”
The result, seen in action below, is a remarkable achievement in that it can detect the puck (by color) and smack it back to opponents at extreme speeds.
Related: Hershey’s Foray Into 3-D Printing Could Allow You to Be Your Own Willy Wonka
Though technically complex, Julio noted that the robot is composed of “cheap and easily available” parts, including a PlayStation 3 camera, PC fans and other odds and ends.
While the robot is currently tricky enough to beat a child, an experienced adult — like Julio himself — can still triumph, he said. He has provided a detailed copy of the build manual so that other aspiring engineers can reconstruct or improve upon his creation.
Related: Salary Negotiation Lessons From the NHL Lockout
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