Our new factory in Tijuana is coming together!
The ESD-safe flooring will be coated with a special wax. This works in conjunction with special booties on all the workers feet to keep electrical components happy and safe.
More pics coming soon...
Joshua Ott's Posts (67)
Sort by
Looking for failure is a bittersweet endeavor -- it goes against human nature to look for something that we don't want to find. Our in-house process improvements are bringing us closer and closer to the goal of zero failures. Some days everything we make is perfect, but when it's not, our job is to find the fault before it gets to the customer. These new gimbaled test jigs run every APM through a rigorous test cycle to validate its performance. In addition, we are constantly working on things like paste handling, material inspection, plus the addition of other super-bad-ass expensive machines that do stuff.
Our neighbor, Swerve Co, keeps some of their workers in cages.
3DR's Friday Flyday -- ballcaps and intent looks all around.
Kevin Hester, Developer; Chris Anderson, El Jefe; Andy Jensen, CFO
I don't think this is covered under warranty.
3DR's Presidente meets with President Obama.
A 3D Robotics quad following Chris around the field. He is using a Nexus 7 running Andropilot for the FollowMe functionality.
Our head of manufacturing in Tijuana, Guillermo Romero, and his team: Elena Naranjo, Manuel Arriaga, Orlando Avendaño Gastelum, and Shiela Diaz have recently completed the introductory session of ISO9001:2008 certification. Quality management is an ongoing effort and something 3D Robotics strives for. We are proud of our products and want to insure they perform as promised -- quality manufacturing is a key ingredient to this goal.
Every weekday in May, we’re going to be sharing a glimpse of what we’re working on behind the scenes at 3D Robotics. You’ll see many of our projects, see the facilities, meet the people and maybe get some hints at products coming out soon. There are more than 70 of us now — in three facilities — and we’re super busy, so there’s a lot to show!
Today, I’ll start off with a teaser. What do you think the above is and how is it used?
-Chris A.
Volume warning!
Like most things hexapod, it's equal parts cool and scary.
From the Verge article posted a few days back... I think the video in the article deserves it's own post, a nice array of points and opinions in it.
...During a question-and-answer session with "3D Robotics" editor-in-chief Chris Anderson, Musk said that affordable commercial space travel will never be possible with the current model, which relies on single-use booster rockets.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/tech/innovation/elon-musk-sxsw/index.html
_________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to watching this discussion, Musk seems like a pretty cool dude.
This is the beginning of a project I've been thinking about for awhile. I'm making this blog post to encourage myself to get going on it. Spring is coming to Colorado, and I want to be out filming in the wild and remote reaches as soon as the snow melts!
This is a Surly Troll frame with an Xtracycle FreeRadical cargo attachment. I laced a lower kv hub-motor into a Surly Large Marge 65mm wide rim, that will allow me to run a big fat tire underneath all the weight I'll be carrying.
I have two separate battery packs in mind (depending on the mission), both are LiFePO4 16s for ~53V. One pack will be made up of 40Ah cells and the second one 10Ah. A voltage regulator will give me 12V for all the ground station needs.
The 10Ah pack is built already, including battery management system(BMS).
It will be necessary to modify the FreeRadical structure to make room for the 10Ah pack just in front of the rear wheel. The 40Ah pack will need to be mounted on the outside of the frame.
These Pelican cases will figure in to the mix somehow.
Maybe not the huge case, it's kind of ridiculously large.
This is the 40A ESC for the hub-motor
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/opinion/calo-drones/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Machine Trashing (1812)
I've been doing some research on the history of technologies that, in spite of their benefits, have been misunderstood or vilified.
A search for "shunned technology" turned up this interesting story -- about the zipper's struggle to find a place in the market during the early twentieth century:
Some excerpts --
"Despite the devices attributes, the public was not receptive," writes fashion historian Ronald Knoth. "The pulpit decried, 'The Hookless Fastener' as 'the Devils fingers,' [because it made it easier] to remove clothing with autonomy.
...
The US Army used Sundback's interlocking teeth for gear and clothing, but zipper didn't take off in civilian clothing until 1923, when B. F. Goodrich Company wanted to innovate on the standard boot. It introduced the "Zipper Boot," the first time anyone called this mechanism a "zipper." The name stuck.
--------------------------------------
How many of our everyday technologies had to persist against the inertial forces(fictitious forces) of fear and lack-of -imagination? I think it was many.
First look at these monsters coming soon!
My dream of an airbot-hammock might just come true after all...
Here is the request for input on developing a new line of motors "tailored for UAV applications"
*APM 2.5 is a standout on price versus performance.
*Mission planner gets special praise on it's own
Content does not appear to be available online yet, but this issue is at the newsstand now.
In the same issue is a recent shot of The Robot Report's Global 1,000 Robot Makers map, for those interested in such things.
I prefer to use bullet connectors between motor and ESC. Lot's of folks use solder on these joints for a very good reason. One loose connection on a multirotor motor circuit can spell disaster. In addition to the possibility of a loose connection, it is often the case that the heat shrink insulation can leave a small gap between the two parts of the bullet. I want all my electrons to stay where they belong : /
So here is a solution to both issues:
Break out the manual 3D printer(hot glue gun)
Cut out a piece of silicone sheet to use as an ad-hoc mold
Apply a small bead of the glue and use the silicon to shape a thin film evenly around the joint
Peels off cleanly when you need to break the connection.
