This year, I decided to take Halloween mechatronics into my own hands—and invited my five-year-old to join in! Together, we created a family-friendly electronics project that’s perfect for a spooky,… Read More
HALLOWEEN FUN WITH BATTY BAT BOTS!
UNDERSTANDING THERMOELECTRIC COOLERS (TECs): COOLING TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIFIED
Did you know that you can chill objects below ambient temperature without a refrigerator? This can be done using devices called Thermoelectric Coolers, or TECs. TECs use electricity to move… Read More
3 IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DESIGNING WEARABLE PRODUCTS
My wrists were naked from 2005 to 2019. It was 2005 that I got my first cell phone, a flip phone with a secondary display which displayed the time on… Read More
SUCCESSFUL TEST SYSTEM DESIGN
Developing successful test systems and procedures is a critical component of product design. Good test system design leads to designs that meet requirements, reliable schedules, and smooth production ramps. Including… Read More
BEHIND THE SCENES: ENGINEERING THE BRIDESMAIDS HALLOWEEN MECHATRONICS CONTEST DESIGN SUBMISSION
Turn Around, Bright Eyes After two years of coming in second place, it was time for The Bridesmaids to become the bride; the corpse bride, that is. With a theme… Read More
THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATION OF THE BATS ‘COVIE’ ROBOT
As you can see from Simplexity’s Halloween Mechatronics Contest, the Covie Covid Disinfecting Robot now leads a double life. Normally, it wakes up early in the morning to disinfect all… Read More
THE ENGINEERING BEHIND A CANDY DISPENSING MEDUSA HEAD DESIGNED FOR A SOCIALLY-DISTANCED HALLOWEEN
Once we heard the Halloween Mechatronics Contest was happening again in 2020, our team, The Gorgons (formerly Hell’s Angels), was back for redemption from our 2nd place finish in 2019…. Read More
WHAT THE PAST TEACHES US ABOUT OPTIMAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: PART 2
In the first part of this blog series, we explore a history lesson in optimal product development by looking at the first personal computer and considering what it takes to… Read More
WHAT THE PAST TEACHES US ABOUT OPTIMAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: PART 1
In this two part blog series we will explore product development and some of the valuable lessons that could benefit your future design by studying goal definitions and managing hierarchical… Read More
BABIES WITH WINGS RACE TO THE MECHATRONICS CONTEST FINISH LINE
When it was announced there would be a Halloween mechatronics challenge at the end of last year where the voting would entail social media- there was only one clear way to win: include… Read More
Software: Design Complete
Hardware: Pre-production units for design verification
MFG. Readiness: CM schedule and budget, Unit build tracking