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PCB Design: How to Balance Functionality in the Context of Mechanical Constraints

As data and connectivity continue to be popular themes in tech, engineers are increasingly tasked with packing more features into smaller products, which often leads to deeply integrated electromechanical designs and complex assemblies. This guide aims to outline a framework for electrical and mechanical engineers to identify easily overlooked PCB design issues, minimize revision cycles, […]

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Designing for the Unknown: How NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab Engineers a Mission on Mars

We humans have turned our faces heavenward since we can remember—no doubt at the same time as we painted animals in caves and learned to make fire. Thousands of years later, we stand at the incredible moment in our history when we’ve successfully landed a creature of our own making on another planet: the Rover. […]

Teardown

Playstation VR Aim Controller Teardown

We are intrigued by how friendly-looking the PlayStation VR Aim game controller, designed for playing First Person Shooter (FPS) games on the PlayStation VR system, is. Stylistically, it certainly matches the futuristic looking PlayStation VR headset. There are plenty of FPS controllers out there that look like real machine guns, so we appreciate that the […]

eBook

Competitive Teardown Report: Fitbit Charge 2, Samsung Gear Fit 2, Garmin Vivosmart HR+

In this 34-page report, we investigate how three top-tier fitness wearables each showcase engineering innovation in four areas of interest: 1. Design for Assembly (DFA)2. Waterproofing Techniques3. Band-to-Body Attachment Mechanisms4. Space Management Complete Bill of Materials In addition to our in-depth analysis on each of these areas of interest, the report includes a full BOM […]

Article

Ready, Set, GO! Drone Design Through Rapid Iteration

If you’ve ever been to Fictiv HQ, either to pick up parts for one of our events, or simply just to say hi and chat about hardware, you may have seen our drone prototypes. For those unfamiliar with them, these prototypes are a series of material samples in the form of mini drone bodies and […]

Teardown

SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse Teardown

Today, we’re tearing down a popular 3D mouse, the 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator. For folks producing and manipulating three-dimensional CAD files, using a standard mouse and keyboard can be tricky. Welcome to the world of controlling rotation, position, and height using one hand! We’ll take a look at the components that make this mouse both highly usable and […]

Teardown

Segway miniPRO Teardown

A while back, we tore down the now infamous hoverboard, with the intention of uncovering how the product was made so cheaply and easily by manufacturers large and small in China. For this teardown, we decided to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and see what changes when an experienced industry leader designs and […]

Article

How to Conduct a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

In the product design world, it’s common to use a tool called a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to improve a design or process. FMEAs are commonly separated into two different categories, depending on their application: A Design FMEA (D-FMEA) is used in product design to identify possible design weaknesses and failure modes. A […]

Teardown

Keurig B130 Coffee Brewing System Teardown

Ever wonder how your coffee is made in the morning? Well, if you’re one of those 121 million people who own a Keurig, we tore down the B130 single-cup brewing system to find out! This Keurig is 11”H x 7”W x 10”D and weighs 6.5 lbs. First, we took out the tray that contains the […]

Article

Satellite 101: What is a CubeSat?

Imagine a box in space that’s about the size of a long tissue box and capable of taking pictures of the Earth. That’s exactly what Planet Labs is doing: They’re using a 3U (a 10×10×34 cm CubeSat) called a Dove that takes pictures of the Earth to learn how daily imagery helps one move from […]