Tracking

Latest

Article

Introduction to Clearance Fits for Components

Developing a robotic joint may seem like an overwhelming task, but there are some common issues that can be tackled ahead of time to make your project easier to manage.  There are a lot of parts to stuff into a small space – typically, a joint has motors, transmission, encoders, brakes, electronics, and wiring. One […]

Article

Getting from 3D Scan to 3D Print

From scanning your favorite pet and creating a figurine for your desk or reverse engineering a part or tool, 3D scanning and 3D printing can be used together to rapidly generate and reproduce ideas. These days, the world of 3D scanning has grown to include hobbyist level equipment all the way to full room setups […]

Article

How to Design an Assembly for 3D Printing

Engineers are always trying to make designs faster, better, cheaper, lighter. Before 3D printing, the only way to create prototypes was through subtractive manufacturing, where a block of material was cut away until only the part or a mold of the part remained. These components could only be produced and assembled one at a time. […]

Article

How the Movie Industry Relies on Hardware

As Hollywood blockbusters tend to be laden with computer-generated imagery (CGI), it’s easy to assume the film industry no longer relies on hardware to wow audiences. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that hardware design and engineering are at the core of animatronics, a vital component to the process of modern movie-making magic.  […]

Article

Five Ways Design Optimization Will Protect Your Bottom Line

Measure twice, cut once is the adage carpenters live by to save on time and materials. Design optimization software enables designers and engineers to measure hundreds of times with multiple designs to visualize the result of these designs without the time, cost, and frankly, hassle of creating the product in real life.  Engineering companies that […]

Teardown

Furbo Dog Camera

One of the coolest things about Fictiv’s San Francisco HQ office is that it’s dog-friendly! Our furry friends can work alongside us everyday, getting their daily dose of head scratches and belly rubs, and we get a daily dose of adorableness. For National Dog Day, we thought it would be fitting to test out and […]

Teardown

Anki Vector Teardown

For our teardown of the Anki Vector Robot, we were joined in the studio by Leanne Cushing, captain of Team Valkyrie on Battlebots.  Anki’s Vector Robot, released in late 2018, was designed to listen and respond to its user, interact with its surroundings, recognize people and objects, and avoid obstacles. When released, the robot sold […]

Webinar

On Demand

How to Automate Robotics Processes in Record Time

If you’ve ever programmed a robot, CNC, or pick-and-place machine, you’ve experienced them doing exactly what you told them to, but not what you wanted them to do. The current state of automating these machines is similar to programming in assembly language. While it’s better than bare metal machine code, the improvement is minimal. Join […]

Teardown

Electric Shaver Teardown

In this clean-shaven teardown, we’re celebrating Father’s Day and looking at two different electric shavers—the Philips Norelco S9311 and the Braun series 7. We put the two shavers head to head, with our first Fictiv employee to become a dad volunteering his face to see which one left the best shave. Then we put them […]

Teardown

iRobot Braava 380t Mopping Robot Teardown

Recently, we did a teardown of the iRobot® Braava® 380t Mopping Robot, to understand the different mechanical and manufacturing design elements that help to get you those squeaky-clean floors. Before we got started, we decided to take a step back and evaluate what features would make up a good mopping robot. The two items we […]