Open Source

At the Code Conference in California this week, Intel revealed that its 3D-printed Jimmy Research Robot, which debuted at Maker Faire NYC last year, will be available through its 21st Century Robot Project later this year. Users will be able to download the files required for printing.

CleverPet is an interactive device that keeps your dog entertained by stimulating its mind and dispensing food as a reward. Fill it up with dry dog food and its software will run your dog through a selection of games designed to keep it stimulated and well-fed while you’re away.

A collective of eco-technologists has designed open-source beehives to help encourage bee populations and fight Colony Collapse Disorder. Sensors track the movements, moods and geo-location of the bees.

A whopping 135 3D printers churn away in the new Aleph Objects LulzBot factory, creating tomorrow's TAZ 3 3D printer and other products including a 3D scanner, a Mini, and the TAZ 4. Step inside for our tour of this libre hardware company.

Industrial Design lecturer Mark Richardson, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, has created a velomobile prototype made from salvaged materials, a few off-the-shelf parts and modular 3D printed components.

Italian open source enthusiasts Francisco Liu and Ampelio Macchi have teamed up to design the Tabby DIY car, a build-it-yourself two or four passenger vehicle design with a chassis that can be assembled in less than 60 minutes.

US-based technology company Not Impossible Labs, through its Daniel Project, has not only provided 3D-printed prosthetic arms for amputees in war-torn Sudan, but empowered the local community to continue the initiative in its absence.

Brain-computer interfaces may be a very promising emerging technology, but many systems are proprietary or too basic. OpenBCI is using Kickstarter to launch a platform that opens up EEG data to anyone interested in seeing what they can do with their own brainwaves.

What happens when 3D printers are able to print themselves? Boots Industries’ BI V2.0 takes a step down that road with a design aimed at self-replication. Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the open-source printer is capable of printing its own core components.

Like other home automation systems, Ninja Sphere can monitor and allow the remote control of connected devices, but offers expanded capabilities with its gesture control interface and the ability to map the location of devices in the home in real time.

In an effort to fast track development of device-to-device communicaton, technology companies leading the charge toward the Internet of Things such as Haier, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Qualcomm and Sharp, have formed a consortium dubbed the AllSeen Alliance.

Loop, from Pushstart Creative, is the latest effort in a growing trend of using the enticement of technology as a vehicle to promote physical activity. Through a combination of proximity sensors, GPS and accelerometers, the system is designed as a platform for interactive outdoor games.