I got a chance to see the new Ironman movie last night, and it’s exactly the kind of film that kick-starts my brain into considering new projects. I’m opening up today’s hackit in a few directions:
1) Get any project ideas from Ironman?
2) Got any projects that were inspired by movie/tv/comic tech?
3) What’s your favorite source of inspiration?
i was able to watch it over at:
http://oophs.blogspot.com/2008/05/download-iron-man-2008-watch-movie-free.html
(its worth buying a copy, which i probably will)
did anyone else catch the “50 gigajoules / second” quote describing the glowing white ‘arc reactor’?
im pretty sure something that could source 50 gigawatt impulses could be used to power a bit more than a badass robot suit.
otherwise, setting up an inductive aluminum furnace seems to be like a worthwhile summer project. its probably more eco friendly than a jerry rigged charcoal furnace we built at the rpi eclub
http://www.rpi.edu/~kouttd/03/metal_casting_andrews.html
Posted at 2:58 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Emperor
The computer interface for the computers in the movie looked like it had some interesting bits that would be useful. Probably have to get a better look at it to figure out how to re-implement them in a real interface though,
Posted at 3:02 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Carpespasm
Dunno about ‘50 gigajoules / second’..
But usually inspiration comes from real-world research (specifically in photonics)..
Movies are one thing, but ultrafast leasers seem to be pushing the envelope of what’s truly possible..
I echo the computer interface comment, but specifically liked the lasser-scanner room entry / terminal setup that displayed different screens based on context and accepted voice and keypad entries.
Posted at 3:46 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by cliff52
The holographic projector was the coolest thing, I think it could be done combining a multitouch table, a wiimote, 3D tracking software and 3D CAD.
He used a IR Led Pen to move things on the air.
He also was wearing an hologram in his arm, How cool is that?
Posted at 4:32 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Verdrive
I don’t know about any of you, but I want to build and arc reactor.
Posted at 4:55 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Tarnic
Here is my question, inspired by his 3-d display for prototyping: How hard would it be to interface a program like SolidWorks to a multi-touch display? (It seems like these displays should be used for so much more than looking at a table-top full of photos). I spend a lot of time trying to look at assemblies at the right scale and angle to figure stuff out. Seems like multi-touch would move us a step closer to power-user design, Stark style.
I might even be convinced to work on a project to interface CAD to multi-touch… for hackers, not big money. Any ideas? The screens would be easy. There are open-souce multi-touch drivers. Just need to interface those to the CAD…
I’ve already started building a *fake* arc reactor that uses blue LEDs. Of course it doesn’t work, but so far, it looks pretty damn cool! :-)
Posted at 6:32 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Jordan Horwich
I think, the past couple of days I have been looking into building one of the parallax/lynxmotion robots with a basic stamp/servo controller and possibly an RC airplane receiver
http://www.lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=67
It looks like a ton of fun trying to start from scratch with basic code to get the thing to walk like a person or atleast walk fluidly with the ability to code some pretty neat sequences.
Posted at 6:49 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Aaron Dayton
I vote for the computer interface in Stark’s office. Judging from the desktop icons being on the right I’m guessing it’s Unix based *either OSX or Linux*. Sure it’s just creating a theme, but start small, then go big and try to create an interface that can track a “pen” across multiple screens and gaps in between.
Posted at 8:16 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Ptr
I’ve always wanted to make some stormtrooper armor, but just last night, I thought about making some ironman armor.
As far as inspiration goes, I get inspired by the hacking community. I have idea after idea stored up in my head. Every single project I see on hackaday, instructables or anywhere else, I think about how I could use that.
Too bad I barely have enough time to do one project.
A friend of mine is working on building a vacuform table to make ironman armor.
Yes. I’ve done a couple lightsaber duels. Does that count?
I usually get my inspiration from discussions with classmates and/or teachers, though admittedly those projects usually fade out after a day or two.
Posted at 9:12 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Skyler Orlando
When he is using the pen to move docs, and moved things around with his fingers, it definitely made me think of this guy’s awesome progress with the Nintendo Wii… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awjPUkBXOU and this guy.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ytdW6Ys2A
I’m thinking take the Wiimote idea down to a pen scale…yea sexy.
Posted at 9:17 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by aaron
The thing that I’ll be working on, come summer, is the giant window display that was shown early on in the movie.
It would be cool to wake up and have all of my daily RSS feeds displayed on my window across from my bed!
Posted at 11:11 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Mr_Mustash
#4 – The thing about that 300TW laser is that it only generates that high power for a few femtoseconds. One of the lasers in the optics lab I work in is actually rated at 3 watts, but is pulsed so that it’s putting out ~0 power most of the time, but some 500GW at peak power for about 9 femtoseconds. This, unfortunately, is a far cry from a consistent 50GW power output from something like this “arc reactor.” Someday, maybe…
Posted at 11:24 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Ryan
mr_mustash, i thought the same thing about a week ago. no promises, but if it all works out right i’ll definitely submit it to hackaday.
anyway, favorite source of inspiration is either dr. who or the community around here. not so much original ideas, but ways of combining existing projects i’ve seen to make it even more useful or fun.
Posted at 11:27 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by joshua
ptr, thats exactly what I thought when I saw the computer screen. More exactly, it was: “He would use Linux, wouldn’t he.”
Posted at 12:36 am on May 4th, 2008 by helios
Here is one of my kid favorite
http://www.johnny-five.com/
Posted at 2:18 am on May 4th, 2008 by dunp
just from the -trailer- I saw how I want to do the lighting in my workshop:
http://bigasterisk.com/post/ironman-cave.jpg
Posted at 2:29 am on May 4th, 2008 by drewp
I try not to get too glassy-eyed at cool movies like this, the workshop computer system is obviously extremely cool and inspired by the dreams of all UI designers.
But a robotic arm assist would be a good start. Would be very cool to have a nice piece of machinery like that to speed up tasks on-the-fly that I have to do, like pulling wires or thread, or holding something heavy.. twisting stuff. Record movements and replay them, a network of sensors to help it determine what actions it should take..
Posted at 4:01 am on May 4th, 2008 by tetsu
Obviously the most power consuming of the functions are both the flight systems and the strength enhancements.
That being said, I was looking into building a set of weaponized gauntlets with various attachments including a set of oversized switchblades, flame thrower, tazer, and rapid fire low caliber machine gun.
Very low power consumption rate. next to nil. and even then it may be possible to add in a back attachment to increase bicep and deltoid strength. Something to think about. But then youd have to have strong legs/strong back/strong hips etc to be able to lift anything.
Can you tell I just got home from the movie?
Posted at 4:06 am on May 4th, 2008 by Godd
No one rember project cyborg II.
If the interface is smoothed out and shrunk part of the ironman suit can be made real.
Posted at 10:30 am on May 4th, 2008 by AJB2K3
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m really excited about recent exoskeleton research. I’m trying to make a robotic arm (only the elbow joint for now, start simple). No power assist for now, but definitely in Mark II.
Posted at 12:48 pm on May 4th, 2008 by Satiagraha
The whole AI system in his house was awesome. Secondly some sort of robotic arm that could get your tools would be sweet.
Posted at 1:01 pm on May 4th, 2008 by vanoverloop
#16 (ryan) – I’m not suggesting that this insanely fast powerful laser be used to power anything. Power levels like 50GW / sec aren’t going to be around anytime soon. It does little good to ignore current cutting edge technology and jump far off into the future. That 300TW pulse reveals more about physics and the world around us in a few femtoseconds than any CW laser could in 100 years.
i’m probably going to try and make the arc reactor using screen shots to guage the size and to make the design and cut it out using the plasmacam we have at school, but i only have about a month left to do that as i’m a senior and the year is almost over.
Posted at 6:44 pm on May 4th, 2008 by wwsean08
Arc reactor, LOL! That’s what Pons and Fleischman used to carry out cold fusion research.
Posted at 7:17 pm on May 4th, 2008 by zwitterion
I just watched that movie last night. I just want the helmet with the cool display.
Posted at 8:03 pm on May 4th, 2008 by Computer Repair
I’ve been trying to figure out how to control a powered battle suit simply. The problem with most suits is they require a fairly powerful setup of microprocessors to constantly take readings from sensors. I really want to figure out a simpler way of doing this. I love mechanical simplicity, so relying heavily on computers just feels unreliable to me.
I’ve also been dreaming up designs for simple strength enhancement exoskeletons for the arms. Similar to the arm he is working on in the movie, but so far I’ve only tackled movement in one axis. I”m studying engineering, so its good exercises to just come up with these solutions, even though I’ll probably never build them unless I learn more about circuits.
Posted at 8:08 pm on May 4th, 2008 by Aero
I’ve had several ideas from Ironman, mostly how to properly integrate different parts of other projects.
My biggest inspiration for projects is usually video games. I’ve been working off and on on a powered exoskeleton since Halo first came out. It’s been interesting.
Posted at 8:28 pm on May 4th, 2008 by Aadon
I think either the holographic cam system, or the firefighter robot :).
I think it would be cool to just make a mini arc reactor with an internal power source that you can just stick to your chest.
If I get really really ambitious I may make my own suit and go a bit crazy with servo’s and actually try and get as many of the control surfaces as possible functional.
Posted at 10:29 pm on May 4th, 2008 by Stephan
I’m surprised noone has mentioned any of the brain-computer interfaces coming up this year. =O
Emotiv Epoc
http://www.google.com/search?hl=no&q=emotiv+&btnG=S%C3%B8k&lr=
Neurosky
http://www.neurosky.biz
After all, in the comic Tony Stark intergrates the suit with his central nervous system. I’m thinking about something a bit less ambitious, like getting my Arduino to interface with one of the gadgets mentioned above, to make a portable system that could be used to control an “armoured” arm with mind-controlled cigarette dispenser and lighter or something like that. ^^
Aero:
A suit could fairly mechanically be controlled by strategically placing pressure-sensors. If you try to bend/flex your arm f.ex., you push against a sensor and the “suit” takes the corresponding action. The force the suit applies (and the speed, of there is little or no resistance) depends on the amount of pressure you apply to the sensor. Should make for a fairly simple, intuitive control-scheme. =)
Posted at 2:47 am on May 5th, 2008 by Kim Helberg
This is what I thought when I saw the whole suit:
Exoskeletons
Posted at 3:14 am on May 5th, 2008 by Aero
i’m all on board for the slick 3d/multiscreen user interface.
Posted at 10:26 am on May 5th, 2008 by HaDAk
The technology is coming online for dedicated microprocessors and sensors in MEMS technology. My company has a manuf. facility and we work alot in MEMS fab and sensor research.
That being said, Id love to have the AI for assisting with tasks. Id be so much more efficient, just tell it to go look something up, find something, calculate etc.
Posted at 1:56 pm on May 5th, 2008 by M. Kerr
i am design an super shuit like in the movie it sounds crazy buth it can’t fly it wil only lift a little bit
Posted at 2:01 pm on May 5th, 2008 by Djneo
strangely…my biggest feasible idea (who doesn’t want to build the whole suit?) came from the bathroom sink in the theatre following the film. Are there any capacitive sensor-driven sinks? There are the IR ones, but I want to turn my sink into a theremin for water flow.
Posted at 2:16 pm on May 5th, 2008 by Dash
A little bit of research can go a LONG way…
http://brl.ee.washington.edu/Research_Active/Exoskeleton/Device_03/Exoskeleton_03.html
I’ve been following this research for 8 years now. Many people are interested in the damage potential of something like an Iron Man armor, but there’s a LOT that could be done partway with modern technology. Build a head mounted display(enhanced reality would probably be best), add on an audio system that gives you direction sense to sharp or specific noises and you’d have the helmet. This could possibly be done with CMUCam3’s, but a laptop or small form factor PC would give you more data chugging capability. Voice command is nice, but IR camera or EOG eyeball tracking and blink commands may work for the less used functions.
Build small ground or air (balloon? gldier?) ROVs for remote sensing that feed back via an analog or Wifi connection. Or put that cell phone “family plan” with high speed data access to good use!
Posted at 3:05 pm on May 5th, 2008 by soi sentinel
I have been trying to decide what type of engineering field I would like to go into. Iron Man helped me decide. A mix between a mechanical and electrical engineer, with robotics mixed in. I specifically want to become a weapons engineer.
Posted at 3:07 pm on May 5th, 2008 by Mike
As to 50 gigawatt pulses: Duty cycle is key. I used to work with pulsed lasers that had a duty cycle on the order of 10^-8.
They were more like 10 gigawatts when switched on, but the average power, when run at 10 hz with 3 ns pulses, was comparable to that from a lightbulb.
Similarly, petawatt pulses are available from a refrigerator-sized machine running from normal wall power (and available off-the-shelf!), since they release light in bursts only a few femtoseconds long.
Posted at 5:40 pm on May 5th, 2008 by Joel
Wow I liked it all, Although I can say if you build a real arc reactor all the rest will come! I liked the window in his bedroom with the displays and the 3-d cad-table a lot also.
Am checking out how far fetched for the window now …I have a ton of overhead digital screens to play with. we will see!!
And Any thing is possible just means someone has not thought of it yet
I’m working on an Iron Man suit. I wired up a pinhole camera to a set of video goggles for vision. This was a necessity since I’m lighting up the eyes wiht LED’s. It also allows me to have nightvision and infrared(this’ll come later).
I’m also making hand blasters as part of the suit. They’re set to solenoid valves that are hooked ot high-pressure CO2, like in a paintball gun. The same circuit operates a series of LED’s embedded in the palm, as well as keying a “blast” noise. The effect is pretty cool.
Oh, and I’m working on a lift boot system. A screw dowel powered by an electric motor moves a clear Lexan mechanism not unlike a car jack that will lift me off the floor at the same time as a continuous CO2/LED blast comes out of my feet, hopefully sheathing the mechanism and achieving a ‘flying’ effect.
Posted at 10:50 pm on May 6th, 2008 by Billy
do you guys remember the device that emits a high freq sound that induces paralysis. thats a cool project even though I doubt paralysis is possible I know high intensity ultrasonic, or intrasonic waves can cause people to lose consciousness
Posted at 12:04 am on May 7th, 2008 by Habibi718
Ya I Watched the Iron Man (2008) Movie at
http://oophs.blogspot.com/2008/05/download-iron-man-2008-watch-movie-free.html
They Have Provided a Number of Download Link To Watch Iron Man Movie Free Online….
The hi-freq paralyzer might be feasable, but it wouldnt work as in the movie. You could debilitate someone by interrupting the nerve in the ears. Makes them vomit and collapse (No balance). The nerve acts as a gyropscope in the ear and even very cold water can trigger the symptoms.
Again quite feasable.
Posted at 7:36 am on May 7th, 2008 by M. Kerr
i know in a t4 mag some folks at some company built a robotic arm costing around £80,000.00 that you can buy – it moves exactly like a human arm and it recognises what it touches. eg: if you hand shake it there are sensors that tell you are fleshy and human and it wont crush your hand into a mess.
ill find it through my mags, scan it and upload it and then put the link here.
Posted at 9:51 am on May 7th, 2008 by Ross Canpolat
I have long since wanted augmented vision and the ironman suit has some nice stuff in that arena I get my inspiration from Batu’s eyes in Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex.
a great real world example without the cybernetics is the eye-tap, made at Toronto university. I gotta drive over there and force him to make me one, or get the parts and hack one together myself heh.
Posted at 10:32 am on May 7th, 2008 by Kaneda-j
Don’t watch it free online, go to the theater, it is a waste to watch it in terrible quality.
I like how Jeff Bridges crazy suit looked feasible, and also how it took off like the space shuttle, I was almost going to start shouting NASA cliches in the theater!
So my idea is a model rocket version of ironman (or an underwater submarine version with ducted thrusters)
PS, Hinted? The (********SPOILER******)end bit with sam L. was so crap I felt sorry, the “comic universe” scene was so bad I felt like I was watching Smallville, only much worse, say “superheroes in a movie”, (think “snakes on a plane”). “next time” his friend says to the grey suit, what the hell was that all about? No need to make horrible pandering comments (or maybe their target audience is 8-12 year olds.)
I forgive this because of the unbelievably cool tech. The control surfaces were awesome on the suit, I loved the RS8, but I am not quite sure that is the sound it makes (the sound departments have been taking liberty of late with proper noises, I have seen a guy spinning a ratchet with the audio of the ratchet mechanism clicking away, as though he was accomplishing nothing!)
If the next one has the super suits, and just as much building of them, then I will love it too.
Posted at 1:13 pm on May 7th, 2008 by Moles
What did they use for the car lights? It sort of looked like LEDs to me, but that can’t be it, can it?
Posted at 4:58 pm on May 7th, 2008 by mr h
#55 Yes, those were LEDs and the car he drove is completely real:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8
#Everyone talking about powering something with a laser:
Lasers are powered, they don’t power things. In order to produce a pulse of light of a certain energy, you have to put at least that much energy into the system that producing it–simple conservation of energy.
(Also, only somewhat related, an “arc reactor” is a real device, but unfortunately it’s by any means a small energy producer. It’s a waste disposal device that uses a plasma arc to obliterate garbage and other waste into their most basic elemental components. It does however, have the capacity to create synthetic fuels that can be used for other purposes.)
To answer the Hackit question, it’s not really inspired by Iron Man, but the movie renewed my interest a bit. I have been designing what could act as a replacement for the current military/police chest armor that uses resin-impregnated kevlar plates, instead of the current soft kevlar + steel/ceramic insert system. Unfortunately it exists only as a set of drawings for now as I’m not terribly experienced in working with composites, and I would have no good way of testing such a device.
Iron Man was an entertaining flick though, hope they make another of equal quality.
Posted at 12:53 pm on May 8th, 2008 by Nephroth
Ok guys, instead of a chest piece that is freaking awesome and glowing, why don’t we stick with conventional methods of producing energy.
Also, on the idea of integrating it with his central nervous system; I always thought it would be cool to have a watch embedded in my wrist that ran oof my nervous system. he he. anyway, what is instead of using canstant inputs from sensors, it could clculate everythign through a small onboard computer… alot less wiring. Also, the computer could indireclty control the servos for the exoskeleton. I’m thinking gears and electromagnets. magnets move, gears keep in place = less power.
Any one remember bio-pong? similar application, except servos, not paddles.
Posted at 11:25 pm on May 8th, 2008 by pistolpete
Arc Reactors, a thing of the future, NO. Many of you think arc reactors a fake, impossible, well your wrong. Arc reactors are possible, well if you know laws of thermodynamics, and are willing to spend years developing this new technology. I admit that an arc reactor like Iron man’s is impossible to build, but rather a fusion arc reactor. An arc reactor like iron man’s uses a fuel that can be deplete which is surrounded in a toroidal chamber with magnetic coils (Tochamac). which combine to form a almost endless power source and produces 15 time that of a nuclear power plant can. Noting to this day can match that output of power, except for a fusion arc reactor. A fusion arc reactor works by ionizing hydrogen and then fusing it with each other, by ionizing it you now have a form of super heated plasma around 20 million degrees F. This plasma is still a form of hydrogen and can be fused much more easily since the atoms are moving super fast and are hot enough to fuse. This plasma is kept in a Tochamac type of device that is not a coil but a spherical object and has these intense jets of plasma shooting towards the center and then fusing together releasing the equivalent to megatons of TNT. Once the fusion has begun it is almost a infinite energy source, after the fusion has taken place the reactor can now begin to fuse elements like nitrogen and oxygen into elements like carbon. This requires the reactor to build more heat and pressure, to do so the amount of hydrogen being injected and fused is increased. This causes the reactor to begin to overheat because it is burning all its fuel faster and faster. once the desired temperature and pressure are reached the reactor can begin to take in our normal atmosphere and fuse it. The reactor will then decrease the amount of pressure and temperature being built up and settle to a safe sustainable temperature and pressure, just above the required temp and pressure to fuse those elements. Fusion reactors you say are not successful, and don’t work, well your almost wrong, fusion reactors are successful in the way that fusion can occur, we just cant control the rate at which it fuses because of the output it produces. Right now scientist are using high powered magnets to bring the atoms close enough to fuse, well when you do that you cant just pick how many atoms you want to fuse you just fuse them all. This causes the amount of fused atoms to increase uncontrollably. If you inject the atoms you want to fuse in a form of plasma you have greater control over the amount of fusion happing. When you find out how to capture the energy being released by the reactor you will be able to do almost anything with it, it would produce millions of times the amount of energy it to get it running and keep it running. so you see that this technology is not that far out of reach, right now I have just started the designing stage of the fusion arc reactor, and will soon be entering the building stage. I will keep you posted on how its coming along, any questions for me you can email me at andrewmayhall@yahoo.com
Posted at 7:00 pm on May 12th, 2008 by andrew
The Tablet that Pepper uses kinda looks like the one a doctor holds on a Microsoft Health video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F1u36Y-qlE)… Just desaturated… which was kinda odd.
The os would be great (the one from she “hacks” and “steals” the info to a USB drive) if it could be gnomed somehow…
Posted at 10:13 pm on May 12th, 2008 by whiskey
Can anyone create the software that ran on his computers at home, for me; or his home computer system for that matter, or do you know where I can get it? price is a non-issue
Also, I need the computer set up he has, the holographic display is a must, where can I get that, or have someone make it for me.
email: thinker124@gmail.com
Posted at 6:28 pm on May 13th, 2008 by Parker
Well now that I’ve seen both Iron man and the Incredible Hulk I have to say I’m really stoked about the upcoming Marvel movies including the Avengers movie.
Jesse
http://www.ironmantonystark.com
Posted at 12:02 pm on Jun 25th, 2008 by Jess Christian
I know this is a bit late, but I came across this recently….
http://morlockenterprises.com/
This dude made the Mark 1 Arc Reactor that you can wear!
Totally sweet!
Posted at 4:32 am on Sep 15th, 2008 by Sam
ever time t watch ironman i get inspired to work on my hoverboard
Posted at 11:51 pm on Oct 9th, 2008 by john doe
after seeing this movie i completely audio automated my room, i walk in and my room actually talks to me, and i can talk back, it controls lights and widows and my stereo all by what i say it is really cool
Posted at 1:31 pm on Oct 11th, 2008 by ashley
I’d like to see the (capacitive touch???) keyboard that he was using to prototype the mkII on the mac. And no Iron Man based hack would be complete without Jarvis. (I’m thinking something based off of the acer aspire one, beagle board, arduino, or some combination of them.) And of course a bad ass iron man suit with all the moving flaps actuated by servos or that linear actuator from sparkfun that can move 2 lbs. Idk that would be cool to have a suit like that though.
Posted at 11:08 pm on Dec 31st, 2008 by D4rK
I’m nearly finished making a “jarvis” obviously I’m not going to call it that but anyway it works on my computer (or any with access to my file server) I’m realy close to completion I just need a friggin voice actor and a peice of code that lets me access the internet within the “jarvis” program
Posted at 11:49 pm on Jan 3rd, 2009 by damo
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I get a lot of ideas for projects from the Doctor Who series.
Posted at 2:38 pm on May 3rd, 2008 by Leif902