The Cramp: A MSP430-powered Crane Lamp

theCramp

If you think your last project required a lot of soldering, take a look at [Multivac’s] remote controlled and fully-articulable desktop crane lamp. Sure, it’s a 430 microcontroller combined with an LED driver, 32 LEDs, PWM control, and some moving parts: but take a closer look at the structure. The Cramp uses an old HDD as its base, with the crane spinning around the main bearing that previously supported the platter. A system of spools and pulleys provides a reasonable range of motion to the rest of the build. Relocating the entire assembly, however, is evidently an unpleasant task.

[Multivac] based his design on a Liebherr LR1750 Crawler Crane, which he meticulously pieced together using leftover copper salvaged from an upgrade to his home’s mains wiring. A mountain of solder secures what must include several hundred joints—possibly more. The head of the lamp is an elegant exoskeleton-interpretation of industrial designer Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center. You can see the Cramp in action in the video below.

[Thanks JP]

17 thoughts on “The Cramp: A MSP430-powered Crane Lamp

    1. it moves smother, though i need to work on the firmware a little bit. most of the swinging in the video is because i was shooting the vid and couldn’t control what i was doing very well. cheers

  1. So err before I talk about the post I just wanna say sumn here yes.
    Two new writers and no formal introduction wazzup with that I mean I know H.A.D got new ownership but come on least ya could do is introduce these new folks.

    Tis a pretty sick build that must have took a damn long time and much concentration I commend thee good sir.

  2. Very impressive. Echoing DosX, we see two new chaps, and two impressive hacks (this and the $5 ARM board) – have they been given the cream of the crop, or do we expect this to continue? :-)

  3. Hackaday shold start a competiton named “Damn now i have to build one” wich show cool toys/tools/projects that readers shold make and complite with. This is going to one for me, i am going to dublicate this method in my projects.

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