Sometimes, a project is more than it seems on just the surface. The UVA project from [Said Alvarado Marin] is one such example. What started as an attempt to build a single useful tool became the beginning of a broader utility ecosystem.
In and of itself, UVA is a project to build a powerful UV flashlight for curing UV-reactive glues. After some serious research, [Said] was able to find the right LEDs, outputting the right wavelengths, and begin the design of this simple tool. However, UVA quickly became a base upon which other tools could be developed. The design of UVA is such that the flashlight head fits onto an interchangable power base, consisting of three 18650 lithium polymer cells and a charging subsystem.
The aim of UVA is to encourage others to produce their own tools to work with this ecosystem. Designed around commonly available parts and DIY build methods like 3D printing, it’s intended to allow the average person to create the tools they need when and as they need them, on location. We look forward to seeing how the project progresses further as we head closer to the finale of the 2020 Hackaday Prize!
UV flashlight sounds to me like a pocket chainsaw: potentially useful but also slightly worrisome safety wise. Make sure to wear UV protective eyewear.
Sorry but what the actual f-? Its just a flashlight that comes in 2 pieces? How does that even get called a tool?? (is it a tool just because project creator said you could replace the leds-piece with something else?… shouldn’t he like, show that? or at the very least have some drawings or even just text about what kind of different heads???) If i power an UV led, did i create a tool? because if you ask me then no, most certainly not.
And sorry but a bunch of UV leds have absolutely 0 humanitarian value, i highly doubt any refugee anywhere on the world has a pressing need to cure UV glue….?!?!?!
I knew this was going to happen when i saw the announcement of this hackaday prize, but my god people, way to oversell, humanitarian tool my ass.
Fortunately there are more people on this planet than refugees.
I just finished curing some UV glue with a 365 nm UV flashlight I bought on Aliexpress for $20 a couple of years ago. Works great. This project seems a bit overfeatured, (perhaps), but maybe the creator needs all of this for some reason.
He does a formal risk assessment! That’s awesome! After my own heart it is.
Can it even be called an ecosystem if there’s only one attachment, without even any idea or plans for the rest? I’d just call this a battery pack with a standardized mount.
Very nice project, nicely built and documented, with measurement and distance exposure sensor, great!
But I’ll have to agree with the other comments as well:
– this has no humanitarian value, let’s call it BS
– battery pack: every cordless tool manufacturer have “standard 12V 3×18650” battery pack, no need to come up with another one (XKCD…)
I would have reused a 12V battery pack from Bosh (or alike) so the charging part is already done and created a product around the flashlight they give away for free with combo tool pack, by just changing the PCB, then profiting the huge supply chain from the chosen cordless manufacturer, and swap the PCB: this has much more value and is much more field-proof than any 3D printed stuff.
He’s basically saying “Let’s you and I go fight him! You first.”