DIY Magnetic Markers Help 3D Scan Tricky Objects

January 20, 2026 by 4 Comments

3D scanners rely on being able to identify physical features of an object, and line up what it saw a moment ago with what it sees now in order to build a 3D model. However, not every object is as distinct and visible as others at all angles, particularly in IR. One solution is reflective scanning markers, which are either pre-printed on a mat, or available as stickers that can be applied to objects to give the scanner a bit more to latch onto, visually speaking.

[firstgizmo] shows a slightly different approach: that of surrounding the object to be scanned with 3D printed reflective markers instead of covering the target object itself with reflectors, or relying on a flat scanning mat.

Magnetic mounts allow mixing and matching, as well as attaching directly to some objects to be scanned.

The main advantage (besides not having to remove stickers from the object afterwards) is that these printed markers present the reflective dots at a variety of angles during the scanning process. This makes the scene less sensitive to scanner angle in general, which is good because the angle at which to scan an important feature of an object is not always the angle that responds best.

By giving the scene more structure, the scanner can have a better shot at scanning reliably even if the reflectors aren’t on the target object itself. It also helps by making it easier to combine multiple scans. The more physical features scans have in common, the easier it is to align them.

Just to be clear, using these means one will, in effect, be 3D scanning the markers along with the target object. But once all the post-processing is done, one simply edits the model to remove everything except the target object.

[firstgizmo]’s DIY magnetic 3D scanning markers are an expanded take on an idea first presented by [Payo], who demonstrates the whole concept wonderfully in the video below.

3D scanning can be tremendously handy but it does have its quirks and limitations, and a tool like this can be the difference between a terrible scan and a serviceable one. For a quick catch-up on 3D scanning and its strengths and limitations, read our hands-on tour of using an all-in-one 3D scanner.

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BASIC On A Calculator Again

January 19, 2026 by No comments

We are always amused that we can run emulations or virtual copies of yesterday’s computers on our modern computers. In fact, there is so much power at your command now that you can run, say, a DOS emulator on a Windows virtual machine under Linux, even though the resulting DOS prompt would probably still perform better than an old 4.77 MHz PC. Remember when you could get calculators that ran BASIC? Well, [Calculator Clique] shows off BASIC running on a decidedly modern HP Prime calculator. The trick? It’s running under Python. Check it out in the video below.

Think about it. The HP Prime has an ARM processor inside. In addition to its normal programming system, it has Micropython as an option. So that’s one interpreter. Then PyBasic has a nice classic Basic interpreter that runs on Python. We’ve even ported it to one or two of the Hackaday Superconference badges.

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A red silicone cupcake pan sits on a black glass inductive stove cooktop. The word induction is written in white text on the glass of the stove.

Silicone Bakeware Might Be Bad For Your Liver

January 19, 2026 by 14 Comments

Silicone bakeware has become a staple in many kitchens due to its flexible, yet temperature-tolerant nature. New research from Canada shows it could be causing trouble for your liver and lungs, however.

The siloxanes that make up silicone bakeware can target “the liver through oral exposure, as well as the liver and lungs through inhalation exposure.” The fat content of the food being baked is also a factor as these compounds are lipophilic, so higher fat foods will absorb more siloxanes than lower fat foods.

Don’t throw out all your silicone yet, though. The researchers say, “the results showed a consistent decreasing trend in migration levels across consecutive weekly baking sessions, with no increase after the seven-month interval.” So, that dingy looking silicone mat you’ve used a hundred times is safer than a brand new, brightly-colored one.

This seems like an example of how glass and (non-heavy) metal are usually the best way to go when handling food. While we’re talking about ovens, do they really need to run a connectivity check? They certainly could be improved with a DIY thermometer or by making a more practical solar-powered example.

Robot Sees Light With No CPU

January 19, 2026 by 5 Comments

If you ever built a line following robot, you’ll be nostalgic about [Jeremy’s] light-seeking robot. It is a very simple build since there is no CPU and, therefore, also no software.

The trick, of course, is a pair of photo-sensitive resistors. A pair of motors turns the robot until one of the sensors detects light, then moves it forward.

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How To Use Tiny Open Loop Actuators For A Living Mirror

January 19, 2026 by 4 Comments

How do you go about making a mirror with 128 segments, each of which can be independently angled? That was the question that a certain bloke over at [Time Sink Studio] found himself pondering on, to ultimately settle on a whole batch of mini-actuators bought through AliExpress. These stepper-based actuators appear to be akin to those used with certain Oppo smartphones with pop-up camera, costing less than half a dollar for a very compact and quite fast actuator.

The basic design is very much akin to a macro version of a micromirror device, as used in e.g. DLP projectors, which rely on a kinetic mirror mount to enable precise alignment. With the small actuators travelling up to 8 mm each, the mirrors can cover 73 mm at a distance of 4 meters from a wall.

With the required angle of the mirror being effectively just the application of the Pythagorean theorem, the biggest challenge was probably calibrating these linear motors. Since they’re open loop devices, they are zeroed much like the steppers on 3D printers, by finding the end limit and counting steps from that known point. This doesn’t make drift impossible, but for projecting light onto walls it’s clearly more than good enough.

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Flux And Solder Paste Dispenser Looks Good While Doing It

January 19, 2026 by 9 Comments

Syringes are pretty ergonomic, but when manually dispensing flux and solder paste it doesn’t take long before one wants a better way. [Elektroarzt]’s flux and solder paste dispenser design uses 3D-printed parts and minimal hardware (mostly M3x20 screws, and an optional spring) to improve handling and control.

The operating principle is very similar to how a hot glue gun feeds a stick of glue.

How does it work? The ratcheting lever mechanism is similar to that of a hot glue gun, where an arm slips into notches in a rod when pressed down, driving it forward and never backward. In the process, a larger lever movement is translated into a shorter plunger travel, enhancing control.

The types of syringes this tool is meant to be used with have a plunger tip or piston (the rubber stopper-looking part, in contact with the liquid) inside the loaded syringe, but no plunger shaft attached to it. This is common with syringes meant to be loaded into tools or machines, and [Elektroarzt]’s tool can be used with any such syringe in a 10 cc size.

It’s an attractive design, and we like the way syringes top-load as well as the way the tool is made to lay flat on a tabletop, with the lever pointed up.

Want truly fine-grained control over your extrusions? Then check out this dispenser which really lets one dial in small amounts. You can also go motorized, and let a small PCB and stepper motor do the work.

Illustrated Kristina with an IBM Model M keyboard floating between her hands.

Keebin’ With Kristina: The One With The Ball-Joint Keyboard

January 19, 2026 by No comments

Get a handle on this bad boy! Okay, so those voids are really more for airing out your palms, I’d imagine, because palm sweat sure is real — you should see the pads of my Kinesis. This kind of looks like two sawed-off machine guns kissing, and I mean that in the best possible and non-violent way.

Image by [ntc490] via reddit
So, [ntc490] has been on Team Special Keyboard for eight years now and decided it was time to design one. The goal was to make something semi-portable, super ergo, and as easy/cheap to build as possible, which, honestly, that sounds like one of those pick-two situations.

And yet, pricing (oh yeah, this is gonna be A Thing You Can Buy) will be around $115-155, depending upon whether you want the base kit, or the add-ons, too, minus switches and key caps.

So let’s get into the particulars here. As you can see, there are key wells and thumb clusters, inspired by other keyboards including your bog standard Maltrons, Kinesis Advantages and more modern, open-source takes like the Dactyl. [ntc490] loves the key well-thumb cluster combination, and I do, too (hello from the Glove80). And miraculously, the keys are hot-swappable via sockets.

Two hands rest on a joined split keyboard with keywells and tenting. The two halves are on ball joints and connect in the middle.
Image by [ntc490] via reddit
That novel tenting mechanism is adjustable, rugged, and portable. You can tent it near-vertical, lay it flat, or take it apart if you wish. The thing is modular for future expansion options such as wrist rests and displays.

Inside, you’d find direct wiring to the GPIOs, so I’m gonna guess that those are RP2040 clones in there. There’s no PCB, no diodes, no matrices to debug.

So please do go visit the thread if this keyboard appeals to you at this price point. I love it, but I would need more rows of keys, personally. The top reddit comment mentions this as well, and [ntc490] says that because the thing is modular, it can easily accommodate more keys in both the wells and the thumb clusters. I seriously want one of these. Just with a few more keys.

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