Gaze Upon Robby The Robot’s Mechanical Intricacy

May 1, 2025 by 7 Comments

One might be tempted to think that re-creating a film robot from the 1950s would be easy given all the tools and technology available to the modern hobbyist, but as [Mike Ogrinz]’s quest to re-create Robby the Robot shows us, there is a lot moving around inside that domed head, and requires careful and clever work.

The “dome gyros” are just one of the complex assemblies, improved over the original design with the addition of things like bearings.

Just as one example, topping Robby’s head is a mechanical assembly known as the dome gyros. It looks simple, but as the video (embedded below) shows, re-creating it involves a load of moving parts and looks like a fantastic amount of work has gone into it. At least bearings are inexpensive and common nowadays, and not having to meet film deadlines also means one can afford to design things in a way that allows for easier disassembly and maintenance.

Robby the Robot first appeared in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet and went on to appear in other movies and television programs. Robby went up for auction in 2017 and luckily [Mike] was able to take tons of reference photos. Combined with other enthusiasts’ efforts, his replica is shaping up nicely.

We’ve seen [Mike]’s work before when he shared his radioactive Night Blossoms which will glow for decades to come. His work on Robby looks amazing, and we can’t wait to see how it progresses.

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Vintage Stereo Stack Becomes Neat PC Case

April 30, 2025 by 8 Comments

Vintage hi-fi gear has a look and feel all its own. [ThunderOwl] happened to be playing in this space, turning a heavily-modified Technics stereo stack into an awesome neo-retro PC case. Meet the “TechnicsPC!”

This is good. We like this.

You have to hunt across BlueSky for the goodies, but it’s well worth it. The main build concerned throwing a PC into an old Technics receiver, along with a pair of LCD displays and a bunch of buttons for control. If the big screens weren’t enough of a tell that you’re looking at an anachronism, the USB ports just below the power switch will tip you off. A later addition saw a former Technics tuner module stripped out and refitted with card readers and a DVD/CD drive. Perhaps the most era-appropriate addition, though, is the scrolling LED display on top. Stuffed inside another tuner module, it’s a super 90s touch that somehow just works.

These days, off-the-shelf computers are so fancy and glowy that DIY casemodding has fallen away from the public consciousness. And yet, every so often, we see a magnificent build like this one that reminds us just how creative modders can really be. Video after the break.

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Neutron Flux Impact On Quartz Expansion Rate

April 30, 2025 by 8 Comments

Radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE) is a concern for any concrete structures that are exposed to neutron flux and other types of radiation that affect crystalline structures within the aggregate. For research facilities and (commercial) nuclear reactors, RIVE is generally considered to be one of the factors that sets a limit on the lifespan of these structures through the cracking that occurs as for example quartz within the concrete undergoes temporary amorphization with a corresponding volume increase. The significance of RIVE within the context of a nuclear power plant is however still poorly studied.

A recent study by [Ippei Maruyama] et al. as published in the Journal of Nuclear Materials placed material samples in the LVR-15 research reactor in the Czech Republic to expose them to an equivalent neutron flux. What their results show is that at the neutron flux levels that are expected at the biological shield of a nuclear power plant, the healing effect from recrystallization is highly likely to outweigh the damaging effects of amorphization, ergo preventing RIVE damage.

This study follows earlier research on the topic at the University of Tokyo by [Kenta Murakami] et al., as well as by Chinese researchers, as in e.g. [Weiping Zhang] et al. in Nuclear Engineering and Technology. [Murayama] et al. recommend that for validation of these findings concrete samples from decommissioned nuclear plants are to be examined for signs of RIVE.

Heading image: SEM-EDS images of the pristine (left) and the irradiated (right) MC sample. (Credit: I. Murayama et al, 2022)

A New And Weird Kind Of Typewriter

April 30, 2025 by 18 Comments

Typewriters aren’t really made anymore in any major quantity, since the computer kind of rained all over its inky parade. That’s not to say you can’t build one yourself though, as [Toast] did in a very creative fashion.

After being inspired by so many typewriters on YouTube, [Toast] decided they simply had to 3D print one of their own design. They decided to go in a unique direction, eschewing ink ribbons for carbon paper as the source of ink. To create a functional typewriter, they had to develop a typebar mechanism to imprint the paper, as well as a mechanism to move the paper along during typing. The weird thing is the letter selection—the typewriter doesn’t have a traditional keyboard at all. Instead, you select the letter of your choice from a rotary wheel, and then press the key vertically down into the paper. The reasoning isn’t obvious from the outset, but [Toast] explains why this came about after originally hitting a brick wall with a more traditional design.

If you’ve ever wanted to build a typewriter of your own, [Toast]’s example shows that you can have a lot of fun just by having a go and seeing where you end up. We’ve seen some other neat typewriter hacks over the years, too. Video after the break.

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Layout A PCB With Tscircuit

April 30, 2025 by 23 Comments

Most of us learned to design circuits with schematics. But if you get to a certain level of complexity, schematics are a pain. Modern designers — especially for digital circuits — prefer to use some kind of hardware description language.

There are a few options to do similar things with PCB layout, including tscircuit. There’s a walk-through for using it to create an LED matrix and you can even try it out online, if you like. If you’re more of a visual learner, there’s also an introductory video you can watch below.

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Supercon 2024: Photonics/Optical Stack For Smart-Glasses

April 30, 2025 by 6 Comments

Smart glasses are a complicated technology to work with. The smart part is usually straightforward enough—microprocessors and software are perfectly well understood and easy to integrate into even very compact packages. It’s the glasses part that often proves challenging—figuring out the right optics to create a workable visual interface that sits mere millimeters from the eye.

Dev Kennedy is no stranger to this world. He came to the 2024 Hackaday Supercon to give a talk and educate us all on photonics, optical stacks, and the technology at play in the world of smart glasses.

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