MachinePix Weekly #33
This week's most popular post was a very fast cable robot 🤖 Next week's interview: the founder of iFixit, Kyle Wiens, and his mission to open source everyone's hardware 🪛
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If you’ve ever tried to repair a device you own by Googling around for manuals, chances are you’ve come across iFixit. For the past 18 years, iFixit has been publishing teardowns and repair guides, selling tools kits, and advocating for consumer right to repair.
iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens joins me next week to talk about why repairing is critical to consumer rights, the environment, and civilization. Already curious? Head to Repair.org to get involved.
The most popular post this week was an impressive cable robot. Cable robots have made multiple previous appearances on @machinepix and are always fascinating to watch. They’re very fast, can be made very large, and have a pretty unique set of control dynamics.
I’m always looking for interesting people to interview, have anyone in mind?
—Kane
The Week in Review
I was delighted to find the House of Automata, a Scotland-based outfit that restores whimsical old mechanisms. Check them out! There is a wonderful history of singing bird boxes as well.
It’s hard to find information about this vessel because the Romanization of the name doesn’t seem universal. Searching the Russian name Иоганн Махмасталь seems to give more results.
Handy and clever. They also make an interior radius version.
The whole YouTube channel is fascinating, as is the history of manned ornithopter attempts.
Postscript
For my housemate’s birthday, we chartered a helicopter to observe the traffic jam at the Port of Oakland. Photo credit @kevinakwok
If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to friends (and interesting enemies). I am always looking to connect with interesting people and learn about interesting machines—reach out.
—Kane