Hackaday Podcast Ep 333: Nightmare Whiffletrees, 18650 Safety, and a Telephone Twofer
Aug 15, 2025
Join the hosts as they dive into fascinating innovations in robotics, showcasing a talking robot that uses typewriter tech. Discover the challenges of bringing retro computers like the PDP-1 back to life, alongside safety discussions on battery usage. Get creative with unique projects like fluid simulation business cards and striking DIY designs. Plus, explore the limitations of smartphones and the intriguing history of early telephone broadcasting that laid the groundwork for today's podcasts. Don't miss this eclectic mix of tech and creativity!
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3D Printing: Community R&D Powering Consumerization
- The mass-market phase of 3D printing shifted firms from hobbyist openness to commercial productization.
- That commercial growth leverages community R&D while raising patent and business-model tensions.
Talking Robot Uses Typeball Mouths
- James Brown built a talking robot that uses a Selectric-style typeball with printed mouth shapes.
- Rapid tilt-and-rotate of the ball synchronized to speech creates a convincing talking illusion.
PDP-1 Replica With PCB Casework
- Angelo and Oscar built a PiDP-1 replica using stacked PCBs as the case and documented assembly tricks.
- Their method includes tack-soldering, segmented solder tabs, and careful sequence to keep 90° joints square.
