So it’s been awhile since my last post! I am currently working two new projects which I will keep up to date on this site. The first project that I would like to share with you is the my plastic extruder project for the 3D printer in our lab. This project is going to between me and my fellow colleague Josh. There are a couple of DIY plastic extruders already out there  but our goal is to design a plastic extruder that is affordable, mostly 3D printed, and can recycle our used plastic parts. This means simplifying the design and making it easy for anyone to assemble. You can view our initial report for this project here.

The second project I want to introduce is going to be a more personal project of mine involving haptics. The term “haptics” refers to any kind of computer generated touch. A good example of this is the vibration feedback you get when you touch a key on a touch screen or the rumble on a joystick for a video game. The haptics project I will be working on involves creating a haptic driven navigation device for the visually impaired. It will be a simple hand held device that will relay range data to the user in the form of tactile touch and force feedback. I am currently working alone on this project so progress is not as fast as I would like it to be.

For my final thoughts, I would like to give cool names for these projects. Stay tuned for new  updates on Project Xtruder and Project Elephant Fish!