14 DAY TRIAL // Hacks are usually talked about in news about security and information leaks, but there is another type of hack, the kind that turns a device into another sort of electronic entirely. That's what we're going to talk about today.
To make a long story short, a RepRap 3D Printer has been turned into a hokey-playing robot by one Jose Julio.
You read it right, the man took a RepRap 3D printer and messed with the software enough that he managed to change the entire purpose of all those parts.
The printing arm is used to play air hockey with you, and the motion sensor tracks your every movements, allowing the software to respond in time.
And it responds well. You might find yourself hard-pressed to score even one point against your new opponent.
The mechanism that was once used to shape extruder into plastic objects now counters every move of the puck.
And it's not restricted to the line right in front of the goal. The arm can move back and forth if it “thinks” it would be a good idea to intercept the puck earlier rather than later.
Basically, the RepRap 3D printer was turned into a shockingly skilled air hockey player. It's bound to become the soul of the party.
And as if the feat wasn't enough in itself, it's apparently possible to turn the robot back into the RepRap 3D printer for when you want to go back to 3D printing stuff.
You'll have to know some things about software and hacking before you even try to make something like this yourself though. Sure, Jose has written a surprisingly detailed manual for it, but you can still botch things up rather spectacularly if you've never tried anything like this before.
So, if you're dead set on making one of these (assuming you even paid several thousand grand for a 3D printer in the first place), start small first.
