Between the Lines

AR, VR and MR - Oh My

Learn about AR, VR and MR and the impact it will make for all of us from Autodesk Brian Pene Director of Emerging Technology, Office of the CTO. Five Ways AR and VR Will Improve Our Current Reality http://autode.sk/28WjqhN In recent years, technological advances, coupled with a proliferation of affordable hardware and software, have made immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) more commercially feasible than ever. A flood of investments into these new... Read more →

The Next Phase in Robotics - Collaboration

The robots are coming and they are not all evil but will help us make things and augment our capabilities at solving other challenges facing the world. Maurice Conti Director, Applied Research and Innovation, in the Autodesk Office of the CTO and colleague was interviewed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers for a nice article on robotics and the research Autodesk is doing in the Applied Research Lab. Human Augmentation: the Next Phase in Robotics http://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/human-augmentation-the-next-phase-in-robotics Prominent, respected public figures... Read more →

Fast Cars and Generative Design

Back in May of this year I had the pleasure to be in the hot and beautiful Southern California desert at Trona Pinnacles near Death Valley with a group of engineers, scientist, champion Baja 1000 champion race drivers, car builders, mechanics, designers, cinematographers, technologists, and more for a historic off road race car project test for a generative designed car, the Hackrod. The Hackrod was designed by Autodesk Dreamcatcher using design input and performance data from many types of sensors... Read more →

Giving a Hand

Yesterday many big hearted employees in the Autodesk Lake Oswego Oregon office took time to assemble 3D printed Phoenix prosthetic hands designed using Autodesk’s own Fusion 360 in the e-NABLE Buildathon. The hands are destined with a personal card for children in war torn Syria by e-NABLE. Autodesk employees around the world donate their personal time year around and Autodesk whole heartily supports this and matches the time and donations and also has a philanthropic foundation with the Autodesk Foundation... Read more →

BattleBots Watch Party at Autodesk with Robots, Fun, and Prizes!

Don’t miss the chance to meet two BattleBots, Bronco and Mega Tento, in person(robot) at Autodesk’s First Annual BattleBots Watch Party! On the heels of last year’s wildly successful TV reboot of BattleBots, the world’s premier robot sporting event, bots and humans alike will assemble to watch the show’s Season 2 premiere. Come join us at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco—the birthplace of robot combat—to watch the BattleBots rumble while enjoying food, drinks, robo-swag and fun activities. You can... Read more →

How to Make an Autonomous Go-Kart by Autodesk CEO Carl Bass

Join Autodesk CEO and Chief Maker extraordinaire Carl Bass for a live Instructable session on how to build an autonomous go-kart at the Maker Faire Bay Area. Carl, his son and some friends have rigged their electric go-kart with the guts of a drone, and now it can be driven remotely. Check it out in person at MakerFaire Bay Area 2016! Carl’s session: http://makerfaire.com/maker/entry/55314/ Read more →

Congratulations to FIRST Robotics World Champion Teams

This weekend over 600 teams of high school students competed in St Louis Missouri for the FIRST Robotics 2016 world championship. FIRST 2016 Winning Teams: Team 120 – Cleveland's Team Team 330 - The Beach Bots Team 1086 - Blue Cheese Robotics Team 2481 - Roboteers Congratulations to all FIRST participants, students, mentors, schools, teachers, volunteers, parents and sponsors. See you next competition season! Read more →

Autodesk PNW FIRST Robotics Championship was this Weekend

Autodesk sponsored the recent Pacific Northwest FIRST Robotics Championship for high school students held from Thursday to Saturday last week at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in sunny and unseasonably warm Portland Oregon. There were 64 high school teams participating from the Pacific Northwest states of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington that had won local district competitions to compete in this event. In addition to the students, parents, mentors, judges, there were many Autodesk employees volunteering at the event. What an amazing... Read more →

A New 3D Printer Heading to the International Space Station

Autodesk partner, friends, and Fusion 360 users Made in Space sent the first 3D printer designed for space 2011 is again sending a new updated 3D printer up to the International Space Station this Tuesday, March 22nd at 11:05 pm EST. Keeping with the long tradition of crazy NASA acronyms the 3D printer is named the “AMF” for Additive Manufacturing Facility. Made in Space is the cutting edge on additive manufacturing in space and it opens up many possibilities to... Read more →

FIRST Robotics Competitions PNW Wilsonville District

The high school FIRST Robotics team I have been working with this year participated in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) Wilsonville District competition this past weekend in Wilsonville Oregon. Team 1540 Catlin Gabel got into the later rounds with their robot Zuko (designed in 3D using Autodesk Inventor) making it to the elimination rounds and ultimately winning the 2016 Wilsonville District Chairman's Award. Wilsonville District Competition Results http://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2016/ORWIL What a great event packed with energy and gracious professionalism. Congratulations to all... Read more →

First Robotics Competition Team 1540 Reveal of Zuko

I have been involved with one of the most amazing group of young humans (High School students) as a mentor. Team 1540 Flaming Chickens of Catlin Gabel are now entering the 2016 FRC competition season and just created their robot reveal video. http://oregonfirst.org/events/pnw-frc-championship/ Team 1540 Reveal Video 2016 - Zuko The official Team 1540: The Flaming Chickens 2016 robot reveal video for FIRST Stronghold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_wsfItlaE Zuko was designed by the students using Autodesk Inventor and built in their lab. The... Read more →

Solve Most Autodesk Software Issues with this One Solution

If you are getting crashes or visual display issues in your Autodesk software like AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, 3ds Max, Maya etc. it could very well be your graphics driver. After years of reading solutions and reports of problems, the top issue is graphics drivers and the second being you have not installed the latest product updates. In fact recently I was experiencing issues myself after a system update of my laptop which affected my software, updating to a supported driver... Read more →

FIRST Robotics 2016 Kicked Off this Weekend

The start of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) 2016 was revealed Saturday with the new game challenge named STRONGHOLD by FIRST Founder Dean Kamem. This years revealed game field is one of the most challenging for the robotics competition of high school students according to the many experienced FIRST participants I have spoken with. I am mentoring Team #1540 Flaming Chickens of Catlin Gabel in Portland Oregon this season and their use of Autodesk Inventor. After the reveal of the... Read more →

Replicate a Keepsake in 3D Using Autodesk Memento

Recently I replicated a silver necklace pendant of a very sentimental pinecone using Autodesk Memento which converted standard photos into a 3D model. I then 3D printed the model on an Autodesk Ember 3D printer and plan to then cast in pewter or silver an exact replicae. The pinecone pendant on a necklace was originally created as a silver casting from the real pinecone given to a mother by her oldest son. It was a really heart warming story why... Read more →

Autodesk Ember 3D Electronics and Firmware Released as Open Source

In keeping with our open approach, the Autodesk Ember 3D printer electronics and firmware are now available to download & modify. http://autode.sk/1FaV5nL Read more →

3D Printing Making Dreams a Reality - Kieran's Hand

Everyone needs an inspiring and feel good story to start off their work week, and this is a great one about an amazing young boy and technology. Kieran was born with a birth defect of Amniotic Band Syndrome and has no fingers on his right hand. As Kieran states in the video it has been difficult to deal with until he received a 3D printed prosthetic hand. Modern prosthetics are very expensive costing tens of thousands of dollars, and even... Read more →

Autodesk Spark integration for 3D printing in Windows 10

At Microsoft’s Build 2015 developer conference today, Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft vice president of developer and platform evangelism, announced new 3D printing features in Windows 10. More specifically, Autodesk Spark is being integrated into Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system. –VentureBeat Microsoft Announces Autodesk Spark integration for 3D printing in Windows 10 Read more →

My Apple Watch Experience

I received my shiny new Apple Watch Friday and spent the weekend getting used to it and seeing if I was going to keep it, return it, or sell it. For the record I did not get the expensive edition of the watch. I am also a person that normally wore a regular watch as well as my FitBit on my wrist but now I can get rid of those and rely on just the one Apple Watch. Here are... Read more →

Movie by OCTO's Own Evan Atherton "Artoo in Love"

Evan Atherton of the Office of the CTO (OCTO) and a teammate of mine has made a fun great movie. Evan is probably one of the most ardent Star Wars loving fans I know. Evan has created a movie about Star War's loveable droid R2-D2 called "Artoo in Love" using much of the technology we use in the OCTO group. From using high end video cameras like the RED to custom built R2-D2, UAV, and a robotic arm that has... Read more →

Explore Science Contest

Would you like to win a airborne UAV or a underwater OpenROV submersible robot to go exploring with? You have the chance to with a recent Explore Science contest being held by Instructables and OpenExplorer. "Scientific breakthroughs make the world a better place. After all, where would we be without penicillin or play-doh? Oceanographer and marine biologist Edith Widder once said: “Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let’s all go exploring.” We’re pleased to... Read more →

REAL 2015 was a REAL Great Event

The past two days almost a thousand have attended the REAL 2015 event here in San Francisco California at the historic Fort Mason. The conference covered everything dealing with Capture Compute and Create. There was everything from laser scanning systems, structured light scanners, infrared, photogrammetry, software like point cloud and geometry tools, CNC mills, 3D printers,VR and augmented reality viewers, underwater and maritime technologies like unmanned boats and ROVs, Makers, and so much more. I had a great time meeting... Read more →

Design Competition: Design a 3D Print for an Out of this World Solution

Made In Space recently installed and setup up the AMF Zero-G 3D printer with NASA MSFC on the International Space Station (ISS), and you can get the rare opportunity to print on the same printer and see the one that is currently on Earth. Autodesk has had a long partnership with Made In Space including Autodesk's Director, Strategic Initiatives and a serious space science expert Jonathan Knowles who also serves as an advisor to Made In Space. Made In Space... Read more →

Light Up the Autodesk Gallery with the Project Social Lights Cube

We at Autodesk have now placed a cool 500 LED cube in the Autodesk Gallery. This cube was developed by an intern and responds with lighting up pulsating LED lights and effects to hashtags on Twitter. Huge thanks to the Autodesk intern and also Autodesk Social Media maestro Dan Zucker for showing me the cube when they placed it in the Autodesk Gallery on October 16, 2014. Description of the Project Social Lights Cube: This cube of 500 pulsating LED... Read more →

Flying High at over 11,000 Feet Like an Eagle

I love hiking and climbing the rugged, beautiful and high mountains of Utah and I also love research and fun with drones also known as UAV quad rotor copters. So last Thursday I decided to combine both for an epic sunset flight. Read more →

Throwback Thursday - Vintage Computer Hardware

It is always amazing to stumble across computers from the distant past. I have two old vintage computers that I found while was cleaning out of my storage. They both actually boot up and run. The pair are an Apple Macintosh SE with 1Mb RAM and 2- 800k drives from 1987 and a Radio Shack TRS-80 model III from 1983. An original single button Apple Mouse and the old Apple logo sticker. The Radio Shack seal from 1983 It is... Read more →