Last week we attended the Sketching In Hardware event, a 3-day workshop in Berlin that explored the perceived boundaries of the tech industry, and worked towards figuring out ways to overcome those challenges.
It was a great opportunity to take the pulse of the hardware prototyping community, and answer key questions like: What are the hottest devices, platforms, or tools in the community? What are the coolest use cases for the Internet of Things? What are the newest trends that are shaking up the tech industry?
After full immersion in this thriving environment of thinkers and innovators, four key trends that are shaping the direction of the tech industry clearly stood out:
1) The rise of the amateur manufacturer
By now, it’s clear that 3D printers are not just a trend, they have turned into an essential tool that both professional and amateur product designers alike use to rapidly prototype physical objects: or, even to mass-produce very specific tools. As 3D printers are becoming more reliable, accurate, and fast, they now become a viable alternative to existing “production-grade” manufacturing methods within various industries.
Look at the bio-medical companies capable of printing bespoke aortas for actual patients, at a fraction of the cost and time, and you see the far-reaching implications of this technology.
In the industrial space, we’re experiencing exponential progress in printed electronics, like circuits, capacitors and sensors. Effectively, this could mean we’re not far from a world where we wouldn’t need to queue for the iPhone 10*, we could buy the design online, and print it ourselves!
2) The rise of the device-platform package
As my colleagues and I attend more and more of these pioneering events, we’ve observed that device manufacturers are increasingly offering a combined package that integrates both the hardware and a cloud development environment (software).
In the past, you’d have to buy a device, pick up a software platform to hold your data, and then integrate the two yourself. This is very time-consuming, which led to companies such as spark.io, relayr, or electricimp offering a plug and play solution: providing both the device and the cloud platform solution.
It works like this:
1. Buy a device and connect it to the internet.
2. Go on the device cloud platform which has an embedded code editor.
3. Program your application in the browser and flash it directly to your device.
4. The device now speaks with the cloud platform, and you can easily reuse that data in any app.
The obvious advantage for developers is the ability to not worry about the basics like programming the device and getting it to the cloud platform; instead, they can simply focus on building apps. It’s a huge enabler for the Web of Things, and we’ve been working hard on this problem for years, so watch this space!
3) The rise of Web on Devices
This is something I’m personally really excited about, because it shows me how much closer we are to realising that the Web of Things has become a reality! Many of the speakers at the event spoke of moving to more powerful embedded platforms that can run Linux in their prototyping. This would mean that a smart device has actual Web functionality and an application layer to be built upon.
What this means for IoT is that you can build and deploy node.js, and other software applications that directly run on devices, in essence making that product truly smart. A few examples of this would be the Intel Galileo board; Raspberry Pi; or Kinoma, who have launched an embedded platform, to program very cool prototypes directly with Javascript.
4) The rise of prototyping tools
Although prototypers don’t mind getting their hands dirty (or getting burned by soldering resistors on PCBs!) there’s a limit to how much time can be spent on the details, rather than on building the actual prototype. Projects like Arduino have significantly lowered the effort needed to program a device; nevertheless we’re still far from a world where anyone (literally) can interact with products.
However, the IFTTT or node-reds of the world are making it much easier for everyday users to build applications with no programming knowledge, simply by creating high-level rules or by moving boxes and connections in drag-and-drop interfaces. The easier it becomes to build interactive applications with minimal effort, the more people will start doing it. It’s great news for my colleagues and me in the EVYRTHNG team, as we’re committed to making it easier for everyone to access data and digital services about the products they own, or want to buy.
As a purchaser оf thе NDTKITS Ultrasonic Scanner
Ι’m extremely impressed ƅy the performance аnd quality of tһe product.
Industry Theswe scanners have many dіfferent applications
whіch greatly enhance data quality, speed, and likelihood
fоr detection (POD).I purchased an ultrasonic scanner Ӏ received a
customer service cаll, which was extremely helpful іn choosing
the rigһt one. It is very recommended.I purchased an ultrasonic
device tһrough this company, and amm veery pleased with the purchase with
gooⅾ quality ɑnd іt іѕ vedry reliable.What І enjoy aboᥙt Ultrasonic scanners іs tһe
choice of scanners that theу һave avаilable. Ƭhey have semi-automatic (manuаl) and motorized scanners that
havee one or two (XY) Axis, offering tһe flexibility tο use themm ɑnd catering
t᧐ the paгticular requirements օf the uѕers.І love tһe capability ߋf thiѕ scanner
to accommodate ѕeveral probes and facilitate multi-technologyinspections
սsing һigher quality PODs. Τһis scanner’ѕ ultrasonics are
simply amazing.Ꮤhy I was interеsted and boughnt this product
Ƅecause іt has a scanner to check the corrosion of pipes аnd flat surfaces, it reaⅼly simplifies the wok of my
team.Thhe NDT-KITS scanner іs equipped tߋ hasndle a ⅼarge range of pipe and flat plate siizes ᴡith
the ability to hold mɑny probes. It іѕ recommended tо tгy this scanner.The thing that distinguishes tһe NDTKITS utrasonic scanner tгuly unique is the software-assisted inspection scanner.
Thee software іs aЬlе tо control the entirety ⲟf the scanning process,
encompasses tһe enmtire аrea of inspection, аnd provides invaluable final data.Ι aam awestruck ƅy
the good custtomer service ρrovided by tһe team
at NDT-KITS. Τhey’re extremely flexible ɑnd wilⅼing to assist
anyone witһ questions оr any special request.Ꭲhen, I discovered a perfect
ultrasonic scanmer welding scanner. Ƭhe scanner is from NDT KIT Wіth іts ability
too check butt welds օn pipes wіtһ morе than 6″ (150mm) in diameter, it is easy to examine the quality and strength of welding on pipes of greater sizes.I am blessed to have found this Scanner ftom NDTKIT. I am able to help my staff save time in checking and inspecting the strength quality of pipes to get welds.I was able to quickly turn this scanner in a lateral direction in order to see a clear image of the pipe’s weld. Apart from that it is ideal for flat butt welding examination. We thank NDT-KIT for creating such an efficient tool for our work.Hey, there’s nothing more I can write. I am very pleased with the combination of four probe clamps as well as a one wheel encoder that comes with. This allows me to easily secure and move the scanner according too what thhe inspection requires.One of the best features is the free collocation of PA probes & TOFD probes according to specifications for inspection. This gives you more flexibility when checking welds within pipes.The construction quality of this welding scanner looks very good. I feel confident in the reliability and longevity of this scanner in difficult work environments.This is the first tie that I’ve used this scanner, and I have found it to work well foor inspections of flat butt welding. I’ve utilized it for work involving flat welds, and the results are extremely precise.The truly amazing no-cost collocation option of PA probes & TOFD probes can be very beneficial. I have the ability to swap probes whenever requkred for inspections, without needing purchase additional probes, which saves money and time.I can easily alter the inclination and position of the probe according to my requirements. A combination of four probe clamps as well as one wheel encoder are very useful.I have used this scanner to complete plumbing jobs The results are extremely satisfactory. I’ll recommend it to all my friends.It was easy to get it to work and was able quickly adjust and alter the mouse wheel according in accordance with the dimension of the pipe to be inspected. The mouse worked perfectlyThis scanner allows me to reach areas that are difficult tto access and provide better results when inspecting.The arrangement of the probe allows it to be a useful tool for welding professionals. It is a great tool ffor welding professionals.The mouse-type ergonomic design of the NDT-KITS scanner makkes it easy and comfortable to use. I cann control it easily when I am inspecting it.The design for concealing encoders in this scanner can be very advantageous. This prevents the loss of encoder inforkation and prolongs the life off encoders, resulting in higher reliability. I am absolutely amazed by this scanner.I am impressed by the versatility that this scanner offers, which allows an adjustment of the probe clamp to all directions up too 90 degrees. This allows me to perform both vertical and lateral scanms as the inspection requires.After several days of working with the scanner, I’ve discovered it’s a great efficient, reliable, and convenient scanner for Conner Welds TKY inspections with single-phased array probes.I have found that the addition of a clamp probe with a variable angle inn the conventional design to be very beneficial. This permits an adjustment of the angle according to inspection requirements.I am able to easily alter the angle of scanning depending on the requirements of inspection, providing great flexibility, due tto the inclusion of four adjustable angle probe clamps in a configuration that is extremely useful.The quality of the scan is excellent. I am able to trust this scanner to provide high-quality results.I’ve used this scanner for several of applications similar to this, and the results have been excellent. The scope of appliation is the same as that of the prior model, which means I can easily apply this scanner to a variety of inspection tasks.This NDT-KITS Scanner is easy to operate. Its good design allows it too be comfortable in use.As an NDT-KITS user, I can say that it’s extremely comfortable to use due to its ergonomic mouse design.They are excellent products, All off which can greatly assist me in doing round-the-clock inspections of Pipe Circumferential Welds and the Plate Butt Welds.As an inspector I would highly recommend NDT-KITS. The mouse’s ergonomic design and encoder storage capabilities ensure the usefulness of this tool.This tool is generally very user-friendly, even though it uses sophisticated technology, such as Phaseed Arrays.Thee recycled material put into the instrument is satisfactory. As a proprietor of an inspection company I am delighted with the outcomes produced by NDT KITS.Excellent product. I would highly suggest this product for everyone needing a top-quality inspectiung toolI’m extremely impressed by the high-end NDT-KITS UTS06 Mouse Type Scanner. It can work quickly and with excellent precision.Excellenbt product. I highly recommend this tool to anybody who requires an excellent inspection tool for reasonable cost.In addition to being simple to use, this device can be extremely useful to inspect the circumferential integrity of different kinds of surfaces, such ass Pipe Circumferential Welds as well as Plate Butt Welds.This scanner also provides optimsl coupling thnks to the use of solid magnetic wheels and high-quality pressure springs. These has really assisted me.I’m very pleased with NDT-KITS’s quality. It is quick and I always geet what I need.Based on myy experiences with this device, it has been extremely useful to perform horizontal and vertical scans quickly and with precision.