Reading up on engineering
12 deep · digging since jan 18
- Jeff Bezos Wants to Build an ‘Artificial General Engineer’
Jeff Bezos's startup Prometheus is building an artificial general engineer using AI to accelerate the design and manufacturing of devices like computers and jet engines.
- CARA 2.0 – “I Built a Better Robot Dog”
CARA 2.0 is a sub-$1000 quadruped robot built by Aaed Musa using cheap drone motors and controllers to make dynamic legged robots accessible to hobbyists and researchers.
- The Physics of GPS
GPS converts time into distance using satellite signals and trilateration, requiring relativity corrections and a fourth satellite to fix clock errors for precise positioning.
- Artemis II's toilet is a moon mission milestone
NASA's Artemis II mission introduces an improved space toilet with a door and enhanced dual-waste handling, marking a practical milestone for lunar travel.
- “It Was Survival Mode”: The Lunar Mission That Nearly Ended in Disaster - The New York Times
Flight directors share memories of the Apollo 13 mission, detailing the tense survival effort after an explosion that nearly ended in disaster.
- 14-year-old Miles Wu folded origami pattern that holds 10k times its own weight
A 14-year-old developed a Miura-ori origami variant that supports 10,000 times its own weight, aiming to create deployable emergency shelters.
- These Unsinkable Tubes Could Help Harvest Energy From the Ocean - The New York Times
A new perpetual-floating aluminum tube design traps air bubbles, enabling durable energy-harvesting platforms in harsh ocean environments.
- Data centers in space makes no sense
Hacker News commenters argue that space data centers face insurmountable cooling, power, and cost challenges, making the concept physically and economically impractical.
- I overengineered a spinning top [video]
An engineer builds an electronic, motor-driven spinning top that achieves two hours of spin time, pushing the toy's longevity through active stabilization.
- The Engineer who invented the Mars Rover Suspension in his garage [video]
A video documentary details how engineer Don Bickler invented the Mars rover's rocker-bogie suspension in his garage, enabling robust off-road mobility on other planets.
- Artemis II Moon Mission: NASA Completes Giant Rocket’s Slow Ride to Launchpad - The New York Times
NASA moved the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule to the launchpad for the Artemis II crewed moon mission, targeting a Feb. 6 launch.