Wales has become known for being a spearhead of innovation; as a result, disruptive companies have arisen within the area. Many of these companies are bending the rules of traditional manufacturing processes, meaning revolutionary progress can be made within their chosen sector. A company at the forefront of this movement is Space Forge.
With this year drawing to a swift close, and with our refreshed objectives of purpose-driven product design, successfully executed, highlighted through this article are products that slightly contrast this intention. Connecting a device to an application certainly has its perks, however, the question has to be asked when observing some of these devices, is this additional feature completely necessary? Its seems as if many new ‘smart-devices ‘have been created simply for the sake of it and that the addition of an application adds very little value or purpose to product.
The most recent thought to inspire our INSIDE ITERATE series comes from ITERATE’s Sales & Marketing Assistant Holly McSweeney who was eager to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on femtech: exploring its origin, why the sector matters to all and what we can do to fuel its growth. Holly shared her curiosity in this area…
The fact that the very term femtech itself was only conceived of a mere five years ago speaks volumes, both about the incredible work done by the earliest femtech startups and about the attention that this sector is long overdue.
Recently, our design team visited Autodesk’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Birmingham to take part in a generative design workshop. It was an event arranged by Autodesk to demonstrate the capabilities of their generative design software and offering a hands-on opportunity to explore the software’s functionality. Read more
To celebrate a fantastic year (and for a bit of Christmas fun), we decided to demonstrate the benefits of conductive ink and how this could be integrated with 3D printed polymers. Conductive ink can be used to remove the need for wires in electronic assemblies, which can help reduce weight; cost of production; and reduce assembly time. Our simple Christmas tree illustrates how power from a 3V battery can be connected to a series of LEDs to achieve a consistent and reliable connection. Read more
We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded an InnovateUK grant in order to develop an advanced 3D printing technology. The collaborative research project between the University of Warwick; Printed Electronics Ltd; and C Enterprise (UK) Ltd, makers of the CEL Robox, will focus on combining deposition of polymer based materials with electrically conductive inks; potentially replacing the need for wires to be used in electro-mechanical product assemblies. Read more
Arduinos and similar microcontroller boards are having a huge impact on the way modern products are developed. The low cost and easy to use systems mean that designers and engineers are able to prototype and test ideas in a short period of time, allowing them to make design decisions based on rapid feedback.
By ‘hooking up’ simple electronic components, one is able to test: interfaces, interactions and record data; allowing designers to make changes and improve the quality of a final product. There are a number of ways Arduinos have accelerated the new product process, which are explored below: Read more
On Tuesday 11th July, our Managing Director, Gethin Roberts, will be talking at the International Institute for Product and Service Innovation (IIPSI), which is part of The University of Warwick. The light hearted Internet of Things (IoT) event will look at when things go wrong and what to avoid when developing such products, as well as speculating about what may happen in the future. Read more
Amazon Launchpad is a platform setup with the intention of helping start-ups to grow by taking advantage of Amazon’s pre-existing network of fulfilment and marketing. Applicants are generally accepted from a pre-approved list of funding sources such as Kickstarter, venture capitalist firms and other types of start-up accelerators; but they also consider applicants who raised finance using alternative methods. Once accepted onto the Launchpad, Amazon offer a range of marketing and PR tools to help grow a business. Read more
Biomimicry is an innovation technique that draws inspiration from the natural world to create sustainable solutions by emulating natures tried and tested methods. As our world becomes more advanced and we face ever increasing challenges, from climate change to crippling traffic; how has the natural world managed to survive since life first arose 3.8 billion years ago? As we strive for more technological breakthroughs how can this natural world influence us and provide solutions to our problems? In the past we have taken advantage of the natural world to create highly effective technologies. For example, sonar was developed in the early 1900s – this has been used in the natural world for thousands of years by creatures such as bats and dolphins. Some other fascinating examples of biomimicry include: Read more
