Building on the Makerwatch SSG that I published a while back, I wanted to create a solution for people building Arduino prototypes, so they didn't have to resort to beige boxes. This skeletal piece allows users to create flexible SSG cases for their arduino projects by clipping on skeletal supports, and covering the skeleton with a skin. In fact, this skeletal piece can work with any circuitboard, though minor adjustments to the mesh must be made, depending on the width of the board.

The compared to an injection molded housing, this system is much cheaper to make in small runs (especially if users make their own skins). Additionally, the system can be adapted to a variety of configurations modular board chunks -- as you can see, there is a transparent area of skin covering a touch screen. The screen works, as demonstrated in this explanation video:

youtube.com/watch?v=3JtB_P1oORI

The SSG design framework, developed by Dominic(me) at the Humblefactory, breaks an object down into different functional layers -- skin, skeleton, and guts. The exciting thing about this separation is how it makes the process of making derivative objects, or entirely new remixes much easier. All you need to know to make a new SSG object is how to sew, and where to buy some fly fabric. The skin gives most of the style, and some of the function (clasps, pockets, pen-loops -- you decide!)

I will be updating this description as I complete more tests to the design. Stay tuned, and in the mean time, give it a test yourself!! You can find all the components linked below, or roll your own with boards and shields you have laying around. I'm particularly interested to hear what sort of sensing you might do with a "Tricorder" -- chime in in the comments, or send me an email @ The Humblefactory.

The MakerBot Watch (The Makerwatch) is a great platform for developing new directions in open source electronics. But Bres current laser cut watch housing leaves something to be desired (sorry dude :). And, not everyone is up to the challenge of cutting steel or modeling in 3d to make a new housing.

The SSG design framework, developed by Dominic at the Humblefactory, breaks an object down into different functional layers -- skin, skeleton, and guts. The exciting thing about this separation is how it makes the process of making derivative objects, or entirely new remixes much easier. All you need to know to make a new SSG watch is how to sew, and where to buy some fly fabric. The skin gives most of the style, and some of the function (clasps, pockets, pen-loops -- you decide!)

Or, if you are slightly more adventurous, you can model a new skeleton using the blender template provided. Then, stitch up a new skin, and get ready to share an entirely new watch form factor -- I included a pocketwatch skeleton to get your brains pumping, but think about what else you might make.

Best of all, the SSG framework gets more makers involved in the iteration process -- My goal is to get as many revisions of this watch living in the wild as possible. I would LOVE to see additional sensors, etc built onto Bres basic bits. Maybe a pedometer? Temperature logger? Dangerous Noise Level Detector???

Whatever you do, be sure to share your derivatives. Every new design within the Makerwatch SSG ecosystem makes everybody's watch more valuable. Take a look here for more inspiration about SSG:

humblefacture.com/2010/08/ssg-framework-for-more-sustainable.html

Happy Making,
Dominic

PS - The current file is not makerbot-able cleanly, due to overhangs. However, I am working on a two-halves mod which should make it come clean on the bot. If anyone wants to jump on this before me, I am kinda busy with a sewing machine bike... humblefactory.com/search/label/ProductionCycle

PPS - Big ups to Matt and the crew at Metrix Createspace in Seattle, as well as Andy Davidson, who helped a flustered maker to pull this puppy together with epic speed. Finally, Mark Ganter at OPEN3DP was instrumental in getting me prints of the skeleton before my makerbot was online.

This image of various sized whistles:
thingiverse.com/derivative:680

got me thinking. Scaling is RIDICULOUSLY easy with Blender -- and then printing out the new part is just as easy as the previously sized part. So why not make a part that benefited from this scalability?

So, I was thinking, there are all kinds of bottles out there. And adding a whistle to the top will basically form a resonance chamber of that bottle's note. Can anybody say Jug Band?

This is my skull. I know it's not the first skull on Thingiverse, (see here thingiverse.com/thing:827) but I thought I'd back it up just the same, in case I needed another copy someday:)

I extracted the mesh from an MRI that I had done as part of a friend's research project at Princeton University (although I have had success getting MRIs from the doctors office too). The MRI comes as a hdr file, which is basically a stack of high dynamic range images of slices of my head. I used Osirix ( osirix-viewer.com/ ) a free, open-source viewer to read and convert the file, which I exported as an OBJ, and imported into Blender. There was a SIGNIFICANT amount of cleanup necessary, and lots of finessing of the mesh to make it watertight and manifold -- in order to reduce my work, I selected only the better half of the mesh, and mirrored it, so that's why it's erily symmetric. I swear I have a pretty normal looking head, even without editing.

Teeth proved a problem -- they have a different water content than bone, and didn't all get caught by the scan -- so I just left them out.

I also joined the mandible to the skull to facilitate printing. Otherwise, that joint gets really thin, and you would have to print out multiple parts.

I'm releasing this under a attrib, CC, share-alike license. I would love to see all kinds of weird stuff derived from it (even commercial stuff is OK) -- just drop me a line of you make something awesome!!