9 ms·
Carpentopod: A Walking Table Project
- steveridout 2y agoEven if you don't feel like reading the whole article, do yourself a favor and skip down to the video of the final product at the very end. It's delightful and put a big smile on my face. The fact that all the modern technology is hidden inside leaving only the wooden structure visible makes it magical, like something from Harry Potter.
- gwern 2y agoYou mean Discworld!
- ajb 2y agoExactly! So reminiscent of "the luggage". Albeit with the legs facing sideways
- tomcam 2y agoInsane! Bluetooth powered walking tables were admittedly not part of my 2024 bingo card. Love that thing.
- bigiain 2y ago> Even if you don't feel like reading the whole article, do yourself a favor and skip down to the video No. Don't. Read the whole damned article. It's _great!_
- chrisco255 2y agoHere's the video link for those who want to see the final result up front: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDY4yWxfJM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDY4yWxfJM
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- iseanstevens 2y agoAbsolutely wonderful to see in motion. Things like this brought to life are one of the Most exciting uses of AI to me.
- nis0s 2y agoWhere’s the AI, did I misread the post? > To select which ones were best, each variation got assigned a ‘fitness’ score based on its walking speed, clearance and material use. I also rewarded extra points to variants that had leg tips which moved more horizontally and more smoothly during the lowest third of their cycle to make it favor solutions in which a group of three legs would work together to minimize bobbing and foot slip. I am not sure what approach was used here, it sounds like RL or maybe just simulations. I am not sure I’d say this is AI.
- ianandrich 2y agoI think it was just a genetic algorithm.
- jimjimjim 2y agoI guess it depends on your definition of AI. I personally don't consider the LLMs AI. Very useful, but to me not AI.
- firtoz 2y agoRL is AI
- nis0s 2y agoThere’s no clear definition currently, but based on my work in IEEE standards and my own research, I always define AI as an autonomous system which determines paths to its desired outcomes using multimodal inputs. While I think the computation system described in this post is very cool and sophisticated, I liken it more to a computation engine. It seems to me that computation engines follow an algorithm to determine optimal paths to a previously determined and fixed desired outcome, but they don’t update the outcome goal based on new information. If the computation engine described in this post could use existing information to form its own goal or idea of a desired outcome, then I’d say it’s AI. I’d love to do a blog post on this idea because I am sure many might have good reasons to disagree with it. It would be cool if someone else does it, I’d love to provide feedback as I don’t have the time for longform writing.
- pugio 2y agoThis reminds me of "The Luggage" from the Discworld (Rincewind) books by Terry Pratchett. I never expected to see a real-world version. Way cool!
- NotAnOtter 2y agoThis sounded very stupid and just a rip off of other projects at first. By the end of the article I was impressed.
- imp0cat 2y agoIt's a great article, also the table itself is very expertly done. When is this thing coming to a nearby IKEA? Can't wait!
- kwhitefoot 2y agoSeriously, I wonder if anyone at IKEA is aware of it? And if not how can we get the message to the right person. I'm sure IKEA could do this and integrate it into the TRÅDFRI system.
- robin_reala 2y agoWe are now.
- gdecarpentier 2y agoGood to know! ;)
- imp0cat 2y agoWhile you're taking notes, make those walking tables follow me around and carry my food for me at the IKEA restaurant.
- kwhitefoot 2y agoBut are you the right person? :-)
- fragmede 2y agoTheir HN profile says lead software engineer at IKEA (primary areas: design system and accessibility community) so I'd say yes. https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=robin_reala https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=robin_reala
- wonderwonder 2y agoThis brought a legitimate smile to my face. Well done on this. Gives off a real bio-mechanism vibe.
- ipsum2 2y agoSomeone named de Carpentier doing a neat wood-working project. How fitting.
- tway_GdBRwW 2y agoMaybe it was a joint project?
- beachy 2y agoNo need for the classic HN "but why" question. The video of the table obediently delivering a beer and bowl of snacks to the owner says it all.
- rob74 2y agoOk, he could have done the same thing more easily using wheels, but where's the fun in that?
- joseda-hg 2y agoHalf the fun of homemade engineering is to overcomplicate stuff to test your boundaries As opposed to work related engineering, where you shall KISS as posible to keep your sanity (And more often than not fail in the process)
- tway_GdBRwW 2y agoI think the full acronym would be Keep It Simple Stupid, Active Sanity Saver
- yojo 2y agoNow I want the version with a hidden camera and machine vision so it can follow me around like an obedient puppy. “Be back in a few hun, just taking the table for a walk.”
- reportgunner 2y agoGive it a display with a face too so it can look sorry when it spills your drink again.
- prmph 2y agoWhat's wrong with just having a table that rolls? Why does it have to walk? Cool project though, but it sounds like a solution in search of a problem.
- niccl 2y agoNo, I think it's an engineer in search of a fun challenge
- ziofill 2y agoIs there a place where one can buy pre-built leg parts or even pre-assembled legs? That seems like the most difficult part, then attaching them onto stuff I can do too.
- timdiggerm 2y agoFrom the post: "Since this post has gone public, many people have asked me if they could get one as well. I’m currently not making these on demand. However, I’ve decided to release the Carpentopod linkage itself as public domain. So if you have the skills, feel free to use the details below to build your own set of legs!"
- throwthrowuknow 2y agoI need to make this but as a chest and glue little fake feet to the legs.
- mharig 2y ago[dead]
- liendolucas 2y agoSome people are just so creative... It stole me a good laugh seeing the Carpentopod facilitating beer and chips to its master only to park politely (but not silently!) side to its less capable static fellow. I want to see more of these fantastic creations!
- stronglikedan 2y agoOh, cool! A remote controlled strandbeest!
- Svoka 2y agoI believe I just added first item to my new "retirement hobby projects" list
- bubblebeard 2y agoHoly crap, this guy made the future
- uranium 2y agoThis is beautiful; the motion of the legs reminds me of some giant scuttling insect. I'd love to have a coffee table like that. I wouldn't even want the motor, actually. It looks like you can just push it and have it walk smoothly, as if pushing a table with fixed-orientation wheels.
- aidenn0 2y agoYes, it seems a set of 3 legs properly linked behaves much like a wheel, which is very cool.
- entropicdrifter 2y agoI can't wait for someone to make a 3d-printable version of this. I would totally print out a 20cm tall version of this to use as a food serving platform on my dinner table!
- glitchc 2y agoThis is brilliant stuff. I don't have the tools to build one, but would love to buy one.
- vismit2000 2y agoReminds of strandbeest by Theo Jansen: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41347016 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41347016 (recently on HN)
- dude-800 2y agoWhere can I buy one?
- aught 2y agoWonderful! Reminds me of the luggage from Terry Pratchett
- yungporko 2y agoi desperately want one.