An open-source, low-cost motorized XYZ micro-manipulator platform designed for sub-micrometer motion control. It uses a parallel kinematic structure with miniature ball joints for stiffness and large travel, driven by off‑the‑shelf stepper motors under a 30 kHz closed-loop controller and precise PWM. A “magnetic gearing” trick multiplies low-cost rotary encoder resolution by 30x, enabling step resolution down to about 50 nm (with absolute accuracy substantially worse than raw resolution). The device accepts simple G‑code over USB serial and implements motion planning with look‑ahead for smooth path following, suitable for optical alignment, probing, microscopy and similar tasks.
Complete build resources are provided: FreeCAD models and STL files, KiCad electronics (assembly without SMD), a PCB fabrication package, a Python GUI with live camera feed, G‑code runner and realtime mouse control, plus a lightweight Python API for scripting. Firmware adds features like tool PWM integrated into the planner, enhanced calibration and homing routines, persistent joint calibration, and true 6DOF pose interpolation with new G‑codes and tuning parameters; hardware v4.0 fixes earlier mechanical issues. Practical notes include power needs (~5-6 V, ~2 A), a PCB v1.2 via repair warning, an unupdated BOM, and community support via Discord and documentation for replication and calibration.
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The Intel 8087 chip, introduced in 1980, significantly accelerated floating-point operations like addition and subtraction, improving speed by nearly 100 times over the 8086 processor. Its microcode and circuitry, including an adder, shifter, and exponent converter, enabled efficient handling of complex calculations with special cases such as infinities. (righto.com)
The RepRapMicron is a 3D printer designed for micron and sub-micron fabrication using common materials. It builds on microscope platform technology to achieve high precision in additive manufacturing. (github.com)
Kimi K3's decode performance was optimized on NVIDIA GB300 using agent-assisted development, achieving over 840 tokens/sec on 16 GPUs and up to 1.8 times higher interactivity. The approach emphasizes isolating changes, validating correctness, and managing risk to enable faster, more reliable model optimization. (vllm.ai)
Atari announced THE 800XL, a retro computer recreation featuring a full-size mechanical keyboard, HDMI output, and 25 built-in games, priced at $220. It is an emulator with cartridge support and is set to be released in April 2027, with pre-orders now available. (goto10retro.com)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra 128GB is reviewed amid 2026's hardware trends, highlighting AI's growing influence and Microsoft's advancements in Windows-on-Arm. The device is part of broader efforts to improve client hardware and ecosystem integration. (servethehome.com)
Openprinter is an open-source, modular inkjet printer designed for easy repair, customization, and longevity, using standard mechanical components. It supports multiple paper formats, offers flexible connectivity, and is built to be maintained and upgraded by users. (crowdsupply.com)
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