Many different projects started with the same thought: “That’s really expensive… I wonder if I could build my own for less.” Success is rewarded with satisfaction on top of the money saved, but true hacker heroes share their work so that others can build their own as well. We are happy to recognize such generosity with the Hackaday Prize [Robinhood] achievement.

Achievements are a new addition to our Hackaday Prize, running in parallel with our existing judging and rewards process. Achievements are a way for us to shower recognition and fame upon creators who demonstrate what we appreciate from our community.

Fortunately there is no requirement to steal from the rich to unlock our [Robinhood] achievement, it’s enough to give away fruits of price-reduction labor. And unlocking an achievement does not affect a project’s standings in the challenges, so some of these creators will still collect coveted awards. The list of projects that have unlocked the [Robinhood] achievement will continue to grow as the Hackaday Prize progresses, check back regularly to see the latest additions!

In the meantime, let’s look at a few notable examples that have already made the list:

Affordable Tools

A surefire path to success is to make big pieces of equipment available at a much lower price than their predecessors. Such was the thinking behind Maslow, a $500 CNC router designed to turn ideas into reality one 4′ x 8′ plywood sheet at a time. We first featured the Maslow when they were in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign that was ultimately successful, and then we cheered their ripple effect enabling projects like the PlyPad tiny home. A Maslow was actively cutting samples in a windy outdoor tent at Bay Area Maker Faire, showing off how it’s more portable than industrial CNC routers and working in conditions more austere than a factory floor.

Stepping down in size but not ambition, we have a 3D printer project taking a few steps off the beaten path. As we outlined earlier, this design skips the expensive precision linear guides typical of its peers, which the Maslow did as well. This printer also incorporates one of the latest novelties in the 3D printing world, a conveyor belt print bed for unlimited Z-axis travel. And don’t forget the design has a short parts list, many of which can be 3D-printed. A design that stays true to the spiritual roots of RepRap is one we’d love to see succeed.

Affordable Instruments

Building affordable alternatives to expensive instrumentation is another way to unlock the [Robinhood] achievement. [Kris Winer] noticed a few interesting chips in the AMS catalog and saw potential for a $25 reflectance spectrometer. This isn’t merely cheaper than science lab instruments, it’s even cheaper than the typical sensor evaluation board AMS sells for >$100. We like where this project is going. And remember when we said it’s possible to win both achievement and challenges? This entry also placed on the Open …read more

Source:: Hackaday