The Lab
Our notebook of unusual ideas. Most will never ship. That's the point of a lab: we try a lot of paths so the products we do ship are the right ones.
- Sketch
- A question and a plan. No code yet.
- Spike
- A throwaway prototype that answers one question.
- Prototype
- It works, roughly. It's getting real engineering.
Web games & play
SpikeExperiment 01
Play it, then print it
“What if beating a level in a web game gave you the level itself, as a real object?”
The idea
A physics puzzle game where every level you solve can be exported as a printable marble run. The game engine already knows the geometry, and the physics proves it works.
Why it matters
It joins our two worlds: a game you can hold in your hand, and a print that comes with a story.
3D-print software
SketchExperiment 02
Failure Forecast
“Can we predict that a print will fail before it starts?”
The idea
Read the 3MF and score the risk: thin contact with the bed, long unsupported bridges, tall thin towers, colour changes in fragile layers. Show a weather-style forecast, such as '70% chance of warping on the left corner'.
Why it matters
Failed prints waste hours and filament. Most failures can be seen in the geometry, but nobody explains them in plain words.
3D-print software
PrototypeExperiment 03
Tolerance Tuner
“Why does every snap fit need three test prints?”
The idea
Print one small coupon with a ladder of clearances. Photograph it after snapping the pieces together, and the tool works out your printer's real tolerance, then feeds it back into every generator we make.
Why it matters
Tolerances differ by printer, nozzle and filament. One coupon is cheaper than a failed print.
Everyday inventions
SketchExperiment 04
Broken knob → new knob
“What if you could replace a broken plastic part with a photo and a coin for scale?”
The idea
Photograph the broken part next to a coin of known size. A parametric template (knob, clip, hook or cap) fits itself to the outline, and you print a replacement in minutes.
Why it matters
Thousands of products end up in landfill because of one plastic part that costs a few cents.
3D-print software
SketchExperiment 05
Spool scale without a scale
“How much filament is left on this spool?”
The idea
Estimate the filament left from a phone photo of the spool's side, using the known spool size and the wound diameter. The estimate is checked against grams already used from slicer logs.
Why it matters
Running out of filament in the middle of a print is avoidable, and people don't own kitchen scales for spools.
Everyday inventions
SpikeExperiment 06
Quiet Hours
“Can a baby monitor learn what's worth waking you for?”
The idea
Sound classification on the device separates crying from fussing and background noise, and learns over a week what a particular child sounds like. Nothing leaves the phone.
Why it matters
Parents lose sleep to false alarms. Privacy is the reason to do it on the phone.
3D-print software
SpikeExperiment 07
Slicer in a tab
“What if slicing needed no install and no server?”
The idea
Compile slicing to WebAssembly for simple prints, so generators can show exact print time and grams instantly, offline, on any device.
Why it matters
Server slicing is accurate but slow and costs money per request. Many questions only need a quick answer.
Web games & play
SketchExperiment 08
Co-op cursors
“What if two people could design something together in the browser like a game?”
The idea
A shared design room for parametric models where friends move parts with physics. It works like a party game, and the result is a real print.
Why it matters
Design tools are lonely. Games are social. Making things together is fun.
Everyday inventions
SketchExperiment 09
Fridge Ledger
“Why do we throw away food we forgot we had?”
The idea
Small printed clips with colour-coded dates go on leftovers. Your phone reads them in one glance at the open fridge and reminds you before anything goes off.
Why it matters
It costs less than a sensor, needs no batteries, and works because it's physical.
3D-print software
PrototypeExperiment 10
Plate Tetris
“How many parts fit on one build plate?”
The idea
Arrange parts in 3D like a game of Tetris: rotate, nest and stack to make the most of each plate, and balance the colour changes across the AMS.
Why it matters
For print farms, fitting more on each plate is profit. For hobbyists, it saves an evening.
Got a stranger question?
We run two-week R&D sprints for partners. You bring the problem, and we come back with a working spike, an honest verdict and a plan.
Pitch us a problem →