The Zenith Space Command was the very first television remote control, developed in 1956. As an entirely mechanical system, the Zenith ‘tunes’ a TV to its channel by hitting an ultrasonic tone with a spring-loaded hammer, giving it the famous ‘click’. A microphone in the television picks up the signal and changes the channel. An interview with Zenith inventor, Robert Adler, here.
If you want to learn more about modern button design, check out this mechanical design guide for rubber keypads. It covers the essentials for making durable silicone inputs, like membrane geometry, material choices, and designing for snap ratios—the tactile response of a button. Key travel (0.8mm to 1.2mm) and actuation force (150g to 350g) are crucial human factors, shaping the feel people expect in different types of switches. If you were to open up your Google TV or Roku remote, you’ll likely find a rubber membrane designed like below!
How Ted Hoff invented the first microprocessor. Hoff thought designing 12 custom chips for a calculator was crazy, so he created the Intel 4004 in 1971. That original microprocessor contained 2,300 transistors and could perform 60,000 operations per second. For context, a typical modern CPU like the Intel Core i9-13900K contains over 10 billion transistors and hundreds of billions to trillions of floating-point operations per second (FLOPS).
A breakdown of the $3 billion the U.S. Department of Energy has allocated towards 25 battery technology companies as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. These funds support a range of battery technologies, including solid-state batteries, lithium-metal anodes, and silicon-based anodes. The funding is project-based, with most companies using it to build production and recycling facilities.
Some notable grant winners: GM-backed Mitra Chem received $100M to build a facility in Michigan & Form Energy received $150M to build a factory in West Virginia.
From IMTS last week: a few photos of Apple molds used in production by JINGDIAO. The photos include interesting details, like the ~25 hours spent polishing an AirPod cavity surface! The mold piece has a maximum surface deviation allowance of ≤ 10 μm and surface roughness of Sa ≤ 20 nm.
Toolpath has raised a $10M seed round to develop an AI assistant for machinists aimed at addressing key front-end gaps in job evaluation like machinability, cost estimates, and tool planning. The software currently integrates with Autodesk Fusion to send the CAM program. The round was led by the Leaders Fund.
Karman Industries has emerged from stealth with a turbomachinery-based heat pump aimed at replacing industrial boilers used in chemical and food manufacturing. While turbomachinery is rare in heat pumps, Karman is the first to explore its use at an industrial scale. Their design draws inspiration from the turbomachinery in SpaceX’s Raptor engines, replacing traditional compressors with high-RPM turbomachinery. Riot Ventures led the $4M seed round.
Mosaic Manufacturing closed a $20M financing round to support global expansion of its fused filament 3D fabrication technology. Unlike traditional 3D printers focused on prototyping, Mosaic’s systems are designed for manufacturing applications, such as factory floors. Their printers have features like up to 40 print beds, a robotic arm to replace print beds, and the ability to print with up to 8 materials in a single part!
A new fusion startup Fuse Energy raised $32M at a $200M valuation this week. Fuse is developing a nuclear pulse generator, a device which uses powerful electromagnetic waves to mimic the effects of extreme radiation. This kind of testing is a critical bottleneck in the fusion industry, and Sandia Labs, which operates the world’s leading facility, is already a customer. Fuse was founded in Montreal in 2019 by JC Btaiche, who was 19 at the time, along with former Pentagon and Iranian Atomic Energy Organization employees.
