Update on Pickup—putting the final touches on development and preparing for production.
https://blog.supermechanical.com/2025/09/30/materializing/
Materializing
We’re in that lull I warned about last update. We’ve been focused on production setup, and such a range of emotions we’ve been through.
Buttons
Exciting! Got sample silicone buttons. They fit nicely and diffuse light well.
Disappointing! The action on these is really stiff with too much
Got a brood of new Pickup alpha testers.
Learning about making 3D printed production parts, and how designing for multi jet fusion is different than injection molding.
https://blog.supermechanical.com/2025/06/27/granular/
Granular
Slow progress lately. Maybe it’s the summer schedule. Maybe it’s because I’m back on the mechanical track.
Multi-jet fusion: it’s different
The new printed parts took a while to get to me (I suspect they had to reprint some), and I’m painstakingly measuring expected vs actual critical dimensi
What better way to test new database code than using Pickup to check whether popsicles will stay frozen in my cooler for the afterschool party? Trying to prove that dry ice won't be needed.
Got gifts in the mail! We're adjusting from injection molding to MJF printed parts. These can't do the same level of detail so these prints are helping me tune things, but they look great! Additive manufacturing has come far.
https://blog.supermechanical.com/2025/05/12/a-path-forward-on-plastics/Measuring fruit offgassing with Pickup's VOC/particulate cartridge.
Pickup getting some air. Testing lenses for the spectral cart in outdoor light.
Sensor party
To make up for those boring logistics updates, we have tangible movement on actual stuff this time. Unfortunately not case plastics, but a bit of just about everything else.
The case molds are still stuck in a backlog. The molder says, “They [the mold maker] are telling me they have had sole dela
Testing Pickup distance sensor carts — bouncing lasers off that far wall.
Assembled spectral sensor, plugged into a preproduction Pickup! Got color sensing working, though it's still uncalibrated.
