Hardware Podcasts

Ep 327: A Ploopy Knob, Rube-Goldberg Book Scanner, Hard Drives And Power Grids Oscillating Out Of Control

Hackaday Podcast · 3 Jul 2025 · 1h 09m · Episode 327

What this episode covers

Hosts Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review the Ploopy Knob, an open-source precision knob by Colin that uses a large bearing and magnetic encoder, sparking debate about the lack of open parametric CAD formats. They analyze Matthias Wandle’s pneumatic standing desk, noting its unique gas-strut mechanism and sync tapes, and Maya Posh’s guide to time-series databases like Grafana and Victoria Metrics for data logging. The episode also covers Brad Matson’s automated book scanner, Cornell students’ audio localization and robot dog projects, and Hendrick’s electroplated 3D prints. Finally, they discuss the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout, attributing it to low-inertia grid-following solar inverters causing oscillations.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cornell University, Edison Motors, Alcatel
Products
Ploopy Knob
Chips
RP2040 Pico
Tools
Grafana, Victoria Metrics
Materials
PVB
Also
Matthias Wandle, Maya Posh, Brad Matson, Hendrick, Raymond Chen, Janet Jackson, Brendan Gregg, Solar Wobbles to Cascade Failures

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