Introducing: the MₓSystem [Metric-X-System]
The Mₓ-System adds dynamic design to any enterprise product, R&D project, or education program: material independent, scalable, metric and imperial standards, infinite possibilities…
Hardware mounting features are hard to predict and have a variety of hole distributions. This is what makes designs static and hard to manipulate down the road.
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Layer the hardware hole distribution over the Mx-System hole distribution, remove neighboring holes, and now you have a custom Mx-System plate that can be placed anywhere on a Mx-System grid.
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The different hole populations allow for different movement resolutions for quick adjustments. No more static designs that require days of redesign and part manufacturing.
The Mx-System: The Story - “never too hip to be square”
When I was younger I used to play popular computer games like the original MAXIS Sim City 2000, Sierra’s The Incredible Machine 2, and Cris Sawyers’ Roller Coaster Tycoon. These sandbox world-building games (prior to the popular Minecraft) allowed players to construct whole systems on a grid-like surface. I spent a lot of time fine-tuning pristine cityscapes, complex Rube Goldberg machines, and intricate theme parks making sure game elements aligned properly and that the overall design was clean. The quantized nature of a grid allowed just enough flexibility to be creative without getting lost in the details of the analog world.
The idea of grids and mounting features is not a new concept. Just look at LEGO® Technic™ pieces, Edmund Scientific optical tables, or Home Depot tool storage panels. What I did was align this engineering ethos with the already globally agreed upon scientific method (SI units), hence the Metric-X System. Using the metric system makes measurements easy and calculations simple. The “X“ represents the variable nature of hardware sizes like a M3 screw. Even though the system is based on metric elements, it’s still easily applicable to imperial units as well. The design algorithm is easy to apply and makes building things far simpler. The Mx-System is also material-independent. If a part is designed in plastic, the same design can be migrated to metal, carbon fiber, or wood.
I have designed quite a portfolio of parts thus far, but now Mx-System R&D is moving into PCB design, folded sheet metal, construction, and much more…
The Mx-System Lab: Research & Development
I’m always trying to solve new problems and integrate into already existing systems. The idea is to be as dynamic as possible and to play well with others (80/20, DIN Rail, optical tables):
A plate topology was developed that mixes both M3 and M6 hole populations together (5mm and 25mm) to accommodate electronic hardware mounting and structural load mounting. This plate will accommodate metric optical lab table spacing (25mm). With sheet metal, the M6 holes can be threaded for extra functionality.
The Mₓ-System uses cartesian coordinates by nature, but a polar coordinate system was developed for circular designs. Instead of just using square plates, circular or arc plates can be developed. You lose a degree of freedom by being locked in at a static radius 𝐫 value but are free to rotate parts a full 2𝛑 radians per fixed increment (increments vary due to the irrational nature of 𝛑).
A variable placement plate was developed for variation in either the 𝐱 or 𝐲 direction (metric slots run parallel to each other). The only downside to this design is structural integrity along the slotted path.
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The Mx-System and PCB Design.
The next evolution…coming soon!
Enterprise: Use Cases
Cobalt Robotics in Fremont California became the first Enterprise Corporation to employ the Mx-System in the R&D Lab, Test Engineering, and Production Floor. It was also used in a next-generation R&D Robot. The Mx-System saves companies a lot of time and money by streamlining the development cycle.
Education: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
The Mx-System has its roots grounded in STEM education (or STEAM). It was first used for an Amazon Lab 126 robotics challenge where students needed to design roaming LiDAR robots that would navigate an obstacle course. It was also used in a robotics tutoring program in which a former student did an Electrical Engineering internship with Lockheed Martin. Stay tuned for STEAM Engine Academic Mx-System kits coming to a classroom near you!