Any manufacturing engineers?

[Jessy Kang]

If you are looking for a low capital Bitcoin project with an insanely high, skill based barrier to entry (for the other guys) I got a fun freebie.

[hugolp]

If you are looking for a low capital Bitcoin project with an insanely high, skill based barrier to entry (for the other guys) I got a fun freebie.

You might want to specify what kind of engineering is required. Engineering is very broad with a lot of specialities and different types of skills.

[Jessy Kang]

You might want to specify what kind of engineering is required. Engineering is very broad with a lot of specialities and different types of skills.

Really? I didn't know that. But they all wear stripped overalls and drive a train right?

[hugolp]

Really? I didn't know that.

I really can not tell if you are being ironic or not. Anyways, it would be a good idea to list the required areas of expertise. A mechanical engineer has a very different set of skill than an electronic engineer.

But they all wear stripped overalls and drive a train right?

Yes, this is absolutely true. And thanks for not mention the compulsive masturbatory disorders.

[Jessy Kang]

I really can not tell if you are being ironic or not.

Yes, after all of the threads that we both have participated in- you really think I am that clueless.

Anyways, it would be a good idea to list the required areas of expertise. A mechanical engineer has a very different set of skill than an electronic engineer.

So, you popped in with the helpful (if condescending) advice that the criteria should not be experience, or area of practice (manufacturing in the case)- but their specific degree?

So I should not ask for a LAMP admin but for a "Computer Scientist"?

Ah yes, BitCoin.org forums, we don't know how to make money with it, and if you try to discuss real world business applications we'll shout you down with irrelevant garbage.

[hugolp]

Yes, after all of the threads that we both have participated in- you really think I am that clueless.

So, you popped in with the helpful (if condescending) advice that the criteria should not be experience, or area of practice (manufacturing in the case)- but their specific degree?

So I should not ask for a LAMP admin but for a "Computer Scientist"?

I just looked up the term "manufacturing engeneering" and I understand now. We dont use a similar word for that in my language, so I did not understand.

Ah yes, BitCoin.org forums, we don't know how to make money with it, and if you try to discuss real world business applications we'll shout you down with irrelevant garbage.

Friendly advice: Drop the attitude.

[Jessy Kang]

Now the forum lives on histeria, its even stressing. I believe that the trolls are doing their job mocking everybody, confusing people and basically getting everyone angry. This tension is transmited and we start talking to each other more aggressively. Its not good. I myself am guilty of this, and regret the tone of some comentaries I have made lately.

Yup

[Jessy Kang]

Huh, no dice. Okay, well it does require programming so somewhere there's going to be some one who is a bit of a maker/hobbyist with the right skill set to pull it off. It's just not me or anything I know- but why let it go to waste

Check this thread here

Lot of derp, but I'll give a rough outline of some of the factors effecting Bitcoin startups in general, and Adult Chat services in particular.

Summery: a startup that is simply copying an established business model, just with Bitcoin as an alternate form of payment is not viable- at least in the Adult niche. You need an Unique Selling Proposition.

The advantage of Bitcoin is it lowers startup costs and hassles because you don't have to deal with merchant accounts and processing. At this point due to adoption hurdles it is better suited to accepting payments from a small number of repeat customers, rather than a large number of new ones.

So, for a technical type, without a huge amount of capital, what they need is a unique product or service they can produce with their existing skill set, but sell to a lucrative niche. Something that they don't have, that has technical barriers sufficient that others are probably better off buying (or leasing) the original product. I know a few things like this, but here's one:

Sex Waldo NSFW (mods: how to handle?)

The lady I used to work for, whom I learned the business from built this. The site describes it well, but basically it gives you a web interface so you can use a dildo (sex machine, whatever) with real time motion mapping to a mouse, over the Internet with a video live feed. So clients are not just paying per minute to passively watch- they get to actually do the deed (well their hand does). To say you can charge vastly more for this than normal chat is a huge understatement. Being able to penetrate someone, anywhere in the world with a slide of your mouse- is a lucrative (if disturbing) bit of tech.

I still have the working unit and Linux control box. I *think* I have most of the specs somewhere or can at least read part numbers. The lady who
made it is out of the Adult scene so I can't get more specific info on how she made it.

A client of mine who is an engineer had a good look at it, said it would not be very difficult to reverse engineer, but suggested that an "embedded controller could be potted and used for remote subscription authentication" which seems to mean the entire device could be secured and leased to a cam studio at a monthly rate? Which is an interesting idea.

I think it's a neat project for a tech, who is smart enough not to want to muck about with Adult marketing, site design, affiliates, models and that whole nightmare- it's almost a pure engineering to Bitcoin project.

Just to be clear, I am not selling anything, pitching, looking for partners etc. If anyone wants to go ahead (and is qualified enough that I won't be wasting my time) I'll be happy lend what assistance I can. If you make one you are welcome to use the existing site- it is quite old and will place very well on the Google. No charge, as there is nothing significant I can do to help, but if you do use her design- please give her a credit.

[ColdHardMetal]

Hah, that's a great idea. I thought of something like that years ago, but had absolutely no skills/resources/connections in that area so I never got around to chasing it down.

I expect the upside would be pretty huge though.

[hugolp]

I could do this. When I googled "manufacturing engineer" I saw pictures of robots building cars and big automation stuff. But this is a small project and its doable. Im sure I would have problems with the mechanichal parts, but since its already designed it should not be difficult to put together, and getting the electronic and programming parts working is my thing. No problem there, I could even do it wireless so there are no cables going around.

What I dont understand is the business model. So you dont want to produce and sell this things, you want to lease them? It might work for a while but you are just screaming for competition if the thing has success. Its not that hard to build for a company that has a couple of half-competent engineers.

But lets assume that business model. What I dont understand is this: Why do you need a box to have authentification in itself? Why not charge a monthly fee to the business that its using them. The business would pay a fee to have the machine for a month, it would connect the machine to the computer (USB, serial, wireless, ...) and a computer program would connect the webpage server to the machine so the customer could control the machine from his (or her) web browser. The programs would be included with the lease of the machine.

[wumpus]

Sex Waldo NSFW (mods: how to handle?)

Haha, interactive web cams with remote-controlled sex machines. The idea is sick and disturbing enough, that it'd probably work :p And technically it wouldn't be *that* hard, it's only a 1 DoF "manipulator".

If you wanted to get really crazy you could hook up a kinect controller and emulate the real thing 

I could do this. When I googled "manufacturing engineer" I saw pictures of robots building cars and big automation stuff. But this is a small project and its doable.

Yes it is still within the scope of a http://hackaday.com/ project.

It might work for a while but you are just screaming for competition if the thing has success.

Isn't that the case with any business? You'd have some kind of first-mover advantage, though. And the adult industry is not exactly something most tech companies want to get in to for image reasons.

[hugolp]

If you wanted to get really crazy you could hook up a kinect controller and emulate the real thing  

You know, this is actually a great idea. I can imagine the guy with a flashlight (or however they are called) moving like he is fucking the girl, the kinect reading his movements and transpiting them to the webpage so the machine follows the movements of the guy (or girl). It would be like the first step towards internet "real" sex, kind of like virtual reality.

That said, I dont know how lazy are the people that connect to this services. Maybe they just like to watch and not move. Who knows.

EDIT: And philosphically speaking, where is the limit? where does the sex worker stops being a stripper and becomes a (virtual?) prostitute? Not that the distinction matters, but Im curious.

[benjamindees]

This field is known as teledildonics.  And according to this Dutch article, the term for a nerd who builds remote-controlled dildos is, ironically, "sexpert".

Small marginal comment: Kinect seem less well able register genitals. The pattern that Kinect uses to collect data has been made complete bodies in the control of video use games. Genitals are generally no large geometrical component of the human body. Do not become them uses in videogames, explains Machulis.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamez.nl%2Fnieuws%2F32613--interactieve-porno-kinect-voor-kerst-.html&lp=nl_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

[wumpus]

BTW as this is a Jessy Kang topic I wonder why remote controlled "torture equipment" such as shock collars, restraints, chastity belts etc haven't come up yet. It would cater more to her demographic as whorish oriental despot :-)

Genitals are generally no large geometrical component of the human body

[hugolp]

This field is known as teledildonics.  And according to this Dutch article, the term for a nerd who builds remote-controlled dildos is, ironically, "sexpert".

Small marginal comment: Kinect seem less well able register genitals. The pattern that Kinect uses to collect data has been made complete bodies in the control of video use games. Genitals are generally no large geometrical component of the human body. Do not become them uses in videogames, explains Machulis.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamez.nl%2Fnieuws%2F32613--interactieve-porno-kinect-voor-kerst-.html&lp=nl_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

You dont really need the genitals, just the shape of the body pounding. With that you can make the machine follow the rythm, changes in the rythm, pauses, etc... that the guy (or girl) is following.

Wonder if this thing would have even more success with woman. I have heard quite a few times from (mostly heterosexual) woman that they would like to know how it feels to penetrate another woman.

[twobits]

Hmm...   I work with a company that does lab automation robotics.   Right now we are waiting for some contracts to come in, and have some idle capacity.   Making it does not seem to be too hard.   Is there really a demand for such and thing and people willing to use it?   I also wonder a bit about any potential liabilities and if it would need UL/CE  marks?   I guess I am not really sure I understand the business model,  it seems the site basically promotes group video conferences where one member has this machine and gives control of it to a person at a time in the conference while  charging an entrance fee into the conference?  So, the idea would be to sell and/or lease this machine to someone willing to host these conferences and set the machine up to be able to be controlled such that it entered them?

[jerfelix]

Sex Waldo NSFW (mods: how to handle?)

I carefully studied the video (several times), and I just can't see where the guy in the striped overalls comes in to play.  Perhaps this device is similar to the cams on a train....

Seriously, this looks like an interesting project.  Not quite for me, but still interesting.

Meanwhile, I think it's important to capture this quote from the BitCams thread:
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=20984.msg281011#msg281011

Remember your post in 6 months when BitCams.com is the largest bitcoin website. I actually think webcams are the perfect medium for bitcoins, and everyone will see why..

We all can check in with BitCams on Christmas Day, to see if he's captured 10% of the online porn market (or is the largest bitcoin website).  Maybe with a Waldo-type device he'll get the market penetration that he's looking for.  Clearly if he installed a device like this, with a built in camera, business would be looking up.  

[dooglus]

Maybe with a Waldo-type device he'll get the market penetration that he's looking for.

Maybe with a device like this the market will be able to penetrate him.

[UniverseMan]

Its not that hard to build for a company that has a couple of half-competent engineers.

The design might be patentable, which would provide protection against that kind of quick competition.

If you wanted to get really crazy you could hook up a kinect controller and emulate the real thing 

You know, this is actually a great idea. I can imagine the guy with a flashlight (or however they are called) moving like he is fucking the girl, the kinect reading his movements and transpiting them to the webpage so the machine follows the movements of the guy (or girl). It would be like the first step towards internet "real" sex, kind of like virtual reality.

Why not create a corresponding fake vagina with sensors? Rather than control with the mouse, a man could directly control the action with his penis. Seems that would simulate internet sex much better than humping the air in front of a pervy staring Kinect.

[FatherMcGruder]

I am a mechanical engineer and I know my way around Inventor pretty well. I'm familiar with manufacturing environments and I often interface with machinists in the course of producing prototypes and custom manufacturing equipment. I'd consider contributing to such a project.