Svelte Carbon Fiber Droid Dock?!?

[bkoz98]

I have seen the Droid docks available now and I been a bit disappointed so far. I have been thinking about making a custom dock out of woven carbon fiber (or woven black glass) for a while now, for a truly high-tech, stealth look and was wondering if anyone else might be interested in this as well.

The set-up and making the mold will be the initial time and monetary investment, but if anyone else is interested then it might be worthwhile. I would love to share my ideal, cutting edge, dock with you, and I am very interested in if anyone else would be interested in buying this kind of dock in the near future.

I am still in the concept phase now and my vision is an "airfoil" shaped base with a magnetic back support and solid mounted USB connection. Please let me know if you are interested in this concept, or if you have any other ideas or suggestions. If the interest is there, I will definitely fabricate and offer this design to those who are also interested.

 

[ttaylor0024]

oooo I love the stealth look Make it so a Droid with a case on it can fit and I would love you forever

 

[BucYouUp68]

If you build they will come, Sounds Great. Let me know when you have a Proto Type to test.

 

[ttaylor0024]

If you build they will come, Sounds Great. Let me know when you have a Proto Type to test.

Ditto

 

[bwsmith]

I think the most important part is making it compatable with hard cases. If you just make the back sliding with a tightening screw, you would make them universal. That would be a HUGE selling point and you would have me sold because then I could get the body glove case.

 

[skunkpbguy]

I think the most important part is making it compatable with hard cases. If you just make the back sliding with a tightening screw, you would make them universal. That would be a HUGE selling point and you would have me sold because then I could get the body glove case.

+1, I would love to keep my body glove on the phone overnight!

 

[bkoz98]

Composites are easily customizable, but it is much easier with epoxy versus set screws... As a trade-off, would anyone be more interested in having to set their custom configuration with 5 min, 2-part epoxy (for the USB plug), or having extra cost and set screws to accommodate a custom case? Also, the baseline would be pre-configured and set for the "naked" Droid.

 

[ttaylor0024]

Maby make one for naked droid and one for droids with cases...

 

[bkoz98]

Thank you for your honest responses and I am still on the fence myself. Right now, I will probably make a woven carbon-fiber dock or two for my own use, and then possibly offer the design on E-bay for anyone else who might be interested.

However, I am still only left with my vision of the ideal, high-tech, composite dock and I would be very interested in if anyone else has ideas on what it should look like or include.

My current fabrication scheme is a woven carbon fiber (or black fiberglass) construction with an angular airfoil type base (ref F-117 wing design) and a fixed USB connector and back support with magnets that automatically trigger the "MM dock mode".

I am an aerospace engineer myself, with a host of composite fabrication background, so the "sky" is the limit right now. (Until I take the next step and create molds and start the fabrication process.)

Please let me know if you might have any design suggestions! Otherwise, I plan to fabricate my current design and may offer it on E-Bay in the future.

 

[mecasull]

lol, i was sitting there hoping you knew what the hell you were getting into

you might be able to use like 3k black texalium on the surface layer or something like that to give it a little extra pop

 

[bkoz98]

lol, i was sitting there hoping you knew what the hell you were getting into

I appreciate you comments, and fully appreciate that composite fabrication definitely isn't trivial. I guess my thoughts here are due to my "inner geek" and previous experience. I am PhD level Aerospace engineer with years of experience taking (and teaching) composite fabrication classes and also personal experience designing, fabricating, and testing carbon fiber structures for future DOD satellites and spacecraft.

This project is an easy leap, as the focus is on an attractive woven fiber construction versus strict structural performance. I've been thinking about making a dock or two for myself, but if anyone else is interested as well, then the time and effort in fabrication would be much more worthwhile!

 

[Bg8780]

I would definitely buy one!

 

[mecasull]

I picked that up from your other post...was just commenting that i was glad you knew what was involved... not sure your CV was needed, but whatever...

 

[inssane]

Thank you for your honest responses and I am still on the fence myself. Right now, I will probably make a woven carbon-fiber dock or two for my own use, and then possibly offer the design on E-bay for anyone else who might be interested.

However, I am still only left with my vision of the ideal, high-tech, composite dock and I would be very interested in if anyone else has ideas on what it should look like or include.

My current fabrication scheme is a woven carbon fiber (or black fiberglass) construction with an angular airfoil type base (ref F-117 wing design) and a fixed USB connector and back support with magnets that automatically trigger the "MM dock mode".

I am an aerospace engineer myself, with a host of composite fabrication background, so the "sky" is the limit right now. (Until I take the next step and create molds and start the fabrication process.)

Please let me know if you might have any design suggestions! Otherwise, I plan to fabricate my current design and may offer it on E-Bay in the future.

That sounds awesome!
You probably know, but real carbon fibre cut can be expensive as a component and the fake stuff looks...fake. People here can appreciate craftsmanship, but still have a budget. Ebay people just want cheap things (for the most part, you know what I mean).
So long as cost is in line, I think you have a winner.

If you are able to offer a conversion kit to turn it into a car dock as well, that would really take off (no pun intended). People have already used these in the car.

Also to help launch this product, offering people on this board a discount would be a winner, and we could talk it up, assuming it's a great product, will also help you out a ton.
Nick

 

[PetiePal]

If you make this and it fits my Droid with the rubberized Verizon case I've got I'd buy one in an instant, and so would a bunch of my friends lol.

All you'd need to do is make the microUSB adjustable from fitting a "naked" Droid to extending a little bit to fit ones with cases.

 

[ptfd9100]

This looks nice? I might give it a try.

http://www.seidioonline.com/product-p/bd2-crdcsr2mtdd-bk.htm

 

[Kirch21]

Maby make one for naked droid and one for droids with cases...

I like the thought of this rather than making it adjustable