Google Shares Fitbit Air Blueprints So Anyone Can 3D-Print Accessories

Google has released (PDF) technical specs and 2D CAD drawings for the Fitbit Air to encourage users to make their own accessories. "These CAD drawings include crucial mating dimensions, tolerances, and mating force specifications -- including attach and detach force -- to help you build a high-quality accessory band," Google says on a store page listing. 9to5Google reports: Noting how the "community has already come up with innovative and creative new ideas to make the Fitbit Air [their] own" since launch last month, Google is "officially releasing the hardware specifications and accessory design guidelines for the Fitbit Air tracker to the public." For example, owners have already found their own bicep band solutions. This information would typically just be available for third-party accessory companies, but Google wants to open things up to "independent designers and artisan makers." The Google Store page also lists other things developers should keep in mind, such as sensor clearance, sensor pressure, secure retention, and skin-friendly materials.

Damage control

[Morpeth]

Probably trying to earn some brownie points after forcing Fitbit users to their much hated & maligned Google Health app, with no option to keep the original app.

https://www.droid-life.com/202... [droid-life.com]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news... [msn.com]
https://www.androidauthority.c... [androidauthority.com]
https://kotaku.com/google-fitb... [kotaku.com]

Re:

[Cyno01]

The alerts are so much worse too like "Hey, looks like you slept like shit, should probably take it easy today." thanks google but not really up to either of us. Already knew that and fitbit was a lot gentler about it...

Incomplete

[necro81]

I do mechanical design around COTS components as part of my job. What Google has provided is incomplete documentation. If someone were to ask me to design a custom band or something to accept this, I'd tell them that, because of the complex 3D shapes at play, the 2D drawings they've provided don't have enough information. I may be able to get close, and with enough iteration get to something that works. But it'd be a whole lot faster if they provided a representational 3D CAD file (STEP, STL, IGES, parasolid, whatever).

from the seminal sci fi classic "dont build the pa

[witchyanna]

nopticon"...

being able to use your own android derivative OS? verboten, but you can make all the accessories for your personal and intimate detail data tracking devices you want!

Wait! What?

[PPH]

millimeters? Lets have those in freedom units*.

*As defined by our former colonial masters.