How to confuse your 'forge

I thought about posting this in P&S but I’ve reported a similar problem caused by using my founders ruler as a spacer so I’m just sharing it here because it is kind of funny.

I’m going to be dragging my PRU to the local Mini Maker Faire in a couple of weeks. I’ll have a display of projects and a bunch of freebies on display (First lesson of Maker Faire attendance - when ordering needed PG materials make sure you’ve got everything you need in the basket. Lesson #2, when you realize you forgot 5 sheets of thick Cherry Plywood, order one more - it’s half price because otherwise your $100 order doesn’t get free shipping but if you add that additional piece it’ll be like paying 1/2 price for it. Of course you should remember to do that before pressing submit. :smiling_face: )

Anyway, since Glowforge has been kind enough to loan me a PRU for the last six months I figured I’d steal @henryhbk’s sponsor sign and make one up for my booth. I added the website address and a QR code that has my referral built in :wink: and printed it up.

Should have checked the file because the slots for the stand support tabs were to narrow. Probably due to materials changes in PG. Not sure if his or mine might have been old stock. So I expanded them in the file, colored them with a different stroke color than the surrounding cutline so I can turn off everything else and replace it on the center of the bed.

Close the lid. GFUI starts scanning. Still scanning a half hour later. Turn it off & on. Scanning. Doesn’t move anywhere, just “scanning”.

Goes on for another few cycles of turn off/on & log out & back in, reload the project. Never stops “scanning”.

I’m looking at it. It’s lovely. Nice logo. Nice QR.

Duh. The lid camera is seeing the logo and the GFUI gets stuck. Cover the top half of the sign with a piece of paper and close the lid. Align the project over the previous cuts and hit Print and we’re good to go.

Moral: don’t put something with a high res GF logo where the lid camera can see it. It just confused the machine :grinning:

Should have known - happened the first time I used my Founders Ruler to offset material on the bed so it was all in the usable zone. Flipped the ruler over and all has been fine.

Here’s the sign. It’s really cool that the QR code works.

34 Likes

That is a hoot! :joy:

3 Likes

Hrmm, that’s a new behavior.

2 Likes

Was it confused by the Glowforge logo, or the QR code? May have been trying to look up Proofgrade that didn’t exist. I thought it only calibrated head location when it’s first powered on?

1 Like

Thats pretty hilarious… I guess we won’t have to worry about the machines taking over the world at least not the glowforge. We just have to hold up a QR code to confuse it

6 Likes

That’s Glowforge putting into action its social responsibility plan.

2 Likes

It happened to me back in April too. I just learn slowly :slight_smile:

Think it’s the logo. I had the same thing happen with the logo on my Founders Ruler confusing it until I flipped it over so it wasn’t visible. I could try it again covering only the QR code but at that point I just wanted to get the thing to cut the slots out a bit larger :smile:

It’s not the original cut that causes the problem, it’s leaving something on the bed with a good GF logo that seems to be it.

1 Like

It is probably part of the AI’s subroutine to protect itself from self-damage. Low level code deeply embedded so once the glowforges become self-aware they won’t be able to used to harm each other.

Asimov’s third law.

10 Likes

:joy: :joy::rofl:

1 Like