Got an unruly swarm of robots that needs taming? Whip them into shape with this multitouch control interface by Mark Micire of UMass Lowell. [via BotJunkie]
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Multitouch robot swarm controller
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/multitouch_robot_swarm_controller.html
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August 26 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Silicon fish swim via electrostatic actuators
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/silicon_fish_swim_via_electrostatic.html
Over on Make: Japan, Takumi Funada found this neat electronic fish. Looks tasty! Er, I mean, looks realistic!
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August 20 2010, 1:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Inchworm walker with clever analog control hack
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/inchworm_walker_with_clever_analog.html
Electronically, this dude is nothing but a battery pack, a servo, and a direction control switch. Mechanically, it's just as simple: A couple of rulers for legs, some Tupperware for feet, and a few odd bits of hardware. Oh, yes: And a comb.with a row of teeth broken out for a two-way limit switch. Details in this tutorial by Insctructables community manager Randy Sarafan.
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August 16 2010, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Dennis Hong's 7 species of robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/dennis_hongs_7_species_of_robot.html
TEDxNASA speaker and Virginia Tech professor Dennis Hong describes the robots that he and his students are working on. [Via Fay]
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August 14 2010, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Here come the stylish Scandinavian flying spycams
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/here_come_the_stylish_scandinavian.html
ScanCam is a Norwegian semi-autonomous quadrotor drone that lives in a little mailbox-like home to keep it from the harsh elements and to recharge it.
The quadrotors can launch, recover, and recharge themselves at their huts (or "hangars" I guess), and when it snows (which I hear it doesn't do once or twice a year), the bots can stay snug at home, enjoying their stylish furnishings which you can find at your friendly neighborhood IKEA as part of the new Röböüüüt collection.
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August 12 2010, 7:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Make tracks with some PVC pipe and bike chain
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/make_tracks_with_some_pvc_pipe_and.html
Let's Make Robotics user robodevil built these good-looking homemade tracks for their robot, using a bike chain, a piece of plastic pipe, and some extra hardware. Now I want to see them in action!
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August 10 2010, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Telerobotic Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/telerobotic_rock_em_sock_em_robots.html
Just when you thought Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots couldn't get any cooler, makers Zachery Shivers and Anne Flinchbaugh go ahead and add a bunch of servos, a custom controller board, and some fancy sensor-laden wireless watches from TI to allow you to control your robot remotely. As an entry to the Texas Instruments Co-op Design Challenge, the souped-up game uses sensor readings from a pair of Chronos watches worn by each opponent to control their respective robot. [via BotJunkie]
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August 6 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Bristle (broom) Bot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/bristle_broom_bot.html
Bill Gurstelle had a broom-based Bristlebot at Maker Faire Austin, but I never saw it in action. This one was built by Gregg Horton. He has an Instructable that shows you how he did it. Seems like you could easily add some sort of bumpers or other obstacle avoidance rigging so that you wouldn't need to do as much footwork. I love how it looks sort of like an over-eager Scottie dog at some points in the videos.
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Our Bristlebot coverage on MAKEIn the Maker Shed:
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BrushBot kit
Build your own scuttling vibrobot with our BrushBot kit from the Maker Shed. BrushBots are easy to make, fun to build, and easy to personalize. You will find all the parts needed to build 4 BrushBots in each kit.- Tags:
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August 3 2010, 12:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Sterylite6000, a shoebox robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/sterylite6000_a_shoebox_robot.html
On Let's Make Robots: This clever walking robot by George Collins of Sherman Oaks, CA, that uses a plastic shoebox as an enclosure.
Sterylite6000 is a large and somewhat unusual robot. Originally it was designed to use only six servos. This worked resonably well, but did not get good ground clearance on the back legs. Not it has four servos, one added to each ankle. So now it is big, fast, and can cover very rough ground. It weighs almost 11 lbs, which is pretty heavy for a walking robot.
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Another unusual feature of Sterylite6000 is that its frame is a plastic shoebox. It gets its name from the plastic maker, plus "6000" because it originally had six servos. Another unusual feature is that it gets its ground clearance from two really stron robozone servos mounted on either side. For sensors, Sterylite6000 has a compass to help it go a particular direction.
Sterylite won second place in the walker challenge at Robogames in 2010.- Tags:
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July 31 2010, 8:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Simple Bots: Barreller
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/simple_bots_barreller.html
I love miniball bots and other types of ballbots where the electronics and mechanics are housed inside and the vehicle "navigates" by rolling around and bouncing off of stuff. Here's the same basic idea, inside a cylinder (a clear paint can). It's the Barreller, by Randy Sarafan.
The way the continuous rotation servo is used and the use of the paintbrush handles as the "eccentric" weight are innovative. This is just one step up from a basic vibrobot, in terms of build complexity. And like a vibrobot, this would be a fun project to do with kids. It's just complicated enough for them to feel like they've really accomplished something, while being quick enough to maintain their attention.
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July 30 2010, 12:15am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Hypotrochoid-drawing robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/hypotrochoid-drawing_robot.html
Agnewgraph I is a device that traces Spirograph curves (technically, hypotrochoids). Unlike other systems that compute and plot hypotrochoids mathematically, Agnewgraph I operates a physical Spirograph much as a human being does. In order to do so, Agnewgraph I contains two electromechanical subsystems--a force-sensing pen and a pen transport mechanism--plus a Parallax Propeller chip as the brains.
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The force-sensing pen consists of a pen mounted to an upside-down analog joystick. The joystick has springs to return it to its neutral position. A force exerted at the pen tip will displace the joystick from neutral. Measuring the resistances of the joystick's potentiometers yields a fair approximation of the force vector at the pen tip. (As it happens, the joystick's springs are not stiff enough for Spirographic purposes so I augmented them with some rubber bands.)
The pen transport mechanism consists of two improvised linear actuators, each consisting of a stepper motor, some aluminum tubing, and some Kevlar thread wound around the motor shaft. The actuators pivot around two fixed points and they meet at the pen.- Tags:
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July 24 2010, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Teaching a robot to flip pancakes
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/teaching_a_robot_to_flip_pancakes.html
Dr Petar Kormushev and Dr Sylvain Calinon from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed a robot learning to flip pancakes. The skill is first demonstrated through kinesthetic teaching, where the user grasps and moves the robot to provide an initial example of flipping the pancake. During demonstration, the robot is gravity-compensated to move it easily as if it had no weight. The pancake flipping skill is then refined by reinforcement learning, which allows the robot to reproduce the task in different configurations and positions by extracting automatically the important characteristics of the skill. After 50 trials, the robot learns that the first part of the task requires a stiff movement to throw the pancake in the air and make it flip, while the second part requires the hand to be compliant in order to catch the pancake without having it bounce off the pan.
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July 23 2010, 10:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Building a robot arm from foam
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/building_a_robot_arm_from_foam.html
Larry wrote in to share his project, the LarryArm v0.1. It's a simple robotic arm built using foam, some glue, and three servos, and can be constructed in a few hours. Not bad for £15!
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July 16 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
TRRSTAN, the audio controlled cellbot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/trrstan_the_audio_controlled_cellbo.html
The folks over at cellbots.com are at it again. Meet TRRSTAN, a cellbot controlled via the audio jack on a mobile handset. The site is a little vague on the details, but whatever they've got going on should ultimately drive down the price tag. Add an approachable way to program it and you'd have yourself one heck of a low-cost robotics platform.
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July 15 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Hand-cast robot with geared steering
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/hand-cast_robot_with_geared_steerin.html
Robot maker Michal Zalewski sent word that his latest attempt at cat befuddlement, the tinybot mk III, has been meticulously documented and awaits your perusal. Of interest are the geared steering, relatively low-cost components, and the fact that each gear was custom designed, machined, and manually cast in his home workshop. [Thanks, Michal!]
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July 12 2010, 5:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Talking with a robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/talking_with_a_robot.html
Talking with a robot...
NYTimes National correspondent Amy Harmon sits down to talk with the Bina48 about what it's like to be a robot.
The robot is a "digital back up" of a real someone... wait, did the robot say "conspire to take over the planet"? Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Robotics | Digg this!- Tags:
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July 11 2010, 6:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Modular CNC can be reconfigured as a wheeled cart
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/modular_cnc_can_be_reconfigured_as.html
MAKE subscriber Nick Santillan of Vancouver, BC, wrote in to share a video of his Red Blue CNC, a prototype which we posted about a couple months ago. The video highlights the ease of assembly and configuration of the machine. It's assembled and disassembled with a single wrench, and can be configured as a wheeled cart for easy transport. (Also see it use its steppers to play the Tetris theme song.)
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July 2 2010, 10:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
A room full of dancing Nao robots
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/a_room_full_of_dancing_nao_robots.html
The Aldebaran Robotics Nao robot is highly expressive and is quite the sight to see by itself. Each Nao robot is about the size of a small child and can interact with users through multiple sensory input. Now imagine a room full of 20 Nao robots dancing in unison. A most impressive, er, feat indeed. [via GeekyGadgets]
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June 30 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Programmable Origami
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/programmable_origami.html
A group of researchers from Harvard and MIT have pushed us closer to a world of programmable matter. Their approach is a self-folding surface that can take on almost any shape. The above video from ScienceMag shows the surface turning into a small sailboat and paper plane. [via slashdot]
Based on the ancient art of origami, the sheets are edged by foil actuators--thin, solid-state motors--that contract or expand when they receive an electric current from flexible electronic circuits embedded in the sheets. After they achieve their preprogrammed shape, the sheets are held in place by tiny magnets on the edges of the fold joints.
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June 29 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Robot takes cue, learns to play pool
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/robot_takes_cue_learns_to_play_pool.html
The folks at Willow Garage taught their p2r robot to play pool. Pretty impressive feat for only one week of work:
With only a small team of developers and a week's worth of development, the PR2 can now play pool! The "Poolshark" team started last Monday and began making shots on Friday. The PR2 won't be hustling you in pool halls anytime soon, but it pocketed five shots on Friday before the team decided it was time to celebrate.
[via technabob]
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June 19 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Humanoid with quad-Roomba drive
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/humanoid_with_quad-roomba_drive.html
Via Hizook comes this QuadDrive Roomba robot from the University of Bonn's Autonomous Intelligent Systems Lab (NimbRo@Home). Check out the (German-language) video to see how the Roomabs move in unison via four servos connect to the base of the bot. And as Hizook points out, built on four Roombas, this is a bot that cleans as it goes! And the resulting humanoid doesn't look anything like a creepy character from Clockwork Orange.
Roomba QuadDrive: A Whimsicle Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Base Created From 4 Roombas
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June 18 2010, 12:15am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Robot videos from Chiba Institute of Technology
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/robot_videos_from_chiba_institute_o.html
The robotics department of the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan recently set up a Youtube Channel, to show off the fruits of their labor. They have some pretty impressive creations on display, such as the ridable Hyperion 4 legged robot, and the crazy looking jumping robot. Cool stuff! [via neatorama]
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Maker Faire Moments, Bay Area 2010- Tags:
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June 17 2010, 1:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Grbl, an Arduino-based g-code interpreter
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/grbl_an_arduino-based_g-code_interp.html
I'm knee deep in software development for a couple of motion control projects, and have had the feeling that I've been re-inventing the wheel for a while. Well, I wish I would have found grbl sooner. It appears to be a mostly complete implementation of the g-code standard, written to run on an Atmega328-based Arduino.
Which, if you prefer English, means that it is a program that runs on everyone's favorite easy-to-use microcontroller, that can precisely control up to 3 stepper motors at a time, using a standard protocol that most computer automated manufacturing programs can export. So, you can use it to control a low-cost milling machine, 3d printer, or perhaps biological specimen observation station. Cool! [thanks, Marty!]
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June 14 2010, 9:15pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Speedy micromouse maps, navigates course
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/speedy_micromouse_maps_navigates_co.html
The micromouse competition might not be anything new, but I'm constantly amazed by the awesome performance that competitors manage to squeeze out of these tiny bots. Shown above is, it appears, the Bee robot by Japanese builder Kato-san. [via iheartrobotics]
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May 31 2010, 6:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Mindstorms with friends
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/mindstorms_with_friends.html
Spencer G, and his pals Laeo and Ava, built these nifty Mindstorm robots to wander around the living room. His Kid NXT blog is a hoot!
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May 27 2010, 4:47pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Chess-playing robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/chess-playing_robot.html
Photo: Billy BaqueDel Hatch, who was at the Faire last year showing off his Mendocino Solar Motor, made a big splash again this year with his chess playing robot, which uses an off-the-shelf sensory chess board and robot arm together with the open-source chess engine GNUChess.
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May 27 2010, 9:26am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
An iris by any other name?
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/an_iris_by_any_other_name.html
Right, so, here's a question for the nomenclaturally aware mechanical engineers in the audience. Last weekend, I was exposed to two equally awesome objects that include radially-opening apertures that I call "irises." The first, to left, is Alan Rorie's Aperture Lamp, which includes an adjustable opening to control the amount of light it emits. The second, to right, is Christopher Schaie's brass peephole cover. Note the significant difference between these two mechanisms: Alan's has thin leaves that overlap, Christopher's has thicker leaves that do not overlap. Now here's my question: Are there distinct names for these two mechanisms? And if so, what are they?
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May 24 2010, 12:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
CRT-equipped robot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/crt-equipped_robot.html
David "daqq" Gustafik from Bratislava, Slovakia wrote in with this excellent robot. It uses mostly harvested parts, including old motors pulled from an East German printer. But the centerpiece of the design is a tiny monochrome CRT.
The CRT tube itself is a Tungsram DG7-123. It's an old CRT, meant primarily for scopes. It's got an indirectly heated cathode, all plates separated, and a lot of nice features. It's also quite sensitive. If you're familiar with the Tesla 7QR20 you might recognize this as the more advanced version. Physically they look identical, but the Tesla 7QR20 had a directly heated cathode, two plates connected together with the anode, and something else bad. I got it on an electronics flea market in Bratislava I visit often.
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Providing support for the CRT proved to be quite difficult - not only were magnetic fields a problem (various picture distortions), also it needed to be in a specific angled position so the user could see the picture. Oh, and it's also very fragile, which meant no screws. In the end I chose a simple solution - the basis of the holder is a plate from an ancient hard drive. The bottom is slightly bent and has two M4 holes drilled into it - for attaching the whole plate onto the main chassis. The disk was chosen also for convenience - it's got a nice little hole in the middle - which is almost exactly of the same diameter as the main body of the tube, just a little bigger.- Tags:
- Robotics
May 19 2010, 3:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Tortellini the Turtle Bot
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/tortellini_the_turtle_bot.html
We're going to be doing a more thorough round-up of some of the other amazing entries in the Make: Robot Build, but we wanted to give a special shout-out to Jasmine (11) and her dad Shane's truly unique project, Tortellini the Turtle Bot. As we said, the judging was really hard because we had so many impressive entries. Tortellini came in 4th, only by a tenth of a point!
There are so many things to like about Tortellini, from the thermoformed, very turtle-looking, CD shell, to the unique walking gate, to the vision system (I get a chuckle every time Tortellini yanks his head back and forth). Check out the YouTube video of Tortellini doing his robo-tortoise traversing of an obstacle course. Here are some technical details from the contest submission form:
Using a mini-CD as a base, four gear motors actuate the legs. The motors only are operated in the forward directly allowing the use of a single quad H-Bridge. The walking motion is realized by a offset rotation on top and a sliding pivot point in the middle of the leg. Rubber grommets were used as feet to increase traction and decrease noise. Due to the lack of a 3.3V H-bridge, 2 Li-ion batteries were used and regulated to 5 V with a 7805. Four photo reflector sensors are used to note top dead center for the legs to control the gait. Walking is achieved by moving diagonal pairs 180 degrees out of phase. In addition, a servo motor controls the direction of the head which has a higher power IR LED and photo transistor pair.
A PIC 16F690 is used for contol. Four Digital Outputs control individual PWM for the motors through a 500 usec interrupt routine. This is also used to create the pulse for servo motor which is the 5th output. To save I/Os, all sensors are powered continually from the 5V regulated supply. This, along with the decision to only run the motors forward, saved 10 outputs and a driver chip. A six pin header was added to be able to program the micro by removing the top board with a Pickit 2.Heartfelt congrats to Jasmine and Shane for such an incredible job. If you guys do any more robot builds, or other tech projects together, please send them our way. We're so impressed by Jasime and expect great things from her! Keep in touch.
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The Make: Robot Build
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May 16 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Hexapod Dance-Off
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/hexapod_dance-off.html
Check out this video from the 5th Annual Austrian Hexapod Dance-Off. The Hexapod moves are sure expressive. [via BotJunkie]
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May 12 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
RoboGames 2010 "Greatest Hits" high-speed music mideo
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/robogames_2010_greatest_hits_high-s.html
The greatest hits from RoboGames 2010, recorded at 300fps using the Casio Exilim EX-F1 camera, and set to music... Thanks, Robert!
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May 8 2010, 6:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Make: Robot Build deadline extended!
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/make_robot_build_deadline_extended.html
JesterVineo's awesome HUL-10 2.0 -- that's right, he and his kids built TWO coasterbots!
We've decided to extend the deadline on the Make: Robot Build, until Monday, May 10, 11:59pm PDT. We've seen a number of amazing projects in the works and wanted to make sure everyone has time to submit their entries. This will give you another whole weekend to finish up!We know of some folks who bought Jameco parts bundles but haven't gotten around to building their bot yet. Here's your chance. And remember, anybody who submits a finished bot gets a Maker's Notebook, courtesy of Maker Shed.
Full details on the build and links to all of the program's content on the Robot Build Landing Page.
And the Submission Form can be found here.
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May 5 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Controlling a robot with the Emotiv EEG headset
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/controlling_a_robot_with_the_emotiv.html
Robert Oschler (Boise, Idaho), of RobotsRule and the creator of Robodance, the robot control software, is about to release version 5.0 of his software. In this sneak peek video, he shows us how he uses the Emotiv EPOC headset to control a WowWee Rovio.
Here's a link to the article that explains how he used the Emotiv SDK to create the link between the EPOC headset and Robodance.
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Tan Le demos mind-controller on Marvin Minsky- Tags:
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May 5 2010, 6:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Maple seed-inspired flying vehicle
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/maple_seed-inspired_flying_vehicle.html
When we did our Alex Rider contest, one of the kids proposed a tiny spy cam built into a faux maple leaf one could launch with a slingshot. We thought it was a clever idea. Some researchers at the University of Maryland's Dept. of Aerospace Engineering were similarly inspired by samara seed pods and created the RoboSeed.
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May 4 2010, 9:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Robot learns to balance on ball, bears facing unemployment
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/robot_learns_to_balance_on_ball_bea.html
Japanese roboticists Dr. Masaaki Kumagai and Takaya Ochiai built this impressive self-balancing robot. Called BallIP, or Ball Inverted Pendulum, it balances on a bowling ball, and is able to travel laterally as well as forward and backward, due to its omnidirectional drive train. It apparently uses both gyroscopes and accelerometers to detect its inclination, and works in a similar manner to an inverted pendulum robot. [via boingboing]
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April 30 2010, 4:15pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Make: Robot Build, making wheels from "coasters"
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/make_robot_build_making_wheels_from.html
One of the things we've loved about the Make: Robot Build is the innovative ways in which people have approached the CD media build material. We've mentioned this already, but I think this is so sweet, the way Steve Joiner used a CD spindle to create a cutting jig and then cut a series of CDs down to create some really nice wheels, with wide rubber bands for tires.
BTW: The 7th Robot Build newsletter has gone out to subscribers. We're now in the final phase of the contest, final building and project submission. If you have a bot for the contest and it's ready to go, please submit it ASAP. The deadline is May 7th, but we can use the time, if your bot is ready, to begin the evaluation.
And don't forget: Everybody that submits a build gets a free Maker's Notebook!
See all the details about the contest on the Make: Robot Build landing page.
You can find the contest entry form here.
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April 29 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Making books with robots at Harvard Bookstore
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/making_books_with_robots_at_harvard.html
Popping into Harvard Bookstore proves to be a delightful treat. Being greeted by the old bookstore smell as you enter the door is intoxicating enough, but imagine my surprise finding one of the owners in the back making books on their new Espresso Book Machine 2.0 from On Demand Books, LLC.
Harvard Bookstore Co-owner Linda Seamonson was gracious enough to walk through the automated process, which starts with either a press-ready PDF (if you're self-publishing) or by selecting from literally millions of public domain titles available through the ODB catalog, including books found on the Google Books website.
Dubbed "Paige M. Gutenborg", the Harvard Bookstore's EBM 2.0 is capable of producing a library-quality perfect bound paperback book in four minutes. Below is a video of the process from the On Demand Books website:
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April 29 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Remote-controlled "RoboPlow"
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/remote_controlled_roboplow.html
Rob Klinkey (Charles, IL) built this scrappy (scrapey?) little R/C snow plow with a 50" blade, 6-wheel drive, 660 amps of power, 10 watts of LED lights for night plowing, and an on-board webcam. I like how it looks like a cross between a gas grill and a coffin.
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From the pages of MAKE:
MAKE Volume 22, Remote Control Everything
Automate your world with remote control. From pet care to power outlets, from toys to telepresence, we'll show you how to add a joystick, push-button, twist-knob, or timer to just about anything. Don't forget, subscribers can always read the digital edition here.- Tags:
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April 27 2010, 12:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Make: Robot Build project submissions
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/make_robot_build_project_submission.html
Becky's preliminary robot build. Note the use of a sewing bobbin as an idler wheel.We're absolutely thrilled with the response we've gotten to the Make: Robot Build! The participation on the Forums, Flickr, and on contestants' personal project blogs has been so inspiring. We've heard from a lot of people that this project inspired them to finally get off their behinds to learn basic robotics, microcontrollers, basic programming, etc.
Now we've entered into the final build and submissions period. This runs through the final contest deadline of May 7th, but if you've already completed your bot, why wait? Please go ahead and submit your form as soon as your robot is finito. It's going to take us awhile to evaluate them all.
And don't forget: Everybody that submits a build get's a free Maker's Notebook!
See all the details about the contest on the Make: Robot Build landing page.
You can find the contest entry form here.
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April 26 2010, 6:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Gorgeous CoasterBot build
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/gorgeous_coasterbot_build.html
Spotted on the MAKE Flickr pool is this wonderful rendering of a CoasterBot, using the plastic CD spindle spacers. Other parts used include: Pololu Baby Orangutan-168 robot controller, Solarbotics GM6 gearmotors, salvaged push buttons, LiPo battery from a broken RC helicopter, Pololu ball caster, some scrap perf board, screws, nuts, and aluminum pipe cut for spacers.
More pics in SimpleBots' Photostream
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April 23 2010, 12:15am | More »
