Robotics

Making a robot can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s the perfect combination of creativity, engineering and problem solving. However, if you’re just getting started in robotics, it can also be overwhelming. To make things easier for those who are just starting out, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help makers bring robots to life! From the basics of assembling your robot to software implementation, these pointers will give you everything you need to get started on your robotic adventure!

G4 Cube with LEGOmotion

I though this was especially cool until I discovered that there’s no G4 left in the G4 Cube — the LEGO mechanics, sensors, and control take up the entire inside space. Still cool, tho. Maybe a single-board computer could squeeze in there? Transforming LEGO Apple Power Mac G4 Cube [via Hacked Gadgets]

Rodney Brooks at Maker Faire

Rodney Brooks, of MIT’s AI Lab and iRobot, is one of my all-time heroes. His work has had a huge impact on how I look at technology in general, robotics in specific, approaches to problem-solving, and more. So I was bummed that I missed his talk (and meeting him) at Maker Faire. Thanks to FORA.tv, […]

Vibrobots at Honey Creek School

Vibrobots at Honey Creek School

The 4th and 5th grade students at Honey Creek Community School in Washtenaw County, Michigan made vibrobots as part of their Design & Technology curriculum. The looks of pride on these kids’ faces are amazing. Vibrobots are a great project for kids this age (kids of any age, really) ’cause they’re easy enough for anyone […]

Manga-bot makes coffee (sorta)

Francesco Fondi, of GAMERSWEB, sent us this video of Hina, a manga custom version of the Kondo KHR-2HV robot. It’s a scaled-down version of KHR-2HV, using 20 digital servos (KRS-788HV) plus one GWS-PICO-STD, all controlled by a small board located in the head. While it “makes coffee” only through the miracle of video editing, the […]

Stepper motor idea sources

Stepper motor idea sources

Photo from Society of Robots Dale Herzog and I were talking the other night about the treasure trove of techno goodies that can be found in the average dumpscore printer. He sent along a few resources including this one about using steppers and the Basic Stamp: If you are staring at a pile of stepper […]