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!
Here is a really well documented robot build that is based on an ATmega8 AVR chip. The web site has detailed build instructions that include everything from making the chassis to programming the AVR chip. More on How to make a robot for about $50
This is an older project from MIT, but I think it is still very relevant. Robotic F.A.C.E. or “Facial Alerting in a Communication Environment” is an interesting project that tried to relay human emotion via a simple, and cheap, toy. You may not be able to get this exact toy anymore, but there are plenty […]
From the MAKE Flickr photo pool RobotGrrl is making and selling these bright little bots to raise money for robotic education – This is a Styrobot that I created. It’s a form of a BristleBot, but it uses a pipecleaner instead to vibrate and jiggle around. It’s really cute as the googley eyes move all […]
Robotica: Machines and Motion will have their opening reception June 6th at Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda. Toys. Industrial machines. Household helpers. Pop culture archetypes. Art. Who can be all of these and more? Robots! Artists will include Mark Pauline of Survival Research Laboratories, Al Honig, Kal Spelletich, Alameda artists Christian Schiess and Michael Schiess, […]
From Hack a Day: German engineering firm Festo has created this flying manta ray. Dubbed the Air_ray, it’s a balloon made of an aluminum-vaporised “PET foil”. Inflated with helium, the Air_ray’s propulsion system is a flapping wing drive. Each wing has alternating pressure and tension flanks that are attached to an internal set of ribs. […]
Ron Tajima’s awesome Pacmba! via Crunchgear.
RobotsRule has a written and video review of WowWee’s forthcoming Wrex the Dawg, a sort of comic-relief robot that, as Robert puts it “is absolutely terrible at being a dog and even worse at being a robot.” WowWee Wrex The Dawg Review
