And now, a holiday greeting from our quadrocopter overlords
This impressive demonstration is by researchers at the Flying Machine Arena, part of the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH Zürich
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!
Three ways to power your robot with an Android phone
With a beer fridge stocked and music blasting, engineers from across Google–and the world–spent the month of October soldering and hacking in their 20% time to connect hobbyist and educational robots with Android phones. Just two months later we’re psyched to announce three ways you can play with your iRobot Create(R), LEGO(R) MINDSTORMS(R) or VEX Pro(R) through the cloud.
3D printable micro-hexapod
Thingiverse user Ijon’s 3-servo hexapod looks pretty sweet! I can’t wait to see the project evolve. For instance, I’d love to see it with the battery pack and micro controller carried on-board.
New in the Maker Shed: Gear motor packs
The Maker Shed carries (2) different gear motor packs for all your robotic needs. The Mini Metal Gear Motor and Wheel Set provides a lot of torque in a small format. The standard Gear Motor Combo Pack can be used for larger bots that need to go fast. Each gear motor pack comes with (2) […]
Lego Terminator bust
Kudos to Martin Latta for his excellent Lego T-800 bust, which so brilliantly captures the essence of the movie robot. The skeleton greebles in the base are a clever touch. [Via The Brothers Brick]
ShopBot “sings” Joy to the World
Hope everyone is having a fine Christmas eve. Here’s a little holiday mood music, from our friends at ShopBot. [Thanks, Bill Young!]
Solenoid xylophone
Spotted in the MAKE Flickr pool from user Leadtowill, this MIDI-speaking 8-note electromechanical xylophone. Here it is playing “Ode to Joy.”
