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!

Annika O’Brien Plays with Giant Robots

Annika O’Brien Plays with Giant Robots

Annika O’Brien works full time making cool robots. She also founded the popular LA Robotics Club, which has over 1,200 members including high school students, hobbyists and professionals who share an interest in building robots. The club meets in real space to work on projects and participate in presentations, as well as holding classes as part of their community outreach to under-served teens.

Annika’s boundless enthusiasm and outspoken demeanor jumped right through the screen at me as we met via video chat to discuss her experience on SyFy’s ground breaking show, Robot Combat League, where teams control giant humanoid robots duking it out in an arena.

“It’s like WWE wrestling with robots. It was a concept that no one had actually done before,” she said. “It was a helluva lot of fun.”

Continue Reading Andrew Terranova
Six-Headed Lego GBC Module

Six-Headed Lego GBC Module

Lego robotics engineer Akiyuki is rightly famed for his amazing Great Ball Contraptions (GBCs), including this sick 17-module arrangement he has in his home. One of his latest modules is this great 6-headed hydra that snags balls and delivers them to the next stage. I love it!

Continue Reading John Baichtal
Introducing the Fenn, a Touchy-Feely Robot

Introducing the Fenn, a Touchy-Feely Robot

Ian Danforth has created a robot he hopes change how people, mainly children, think about and interact with robots. It’s called the Fenn. Ian, founder of Embodied AI, has written a children’s story about our contact with an alien planet and the creatures who live there. The Fenn is the robotic embodiment of one of those creatures. Ian and the Fenn will be at Maker Faire Bay Area this month.

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DIY Robot Building, Circa 1956

DIY Robot Building, Circa 1956

Stuart “Mr. Retro” Sandler built a super retro robot from plans found in a 57-year-old copy of Boys Life he’d purchased from eBay. Stuart had heard about the robot as a teenager and wrote to the magazine for the copy of the plans. They sent him a photocopy but left out a couple of key […]

Continue Reading John Baichtal6
Pitches with Prototypes: Falkor Systems’ Pet AR.Drone

Pitches with Prototypes: Falkor Systems’ Pet AR.Drone

In the run-up to the Hardware Innovation Workshop (May 14-15), we’ll be introducing aspiring companies and makers competing in the “pitches with prototypes” contest. First up is Falkor System’s Pet AR. Drone. The product is still in development, but CEO Sameer Parekh imagines it as a personal drone for extreme sports photography. Doing a little BASE jumping? Let your drone follow you down while the camera rolls. He calls it “out of body” recording.

Continue Reading Stett Holbrook4