The “Rug-Bug BEAM Photovore” by Ken Hill is an environmentally aware photovore robotic bug that rolls, creates chirping sounds in response to light levels, and can be charged with solar cells. The bot runs from a pair of 74ACT139 ICs to control two Hankscraft gear motors from pulsed signals and a dual 556 timer IC. […]
Phuaalvin happened to be visiting the Taipei 101 on May 12, when the Great Sichuan Earthquake occurred. It must have been terrifying to see that damper moving like that; according to Wikipedia, the damper weighs 660 metric tons, and is suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor. A tuned mass damper is designed to […]
Dover Publications has a really extensive catalog, everything from coloring and maze books to clip art to engineering and tech books. They’re the publishers of the wonderful 507 Mechanical Movements. You can sign up here for the Dover Sampler – every week they send out an email with links to book content. It’s a complete […]
Well, they could use it for power. Physorg writes that Argentine scientists are capturing cow farts in plastic backpacks to try to understand the impact it has on global warming. They think that “30% of Argentina’s total greenhouse gases could be generated by cattle.” They’re experimenting with feeding clover and alfalfa instead of grain – […]
Artbus by Ed Bennett at the Art Institute of Chicago, is a hardware and communications protocol for low speed control of discreet sensors and actuators. Since it is distributed it can be placed around a space where centralized control is not as important as spatial integration. Check out the link for lots of details including […]
This robot was built using the PICAXE controller and has a homebrew line sensor that uses light dependent resistors (LDRs) to find its way. The custom PICAXE board included an L293 driver chip and ran from battery power. Check out the link for details on the board and integration into the LEGO Mindstorms setup. PICAXE […]
This project, complete with parts list, explains how to get GPS data into a Mac using a GPS module and a BlueSmirf Bluetooth chip, without any microcontroller. I agree with the maker who posts that a microcontroller would really just add cost to this project. Check out the details at the link below. Bluetooth + […]
