Andrew Terranova from Let’s Make Robots mods the Spazzi Robot project from MAKE 27 to use less expensive solenoids. He calls it the EconoSpazzi. Learn to build Spazzi on Make: Projects: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Spazzi-A-Solenoid-Powered-Dancebot/1074/1 More info: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/08/econospazzi-robot.html
From the Shed: New Arrivals
Andrew Terranova from Let’s Make Robots mods the Spazzi Robot project from MAKE 27 to use less expensive solenoids. He calls it the EconoSpazzi. He writes:
While I was filming Make: Live episode 12, I saw they had a Beatbots Spazzi. I love those things. Becky gave me a set of the Makerbot printer parts. I was really stoked to make one. However, when I looked up the other parts I would need, I saw that the solenoids they were specifying on the Makezine.com website were $18 each. That’s too much for my wallet. I new a source for a similar solenoid for only $1.50 each. Thus, econoSpazzi was born. I bought my solenoids from allelectronics. They are rated for 24V DC, but I found that after I cut the included spring to size, they worked fine at 10-12V DC.
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8 thoughts on “EconoSpazzi Robot”
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Thanks, Becky! I also wanted to build one of these but thought twice after looking at the price tag…
This is a cool project. I really love the personalities that these little creatures have. Unfortunately, spaz is a derogatory term that makes fun of spastic cerebral palsy. While not intentionally intended as derogatory in this case, it is no different than calling something ‘retarded’.
No offense was intended, of course. I just modified the name of the original project “Spazzi”. I doubt anyone at BeatBots intended any offence either, as you point out.
I would like to say that the term ‘spaz’ would indeed be derogatory when used to describe a person. In this case we are applying it to a thing. It does accurately describe the type of movement you get with this robot.
I would never use this term to refer to a disabled person.
No offense was intended, of course. I just modified the name of the original project “Spazzi”. I doubt anyone at BeatBots intended any offence either, as you point out.
I would like to say that the term ‘spaz’ would indeed be derogatory when used to describe a person. In this case we are applying it to a thing. It does accurately describe the type of movement you get with this robot.
I would never use this term to refer to a disabled person.