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!
Mikey77 writes: Build a 1/20 cubic inch robot with a gripper that can pick up and move small objects. It is controlled by a Picaxe microcontroller. At this point in time, I believe this may be the world’s smallest wheeled robot with a gripper. That will no doubt change, tomorrow or next week, when someone […]
Let’s Make Robots is a popular site for robot hobbyists. They’ve been running two build contests on the site which are now in their finals. Rik, a community member writes: The LMR Dagu Mr. Basic Challenge invited makers to create any robot from a basic four wheel platform (provided by community sponsor Dagu Electronics). Entries […]
According to a piece on BotJunkie (translating a piece on Japan’s Robot Watch), a small army of vacuum tube robots from the 50s and 60s, built by Aizawa Zirou, have been unearthed in a warehouse, many of them apparently brand new. I love the Google translation: “Were sleeping in a warehouse until it’s released by […]
Kevmag 2000 posted this YouTube vid of his transforming robot, apparently built for a robotics class. Pretty cool. I couldn’t find out much else about it. Kevmag 2000-Transforming Robot [Submitted by Chris Brent. Thanks, Chris!]
The ArduPilot from the Maker Shed is a full-featured autopilot based on the Arduino open-source hardware platform. It uses infrared (thermopile) sensors for stabilization and GPS for navigation. Requires a GPS module and an infrared XY sensor (not included). The autopilot handles both stabilization and navigation, eliminating the need for a separate stabilization system. It […]
I love this ceramic art, a mash-up of classic blue and white Chinese pottery and modern-day Japanese manga robotics, by Canadian artist Brendan Tang. Brendan tells MAKE: “All works are composted utilizing traditional ceramic processes, from the throwing of the vessels to the hand painting of the forms.” Brendan L.S. Tang
I though this was especially cool until I discovered that there’s no G4 left in the G4 Cube — the LEGO mechanics, sensors, and control take up the entire inside space. Still cool, tho. Maybe a single-board computer could squeeze in there? Transforming LEGO Apple Power Mac G4 Cube [via Hacked Gadgets]
