out-of-the-box experience that means: how long does it take to you to go from zero to something that works? This is very important because it creates a positive reinforcement that you are on the right path. The longer that time is, the more people you lose in the process.
Jason “True Dimensions” Allemann built this motorized Theo Janssen-style strandbeest walking robot, but evoking a cool steampunk style! I love all the little details on the deck like the tiny herd of goats to the ratty shack teetering on one corner. Jason has the building instructions on his website.
Everyone loves video games. But it can be difficult to enjoy certain games if you are injured or disabled and don’t have the manual dexterity needed to execute fast button combos. Fortunately, we can use an Arduino to do it for us. The Arduino can send signals to the controller that simulate the buttons being pressed. This lets you pre-program commands that can be activated by a single button. This kind of mod could be used to help more gamers enjoy combo heavy games.
Awesome Maker, and even awesomer Dad Kristoffer Dominic Amora dropped us a link to his Google gallery of pictures from the “working” arc reactor he made for his son to wear to the new Iron Man movie a little while back. It’s a great medly of repurposed parts and creativity, and you can see from the smiles on Rayne’s face that the effort was more than worth it. See select pictures above, or check out out Kristoffer’s galley to more.
Team Antipodes, a FIRST robotics team consisting of Emma, Kjersti, and Violet of Terra Nova High School in Pacifica, CA, built this sweet magnetic levitation vehicle.
Collin Cunningham’s videos remain golden! In Circuit Skills: LED Matrix he talks about LED matrices and how to control the LEDs with a multiplexing IC. He uses it to make a mini game machine! Many an experimenter, hacker, tinkerer, & maker have heeded the call of the mighty matrix – and it’s no mystery why. […]
We all know what drones can do in the hands of the military and law enforcement. For recreational use, they’re fun to fly around with a GoPro strapped to its belly. The commercial use of drones is in its infancy. Congress passed a law last year requiring the FAA to open the skies to wider drone flights by 2015. Once the happens, the FAA estimates that within five years there will be about 7,500 civilian drones in use. According DIY Drones’ Chris Anderson, one of the areas we’re likely see more drones is a place that doesn’t come to mind when we think about aerial robots: farms.
