Technology

Boe-Bot Robot and Gripper

I bought my first Boe-Bot over 10 years ago. I’ve dropped it, stepped on it, even lost it behind the couch for three months. Nothing seems to faze this thing. The Boe consists of an aluminum frame, upon which two servomotors, a battery holder, and a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller board are mounted. Over the […]

Drum Kit Kit

Turn anything into a drum set with your Arduino and this simple kit. Some makers build custom drum sets from fine hardwoods, while others take the easy route and make practice sets from mouse pads and sheet metal. Instead of building my own, I used the included piezo elements to trick out my Rock Band […]

My First Epic Hack: The Lawnmower of Theseus

My First Epic Hack: The Lawnmower of Theseus

Much to my mother’s chagrin, my Dad always held the philosophy of “Use it until you wear it out.” It made some of our stuff look shabby, but it stretched dollars and made for good learning experiences. One day the engine on our trusty Snapper lawnmower seized up. At this point I was around 12 years old, and past the point of just handing tools to Dad while he worked on something (though being the tool gopher is an important mill to be pulled through in and of itself), but now diving into the heady space of troubleshooting. Minor problems consisted of re-sewing the grass bag’s opening so its elastic cuff would fit snugly over the chute, or having to coax the engine back to life come springtime.

Hardware Hackathon in Providence, RI on January 28-29

Hardware Hackathon in Providence, RI on January 28-29

Digital Meets Physical will bring makers, software hackers, and DIY geeks together for two days of outrageous fun, using the Netduino platform and other fun toys to build our brains out. We’ll be hacking at the AS220 Labs, a hackerspace where tools, technology and inspiration abound. With no less than 10 top quality watering holes within spitting distance, power breaks and refueling will be top notch.