Technology

Using AR to Actuate a Second Head

I first met my now-friend Thomas Edwards at an Artomatic opening (DC’s annual art free-for-all). He had an awesome piece, called Sycophant. It was a mannequin head on a track that ran along a wall in a hallway, detecting and following people, and saying things like: “I love your hair,” “Have you lost weight?,” and my favorite, “I want to lick you.”

“Light Field” Imaging, Lytro, and the Future of Digital Photos

“Light Field” Imaging, Lytro, and the Future of Digital Photos

Rob’s recent post over at Boing Boing drew my attention to Ren Ng’s startup, Lytra, which is developing a digital imaging technology that requires no moving parts to focus an image at any depth of field–even infinite. It’s called “light field” photography, and, besides eliminating failure-prone moving assemblies from cameras, it will let you refocus your pictures however you want, as many times as you want, after they’ve already been taken.

The Latest in Hobby Robotics 12

In this weeks edition of The Latest in Hobby Robotics, Frits and Andrew are looking at an interesting home made project: An environmental homemade robot, with some interesting moves, plus it’s own oxygen, hydrogen tank hooked up to a fuel cell. Finally there is a tip from OddBot on how to use the reset button […]

The Latest In Hobby Robotics 12

The Latest In Hobby Robotics 12

In this weeks edition of The Latest in Hobby Robotics, Frits and Andrew are looking at an interesting home made project: An environmental homemade robot, with some interesting moves, plus it’s own oxygen, hydrogen tank hooked up to a fuel cell.
Finally there is a tip from OddBot on how to use the reset button on Arduinos as a function on your projects.

Here are links of interest, related to the show:

Mr Lobster (TeleFox Whegs example)
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/12583

Using a Hybrid Wheels and Legs
Whegs: http://biorobots.cwru.edu/projects/whegs/
RHex: http://kodlab.seas.upenn.edu/RHex/Home
Roller-Walker: http://www-robot.mes.titech.ac.jp/robot/walking/rollerwalker/rollerwalker_e.html
Roro (MarkusB RHex example):
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/24656

Tip: Use your Arduino EEPROM to create a button function
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/26712

Collin’s Lab: Switches

Collin’s Lab: Switches

Easily overlooked, but elemental to electronics hardware, the manually operated switch is the simplest of electromechanical devices — and likely the most familiar. While the most basic switch is … well, quite basic — there’s a crazy-huge variety of switch types & sizes available to the electronics maker nowadays. Those new to the soldering & schematics scene will surely benefit from an introduction to some of the terms and formats relevant to various switch species.

Zen Button

Zen Button

Pete Prodoehl needed a button. A button with a USB connection that would emulate a single keypress. He’s built two now. They’re dead simple. I have no particular need for such a button, but this photo is making me itch to build one of my own.