Robotics

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!

Bot grabs stuff with a balloon

Bot grabs stuff with a balloon

Sean Ragan had previously blogged a video of this cool robot. Now, courtesy of the MAKE Flickr pool, we see some beauty shots. This clever robot, built by Steve Norris, picks up small objects within a gripper consisting of a balloon filled with coffee grounds. I constructed my own version of the Cornell University Universal […]

Bollywoodbot

OK, honestly, this has little to do with MAKE or making. It’s scenes from a ridiculously over the top Terminator-like Bollywood movie. But the inventiveness of the transformations of the killer android, and the perverse humor of it all, tickled me more than I expected. A giant bowling ball made of killer droid clones? Who’d […]

Make It Last

The Make It Last Build Series, Sponsored by Microchip and Energizer NOTE: This contest is closed but we’ve had several requests for the project materials by folks who want to build these projects, so we’re reposting them here. Enjoy! Welcome to Make It Last, a project build series and contest, sponsored by Microchip and Energizer. […]

Necktie-knotting robot

This video from sculptor Seth Goldstein shows one cycle of the operation of his piece Why Knot?, which is described as “[a] kinetic sculpture that continually ties and unties a necktie.” While the video leaves me just a bit dubious about how long it could really run without human intervention, I’m impressed by the dedication, effort, and patience required to get it to work even once. [via Dug North]