Robot Year in Review: 2013
2013 was a good year for robotics. Let’s review some of my favorite stories, maker, products and projects.
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!
RobotsConf 2013: Mission Accomplished!
RobotsConf, a new conference designed to transform coders into makers, was a huge success!
I spoke with conference curators Chris and Laura Williams before the event. They had an audacious plan, and I wondered if it would work. I’ve attended many tech conferences and maker events, but never one with this format – a format which was later referred to as “sleep-away maker camp” by an attendee.
Robots: What’s Google up to?
Google is acquiring robotics companies. Where are they headed? Take a look at who they bought and where it might lead them.
inForm: An Ephemeral Construction Machine
Disruptive or revolutionary technology are terms that get tossed around rather liberally. But one look at the MIT Media Lab’s inForm project and it’s hard not think you are looking at the future. Combining elements of Kinect, 3D printing, and telepresence, inForm heralds something very new and, I dare say, revolutionary. inForm was a collaboration between research assistant Sean Follmer and Daniel Leithinger at Heroshi Ishii’s Tangible Media Group in the MIT Media Lab. What exactly is it and how might it be used? Jay Silver interviewed Sean Follmer to learn more.
Shed Picks: Fun Robot Kits for Kids
Kids do love them some robots, even the littlest kids. So I’m shopping for robots this year and the Shed’s got ’em — check out these four super easy kits suitable for kids younger than 10.
Making Fun: Color-Hunting, Christmas Tree-Controlling CheerBot
Build a robot that controls your Christmas lights and similar lights around the world
Check out the Maker Shed’s Arduino & Robots Gift Guide!
Pick up gifts for the robotically inclined with the Arduino & Robots Gift Guide put together by the Maker Shed team. For beginners, there are no-soldering required projects like the Tin Can Robot Kit and the Makey Makey Standard Kit, which turns nearly anything you can think of into a computer key. For the more advanced, give a Getting Started with Arduino Kit v3.0 to those who wish to build electronics projects that sense and react to stimuli.