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!

Pitches with Prototypes: Solar Tracker

Pitches with Prototypes: Solar Tracker

To get the most efficient use of solar electric energy, you must keep your solar panel pointed at the sun. Manually moving the solar panel is impractical. An automated solution may be beyond the reach of many green energy enthusiasts or anyone who just wants to keep the lights on without developing robotics expertise. Hoping to fill that need is technology savvy Jay Doscher, with his prototype solar tracking robot. His tripod mounted, GPS steered solution is portable and could be used for emergencies, camping or any time off-grid power is needed.

Continue Reading Andrew Terranova22
Close Encounters of the T-Rex Kind

Close Encounters of the T-Rex Kind

The Maker Faire Bay Area brings in Makers from around the world, like 15 year-old Gabriel Diaz Yanten, who is coming all the way from Chile along with his animatronic dinosaur puppet, Anacleto. Anacelto is a 12.8 feet tall and 8.2 feet long T-Rex that Gabriel designed and built with the help of his uncle, a mechanic.

Continue Reading Karen Tanenbaum
Annika O’Brien Plays with Giant Robots

Annika O’Brien Plays with Giant Robots

Annika O’Brien works full time making cool robots. She also founded the popular LA Robotics Club, which has over 1,200 members including high school students, hobbyists and professionals who share an interest in building robots. The club meets in real space to work on projects and participate in presentations, as well as holding classes as part of their community outreach to under-served teens.

Annika’s boundless enthusiasm and outspoken demeanor jumped right through the screen at me as we met via video chat to discuss her experience on SyFy’s ground breaking show, Robot Combat League, where teams control giant humanoid robots duking it out in an arena.

“It’s like WWE wrestling with robots. It was a concept that no one had actually done before,” she said. “It was a helluva lot of fun.”

Continue Reading Andrew Terranova
Six-Headed Lego GBC Module

Six-Headed Lego GBC Module

Lego robotics engineer Akiyuki is rightly famed for his amazing Great Ball Contraptions (GBCs), including this sick 17-module arrangement he has in his home. One of his latest modules is this great 6-headed hydra that snags balls and delivers them to the next stage. I love it!

Continue Reading John Baichtal
Introducing the Fenn, a Touchy-Feely Robot

Introducing the Fenn, a Touchy-Feely Robot

Ian Danforth has created a robot he hopes change how people, mainly children, think about and interact with robots. It’s called the Fenn. Ian, founder of Embodied AI, has written a children’s story about our contact with an alien planet and the creatures who live there. The Fenn is the robotic embodiment of one of those creatures. Ian and the Fenn will be at Maker Faire Bay Area this month.

Continue Reading Stett Holbrook8