Sparkfun Interviews Beatty Robotics
Robert, Camille and Genevieve Beatty, a family of robotics enthusiasts, gets the celebrity treatment on the Sparkfun Electronics blog about their custom build of a Mars Rover replica.
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!
Lego Steampunk Strandbeest Model
Jason “True Dimensions” Allemann built this motorized Theo Janssen-style strandbeest walking robot, but evoking a cool steampunk style! I love all the little details on the deck like the tiny herd of goats to the ratty shack teetering on one corner. Jason has the building instructions on his website.
Arduino-Controlled Lego Maglev Vehicle
Team Antipodes, a FIRST robotics team consisting of Emma, Kjersti, and Violet of Terra Nova High School in Pacifica, CA, built this sweet magnetic levitation vehicle.
Farm Drones Take Flight
We all know what drones can do in the hands of the military and law enforcement. For recreational use, they’re fun to fly around with a GoPro strapped to its belly. The commercial use of drones is in its infancy. Congress passed a law last year requiring the FAA to open the skies to wider drone flights by 2015. Once the happens, the FAA estimates that within five years there will be about 7,500 civilian drones in use. According DIY Drones’ Chris Anderson, one of the areas we’re likely see more drones is a place that doesn’t come to mind when we think about aerial robots: farms.
Return of the RoboRoach
We talked about them back in MAKE issue 31, and we also had them on Maker Camp last year as part of our field trip to the NASA Neuroscience Lab, but now they have a Kickstarter project for the first commercially available cyborg.
Kickstarter Alert: Linkbot is an Easy-to-use Modular Wireless Robot
Great modular robot project that needs just a bit of a bump in its last few days on Kickstarter.
Front Page News: Maker Faire North Carolina on Saturday
Raleigh-Durham’s largest newspaper features Maker Faire North Carolina and maker Dean Segovis’ new robot, Photon.