There are lots of types of actuators on robots. You know, the things that make the robot move and allow it to interact physically with the world … grippers, arms, legs, wheels, etc. Unlike wheels or servo-driven arms, linear actuators operate by pushing or pulling along a straight line. There are many potential uses for this, from […]
Here’s another interesting physical computing platform; the PIC-based Create USB Interface. The original design was made by Dan Overholt as a bridge between computer and world for musical and artistic applications. Seeed Studio has an updated design called the CUI32Stem, which has been tweaked to work well with the thirty-something sensors and actuators in their […]
DIY methods for electroactive polymer actuators are hard to come by, and none of them are kitchen-counter simple. But compared to the wet chemical methods circulating in the academic research community, the purely mechanical process documented in this video from the Swiss ShapeShift project is relatively accessible. Click here to skip the how-to and go […]
The printable ball-and-socket unit that makes up this tentacle is really just a prototype in the early development of Thingiverse user Misguided’s not-so-misguided (if we may offer a bit of encouragement) project to develop a printable tentacle actuator. Everything about his description makes me happy, so I’ll just quote it entirely…
Dan Glover of GO-Tech writes: The October GO-Tech meeting (Ann Arbor, MI) is Tuesday, October 14, 8 pm, at Great Oak Cohousing (see below). This will be our 15th meeting! We’ll have a demo of FIRST pneumatics, along with the usual eclectic mix of projects. Bring something cool to show off, especially if it fits […]
