Jon Goitia’s Caterpillar robot looks like a sweet project: This caterpillar track is the first step towards designing and building a printable mobile robot. My finished robot will have four of these modules, but many other designs are possible. A single caterpillar can function on its own as a simple robot that can move forwards […]
Recently, we’ve been messing about with motors and gears at Pemtech. Students in one of my classes are building an underwater ROV, and we don’t have any decent propellers. Rather than shop for them, we’re fabbing our own with the laser cutter and Makerbot. Earlier this week, Jett worked out the proper dimensions to fit a plate to a motor shaft. He did this by measuring out a range of holes and then cutting them in quarter inch acrlyic. Once they came out of the laser, he tried pushing the motor into each of the holes until he found the ‘goldilocks fit.’ Once we had a plate, he used the same process to cut a series of holes in the plate that could be threaded with M3 screws. This setup allows us to attach anything to a motor.
Last night I was out on an adventure. In the morning, the shower curtain fell down because the pole was a bit too short. After I pulled the paper towel tube shim out, I tried to twist the rod to lengthen it. Since it was maxed out, it needed a little something special to help make ends meet.
When I went downstairs, I took a few extra steps out to the car, got the Makerbot and returned to fire up the computer with Sketchup. It took two iterations to get the dimensions right. The new part came out sized to fit over the end of the curtain rod and take up a bit of the gap.
Hack an Easy Button into an AWESOME Button! This USB button types in a random synonym for the word awesome when it’s pressed. It works with any computer and in any application. Learn how to make your own custom USB devices using the Teensy USB microcontroller.
For more info:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/the-awesome-button.html
Got some strange screws that need unscrewing? Want to get in there and modify some gear the manufacturer didn’t trust you to open? Check out the 54 Piece Bit Driver Kit from the Maker Shed. The kit includes a magnetized driver with metal shaft, swivel top, and rubberized grip, a 60 mm extension, a 130 mm flexible extension, and 54 bits. Problem solved!
It’s that time again, where I stick out my neck and offer up some opinion in these here parts. Previously we contemplated why the Arduino “won” and why it’s here to stay, then we looked at Sony’s assault on makers, and most recently we asked if public libraries could evolve towards becoming “hackerspaces” and TechShops. […]
While most folks are gazing longingly toward summertime, some of us snow junkies are holding onto the last glimpses of winter on the mountaintops. In California, Mammoth ski area is always the last bastion of snow terrain (they close in July), and this year they boast a maker-y feature to check out: the Mammoth Art […]
