The latest in robotic vacuum cleaning is the XV-11 from Neato Robotics – and it features a scanning LIDAR laser range-finding module that is ripe for repurposing in other robots. Chris over at Sparkfun lovingly tore in to one and wrote up the results so far – the module has a simple serial port interface […]
Emily Gobeille and Theo Watson’s Kinect-driven puppet show: A quick installation prototype Emily and I hooked up with the libfreenect Kinect drivers and ofxKinect. The system is doing skeleton tracking on the arm and determining where the shoulder, elbow, and wrist is, using it to control the movement and posture of the giant funky bird!
Just what every trebuchet needs, an ultrasonic range finder! It actually works pretty well. Nice job, makers! This trebuchet ultrasonically determines the distance of the target. This trebuchet was designed, built, and tested by Kettering University Students for Professor Kaiser’s Senior Design Course. I’d love to see this with a servo in the base to […]
Inspired by the parasitic bike pump we posted about last week, Simon Jansen decided to try it out for himself.
Does your camera’s focal range not have the chops to take quality close-ups? Why make things complicated? Just tape on a lens from a pair of dollar store reading glasses. Sean Lee shared this hack on Make: Projects, and posted impressive before and after shots, especially for a paltry 50 cents.
Scanner of books, winner of laser contests, and North Dakota maker Daniel Reetz has plans to turn his Microsoft Kinect into a scanner. His first step? Hack a Canon Powershot A540 to capture light in the infrared spectrum. Of course you can use an IR camera for lots of other fun things, but Dan’s focusing […]
I’ve got to build one of these. I usually leave out gobs of food in a couple of bowls expecting my cat to exercise his free will, but this seems like so much more fun. Usually it’s the cat that’s playing the games. And who isn’t interested in Arduino, Android, and 3D printed parts? It’s like some perverse Internet-connected feline vending machine, but instead of some elaborate scheme involving payment gateways and QR codes, it relies on toxoplasmosis-induced mind control. Who’s the robot now?
