via adafruit.com
Now that is cool.
How To: The Basics of Breadboarding - YouTube
via youtube.com
Good introduction video on using a breadboard for your electronic experiments.
littleBits
via adafruit.com
This looks so cool. It is just very pricy. Not sure I could afford this for the kids I'm working with.
Favorite Product of the Day
via panavise.com
My favorite product of the day. My new PanaVise PV Jr. It is perfect for holding circuit boars while soldering. Just received two from Amazon.
Rover Remote-Control Wireless Spy Tank for iPad—Brookstone Exclusive!
via brookstone.com
I love the idea of controlling robots with cell phones. This just seems very cool. I would like to build a robot with an iPhone or iPod touch as its micro controller.
Robotics -- Boys' Life magazine
via boyslife.org
All the details you need to get started on the Boy Scouts Robotics merit badge. I hope to get all the kits and documentation ready and have a scout day at the house.
Arduino - Getting Started
Getting Started with Arduino
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Introduction: What Arduino is and why you'd want to use it. | Instructions for other boards: | | | | | Installation: Step-by-step instructions for setting up the Arduino software and connecting it to an Arduino Uno, Mega2560, Duemilanove, Mega, or Diecimila. | - Arduino Nano | | | - Arduino Mini | | - Windows | - Arduino BT | | - Mac OS X | - LilyPad Arduino | | - Linux (on the playground wiki) | - Arduino Fio | | | - Arduino Pro | | Environment: Description of the Arduino development environment. | - Arduino Pro Mini | | | - Xbee shield | | Troubleshooting: Advice on what to do if things don't work. | - Ethernet shield | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The text of the Arduino getting started guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. Code samples in the guide are released into the public domain.
via arduino.cc
Book: The New Cool
This is a fantastic book about Robot competitions and how important the skills learned by the kids are valuable throughout life and to the future of our country. I highly recommend it to everyone interested in robots, education and building a strong country.
Arduino Uno Starter Kit
Just ordered this basic kit. I've been wanting to play with Arduino for a long time now. I think the boys will get a kick out of programming hardware and seeing what it can do. This is so much better than building plastic models that don't do anything after all your hard work.
My First Robot
When I was but a little teen, around 1980, I built my first robot. It was based on the book "How to Build a Computer Controlled Robot" by Tod Loofbourrow. Of course it was very clumsy those days, but it was programmable and you could sit on it and it would drive you around. Built around the 6502 processor KIM-1 it only had a hex display and keypad. This was before thumb drives, before CD/DVD drives, before hard drives, before floppy drives, and before cassette tape storage. Every program had to be entered by hand every time. All the programming was done in hex, oh what for a real assembler in those days.
I have memories of going to the junk yard and looking for metal pieces that could be cut or bent into the right shape for the frame and skin. I found an old green hi-way sign with the reflector paint still on it. It was sturdy aluminum. Perfect for the outer bumpers that went all the way around the outside. The contact switches were messy and it was always making contact with ghosts.
More memories from Servo Mag.
Here is a picture of the interior structure with the KIM-1 on top.
I wish I had a picture of mine. I'm sure there is one somewhere at my parents house.
Welcome!
Welcome to Robots D11. I am a robots enthusiast and I hope you enjoy what you find here. Please join me on my quest to build and collect the best robots around.