Posted November 15, 2010 by Chris

Today’s project is a creative little robot called the SwashBot. It is a neat construction design with some servos and a wireless receiver/controller. The project write-up includes instructions for building, parts list and schematic. Don’t miss the videos of the robot in action!

Posted November 8, 2010 by Chris

Balancing robots are all over the place but the equibot balances by using a sharp IR proximity sensor as its feedback sensor. This is intriguing to me because its the first I have ever seen. The project write-up is a little abridged, but the software, parts list and vids of it in action are all on the website.

Posted November 4, 2010 by Chris

The Photo Interrupter is a cool piece of technology that provides a means of electrical/mechanical feed back. A small piece of tape with clear and black lines either interrupts or allows the unit to send a signal. This feedback is great for very accurate positioning, like in printers and scanner. The project write-up is indepth and uses an arduino for the brains.

Posted October 19, 2010 by Chris

While the details are a little sparse, this controlled system is amazing to watch. Two servos control the roll and pitch of a small board to keep a ball bearing centered. Watch the video of it in action and check out the hardware links that make the project possible.

Posted October 13, 2010 by Chris

IR sensors (emitters/receivers) have the unique quality that they can sense things that are in front of them. This project goes through the theory and shows you both how to use them and what to expect from the sensors.

Posted October 6, 2010 by Chris

This line following robot was done for someone’s thesis so the write-up is very indepth. It goes through the basics of motor control, sensor control and combining the two using a microcontroller.

Posted October 4, 2010 by Chris

This project uses a sharp IR sensor and some data processing. Then the data is visualized through a program. Visualization of data creates a way for us (humans) to understand data quicker, compared to when it is in raw number format.

Posted September 23, 2010 by Chris

If you are into robotics, then the idea of flying robotics is probably twice as interesting. The ArduPilot offers the sensors you need to build your own flying drone. This write-up gives you the resources to make it happen.

Posted September 22, 2010 by Chris

The poorman’s oscilloscope uses an arduino to process incoming signals and to send it off to your PC for some visualization. It only works on low frequency circuits, but for the poorman, that’s usually the best you can get.

Posted September 15, 2010 by Chris

This project gives a quick overview of infrared sensors and how they are great for line following robots. Everything is done on a breadboard with standard IR emitter and receiver LED pairs. The results are surprisingly accurate for such simple circuitry.