Intelitek has released a new version of EasyC for the VEX IQ platform. The company says EasyC 5.0 offers the same features that EasyC users have grown to love in previous releases, including the drag and drop interface, straightforward programming menus and easy-to-use function blocks. “This update also features …
Read More »Monthly Archives: December 2014
Print Your Own OddBot
Print your own bot with a little help from design engineer Olaf Diegel. Normally, Diegel spends his time making specialty guitars. But he was inspired to build a bot using his 3D printer, and share all of what he learned. The open-source robot features mecanum wheels, which let …
Read More »Energy-Efficient Turtle Robot Nears Completion
Researchers at the University of Singapore are putting the final touches on a robot that can dive vertically — like a real turtle — just by using its front and hind limb gait movements. “Our turtle robot does not use a ballast system which is commonly used …
Read More »Pimoroni Skywriter HAT 3D Gesture Sensor
Give your Raspberry Pi robot the power of gesture recognition with the Pimoroni Skywriter HAT 3D gesture sensor. The electrical field sensor works with Raspberry Pi A+ or B+ boards to detect the movement of fingers hovering above. With full Python API you can read off the positional data …
Read More »Learn How to Build Robot Parts in Solidworks
If you’ve always wanted to design your own robot parts but don’t know much about CAD software, a new course by industrial designer Adam O’Hern will get your up to speed. The online course, called Solidworks 101, is designed to teach beginners how to use the software for real-world applications. Ultimately, participants …
Read More »Need More Sketch Space? Get the Arduino ISP
Have a hefty script that simply won’t fit on your Arduino? With the Arduino ISP you can get rid the bootloader on any Arduino AVR-based boards and use the space the bootloader normally takes up. Simply upload a sketch with the external programmer and the boot loader is removed, leaving …
Read More »FAA Releases Rules for Flying UAVs
If you were lucky enough to get an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as a gift this year, then you’ll need to know the new rules for unmanned flight. In a nutshell, users will want to keep their flying bots below 400 feet and in sight at all times. …
Read More »Santa’s Robot Elf Stuffs a Stocking
A new Christmas-themed robot video from the University of Bielefeld’s Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Institute is both entertaining and enlightening. The video shows a pair of robotic arms slowly stuffing a stocking, while the lyrics of the Christmas carol outline the challenges engineers face getting robots to perform …
Read More »Stick Insect Robot Explores Different Model for Locomotion
Researchers at Bielefeld University in Germany are working on a unique robot modeled after a stick insect, with elastic joint drives. Known as Hector, the robot was built by the the school’s Biomechatronics research group so that biologists and roboticists can test hypotheses about animal locomotion. “The way …
Read More »A More Powerful Brain for Lego Robots
Looking for a smarter brain for your Lego robot? Check out the EVB: A a replacement for the EV3 that acts as a shield, or cape, for the BeagleBone Black and is compatible with all Lego sensors. In fact, with the extra sensor board in the EVB …
Read More »Expand Your Sensing Capabilities with a Vernier Shield
Imagine moving beyond the basic light, ultrasonic, infrared and touch sensors to really explore your environment. Now you can easily connect all of the sensors made by Vernier Software & Technology to your Arduino project, with the Vernier Interface Shield from SparkFun. Vernier has been making …
Read More »A Nimbler Mind-Controlled Robotic Hand
The quadriplegic woman who can control a robotic arm by thinking about the action, can now perform far more complicated movements. According to the researchers at the University of Pittsburgh involved in the study, the woman has gone from giving high fives, to giving the thumbs …
Read More »Meet RiQ, A New Bot For STEM Education
STEM enthusiasts, rejoice! There’s a new bot designed for kids nine and up! The wheeled robot, called RiQ, uses durable fischertechnik components made of nylon and steel. With ultrasonic, infrared, light, and touch sensors, this new bot can perform of range of tricks. For example, kids can program …
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