Robots: Al.I.S.E

Here is my latest robot. Al.I.S.E is an Aluminum, Infrared Scanning Entity; or just an old-school style crank arm hexapod :) This project was based on the mechanicals of the "Hexapod Monster" kit I built and reviewed back in 2008. I scaled it up a little, and added 2 super torquey gear head DC motors I found at a surplus store in Minneapolis. Power comes from a 9.6v RC transmitter pack, along with a separate 9v for the BS2 microcontroller. Motor control is handled by a Solarbotics 1198 CMD driver board kit. I used pencil top erasers for her feet, and found that using scrap pieces of solid core cat5e cable came in really handy for sub-board inter-connects. Obstacle avoidance is fairly rudimentary at this point, as I am only using 1 IR sensor along with flanking IR LED's. It still seems to work fairly well though. I definitely need to tweak the coding some more. Check out the movie I made of her backing away from some library books and making a run for the front door!

Re-Use Eyewear Case for Electronics Storage

Hard shell eyewear cases make excellent protective containers for small electronic gear. Below you can see an old case I use to store my ipod shuffle, earbuds, an audio extension cable and various audio plugs and adapters. This case lives in my bag and can be treated like car keys without worry of damaging anything.

Electronics: DIY Headphone Amp

Here's a project that's been in the pipeline for about 6 years. It's a simple chip-amp style headphone amp that has at its heart a TDA2822M dual op-amp IC. It's powered by a 9V 500mah "wall-wart" style power adapter. It's enclosed in an old TV RF/RCA input adapter case that I had in my junk-box. The old case was luckily very well built. It's all steel and held together by nice metric phillips screws. I had fun cleaning up and modding the case with my dremel, some black spray paint, and some scrap plexi for a window. It sounds pretty good with a noticeable difference in the depth of the sound range. Unfortunately, there is a light but noticeable hiss. I think I need to play with resistor values, but I'm new to this type of electronics so I'm sure it could be a lot of things. There is a wealth of info all over the web for these types of projects, which I highly recommend, as it's not that hard to get good results. Sites I found that especially helped were found here and here . The schematic I used is from E-Dan.

Model Airplanes: DG800S Display Model

This is my first desk display model- a DG800S at approximately 1:35th scale. I used scrap pine for the fuse and balsa for the wings and tail. The stand is an old brass casing from a dead-bolt door lock. I downloaded a 3-view drawing from DG's website for reference while building.

Airplanes: The Easy Glider

This is the 2M RC glider I've been flying around this summer. It's manufactured by multiplex. They're a German company, but the product is manufactured (very well) in The Philippines. The model has ailerons, rudder, and elevator and is a blast to fly. Made out of elapor foam, a combination of EPP and elapor, this craft is incredibly durable. Believe it or not, but the second time I took it out I landed it nose first in the street from about 25 feet up due to a split second moment of dis-orientation. I thought for sure it was totaled, but amazinlgy it survived completely with only a slight dent in the nose. I was back up in the air after a well deserved beer.

Airplanes: JR SX600 Computer Radio

Here is my new computer radio. It's a JR brand Model SX600. Below are some of the features:
-6 channels
-10 model memory
-Exponential rates
-Dual rates
-Handful of mixes (v-tail, delta, flying wing)
-PPM Modulation
There are other features too, but these are the main. Overall I like this rig, but it is missing a few key features that could really make this radio awesome like the ability to couple the ailerons to the rudder, and just more mix options in general. I really can't complain though, because I only paid $90 dollars for this new radio from the hop-me-up RC store on ebay. I was really pleased with this store's service- the price of the radio included shipping and I received the package in two days!

Robotics: Kraftwerk Concert!

I had the rare privellage to see Kraftwerk last night outside Minneapolis. They are pioneers and masters of electronic music and are known for their high quality live audio and video performances. The video imagery was very sharp and I was very impressed with their audio. You can learn more about their history and story here. Check out my phone-cam photos below:

Robotics: "Hexapod Monster" Robot Kit Review

I recently purchased a kit that assembles into a 6 legged walking robot with IR obstacle detection. The Taiwanese manufacturer, CIC, produces the kit for about 25 American dollars. It can be purchased here. This was my first kit bot, and I was very satisfied with what I got for the price. Don't expect a high performance, sophisticated machine like a multi-servo powered walker with this kit. You can expect however a very well produced and complete entry level robot that is very fun to build. This walker
comes with 2, 3V motors and gearboxes, die cut plywood chassis parts, and all the electronics to control the motors and provide simple obstacle detection via an IR LED and sensor. The kit went together very easily and was a lot of fun to build. A few of the mounting holes in the chassis were a bit off position, but that was minor and easily alleviated. Pay very close attention to the electronic parts diagram and schematic when soldering the pre-etched board, because it's very easy to make a mistake. What I like most about this kit is its potential to be hacked and easily improved. I would really like to add my favorite microcontroller, the BS2 to this platform and then add sensors, etc. Higher torque motors would be a cool addition too. In conclusion, I think this would be a great project for someone who is looking to enter the robotics hobby world but doesn't want to spend a lot of money. In my opinion, this is probably the least expensive robotics kit on the market that actually has expansion capabilities. This would also be an excellent kit for learning how to solder. Check out the build pictures and video of this "monster" in action below:

The package

Contents of the kit. Impressive for $25.

The gear boxes. Strong but light steel frame with color coded gears.

Plywood chassis with gear boxes attached

Robotics: Wireless Controlled Arm

This is a follow up to the wireless gripper post. Constructed from pine, spruce, aluminum, 3 HS-55 and 2 Futaba S-33 servos this arm has 4 degrees of freedom and is controlled by a sony IR remote controller. The Basic Stamp 2 processor translates the IR signals and creates programmable pulse lengths to power the servos. After seeing the video below, you'll see that this design could use a lot of refinement, such as a more efficient and functional gripper, more powerful servos and software that includes kinematics. Robotic arms are very challenging, so I looked to other designs to avoid stupid mistakes. The main influence for this project was the lynxmotion Lynx 5 arm . The code for the BS2 was adapted from Parallax's IR Kit . After I clean it up, I'll post the code that runs this arm here in an update.

Robotics: Ink Jet Printer Parts Salvaging

If your into re-using and re-purposing parts for your robotics or electronics projects, then tearing into an old ink jet printer should be your first stop. Several useful items can be found in these often trashed items. Above are the items I was able to successfully harvest from an old broken Epson 820. It includes 2 bipolar stepper motors, a power supply with taps for 5 and 43 volts, 2 voltage regulators, a gear train, and various parts- all of which will find their way into future nolebots. I hated that printer, so while tearing that thing apart, I realized why the guys in office space had so much fun!

Robotics: Wireless Gripper

My latest project aims at constructing a simple robotic arm that can be controlled with an infra-red stereo remote control. At this point I have completed the gripper portion of the arm. This gripper is based on the design of Karl Williams from his book insectronics I used a portion of the code from my previous robot, the infra-tank which can be downloaded here. I also used the same micro controller from the infra tank, the parallax basic stamp 2. My next step is to build the base and shoulder portion of the arm. The pictures above would provide enough reference for you to build your own. If you do, please share the results in the comments section.

Airplanes: Adjustable Height Field Stand

If you're tired of kneeling or using picnic tables to setup your model aircraft at the field, you can easily use a camera tripod with my clamp assembly bolted to the camera mounting plate. I used a scrap of plywood with dado cuts to help stabilize the two bar clamps. The bar clamps are fastened down with wood screws and washers, but mending plates would be more effective here. The plastic pads on the clamps' jaws were removed so I could epoxy on some scrap bass wood with foam rubber pads to give the assembly more gripping surface area. I plan on adding landscaping spikes to the ends of the legs with hose clamps, so the entire stand can be anchored into the ground. This setup also works well in the shop, when you need your project at a taller working height. Future possibilities for this stand could include an enlarged plywood plate to accomodate a small tool or transmitter tray. Please add any ideas you might have for this stand in the comments.

Workshop: Homebuilt Laptop Stand

If you're looking for an easy way to mount your laptop to a vertical surface, you could build a pair of these brackets. I used scrap cedar and steel mounting hardware to anchor them into studs behind the wall. I would recommend using 3/4" plywood for the brackets and some plastic tabs or strapping on the ends of the brackets to lock the computer in place. I've had my Thinkpad T21 (the best laptop ever built)on these brackets for over a year now, and have had no issues with stability. Keep in mind though that the angle my brackets are cut at are not a good setup for typing. I made these so my T21 could be used for a jukebox and mini file server, and therefore cut the angles to make the unit as vertical and space efficient as possible. You could mount a horizontal shelf right under the brackets for a mouse and keyboard to complete your standing workstation.

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 10

After about 2 years of intermittent building, the Chuperosa is finally complete. All up weight with radio is approx 13 oz.

Workshop: Modify Your Wireless Rotary Tool For Wired Power

I recently purchased an ultra-cheap dremel-like wireless rotary tool. Of course I got what I paid for, because the battery packs (two were surprisingly included) are low capacity, short running pieces of ni-cad crap. After a full charge you could only expect 10 mins of runtime! I figured I would just have to replace it. Then I found an old AC wall adapter that matched the power specs of the battery and thought about simply opening up the drill and soldering the leads directly into where the battery connects, but after looking at the 2 battery packs I decided to sacrifice one pack for its case to use as a removable plug for the wall adapter. With this setup, it now has the ability to be both wired and wireless. See the pictures and descriptions below. chances are, you could do the same thing with your particular brand of rotary tool. A WORD OF CAUTION: Please make sure the wall adapter you plan on using can provide enough amperage for your drill. If you are not sure what I mean by that, then don't do this project. You'll want to periodically check the adapter to make sure it's not overheating. When you're done using it unplug it from the wall!



Above is the drill, and disassembled battery pack before the simple modification.




Above is a detail of the empty battery case. You can see where the terminals need to be. I was able to clip the battery terminals off the pack so I could solder them to the wall adapter leads. I used a piece of styrofoam shaped like the old pack so the leads would fit snug inside the case.



Above is a picture of the "plug" that allows me to switch between wired and wireless power. Notice my bandaged finger-Be careful of disassembling the batteries!

Electronics: Re-Used Cell Batteries

Here's a couple of old cell phones of mine. The batteries (3.7v 900mah Li-On) are in excellent condition, and the phones can be used as charge regulators- so why not use them as flight packs for a small model aircraft or robot? Have any of you done this? I'm wondering how I could build a light battery holder with "precise enough" terminals to contact the battery tabs? All thoughts are appreciated.

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 9

Structural construction is now complete. I'll be using microlite plastic covering to finish it up. One obstacle remains however, after the covering and radio install. I'm not 100% sure I have the incidence correct. I made sure the wing saddle matched the prints, but I'd like to measure to be sure, and of course I don't want to drop more cash on an incidence meter. Does anyone have an accurate way of measuring this using a straight edge or something?

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 8

The wing is finally complete. It's been a busy summer, so finishing this project is proving difficult- but with this step complete, progress is being made. I still need to add the glass tape at the center, but I wanted to document it at this stage because I think the tape clashes with the overall form. This was my first scratch built wing. It was a great learning experience, but I'm looking forward to my next project being a laser cut kit.

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 7

The right wing panel is almost complete. The steel straight edges provide a nice emphasis on the wing's taper, which isn't too visible in the previous post. I'm starting to plan the color scheme- there are so many options these days. I need to do some research though before I venture back into the world of plastic coverings, considering it's been over a decade. If any of you brilliant readers out there know of any web resources that discuss covering techniques, please let the rest of us know about in the comments.

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 6

The left wing panel is finally complete. I need to pick up a new scale to see how much more sanding I need to do- hopefully those holes I drilled in the TE will help reduce the weight. If you have any wing building tips, please let me know and post a comment.

Airplanes: Chuperosa Part 5

This is taking longer than I thought. I forgot that I would also have to make my own drawings. Below is a picture of the left wing panel with 6 more ribs to fit. Notice the steel straight edge at the leading edge- this is the first time I tried this, and it works very well because it not only trues up the LE, it gives you a more solid object to work with, which in turn helps make sure the ribs can be sung without bowing any of your straight lines.