Last summer during a Solarbotics Robotics for Educators session, one of the teachers noted something about many of the mainstream robotics and electronics learning platforms commonly used in classrooms. He said that those platforms suffered from the Black Box Effect. This effect was where the “black boxes,” the controllers, were plugged into the computer and […]
Arduino Leonardo Preorder, Cool Link Wed...
Dave Hrynkiw
May 24, 2012
Big news! We've put in an order to bring in a schwack-load (a scientific unit of measurement) of the new n' shiny Arduino Leonardo. We can't quite say when they're set to arrive, though, but we're hoping it'll only be a few weeks...ish. Looks like this will be a really popular board, due to the impressive feature set and low price. We'll be filling orders on a first-come first-serve basis, so you might want to get your foot in the door sooner than later.
And now for your regularly scheduled smattering (also a scientific unit of measurement) of the best in distracting internet links. It's a day late, technically, but I won't tell anyone if you don't. Here's what we've been passing around the office this week:
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Robot boats travel the Pacific Wired has a fascinating article on some robotic water craft (that are solar powered! woo!) that are attempting to cross the Pacific. |
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RC Transformer Car Hackaday shows off an impressive build by Zak Sawa that uses no less than 22 servos to create a transforming and drivable RC car. |
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Tiny Marble Machine YouTube user MekkiMM is showing off a really cool marble machine. Aside from the excellent craftsmanship for the rail system, it uses a motor similar to a GM12a/13a/14a. Another user, denha, has a similar setup for a tiny catapult. |
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Twittertape Machine This neat-o project makes a ticker-tape device that spits out tweets, without the use of any computer or ink. Bonus points for the really nice craftsmanship and presentation. |
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Crystal cMoy Free Form Headphone Amplifier Instructable Rupert Hirst from Instructables has put together a mighty fine tutorial on his home-built amplifier. The best part? It's enclosed in polyester resin, which makes it hella sexy. (Thanks to Tom from our Facebook page for the tip!) |
Hopefully this will tide you over until the week draws to a close (we're almost there!). If you have any links you'd like to share, give us a shout on Facebook or shoot us an email!
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