We've got two pairs of weekend passes for the Calgary Mini Maker Faire taking place this weekend up for grabs. To enter, send an email to it@solarbotics.com with the subject of "I <3 Solarbotics" to enter. Two winners will be selected Friday the 13th @ Noon.
New GMPW Wheels!
Dave Hrynkiw
June 21, 2007
No more rubber band tires for us! We've invested in getting our very own wheels made for us, with molded-on thermoplastic rubber wheels!
These wheels are slightly larger in diameter than the old style, measuring 69.2mm (2.72") diameter and 7.65mm (0.30") wide. Ah, but how good are they? They're definitely better than the old style! We know from head-to-head tests that these have better traction than the rubber-band tires (definitive numbers are coming...). We've also spun them up on our lathe to see how true the mold process is, and they're quite true - no visible wobbling!
A new enhancement is a built-in opto-reflector 32-step pattern! Built to be bolt-on compatible with the Wheel-Watcher series of wheel-encoders, all you have to do is paint the groove white (for dark plastic wheels), and scrape away the raised surfaces to generate a sharp, accurate 32-stripe pattern!
Did we mention that there was no increase in price for all these enhancements too?
MORE POSTS
Interesting Mini-sumo build
This mini-sumo design by Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin features our wheels, and one of our favourite building materials, Sintra. We can't laser-cut sintra (PVC=bad stuff when burned), but milling it works well, as this builder shows. The asymmetric motor layout works, as proven by this contest-winning design (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Closed for Holidays
Just another quick note that Solarbotics will be closed for Victoria Day, Monday May 23. Any orders received after 2pm today will not go out until we open back up on Tuesday the 24th.
3D Printed frame for Line Follower
Ohhh, we like 3D printers. We're working with the local Protospace to fund-raise for a Makerbot. I want to see one of these Line Follower chassis (especially as some of the parts look particularly familiar!). LOVE open source hardware!
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
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Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.