Our GM2 gearmotors are powerful, and just a bit slower than a standard servo, making them ideal for a walker. But for you folks who like wheeled robots, these are simply too slow. Solarbotics' own Grant McKee to the rescue! We barely had the motors opened 10 minutes before Grant figured out that these motors […]
Wednesday Cool Links, and Thanks for the...
Solar botics
February 27, 2013
Hello! Today I actually have stuff to say, and this time these are the news on the Useless Box. Looks like it's time to receive thanks! Remember back in November 2012 when we decided to donate $1100 to Plan Canada from a percentage of past sales of Useless Boxes? They sent us a nice thank you card for that, 
and now we are onto our second donation (this time of ~$1,500), and this time it is going towards:
- Beekeeping kit;
- Library in a box for Haiti;
- Ten mango trees;
- Rainwater harvesting tanks;
- Herd of goats.
This card is from "Desert Bus for Hope", an annual gaming telethon that raises thousands of dollars for the children's game charity Child's Play. We have sent them custom Useless Boxes which were a huge hit and brought nearly $2,000 in donations.
Thank you to everyone who noted our efforts in making the Useless - Useful, and now onto with the regular:
|
Cardboard Computers and Plotter by Niklas Roy Electronics rendered mechanically - that's our kind of reverse engineering! Built out of cardboard, this plotter shows how computers work on a fundamental level: using rope, rubber bands and cardboard, this plotter renders simple vector graphics. And it looks cool too. |
 |
Raspberry Pis are now available from the NYCR vending machine The title says it all. I can definitely see the potential in this fusion of vending machines and electronic components! |
 |
Chuck: A Flexible Wooden Bookshelf You would think this is some sort of fancy design shenanigan that doesn't stand up to the challenge of everyday life, but check out the video, it actually can hold quite a bit of printed matter! |
 |
Hacking a Radio Controlled Spy Device for Overly Attached Girlfriend The goal was to have a radio controlled device that would send live video and audio to someone and had the ability to plant a small GPS tracker on the undercarriage of a car. The video is a masterpiece. I want that device! |
 |
A Billboard in Peru Creates Clean Drinking Water From Air Humidity Great idea, not sure how financially viable that is, but definitely sounds interesting, especially for a region with 98% humidity and only 0.5" of rainfall. |
Aaaaand this is it for today, see you next time.
MORE POSTS
LED Earrings
The idea of adorning oneself with glowing bits has been around forever, but instead of smearing ourselves with phosphorescent jellyfish or placing fireflies in ears like some uncivilized cavemen we went for simple LED earrings. We made a build that involves a simple slow-scroll RGB LED and a few reflective bits to bounce that pretty […]
Friday New Product: PCBGrip
PCBGrip Cylinder Accessory (4 pack) $7.20 This accessory is great for adding standoffs and rotating elements to your PCBGrip (or Openbeam!). PCBGrip Tri Nut Accessory (pairs) $5.52 Inserting and aligning nuts into Openbeam can be a bit tricky, but this clever, simple tri-nut insert is a simple, effective solution to the problem. T-Bolt Accessory (pairs) […]
SCC3733 Solarcell hacking
Here's a tip submitted by Rick Steenblik regarding hacking our SCC3733 for less voltage, but more current: After using your SCC3733 solar cells for a couple of bots I noticed that they can be altered to provide about 3.3v at 80ma (in full sun) by cutting the bus connector on the back to electrically separate […]
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!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
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.