Wednesday Cool Links: Laser Beam RC Tank...

Solar botics
June 12, 2013

I'm back from vacation! And to celebrate that exciting occasion, we are going to celebrate! With celebratory… celebrations… festivities! And with redundant repetition of words which signifies lack of vocabulary and general brain melting. Looks like it while take a while to completely return, because apparently my brain is still vacationing. I think some science reading (of links) will help:

Chladni Plate experiment makes for a jaw-dropping video
There has been many ways to visualize the effects of sound, but this one called Chladni plate by the name of its inventor is particularly striking. Flat metal plate vibrating with a sound wave produces amazing patterns in the sand, which render more and more complex with increased frequency.
Giving an RC tank a fire control computer
WWII-era remote control tank with a fire control computer and laser sighting makes for a cool piece. Not in any way accurate of the era but extremely neat nevertheless.[Vincent] used an Arduino, IR rangefinder and a laser diode.
Dropping charcoal into liquid oxygen in slow motion
Another science experiment beautifully captured with slow motion video and eloquently explained.
Building a WiFi enabled Nixie counter
This Nixie tube counter is definitely is countin' some company metric. They are doing really well or it is counting in fractions of units. Or both. Electric Imp provides internet connection via WiFi to the board.
Instant Art Career: a Kinetic Painting Machine by Niklas Roy
A 'public painting machine' based on CNC device principle allows passersby to paint by pulling the ropes. The paintings are then exhibited and auctioned. Too bad the brush strokes are pretty much limited to horizontals and verticals.

Now that we've refreshed our brains with some science experiments, hacks and creative pursuits, I can wish you happy Wednesday… And what was the other clever thing I was going to mention?.. Not sure...

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