Wednesday Cool Links: Spiderbot, Solar S...

Dave Hrynkiw
October 17, 2012

It's Wednesday! Hooray! Huzzah! We're celebrating because... Well, ok, we have nothing big to celebrate right now. So we're going to celebrate having nothing to celebrate with the traditional and only appropriate way possible... BROWSING THE INTERNET! Indeed, we've been celebrating this time-honoured tradition with steadfast dedication, and it's our pleasure to share it with all of you.

Four-Legged Spiderbot
As the website puts it, this is "a walking machine, radially symmetrical, having four legs with two degrees of freedom each, controlled through a wireless link from a hand-held controller based on two Wii Nunchucks." Very impressive articulation and range of motion. Be sure to check out the video.
The Almost Useless Machine
A solar-powered... Reciprocating saw? Make sure you have lots of patience and a cold one to enjoy while you "work"! Seriously though, while this might not be too functional, it certainly has some great craftsmanship.
Solar "Death Ray": Power of 5000 suns!
Mirrors. Lots of mirrors. 5800 of them, to be precise. It's pretty cool (and a LOT scary) what kind of power can be harnessed by arranging mirrors onto a fiberglass satellite dish and aligning it to the sun.
6 Rubens Tubes Visualizer
Hrm, a flame visualization for music? SIGN ME UP. Turn it into a handy-dandy plug-in accessory for the iPod, for the best on-the-go pyrotechnics you can possibly imagine. Might want to make sure you turn it off before tucking it away in your pocket, though.
Solar Engineer Badge on DIY
So, you think you like DIY? Well, it's time to prove your chops by completing challenges over at diy.org. They even have a Solar Engineer Badge that features a bunch of project ideas, including our Instructable for the Solar Powered Miniball.

We were once hoping that we could instead celebrate by racing giraffes through obstacle courses, but that didn't pan out. Too bad. I was planning on decking mine out with some sweet black and white racing stripes, to make it look like a very oddly proportioned zebra.

MORE POSTS

November 9, 2012
Friday New Product Post and a Few Projec...

It's snowing here. Here's the proof - a ruler measured with another ruler, reading about 7" depth of (what used to be) snow. It's a massive invasion of snowflakes, and they don't seem too friendly. The amount of snowfall we are experiencing now can prevent anyone in their right mind from being outside. And the […]

September 11, 2001
Our sympathy...

Due to the horrific events happening in the USA, Solarbotics cannot guarantee delivery of Priority or Airmail orders for the immediate future. Our sincerest sympathy goes out to the victims of this brutal and cowardly attack. May time relieve you of your sorrow, and the attackers face their justice.

April 30, 2014
Wednesday Links: Acrylic Clock, Spritz a...

Oh this time of year back again. I mean the time when I wear 4 layers instead of 8, which in Canadaland is called "summer". The icicles become somewhat warmer and Canadians wear shorter shorts than usual. Acrylic Skeleton Clock "Acrylic" and "skeleton" in one sentence? That should be interesting... (Via Dangerous Prototypes) Speed Reading […]

May 23, 2003
GM2/3 with Wheel combination deals

We're saving you some hassle and money by now offering our popular GM2 or GM3 gear motor with a GMPW wheel! Save a few bucks and order them as a set.

Solarbotics Ltd Logo
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.

cart