December 2005

12/30/05

No Vex Robotics Kit

Well, I didn't get a Vex Robotics kit as a second Xmas gift from my Mother-In-Law but I got a great "Creative" webcam instead. This device will allow me and the family to stay connected while I'm in Memphis TN until they arrive. While I'm staying the company paid apartment (which is quite nice in space and living accommodations), I'll be working on the Handy Cricket Robo Hacks book along with other sci-tech gadgets. I'll be blogging on these events as they progress or in the working stages. A Vex Robotics kit can quite easily be constructed using Erector pieces, a Handy Cricket controller, and a few electronic circuit interfaces. Um, sounds like a good project to post on this blog as well as the Society of Amateur Scientist E-Bulletin! I've got some great Webcam application ideas I'll be pursuing as well that I think you sci-tech enthusiast will find interesting and entertaining.

Oh, by the way we've just purchased a beautiful 2800 ft² 2 level ranch home. The formalities of selling our house in MI and closing on the TN property are to follow. My daughter Tiana is very anxious to move because of the amount of bedroom space she'll have for her stuff. Speaking of which, I have a workspace that's twice my MI lab area along with 2 access points for cable, air conditioner, full bathroom, full carpet floors, a chandler, and two windows. I like to call this room "Don's World". I'll provide pics when the new lab/workshop is up and running. Stay tune!!!!

12/26/05

Prototyping Robots Article for the Society of Amateur Scientist

Hi folks, I hoped your Xmas was as happy as mine. The family and I are still vacationing in Williamsburg VA. Will be leaving tomorrow to drive to Memphis Tennessee so I can have a 1/2day orientation at my new job (Hunter Fan). The Society of Amateur Scientist (SAS) is an organization devoted to the promotion of the Citizen Scientist via articles on society and science and hands-on experiments. I've written articles for this educational organization related to my projects and experiments on robotics. The article I posted on this site describes low cost and quick prototyping tools and techniques that can be used to build robots. The article looks pretty good with the exception of a few errors like the wrong captions with pics and incorrect website URLs. I'll address these errors with the Editor of the Citizen Scientist E-Bulletin. Hopefully the material in the article will provide a source of inspiration to explore the emerging field of robotics via hands-on experiments. Do you have some tools you use for your robot projects? If so, post them for others to research and explore!

12/25/05

Surprise, I got a New Dell Computer for Xmas!

 I also found out that I have another Xmas gift from my Mother-In-Law waiting for me at home. Who knows, it might be the Vex Robotics Kit. The kids also have other gifts waiting for them at home as well. What a super Xmas this turned out. Enjoy this day as well as the coming New Year!

12/18/05

Moving to Memphis Tennessee!

Hi folks, its been a while since my last blog and I got to tell you a lot has been going on! The big news is I'll be moving the family from Michigan to Memphis Tennessee. I've accepted a great electronics engineering job and it's an all expense relocation package ride with a signing bonus! I will miss all of the great folks here at Michigan who have helped me professionally and socially to grow into a well rounded person. Also, I'm leaving the Auto Industry to work in the Consumer Electronics arena. I've being doing Automotive EE stuff for 20 years and with the state of chaos via massive layoffs (which I'm not one of them) and the major impact it has on the Michigan economy, there's a dark cloud over this here state. Therefore, its been quite a challenge to blog on a consistent basis with all of the packing, moving boxes, and talking with realtors . I'll try to do my best to post daily to keep you folks tune into the world of sci-tech robo gadgets and hands-on projects.

The LEGO Vision Command Software

I've added pics of my kids clowning around with the CameraBOT! on the Sci Gallery page of this website. This project illustrates how robots can aid in education through hands-on play and experimentation. Also, kids can be creative in expressing themselves via the Multimedia connection with the camera and vision software.

My Christmas Gift is a Vex Robotics Kit!

I know what I'm getting from my wife (Mattalene) as a Xmas gift - the Radio Shack Vex Robotics Kit. This kit was inspired by Dean Kamen's FIRST Competition. The kit is a convergence of an Erector set and a RC controller with a programmable logic unit. The MythBusters wrote an article for ROBOT Magazine explaining their experience with this kit. The article showed how they built their own Pack robot using the construction set.

The kit can be used in robotics competitions or as a prototyping tool for mechatronics based devices. I plan to blog about the experience of using this robotics kit in a box once Mattalene, I mean St. Nick, drops off the package on Xmas Eve!

12/12/05

The Sci-Math Games Channel Is Opened!

I've added some interesting science and math games to stimulate the old gray matter! The games range from simple flash cards to a 3D Driving game. I'll be adding games to this channel on a frequent basis. If you or your kids know of any games, post them on the comments page. I'll provide a brief review of these games in future blogs. Enjoy!!!

The LEGO Vision Command Software

This past weekend I had my kids test the CameraBOT! using the Robo Eyes Sensor circuit along with the Vision Command Software. My 3 kids (Tiana, D'Vonn, and D'Mar) had a blast video recording their silly antics. They also took snap shots of their funny faces, and stuff around the kitchen. The CameraBOT! tele-operating movement worked pretty good using the Robo Eyes Sensor circuit. The LEGO Vision Command Software allows the camera to work in the digital still and video mode using two virtual buttons on the Vision Command control panel. My kids didn't have much of a problem using the control panel software. I'll be providing some photo's of my kids creations on a future blog. The essence of this portal is to provide edutainment through science and technology. This weekend my kids just illustrated that essence.

12/08/05

Building Robot Assisted Technicians

While working on CameraBOT! and its vision software, the idea of using robots to perform experiments popped into my head. Robots are being used in a myriad of human assisted aid projects. For example, a telepresence robot can be used to check on a hospital patience or aid the blind in maneuvering in a home.  Robots also aid consumers in vacuuming their floors with the help of iRobot's "Roomba" robot There are paint shop robots and intelligent machines that can weld sheet metal for automobile bodies and chassis. There are robots that aid the surgeon in performing surgery  using telepresence.

Therefore, I began to think about using robots to perform tests and experiments on electronic circuits and devices. Robot manipulators have been used to assist the scientist in handling radioactive and hazardous material. In electronics development, experiments and testing of circuits are critical steps to launching a successful product; toys are no exception! Robo-Technician is an intelligent machine that can aid the electronic hobbyist by performing  basic tests and experiments.  By programming the robot's behavior to perform a basic task of turning on/off a typical electric switch, Robo-Technician will remove the ordinary checkout phase from the hobbyist. The concept is basically build a robot to perform a simple test or experiment on the target circuit. The control of the robot can be operated using manual, wireless, or software methods. What ideas or comments do you have on this topic? More to follow in a future bog.

12/07/05

Vision Software for CameraBOT! (Pt 1)

With the completion of a very basic camera aided machine, the next step in its functional completion is to provide vision capability. The LEGO Vision Command Camera is basically a mini camcorder that allows video clips to be recorded and display on desktop or notebook computer. The camera is USB driven therefore its a "plug and play" based device. The Vision Command software that comes packaged with the camera is quite easy to use for video recording as well as converting the tool into a vision sensor. Logic QuickCam software is compatible with the vision cam device as well. Here's a concept drawing showing the building blocks for control and electronic monitoring using the CameraBOT machine. Next time I'll show how to use CameraBOT with the Vision Command Software.

12/05/05

Creating Hybrid Robots using LEGOs and ROBOTIX Motorized Construction Kits (Pt 3)

I've completed the assembly instructions for making a cardboard filler ring to attach LEGO Bricks and accessories to the ROBOTIX Motorized Construction Kits. The ROBOTIX Motorized kit is a very unique and sturdy construction set for building intelligent machines, robots, and functional models. Using the LEGO components like cameras, motors, lights, and the RCX (programmable brick) enhances the ROBOTIX models and machines that can be built. The geared motors provide sufficient torque for lifting small objects as well as good speed regulation. The assembly instructions for building a hybrid robot I call "CameraBOT" is a good illustration of using this "no-cost" building interface medium. You can check out the motion of CameraBOT by viewing a small video clip. The video clip shows the forward & reverse motor control of the BOT using the Robo-Eyes Sensor circuit discussed in the 11/06 blog. A jog function is available by pressing and releasing the button quickly for both bi-directional controls. Notice the LEDS for directional control being illuminated. In a future blog entry, I'll show how to interface the LEGO Vision Command Camera using Windows Movie Maker and Excel. NOTE: username and pwd is "public" to download the video clip.

12/04/05

The Store is Officially Opened!!!

The Store is officially opened! I'll be selling a variety of products for robo gadget development and experimentation. And yes, I'm a Handy Cricket Distributor. I have 3 Handy Cricket products in the store but other items will be added soon.

12/04/05

Creating Hybrid Robots using LEGOs and ROBOTIX Motorized Construction Kits (Pt 2)

I've been developing a Hybrid Robot using the cardboard ring filler discussed in the 11/30/05 blog. The cardboard ring filler was modified to accommodate easy assembly to the octagon head of the ROBOTIX Double Plug using a LEGO "2x2" plastic brick. Also, the LEGO Vision Camera mount discussed in PT1 blog was changed to provide vertical motion of the mini video device. The "CameraBOT's" motor can be controlled using the Robo Eyes Sensor circuit with a slight modification to its Cricket Logo Code. The "on- time" delay needs to be shorten so that the cables for the motor and the camera will not wrap tightly around the shaft assembly. I'll be posting a pic or 2 showing the complete bot soon. A small video clip showing the CamerBOT in action will be posted as well in a future blog. Stay tuned, the saga continues!!!

12/04/05

Google Search Tool Added to Website!

I've added a Google Web search tool to the site to make it convenient for browsing on the Internet  well as on family-science.net. The large amounts of science and technical content being publish made it necessary for this tool be accessible to all you sci-tech enthusiast looking for family or individual projects to do on the weekend or weekday evenings. There's also a Google Search tool at the Home page of this site as well. Happy Searching!!!