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Maker Faire Austin 2008
Projects and Makers
tagged robot
1 to 38 of 38
"Shelly", The Egg-Inscriber Robot
The Robot Group
Inspired by Dr. Bruce Shapiro's original art piece "Eggbot", Shelly the Egg Inscriber draws patterns on eggs using polar coordinates. Shelly is made from hand-machined aluminum parts, stepper motors and is controlled by CNC software. -- Created By Rick Abbott
ArcAttack!
ArcAttack
ArcAttack employs a unique DJ
set up of their own creation (an
HVDJ set up) to generate an
'electrifying' audio visual
performance. The HVDJ pumps music through
a PA system while two specially designed
DRSSTC's (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla
Coils) act as separate synchronized
instruments. These high tech machines
produce an electrical arc similar to a
continuous lightning bolt and put out a crisply
distorted square wave sound reminiscent of the
early days of synthesizers. The music consists
of original, highly dance-able electronic
compositions that sometimes incorporate
themes or dub of popular songs.
Arduino Controlled Robot Marionettes
3 robotic marionettes are controlled by an open source arduino-based animatronics system. El Quemira was presented during last year's fair and these are the next generation of puppets with more lifelike movement.
B9 Lost in Space
I made a fully robotic, full scale replica of the Lost in Space Robot that is controlled by RC use.
Build Your CNC
My passion is to make machines that enable the average hobbyist to make stuff. CNC machines, which allow hobbyists to do fabrication, are highly desired for precision, multi-purpose uses and design-oriented process. Many are unaffordable. It is my goal to teach how to make these machines, or make them affordable.
Capitol BEST
A 6-week robotics design contest for middle- and high-school students geared toward inspiring them to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology fields of study.
Dallas Personal Robotics Group
The DPRG is demonstrating a variety of small
robots, some designed by members, others that members are field testing
for a retailers. The group is also showing off microcontroller
boards, mechanical components and other recent creations of its members.
DIY laser cutter
A laser cutter made from two scanners and a DVD-R diode. Computer automation made simple.
FIRST Robotics Teams
A booth for 6 Central Texas area FIRST Teams. The teams will showcase the robots they have built for FIRST competitions and will also provide demos and information regarding FIRST and its mission.
General Applications Robotics
"GALA Dolly" is an interactive humanoid robot. Her mechanicals include a wheeled base, and a pan-and-tilt head assembly with webcams. She is controlled by an on-board XP laptop with a DOTNET interface that is integrated with the Speech API, enabling her to synthesize Text-to-Speech as well as recognize voice-activated commands.
With time and resources permitting, I hope to complete a robot arm attachment, as well as a second, identical "GALA Luna" version that will be written in Java rather than DOTNET.
Groovy CNC!
Recycling retro records into groovy keychains and guitar picks! Old 33rpm vinyl record albums are placed into the Probotix Fireball V90 CNC mill and then precision cut into new shapes with engraved text. G-CODE from a computer operates a circuit that controls stepper motors that guide a rotary tool as it both cuts and inscribes multiple items from a single record. This process not only produces new items, but also leaves behind an interesting shaped record.
Homemade LED Sci-Fi Space Light Props, Robots, Models and VFX!
John P Funk started a home based independent VFX company after leaving the Computer gaming Industry in late 2004. His dream was to get back to making "real" props and robots and Sci-Fi visual effects just like they used to when "Star Wars" originally debuted.
John's unique process of Recycling old toys, Circuit bending electronics /LED's and Kit Bashing model kits gives his creations a "Unique" style with a clean edge of design that is completely his own! John likes to tout that his designs are mostly recycled, even the plastic styrene he purchases comes out of the recycle bin from the local plastics warehouse!
John had his "Quest for the Dark Planet" display at Maker Faire Austin last year and had so much fun he had to do it again, this time with new inventions to show people!
HydroRobotics
Robots in the Evironmental Field<br />HydroRobotics is my site to promote my interest in robots in the environmental field (engineering, mostly). The robots are mostly aquatic, since I am a water engineer by trade. At the last MakerFaire in Austin, I brought H2rObot, a prototype robotic surface vessel for bathymetric mapping and environmental sampling/mapping. This year, version 1.0 of H2rObot is finished and, by October, will have completed it's first real mapping job. My interest also includes ROVs and AUVs and I will have a small ROV at the Faire as well. A terrestrial version of H2rObot is in the works and I hope to have it at the Faire as well. The display includes information about the various robotic subsystems and sensors used and about the environmental application of the robots.
Justin Gray Fire Sculpture Robots
This is a robotic fire sculpture show with gigantic tesla coil in the middle. That's 4 fire sculpture robots and one tesla coil. Included in this show is my latest turbine-engine-powered fire sculpture robot.
My blogs:
graywrxfabblog.blogspot.com
www.firesculpturesforrent.blogspot.com
Mechanical Flower
Inspired by a stainless steel vegetable steamer, this flower opens and closes, lights up, and plays music and sounds when you move in front of it.
Mousey Demo!
Dave and Cheryl of Solarbotics will be on hand in the MAKER Shed demonstrating "Herbie the Mousebot" - a direct relative of "Mousey the Junkbot" featured in MAKE Magazine.
Peanut Butter Monster Detector
The Peanut Butter Monster Detector is a combination bedside night-light and audio/visual effects generator for reassuring frightened children. If a child is unexpectedly awakened at night, they can easily trigger the unit with a single pushbutton. Once triggered, the unit floods the room with bright white light while it emits sounds, flashes LEDs and rotates a scan head to the accompaniment of a reassuring spoken dialog. After the unit gives an "all clear", it becomes a bedside night-light that slowly fades out after a few minutes.
Ping Pong Printer
The Ping Pong Printer uses ink-jet technology to print text onto standard hobby grade ping pong balls. Created to make “ammo” for the Ponginator (a 20' tall ping pong ball-shooting robot) the Ping Pong Printer handles moving the unprinted balls from the hopper to the printing pedestal where an ink jet cartridge shoots ink to create the finished, printed balls. LEDs and CCFT lights illuminate each stage of the printing as the balls progress through the machine. The Ping Pong Printer was shown at First Night Austin, Maker Faire Austin and has been featured in “Nuts and Volts” magazine.
RoboGames
Fighting robots! Fire! Screaming fans! 102,000 pounds of steel and bulletproof glass. Who could ask for anything more?
RoboSpinArt
The venerable spin art machines of the 1960’s & 70s created funky, psychedelic artwork many of us remember from the carnivals and county fairs of our youth. Simply put, “spin art” is created when paint is dropped onto a rotating paper, allowing centrifugal force to make streaks of color. The RoboSpinArt machine updates this concept by making spin art attractive to the so-called “joystick generation” of today while also overcoming some of the limitations of the original design.
The RoboSpinArt machine allows you to create spin art by using a joystick to position a “paint gantry” above the paper and a series of buttons to dispense paint in measured amounts. Add an exciting light show, a rocking sound track, and a countdown timer that creates a sense of urgency, and you have a RoboSpinArt machine!
Robot with Silly String Shooter
We're demonstrating practical uses for a mobile robot that shoots silly string.
Robot-themed Bags and Serging Demo and Tutorial
I have been sewing since I was nine. After the birth of my son I started a sewing business and bought a used serger. I quickly found out that there is a serging mafia out there that closely guards how to thread these things. My proposal is to teach fear-free serger threading to anyone willing to sit down with me. I was a Maker last year and won an award for my serging threading demo onstage presentation.
This year, my husband, Scott Hudson, will be presenting his GALA Dolly project with The Robot Group, and I will be assisting him as part of his team. However, I would love to provide serger tutoring again. Since I am participating as a member of The Robot Group, I will be making Robot-themed Freebie Bags as part of my demo.
Robotic Drum Set
HyperLumaMidiMagnaTronic Drum Set - A robotic drum set comes to life with surprising power, speed and light, providing a driving rhythm for the ArcAttack! singing Tesla Coils.
A PIC microcontroller decodes a MIDI stream and produces Pulse-Width-Modulated signals based on the velocity messages. Pulse-width-modulation provides precise velocity control driving Electro-magnetic rotary actuators with high power MOSFET transistors. The rotary actuators simplify the mechanics, improve reliability and reduce unwanted noise. LED arrays provide colorful, synchronized lighting effects.
Robotic LEGO Adventures
How do LEGOs relate to Climate? FIRST LEGO League introduces children to solving real-world problems by applying math, science, and technology through the fun experiences of a robotic LEGO game and a themed project, focused this year on Climate Connections. Join us in the MakerKids tent on Sunday.
Robotics at Austin Community College
We will be demonstrating a variety of robot kits as well as simple custom robots that we use in courses at Austin Community College. We will also display a software development lab (oscilloscope, laptop and PIC development boards), and a Probotix CNC mill that is under construction.
Robots, Robots, Robots
The LASA Robotics team showcases and demonstrates competition robots from previous years, ranging from small, knee-height robots to 5 foot, 120 pound machines. Come and get an explanation on how the team incorporated elements of smart engineering into their design process in order to create a better competition robot, and additionally, how the team developed and pioneered new innovations that aided various functions of the robot such as fluidity, control, and ergonomics. Also on display will be the team's award-winning documentation describing the competition process in the form of engineering notebooks.
SanDraw
SanDraw is a computer operated mechanism which draws patterns in sand and is similar to a Zen garden managed by a microprocessor. SanDraw was inspired by the work of Bruce Shapiro and a work of art named Sisyphus.
Sashimi Tabernacle Choir
What can be more annoying than a billy bass singing fish? Try 250 bolted to a Volvo and singing Opera. This award winning art car from Houston has 300 pounds of batteries, 2 computers, and more than 5 miles of wire in the control system.
Stirling Engines
The Robot Group
Invention of the Stirling engine is credited to the Scottish clergyman Rev. Robert Stirling 1816. He was later assisted in its development by his engineer brother James Stirling.
The inventors sought to create a safer alternative to the steam engines of the time, whose boilers often exploded due to the high pressure of the steam and the inadequate materials. Stirling engines will convert any sufficient temperature difference directly into movement.
Each of the models seen here were hand machined from aluminum, steel, brass, graphite and other (sometimes rather hard to work) materials. Stirling engines are notoriously difficult to create from scratch as they depend on fine balances in order to work properly. These operating models represent years of machining time and attention to detail. -- Created by Rick Abbott of The Robot Group Inc. in Austin, TX.
Texas Robots
The Robotics and Automation Society at The University of Texas Austin demonstrates their various robot projects. Projects include an autonomous ground vehicle, FIRST robots, homemade Segway, an inexpensive but powerful DIY robot kit and homemade CNC machine.
The Moving Finger/ Meaning Machines
"the Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on..." This transient optical experience presents one of the five Fitzgerald translations of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The poems are “written” onto a spherical shell of space by a multicolor LED which is mounted on the end of a mechanical “finger,” translating a 12th century Arabic poem into a language of fleeting streaks of color and electromechanical chirping. Dynamo-powered oracles accompany this performance.
THE PONGINATOR
What's 20 feet tall, blasts smoke, flashes lights, roars air-raid sirens and shoots custom-printed ping pong ball ammunition?
THE PONGINATOR! is a fanciful creation of The Robot Group in Austin Texas and it's ready for a second appearance at Maker Faire Austin! Sporting a new steel & hydraulic articulated body, the PONGINATOR should reach up to 30 feet into the sky and blast souvenir ping pong balls for hundreds of feet! Stand by for PONGINATION in 3... 2... 1...
THE PONGINATOR MK3
The Robot Group
Building on the success of the original PONGINATOR that made its debut at Maker Faire Austin 2007, THE PONGINATOR MK3 now sports an articulated electro-mechanical hydraulic-driven body to supplement this smoke-belching, siren-blaring, music-blasting kinetic robotic sculpture! THE PONGINATOR MK3 stands over 3 stories tall and uses quad pneumatic cannons to fire custom printed ping pong balls hundreds of feet in the air! Come by and see if you can catch a one of a kind souvenir and experience for yourself this amazing mechanical sculpture in action! -- Created by Vern Graner, Wolf Dilworth, Marvin Niebuhr, Rick Abbott with assistance (and insistence!) by Kym Graner, Nic Graner and many other members of The Robot Group Inc. in Austin TX.
The Robot Group
Through the synergy of fusing art and technology, The Robot Group has stimulated the public into a playful interest in high technology, and art now has new vehicles for affecting culture. It is based in Austin, Texas.
Thereping
The “Thereping” is a digital musical instrument that plays sounds based on a combination of the position of your hand and some pushbutton switches.
It uses a combination of a sonar sensor and a microcontroller to allow the user to play interesting melodies without requiring any musical skills.
When joined together with a “Thereclock” sync unit, multiple Therepings can all play together and create interesting music, again without requiring any musical expertise on the part of the players.
UT's Robotics Research Group
A review of the Robotics Research Group's technical goals and videos demonstrating results from some of our recent projects. The group has ongoing projects in mobile manipulation, reconfigurable glovebox robotics, and automated battlefield surgery.
Video Head
The Video Head Project was inspired by the amazing art project called Drum Head by Murat Konar. In a attempt to take it to the next level, the Video Head will have multiple mouth and eye expressions in order to display a wider range of emotions and interactions. The foam head gives the image an eerie lifelike 3-d appearance.
My daughter Catherine is serving as the model to provide the range of expressions. A java program will control cutting and pasting the different eye and mouth images in real time to make the head appear to interact with the audience. In addition, sensor feedback will help determine the facial expression.
Workers of the World
Workers of the World is a guerilla-style performance for autonomous cleaning robots. The robots are aware of people passing, or stopping to watch and listen to them. They respond in a variety of ways depending on their mood. Their remarks always point up the differences between workers and the rest.
