Doing Big Things With Little Micros by Fred Eady This month, we’re going to move away from the mechanics of robotic arts and focus on basic electronic principles that can be amplified to form the soul of a subservient mechatronic being. Page 40
RoboGames 2009 by Camp Peavy This year, “Agus mulyana” and “Akbar Alexander” from Indonesia took the gold with a Tarantula-legged robot called “NEXT-116.” Page 58
The Navigator: Part 2 by John W. Molnar Last time, we introduced the concept of a user friendly, self navigation system for larger vehicles such as rover platforms and boats. Now, let’s build the system! Here are the construction details for the three boards involved, plus a detailed overview of the software that makes it all tick. Page 34
Hagetaka: Part 3 by Andrew Alter In this article, we will cover the advanced Gumstix-based onboard controller, power management system, supporting telepresence electronics, and the weapons system. Page 48
Accessories For The CheapBot-14 by Paul Verhage I really enjoy using the CheapBot-14 robot controller that I described in my SERVO article in the June ‘09 issue. It’s a nice entry-level robot controller and I think it makes a great robotics kit (the Lawrence, KS 4H also seems to agree). However, if the CheapBot-14 is going to behave like a robot, then it needs to sense the world around it. So, this time I’ll describe some of those sensors. Page 52
Robytes by Jeff Eckert Robytes | August 2009 Pneumatic Robotic Hand, The Crane of the Future, Ferreting Out Contraband, and More! Page 08
GeerHead by David Geer Co-operative ASV Robots Autonomously Investigate Harmful Algal Blooms The Robotic Embedded Systems Lab at USC, lead by Professor Gaurav Sukhatme, regularly deploys two ASVs into the Redondo Beach Marina to monitor the sea and take samples. Page 10
Ask Mr. Roboto by Dennis Clark Ask Mr. Roboto | August 2009 Your Problems Solved Here. Page 13
Beginner Electronics by William Smith Programming Microcontrollers Learning to program microcontrollers is what every electronics beginner needs to put on their to-do list. Unless you’ve been living in a cave without Internet access, you have probably heard of the BASIC Stamp 2. Page 68
Robotics Resources by Gordon McComb Collecting Robot Memorabilia Robotics tends to be a consuming passion. When we’re not building them, we often watch movies about robots, or read books or collect posters, or scout for art, toys, and other artifacts. Page 72
Then and Now by Tom Carroll The Evolution Of Experimental Robots Awhile back, I wrote about how we’ve built robots over the years and also wrote about the historical perspective of experimental robots. But what actually drove the designs? Page 76
Mr. Self Destruct in Combat Zone: Features Mr. Self Destruct is a complete overhaul of my first large combat robot: a 60 lb angled bar spinner that fought at RoboGames in 2006. Page 20
Top Tips For Taps: Part 2 in Combat Zone: Features In Part 1 (SERVO May ‘09) of this guide, we examined the theory of cutting threads and the different types of taps. This month, it’s time to get practical and learn some tricks and techniques for tapping! Page 22
Mounting Weapons: Blades and Pullys in Combat Zone: Features Alot of builders dream of creating a bot with an active weapon but are put off by the apparent complexity. How do you attach a blade to the axle? Page 25
Ohio Robot Club Holds 9th HORD Event in Combat Zone: Events Thirty insect weight robots clashed at the 9th House of Robotic Destruction (HORD) hosted by the Ohio Robotics Club (ORC) — a member of the Robot Fighting League (RFL) — and Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC) in Cleveland, OH in May. Page 27
