The Arduino Powered Robotic Labyrinth
This project started out as a fun party game. Attach two servo motors then hook up and Arduino and control everything with a Nintendo WiiFit balance board. This project took off in ways I wouldn't have imagined.
The YouTube video shot one evening at a Cowtown Computer Congress meeting unleashed interest in our project.
An Accomplished Maker With Years of Experience - photo by Steven Chau
This guy may be short in stature but he makes up for it with years of experience. He has been a maker since the age of 4. He did a great job running a cordless drill and placing the holes in a random pattern. We’ve offered sessions on building your own holiday lighting projects over the past few weeks.
His dad said the Show and Tell sessions are his least favorite of our Make:KC activities. He thinks their boring with all the talk. He likes building things the best.
Animated Lighting Project. - photo by Jason O'Reilly
From robotics to animated lighting, Brian enjoys making things. He and his brother look forward to our build sessions and enjoy bringing their projects out to show. The humanoid Lego robot he brought out is using the new color sensor to accept or reject marbles based on the color.
Humanoid Lego Robot - photo by Steven Chau
Ed's Name Tag - photo by Jason O'Reilly
Our name tag challenge continues with Ed Fagan bringing in these pieces he made. He used some homegrown electroplating techniques to make these tags.
I first heard Randy Childers describing his project as part of the CCCKC (Cowtown Computer Congress) grand opening ceremonies about nine months ago.
Solar Collector Project - original photo by Steven Chau
His collector uses a glass vacuum tube much like a lunchbox thermos jug’s glass container. The water gets heated when sunlight travels through the outer wall of the glass tube and into the vacuum region. The inner wall of the glass tube is a black color to increase the heat collection. Copper water pipes fit into the void of the vacuum tube much like soup or coffee gets poured inside a thermos jug. Instead of liquid flooding the interior, the copper pipes form a manifold with the sun heated water sealed inside.
Randy's solar collector parts. Original photo's Steven Chau and Jason O'Reilly
The copper pipe manifold is assembled from off the shelf parts. A key part is the reducing 3/4″ to 1/2″ tee and a little work using a dremel tool to eliminate a lip on the tee’s inside.
The solar collector is part of a stationary heliostat that is created with a compound parabolic shape. The plastic pieces are cut using Craig Berscheidt’s laser cutter for optimum precision. Another version of this collector is in the works. This time increasing the span of the parabolic shape.
Solar Collector - photos Jason O'Reilly
Randy is getting impressive results from his tests and is planning on building a series of these collectors to implement in his house for heat and additional experiments converting heat to power using peltier junctions.
Report By Vince Thompson
Rob's Name Tag
ROB – Rob Fagan brought in this great name tag. It’s made up with keys from a donor keyboard and LEDs.
Bob's Name Tag
BOB Spangler enjoys projects with fabrics and did some free stitching on his sewing machine to put his name on this shirt.
Mike's Wave
Mike O’Brien got our name tag challenge kicked off. This is Mike’s wave.
BuiltToSpec Name Tag
Built-To-Spec. This is Craig’s name tag. It is made from acrylic etched in his laser cutter and housed in a case illuminated by an LED. Craig documents many of his projects on his Built To Spec web site and is a frequent contribuitor to Thingiverse
Craig keeps coming up with great projects he’s built. He brought in his recently completed MakerBot from parts he cut with his laser cutter and some parts from MakerBot Industries and other suppliers.
Craig loaded up a design in the computer then instructed the MakerBot to print the design. He chose to print out a whistle complete with the little ball printed inside. Everything worked, the whistle sounded like one that could have been bought at a store.
Craig's MakerBot Whistle
Skirt Alterations
Bob brought in this skirt he altered with his sewing machine as part of a costume he’s working on.
Metro Homeschool Robotics Team Update
Sharon Mehl showing a slide presentation about the Metro Home Schooler’s robotics projects and the awards they’ve received.
Most photo’s provided by Jeremy Darling
Report By Vince Thompson
Make:KC Live
Make:KC, Inspired by O’Reilly Media’s Make: magazine, is growing again.
Now its easy to keep up with our activities in one place with an easy to remember web address — MakeKC.org
I want to point out our new tag line: Art and Technology in Kansas City. This reflects our group’s variety of interests. Our web site will be growing to highlight more member’s projects. You can expect to see work in progress, triumphs, and fantastic failures.
I hope you will come check us out both on the web and in person at our Show and Tell events and other activities.
