Once more into the [legotest] breach

Here's a video update about the progress of the LEGOtest machine #2 (#legotest)

Here is some extra info and progress starting with something I forgot to mention in the video: the shorter lever beam.

The lever was too long and, out of sheer luck, one of the shorter beams was the exact length needed. After that, I finally strengthened the base by removing the last LEGO legs and installing the Makeblock leg I showed in the video.

Once that was done it just made sense to attach the Arduino to the front leg as you can see in this picture of the whole machine:

The Makeblock parts are provided by The Little British Robot Company

As for the double action on the new motor; it both assembles the LEGO bricks and helps disassemble them.

The two movements are difficult to perform with a single motor since assembling needs a lot of strength while disassembling is all about subtlety. The part was first designed using LEGO Technics and it took 2-3 iterations before I found a way to achieve the two movements. To better understand the motion, check out the video.

Unboxing and Doodle cool

The parts for LEGO Test Machine #2 have made it safely across the Atlantic.

Makeblock parts from The Little British Robot Company

You can see me open the boxes and give some initial thoughts and ideas in this video:

When opening the shipping box, I've discovered a DoodleBot which the guys from TLBRC added as a gift. It's robot that can hold a pen and use it to either draw or write. I couldn’t resist so I built it right away and tested it by trying to make it write “Thanks TLBRC”. It 'kind of' looked good on the first try but clearly there is something wrong with one of the servos or sensor. I'm pretty sure that I didn't mount the rotation sensors properly so I'll have a look at it.

Seriously, look at this little thing. How can I stay made at it?

Still it's a really cool little robot base. The Arduino board that comes with the kit contains a ton of features and most are not used by the Doodle Bot. It even has a header to plug a Bluetooth device. Needless to say that I'll most likely reuse it for a future project.

If you ever get your hand on this kit, here are a couple of tips to make it work with the current Arduino IDE. By following the kit instructions you'll get to the right drivers and select the proper board. But to open and build the code in the IDE, you can do this:

1. Open the Doodle_Bot_Text_Demo.pde with the Arduino IDE.
2. Click OK when prompt about creating a ''Doodle_Bot_Test_Demo” folder.\
3. (In a file explorer) Manually copy all the other demo files into this new folder
4. (In Arduino IDE) Manually 'Add' all those files into the project
5. In the Alphabet and Doodle_Bot_Text_Demo files, rename all the letters functions by adding the prefix 'l'. (e.g. F() becomes lF())

That's it, you should be ready to build and upload the code to the DoodleBot.

If you have any questions let me know.

Inside the box

So close I can almost touch it. Parts for the LEGO Test Machine #2 are coming and I feel like a kid before Christmas. Here's some pictures taken by the guys at The LittleBritish Robot Company while boxing all the goodies.

WhoooOOOoooo motors

Looking at the content I got inspired to create a new design focus around the use of the Makeblock wheels.

The top part (1) would go back and forth to assemble the brick by compressing them together. Disassembling the bricks would be done by a claw system (2) able to twist off the bottom brick. Finally the bottom plateau (3) would go up and down using an off-centred wheel, helping in the process of assembling or releasing the parts. It's just a rough idea but feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions.

Now, how can I make time go faster? I could go to sleep until the package arrive. Naaaaaah I'll probably wait in front of the door like Scott Pilgrim.

Added:
You can see all the 'boxing' pictures on my G+ album

When in doubt... TLBRC

Oh yeah, this project is rolling again, thanks to The Little British Robot Company (TLBRC).

Like many modern relationships, we met on Twitter. They followed me, I followed them. I complimented their product, they answered (knowledge of social media is a good sign). Finally, I proposed a partnership and they said yes. WooooOOOOooooo!!!!!

[pause to reflect on how cool the Internet era is and how lucky I am to be part of it]

Anyway, I will redesign the second set of LEGO testing machines using almost only Makeblock parts (distributed by TLBRC) and TLBRC parts.

To get better results than the first LEGO Test Machine, certain features and constraints will be added to this new project:

• Gather more than one control point (e.g. adding voltage, pressure, time, ...)
• Use a rotation motion to remove the LEGO bricks.
• Keep the test speed at 10 seconds per iteration to prevent heat from friction.
• Perform many tests. Hopefully, many tests at the same time.
• Test bricks from different eras.
• Once the LEGO bricks have fallen the first time, rotate them 180 degrees to continue testing until they fail again.
• Have a way to query the test status while it's running.

Also, instead of machining everything myself, I will be using the following:

• Makeblock
• TLBRC parts
• LEGO parts
• Arduino and other electronic components
• TLBRC custom milled parts (If needed)
  
  

Let's get this show on the road...

Endor Observation Post

The story of a kids playhouse

Some years ago, after the pool was wrecked by the weight of a record snow year, we dismantled a part of the deck. Suffering from the common makers sickness that prevents you from throwing away good material, I stored all that wood away. Here's the pile after we got it back out and inventoried what we had to work with:

The only new wood was the 4 columns and the cross braces at the base. To ensure (completely overkill) stability I went for a design where all the columns are leaning inward.

For extra QA and on the spot design-validation, my dad was part of the build. By working with him him when I was a kid, I learned to build and to problem solve. I always loved building things with him.

Here is the playhouse partway during construction:

Since we finished the playhouse some days ago, the kids have played in it every day. Like a moths to a flame all the kids in the street were also sucked into the playhouse. It is one happy place.

Now let's renovate our old bathroom...