Digital cameras work by letting light through a lens onto a sensor composed of photosites, each with a photodiode that outputs a signal relative to the brightness of the light. Modern digital camera sensors have millions of photosites, each of which contains a microscopic photodiode. The number of pixels in the captured image is equal […]
Robotic arms are versatile machines and are great for learning about principles of robotics or even doing useful work for hobbyists. That work might be picking and placing components on PCBs, packing boxes, or anything else you can imagine. But to perform that work well, the robotic arm needs more hardware than we tend to […]
Analog instruments are everywhere and used to measure pressure, temperature, power levels, and much more. Due to the advent of digital sensors, many of these became quickly obsolete, leaving the remaining ones to require either conversions to a digital format or frequent human monitoring. However, the Zalmotek team has come up with a solution that incorporates embedded machine […]
If a robot is rideable, is it still a robot or is it a vehicle? We would argue that if it rolls on standard automobile-style wheels or even tank tracks, it is a vehicle. But James Bruton’s eight-wheeled robot snake bike is quite clearly something else. This “vehicle” started as a small functional model that […]
“Human-machine interface” (HMI) is a general term that describes any physical input or output hardware that people can use to interface with systems (like computers) and vice versa. That very broad definition usually applies to computer input devices like keyboards or output devices like monitors. The move towards touchscreens represented a fundamental shift in HMI […]
A CT (computed tomography), or CAT (computed axial tomography), scan is a type of medical imaging technique in which multiple X-ray “slices” come together to form a pseudo-3D model. CT scanners are the kinds of medical equipment that are so expensive that manufacturers don’t even bother listing prices on their websites. Suffice it to say […]
All digital communication ultimately comes down to transmitting ones and zeroes, but there are many ways to achieve that. One can encode that binary data as modulation in a radio signal or simply pulse electricity through a wire. But one of the most interesting methods is optical. Flashing a light is a great way to […]
AC (alternating current) meters are useful tools for measuring power draw. One might use an AC meter to monitor the power consumption of their devices and appliances with the goal of lowering their energy bill. Makers in particular can benefit from AC meters to learn about the power consumption of their own projects. Basic AC […]
Those cheap wire-arm head massagers are great at giving your scalp a nice, relaxing rub. But they’re handheld implements that force the user to either manipulate the massager themselves or talk a partner into performing the task. David McDaid decided that the experience would be much more pleasant if a robot took care of the […]
Stepping on LEGO bricks is a meme for a reason: it really @#$%&! hurts. LEGO brick design is ingenious, but the engineers did not consider the ramifications of their minimalist construction system. We’ve seen people do crazy things for Internet points, such as walk across a bed of LEGO like they’re hot coals — or […]
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