Ramblings

A new product was launched by Texas Instruments recently that seems to be aimed at the hobby-electronics geek. The MSP430 Value Line Launchpad is a super cheap board that features a PDIP socket that allows you to use either the MSP430G2211IN14 or MSP430G2231IN14 uControllers.  The specs of these processors aren’t phenomenal but seeing as the complete kit will set you ...

As you can see from the picture above, my desk is way too small to deal with all the projects I am working on: A Lego pneumatic motor with a Dexter Industries dPressure controlled compressor A ROBOTC driver for the dFlex A ROBOTC driver for the new toy on my desk (can you spot it?) Lejos drivers for the HiTechnic Sensor ...

The series 1 collectable minifigs are pretty cool.  I am not really into the “normal” Lego (ie non-Technic or NXT) but there were two of them in that series that I really, really wanted: The Robot The Ninja I already had a pirate from last year’s Pirate Advent Calendar. With the help of the very handy PDF published by Brickset ...

Last Saturday I gave a Mindstorms NXt demo at the HCC C=64 Club’s robotics day.  It was held in a small but intimate venue near Utrecht.  I was given 3 large tables in the main room to shows off some of the robots I had built and to tell people all about the NXT. My omniwheel, Laurens’ Snatcher from his ...

It seems that there’s an evil scientist by the name of Sparra Mc who has turned an ordinary Lego Light sensor into a laser target sensor! There is no lack of sharks around his part of the world, so I am sure we can expect at least a few white sharks to be fitted with one of these very soon! ...

I finally ordered the omniwheels I’ve wanted for about 6 months!  I’ve been raving about them to anyone who cared to listen over the past while.  This will really help make my omniwheeled robot a lot more stable.  While I love the all-Lego omniwheel wheels I made, they cause far too much vibration in the entire platform for them to ...

Looks like we have a winner!  Damien Kee guessed correctly.  It’s a pulse meter.  It works (well, eventually anyway) by amplifying the difference in the amount of light shining through a finger as more or less blood pulses through it with each heart beat. Well done, Damien!

Some people have mailed me asking if it was a light sensor.  Well, yes, it’s a sensor that uses light, but that’s far too generic an answer to accept. I’ve been working on the Mystery Project and it’s currently not working yet.  I’ve probably made a mistake on the prototyping board.  Here’s a picture of its current state. It doesn’t ...

Dexter Industries are hosting a contest.  There are two ways to win one of their dFlex sensors, click on the [LINK] to find out more!

Can you guess what this will be? To help you: the IC is an LM358 dual op-amp and there’s enough parts in the pictures to make 3 of the mystery object.  I will not give you any more hints, so don’t ask for them. You can mail me your best guess at mightor@gmail.com. If I manage to make this work, ...