The Boise Robotics Group
by L. Paul Verhage

In the summer of 2003, I decided to start a robotics club in Boise (apparently several other people had the same idea). So, I consulted with the Discovery Center of Idaho (a local hands-on science museum) and placed notices in two local newspapers announcing the creation of the Boise Robotics Group — the BoRG.

Our first meeting took place in January 2004 at the Discovery Center, and I was delighted that more people attended the kick-off meeting than I expected. Since then, we’ve held classes in basic electronics, Stamp programming, printed circuit board (PCB) design and construction, and soldering. We have a logo, hold competitions, and are writing a robotics book for our new members. We’re still a small group, but new people show up at most meetings. That’s not bad for a robotics group that’s barely two years old.

In this article, I’d like to tell you about seven of the projects that the BoRG is currently working on and how we’re accomplishing them (and how you can, also!). Perhaps our experiences will generate interest in some readers. This article is laid out pretty much in the order in which the BoRG developed these projects. If you’re interested in any of our projects, please feel free to contact us. We can make arrangements to send some materials.