January 2012
Servo Magazine
Meet Madeusa!
Features
Parallax MadeUSA — The Big Robot That Could
This review will introduce you to the newest addition to the Parallax robotic arsenal.
Getting a Grip on Jamming
Learn more about this novel technique that is a whole dif ferent concept from traditional grippers.
Meet the Perfect Solderless Breadboard
Take a closer look at Digilent’s Electronics Explorer and how you can use it as a microcontroller stimulus generator and virtual logic monitor.
Projects
Pimp My Hexapod — Part 2
This time, we’ll explore and implement two dif ferent upgrades that involve motors and the head gearing system.
Columns
Robytes
by Jeff Eckert
Robytes
Stimulating Robot Tidbits
GeerHead
by David Geer
GeerHead
Scout UAV by Aeryon
Ask Mr. Roboto
by Dennis Clark
Ask Mr. Roboto
Your Problems Solved Here.
Twin Tweaks
by Bryce Woolley, Evan Woolley
Twin Tweaks
Looking Backward: 2012-1989
The NXT Big Thing
by Greg Intermaggio
The NXT Big Thing
Isotope — Part 2
Then and Now
by Tom Carroll
Then and Now
TurtleBot: ROS Meets Kinect Meets Create
Combat Zone
PARTS IS PARTS: HobbyKing R610 and R410 2.4 GHz Receivers
in The Combat ZoneIfound out recently that there are very few DSM2 receivers with programmable failsafes available when I decided to replace the Spektrum BR6000 receivers I had been using with a DSM2.
MANUFACTURING: Shop Review: Westar Mfg. – The Team Whyachi Bot Shop
in The Combat ZoneI often get asked where I get my machining done, and unless I’ve done it myself, my answer is always teamwhyachi.com.
BUILD REPORT: Rollin’ With the Punches
in The Combat ZoneWin or lose, the best combat robots always put on a show. That means no drive system failures unless your robot is in pieces. Bigger bots can achieve this through redundancy: four motors, four speed controllers, etc.
EVENT REPORT: Mecha-Mayhem The Rumble in Rosemont
Fighting robot enthusiasts from Miami to Michigan and their 47 insect class fighting robots journeyed to the Chicago suburb of Rosement, IL to do battle in the 5th Annual Mecha-Mayhem fighting robot competition
The History of Robot Combat: From Humble Beginnings to Multinational Sensation
Long before the glitz and glamour of Comedy Central’s BattleBots™ brought mass appeal to the sport, robot combat had much humbler beginnings.