Finger Spinners — The Killer App for 3D Printers?
by Bryan Bergeron
With a 3D printer, you can make a finger spinner yourself a lot faster than ordering one online.
April 2017
Servo Magazine
Features
Animatronics for the Do-It-Yourselfer — Motors Make the World Go Round
by Steve Koci
Take an in-depth look at using some alternative motors in animatronics/robotic builds.
Judgment Day for AI: Inside the Loebner Prize
Hugh Gene Loebner, PhD, a philanthropist, inventor, and entrepreneur, made Alan Turing’s ideas a reality when he sponsored the first Loebner Prize — billed as the ‘first Turing Test’ — in 1991. Hear from one of the judges what it’s really like to be a part of the contest.
TETRIX® PRIME Hits the Bulls-EYE at USF
by Patty Cooke
An engineering mentoring program at the University of South Florida is bringing STEM and real world learning to area youths.
Parallax Blocklyprop Starter Kit
Parallax has added Blockly to its list of tools for programming their popular Propeller microcontroller.
EMG Control and Monitoring of a Servo Gripper — Closing the Loop
Use your body to control your bot.
Columns
Ask Mr. Roboto
by Eric Ostendorff
New Sensor on the Block!
There’s a new sensor on the block: a laser obstacle type that you really have to try. Lasers are just plain cool, and this one only costs about $10-$15.
The Multi-Rotor Hobbyist
by John Leeman
The Multi-Rotor Hobbyist — Photogrammetry with OpenDroneMap — Part 1
Make your own maps using a quadcopter, a camera, and some open source software
Twin Tweaks
by Bryce Woolley, Evan Woolley
Full Metal Cannon
Working with high pressure air cannons.
Then and Now
by Tom Carroll
What’s New in Robotics
Discover the robots of CES 2017.
Robytes
by Jeff Eckert, Jenn Eckert
Stimulating Robot Tidbits (04.2017)
Stimulating tidbits on the latest happenings in robotics for consumers, universities, professionals, and everything else in between.
Combat Zone
The Glass Cannon: The Tale of a Newbie’s First Venture into Combat
by Nik Buchholz
Most bot builders remember their first foray into the sport of robot combat; many with varying degrees of success, but all with some degree of nostalgia and just a little bit of embarrassment.
New Year’s Resolution — Part 2
by Pete Smith
After putting my 12 lb (Hobbyweight) combat bot, Isotelus Rex on a weight loss program to get better results at competitions, it was time to build the new lighter chassis and drivetrain.