Published inExploring ROS Robotics·Sep 24, 2022Member-onlyHow To Add A Motor Controller To Your ROS RobotGive your robot straight, precise driving and odometry! If you are building a mobile robot for use with ROS/ROS2, one of the first things you need to do is integrate a motor controller. The purpose of the motor controller is to accept messages from higher level software, such as the…Robotics12 min readRobotics12 min read
Published inExploring ROS Robotics·Feb 9, 2022Member-onlyBuilding the ROS Robot: Chassis, Wiring, and SafetyBuild it right, fix it less later — I stumbled on the Weddell 2 ROS Robot by user pokpong on Thingiverse, and was very impressed. It was very close to what I was after. I wanted something large enough to carry a Raspberry Pi and sensors, a reasonable battery pack and a microcontroller. I couldn’t source the motors…Ros7 min readRos7 min read
Published inExploring ROS Robotics·Feb 7, 2022Member-onlyHow ROS Works On a Physical RobotBuilding a robot with common maker parts — One of the issues I most struggled with when I first started learning ROS was how it connected with the robot hardware. I didn’t understand how sensors and actuators like motors were connected. There are a number of ways this can be done, and ROS is quite flexible — here’s…Robotics5 min readRobotics5 min read
Published inExploring ROS Robotics·Feb 6, 2022Member-onlyThe Big Picture: Understanding What ROS Is ForFind out what ROS gets you, and how it works — When I first started looking at the ROS documentation, I was overwhelmed. It dove right into workspaces, packages, and topics, but there was no overview that explained what it was, why I would use it, or how I might implement it on a physical robot. It took a while to…Ros6 min readRos6 min read
Published inExploring ROS Robotics·Feb 6, 2022Member-onlyIntroduction — Learn To Use ROS On A Real Robot, By Building One!Welcome! My name is Jason Bowling. I’m an IT guy by trade. and a robot builder and tinkerer by night. I spent the last year or so diving deep into how to use ROS to build sophisticated robots, and I’d like to share the experience with you. …Ros2 min readRos2 min read
Aug 15, 2021Member-onlyBuild a 3D Printed Tensegrity PlanterCompeting tension makes the top appear to float above the base — Who doesn’t love a good optical illusion? Tensegrity structures can appear to float in mid-air, with no obvious supports. My mom expressed an interest in one of the “floating table” builds she saw on social media, so I decided to find a small model to make for her using the…3D Printing4 min read3D Printing4 min read
Mar 7, 2021Member-onlyMaking a 3D Printed Moon GlobeA super realistic, gently glowing moon lamp for decoration or education I like astronomy, and when I ran across these files generated from high resolution NASA data of the moon, I knew I needed a moon globe. Created by Thingiverse user moononournation, the thickness of the globe’s skin varies with…3D Printing3 min read3D Printing3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyDecisionsA near future science fiction short story — “Probability of match, 67.34%.” The engineer sighed, and shuffled across the room in his tiny apartment to pour another cup of strong, black coffee. He was exhausted. The apartment was overly warm, and a fan in one of the dozens of desktop computers buzzed loudly. He hadn’t been able to…Fiction13 min readFiction13 min read
Dec 27, 2020Member-onlyBuilding an Inexpensive 3-D Printed ROS RobotBuilt around a Pi4, low cost gear motors, and an RPLidar A1 — I recently began playing with ROS in simulation, and am really enjoying it. I want a platform that I can use for experiments, particularly learning to configure a physical robot for SLAM and navigation. …Robotics5 min readRobotics5 min read
Dec 21, 2020Member-onlyHow to Use Your TV for Zoom Calls and Remote LearningBecause huddling around a laptop is no fun at all! — By now, you’ve likely spent a ton of time on Zoom/Teams calls for work, family gatherings, some time with friends, and school. Trying to gather a bunch of folks around a single laptop for dinner or a birthday party is challenging. Holding academic classes on a small screen is not…Technology5 min readTechnology5 min read
