My Haphazard Journey Through Space and Time at LumberJocks.com http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:51:04 GMT Follow along as I trek through time, one day at a time. I am a woodworker, a robot builder, a concrete artist, and a tech junkie. My topics of interests will ebb and flow so often that I will even be left wondering how I arrived at an answer for a problem I didn't know I was pondering. Carpe Mens Mentis #2: Learning More About Sketchup http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6687 With a lot of help from DaveR, I have started to learn a little bit about using sketchup. After finishing my fence layout in sketchup I decided to try my hand at designing a little rover robot. This was a much more challenging project than my previous one. It was a fun experience, and I plan to start getting more complex in my designs as I am slowly learning how to create my Army of digital minions! Har Har Har!

This little one is a roving video bot. The two antennas on the back are for control & transmission of live feed video.

Sorry these photos are pretty large, so you will need to click on them to view them full size.

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Thanks for checking out my progress!

]]> Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:51:04 GMT http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6687 ChrisCook ChrisCook Carpe Lignum #2: Playing With Sketchup http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6588 I’ve been playing with Sketchup a little bit when I have free time, and decided to make a model of my friends gated entry into the backyard. The post caps are the same as the ones I’m showing him how to make. I enjoy working in Sketchup, but right now I’m so slow in designing that I could almost have something built before I can model it.

The images may be cut off, if so you can click on them to see the full size image.

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]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:48:08 GMT http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6588 ChrisCook ChrisCook Carpe Mens Mentis #1: Small Scale Bot's Got Brains, or Does it? http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6578 To note, I have named this series Carpe Mens Mentis “Seize the Mind” in reference to the “mind” of everything we build in electronics. It is odd how even the simplest of locomotive electronic “dumb-bots” can, at times, appear to have sophisticated sensing abilities. While this is odd to me, it is absolutely amazing to my kids.

Recently, I built a couple little 1.5v bug bots for my two kids. These are very simple “robots” who only know they have hit an obstacle when a little paperclip antenna attached to a single pole switch hits something and causes the switch to change direction. That being said, these little critters often turn out of harms way before ever hitting an obstacle. While I know that this is most likely do to irregularities in the surface the bots are rolling on, the kids are always astounded by the bots ability to “dodge traffic”. They will even fight over who has the smarter robot, and ask me why I built one better than the other. haha!

If you haven’t ever built electronic gadgets with your kids or grandkids, you should give it a shot. There are tons of easy to build projects, that you and yours will definately enjoy!

]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:22:10 GMT http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6578 ChrisCook ChrisCook Carpe Lignum #1: Saving Money Instead of Time http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6577 I recently helped a friend of mine construct a privacy fence around the back yard of his new home. He is new to the world of carpentry and woodworking, so I have taken it upon myself to help guide him on his sawdust journey dream.

After we finished putting up about 600 feet of fence, he decided his wife would like to have post caps overlooking their new fence. After I made it home, I put together a few jigs and cut some sample post caps. My good friend will now be helping me to create about 75 post caps. It is a project I look forward to, but also look forward to completing.

I am proud that he has chosen to create his own art rather than rely on the imagination of mass marketing and 10% off stickers for inspiration.

]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:04:09 GMT http://lumberjocks.com/ChrisCook/blog/6577 ChrisCook ChrisCook