Electronics Workshop with Mitch Altman and Jimmie P Rodgers
Posted by David in Announcments on March 5th, 2010
The Irish Robotics Club and TOG.ie proudly
present a Mitch Altman electronics workshop in the Science gallery on the 23rd of March (6pm-9pm). Mitch is the brains behind Cornfield Electronics and one of the co-founders of Noisebridge hackerspace in San Francisco. Mitch has taught thousands of people to solder travelling all around with his famous workshops and sharing his love of electronics.
If you have ever had any curiosity about making something with electronics, then please join us. Anyone and everyone can learn to make cool things. And it’s fun. And easy! You can learn to make something cool with electronics in one workshop, and take your cool project home with you!
Mitch Altman’s expert instruction is Free, we only got to reimburse him for the materials we use (20 euro). There will be plenty of cool kits available to build (and take home), including:
- TV-B-Gone (turn off TVs in public places!)
- Brain Machine (Meditate, Hallucinate, and Trip Out!)
- LEDcube (cool cube of blinky lights!)
- Mignonette Game (play fun games!)
- Trippy RGB Waves (interactive colored blinky lights!)
- MiniPOV (more cool blinky lights!)
- MintyBoost (charge your USB enabled gadgets!)
and for the more advanced:
Microcontroller programmers, Arduino clones and more.
This workshop is guaranteed to sell out super quick! You have been warned 
(Tickets onsale (20 Euro to cover materials costs) on the Science Gallery website NOW)
Map of Irish Robot Makers
Posted by David in Announcments on February 24th, 2010
O.k like a lot of things in Ireland, the Irish Robotics Club is a little Dublin-centric. I live in Dublin and our events are held in Dublin. But we have lots of people interested in robotics outside our fair capital. For example Marek in Carlow and Jiri in Limerick (BTW Jiri is trying to set up a hackersapce in limerick, so go here if you are interested in gettnig involved). So to make it a little easier for people to find robot lovers close to them I’ve put up a google map for Irish robot makers (or just makers) to add their location. You don’t have to give your exact location your town or city will do. Don’t be shy! it only becomes useful if people use it and it builds up over time. Edit the map and add a placemark!
Link robot makers map
Make Night Photos Uploaded
Thanks to everyone that came to MakeNight#2. Some pretty cools projects people. Things that were made included, four kinds of robots (mini sumo, line follower, drawbot and fire breathing), crocheted hyperbolic coral, origami, guitar distortion pedal, (yummy) cupcakes, a “social” LCD sign and loads of Sugruing. All the photos are up in the gallery now. MakeNight#3 will be in March 31st. It can only get bigger and better
Make Night Now With Added Sugru!
Posted by David in Announcments, Events on February 3rd, 2010
Ergonomic pen made with Sugru
Added what? Added Sugru! The hottest new “making product”. Sugru is a silicone-based adhesive which sets at room temperature. So you can mold it as you like and once set, it will still be slightly flexible. Use it to make/repair/improve all sorts of things. It’s like the blu-Tack on steroids! Want to buy some, well you can’t (for the moment), because they sold all of the first two batches (3,000 packs) in only 16 hours. But all is not lost, the friendly people at Sugru understand the beauty of people coming together and making things and want to help us out. So they are supplying FREE SUGRU for the next “Make Night” (Thursday 11th of Feb in the Science Gallery (6-8pm)). Enough for 15-20 people! So bring along any stuff you think could do with a bit of “sugruing” and be one of the first people to try it out!
It’ll be Sugru “HACKquarium” within a Make Night. I can’t wait!
Upcoming Events: Make Night & Evening of Robots
Posted by David in Announcments, Events on January 15th, 2010
Loads of great events coming up in February! First off there is a “Make Night” in the Science Gallery on Thursday the 11th of February 6pm to 8pm. This is at slightly different time than mentioned in previous posts (as it clashed with Science Gallery re-opening party).
The idea of a “Make Night” is simple – come along to the Science Gallery and make ANYTHING you like, in the company of other “makers” doing the same. Share ideas, materials and tools. Show off you projects and from learn the experience of others. Drink Italian coffee and talk to friendly creative people. Engineers, artists, jam makers, glue and glitter experts are all welcome. Pick a project, get your materials together and join in the fun. Still not clear? Check out the 5 minute ignite talk about them here.
It’s also going to be an Irish Robotics Club meeting, with testing of the robots we are sending to Robot Challenge 2010 in full swing, so watch out for rogue speedy robots at your feet!
Admission free.
The very next day (12th of February) there will be an “Evening of Robots” being held in collaboration with our friends at TOG. This is on in their space on Arran quay. It’s part of a series of events they are running for Engineering Week, which are open to the public. Well worth checking out!
One more thing, world of robots on at BT Young Scientist Exhibition at the moment. Looks like fun!
IGNITE Talk Video – Make Yourself Happy
Here is the video of the talk I gave at IGNITE#2 Dublin. I think they edited everything together very nicely and the whole night was a great success. Thanks Conor! Some great talks up on the IGNITE Dublin youtube channel, all only five minutes long, definitely work taking a look at.
Next Make Night is on the 10th of February (when the Science Gallery reopens), so plenty of time to get your materials together for that. Myself, Lukasz, Conor, Jiri and Zdenek will be testing our robot designs for the Robot Challenge competition that night also, so there should be plenty of robots running around as well.
OH and a Merry Christmas to everyone!
David
Speaking at Ignite Dublin #2
I’m presenting at the second ever Ignite Dublin Event to be held in the Science Gallery on the 4th of December from 18:30 – 21:00.
Ignite is like a mini conference with a series of five minutes talks, each with 20 slides (rotated automatically after 15 seconds). It’s fast paced and straight to the point.
I’m going to be talking about making stuff , running the Make nights and setting up the Irish robotics club. The title of the talk tentatively being “Make yourself happy!”
Tickets are on sale from the Science gallery website here, priced at 10 euro.
Robot Challenge
Posted by David in Competitions on November 23rd, 2009
Anyone interested in forming an Irish robotics team to compete in the Robot Challenge event to be held in Vienna, Austria 20-21 of March ? A team would probably a consist of 2-4 people depending on their experince. So if you got any electronics, mechanics or programming skills, this could be a fun project.
There are numerous events going on, such as
- Linefollower
- Linefollower Enhanced
- Puck Collect
- Humanoid Sprint
- Freestyle Exhibition
- Sumo
There is a thread in the forum about setting on team for the “Linefollower Enhanced” competition. If anyone is interested in helping out or entering a team in one of the other competitions join the converstion there.
*Notice* Contrary to what is advertised on the Science gallery’s website. There is NO robotics club meeting on this Wednesday. The next meeting will be during December or early January and will be advertised here *Notice*
Make Night – 28th October
Posted by David in Announcments, Events on October 20th, 2009
I’m running a Make Night on the 28th of October 6pm-8pm in the Science Gallery.
So what is a Make Night I hear you ask ? It’s a workshop without the lecture. It’s a friendly meet where people come along and make something. Absolutely anything! Pick a project and bring the materials and tools you need and we’ll provide a space for you to work in. While you are there, draw inspiration from what others are making around you, talk to them (they are nice), ask them questions, learn new things, work together, share tools and ideas. Bring along your works in progress, bring stuff you have already made and show it off!
It’s kinda like arts and craft when you were in school but you’re an adult now and can do better right?…right?
Need inspiration! I point you towards the internet, try one of the thousands of projects on instructables, try the make blog and magazine, try googling your wildest dreams
It’s on just before halloween, so maybe it’s time to make a kick-bum costume or bring along a pumpkin and knife and start carving!
Write a computer program, dabble in electronics, make a robot, learn to knit, invent a board game, make something! You’ll feel good about yourself and become instantly more attractive.
If still have no ideas but still want to make stuff, I’ll have the materials and tools to make Drawbots (created by Jonah Brucker-Cohen).
So if you are an artists looking to work with engineers, or an engineer looking for a creative ideas or just a lost Science Gallery attendee looking for the toilets, you are more than welcome.
It’s FREE by the way. Thanks to Science Gallery for their space and support.
*UPDATE* Michael from Animatazz will be bringing along some easy-action animation figures and plasticine for anyone who wants to try their hands at some stop-motion animation. Fantastic!
Hackalicious
Posted by David in Announcments on October 14th, 2009
Hack Night?
Unfortunately looks like we are going to have to cancel the next meeting due to lack of available speakers. It’s a little disappointing, but the show goes on. Next I’m going to run a workshop next to increase the number of robots out there, I’m close to tracking down suppliers for all the parts, so more details soon. I’m also thinking about running a series of “hack nights” which is pretty much a meeting where people can come work on their projects (robotics or otherwise) for a few hours without any formal presentation or guidance. Basically a friendly environment where people can ask each other questions, collaborate if they wish or just show off the projects they have made. Probably to be held in Science Gallery, free of charge. Anyone think “hack nights” a good idea?
Oh and the new post/comment notification system seems to be working again! Hurrah
Mailing List
Loading...
Recent Comments