I’m a Test Engineer (contract) for Intuitive Surgical Inc. I write protocols for verifying the production of the surgical robots, design test fixtures for testing the electronic (boards) hardware in the robots, and write test code to test and evaluate the boards. I’ve done a fair amount of board design and imbedded programming in C.
In my spare time I’m a ham radio operator (KM6VV); I design electronic devices, and write code for them. I also enjoy designing mechanical devices, like working model steam engines. I have CNC’d my Sherline mill and lathe.
i work for my wife’s fathers buisness as a building contractor by day, & supervising security oprative by night.
we renovate office’s and warehouses. demolitions and refurbs, that sorta thing.
and my dutys as in security are now only when needed. both buisness’s run parallel. also we do landscaping so i guess you could say
“jack of all, master of non”!
i get very little time for my hobbies.
but i try to steal as much as i can.
i fly RC too. think it might have been the whole terminator thing when i was about 8 or so.
i also produce my own music but slowed down when i lost my studio. so that and djing stopped.
i have a wide portfolio of characture designs and scetches iv done. i wanted to get into the games or film industry but i guess thats on hold now.
Yeah, two young kids will slow you down, and take up your time! Enjoy them; they grow up, go to college and move away. My two boys are grown and out of college (the youngest this June).
My trouble is, I get an idea, and the next thing I know, I’m starting another project! the latest quadruped project is a prime example. But at least I can buy the electronics, servos and mechanical parts; they will keep, and I can always use them later after I satisfy my curiosity.
All true, im just the same. i almost keep taking parts off my current project to start prototyping the next. i never throw anything away so iv got tons of bits so im always doing something.
anyway, its been nice to talk about things other than robotics. maybe we shouldnt have hijack this thread. sorry Xan
I’ve got one body plate machined, and the 2nd one halfway machined. Should finish tonight. I’ve already hung four 3DOF legs on it, although it’s a little wobbly! BB2 and SSC32 are also mounted.
It’s basically a small “swoopy” (all curves) aluminum plate, with a cutout for a BB2 or SSC-32 in the middle.
Great. i think i remember you saying something about the LM body plates to jim.!? jim sent me the .dxf file for it a while back as i was going to get it finished in aluminium too but never got round to it.
cant wait to see it.
how have you got on with the programming?
I had asked Jim about new plates. His weren’t ready. I couldn’t wait, so I drew up and generated the Gcode to machine my own. Fun anyway! I sent Jim a JPG (or a DXF, I can’t remember which) of my plates, which he is welcome to fab. Actually, I’ve moved the spacer holes around just a tiny bit, so they align up with my fixture. Makes milling them much easier! As it is, it takes two set-ups to get a plate drilled and routed. It’s a start, but it’s no Felix!
I bought a BB2 and another SSC-32 for this project (Shelob will stay together). No programming yet. I need to align the legs, and maybe will get to play with code this weekend. I have another robotics project to work on as well. Oh wait, the kids are coming over for mother’s day…
great. its always good to see custom ideas.
like i said i cant wait to see it. i wish i have the tools and machines to cut/grind/bend/drill and press my own parts. i have drawn up loads of bracket designs for the ideas i have but iv never been able to fab them.
make the most of what you have, i say.
have you ever built a hexapod?
im in UK so off to sleep now but catch you sometime soon.
PS to jim… an open chat feature on this forum would be a nice touch.
Have a good sleep. 'Hope the kids don’t wake you up!
I have a hexapod (Shelob). I milled the body, Femurs; used my own PCB with a PIC16F4620, and programmed it in C.
I haven’t wanted too many brackets until I started my micromouse, but now I make many. All you need is a hacksaw, drill, and a $50 USD 18" sheetmetal break. The rest is easy!
If one is making small custom brackets of fairly bendable metal, small straight edge devices like below can be used. I’ve seen bending forms made from hardwood for making aluminum homebuilt aircraft parts. For a hard straight edge for making a bending form, a piece of metal lawn edging like bottom can be obtained at Homedepot inexpensively, and is fairly easy to work with.
