13
October 2008
Artbots:
These
robots were built for Shilpa
Gupta, an independent artist based here in Mumbai. The idea
was to have a set of robots follow a line pattern on the floor
and chant out a pre-recorded message.
The
robots were showcased at Shilpa’s exhibitions in Bodhi,
Berlin (June 2008) and more recently at Bodhi
Space, Mumbai (it’s on display till Oct end; do catch
a glimpse if you can!)
click
on the images to know more...
28
September 2008
I
recently completed a cycling expedition in Leh-Ladhak through
the YHAI
camp. But wait, this post is not about the expedition. You can
find the Flickr set
here.
I
hadn’t cycled for years and wanted to cycle again. But
suddenly heading for a high altitude (11500 feet) 240Km+ long
adventure could have proved disastrous. The expedition was a
perfect opportunity to invest in a new cycle and reignite the
lost passion. So a month prior to the trip, I bought myself
a Suncross mountain bike and began practicing. It soon occurred
to me that a speedo/odometer could prove very handy. I simply
couldn’t resist the temptation of building one myself
than to invest in an off-the-shelf solution. But the month kept
me busy in other things and the speedo project could never see
the light of day.
read
the rest of the post...
26
August 2008
A day at TRI; rare glimpse inside TRI
a.k.a. ThinkLabs.
Click on the images below to access the Flickr
set.
12
June 2008
New look. I'm hoping to add a few new sections and update
the rest in the coming weeks. So stay tuned and thank you for
visiting!
08
November 2007
Theres a new kid on the block this Diwali. He is fast,
reliable and kinda cute.
I’ve been using the homebuilt Multi-PIC
programmer for almost 4 years now. It has served me well through
all those years. But recently when I tried to venture into the
16 bit domain, it failed me. And ofcourse, how can I deny the
fact that it is rs232 based and requires some crazy voltages
for operation. After looking out for some easy diy usb based
programmers and reading suggestions on a local forum, I concluded
that buying the PICkit 2 would be a sensible choice.
If you are into PIC development, I highly recommend investing
in the Microchip's USB based programmer. PICkit
2 supports most of the PIC families including the 16 bit
dsPIC series. An ideal geeky gift this Diwali. ^_^
29
August 2007
Jugnoo and Jassi are now online...
click
here to know more about them...
18
August 2007
Basanti and Micromouse
can now be seen in action. Even though these videos are more
than a year old, I decided to upload them anyway...
| |
|
| The above video dates back to Jan 2006. Its one of
the very early maze tests for the micromouse. The
maze was built out of thermocol sheets. |
This
was taken somewhere in Feb 2006. I was preparing Basanti for a local line following robotics competition. |
15
August 2007
Heres a long overdue update on the BEAM bots built earlier
this year; "The Photovore
Family"
Happy
Indian Independence Day !!
13
August 2007
Apart from designing and building robots, I do a lot
of SketchUping at the office. It’s been just over a year since I discovered
it. Be it writing assembly guides for our robot kits or while
designing TRI's booths at technical festivals; it comes in real
handy. I’m not a CAD expert myself, but with this, the
results are quite satisfying. Here are a few screenshots:
click
here to see more.
1
July 2007
It was time
to say farewell to Basanti, Gulabo
and most of the BEAM bots built a
few years ago. The harsh coastal air of Mumbai had turned most
of these naked pieces of machinery into oxidized junk. I had
been hoarding them for obvious sentimental values but I let
it all go today. I also threw away a lot of electronic circuit
boards taken out from old telephones, fax machines, computers
and radios. I was planning to scavenge some components out of
them but soon realized that it just wasn’t worth the effort.
The idea of getting rid of this toxic e-waste seemed more logical.
And as a bonus, it created some more breathing space in my bedroom.
But I do plan to fill it up with some new ‘naked pieces
of machinery’ soon. Did I just hear myself choke?
On
the other hand, I finally took the badly needed break from my
office. The monsoons are here and the timing couldn’t
have been any better. I need to get a few important things figured
out in the meantime and take my GRE.
My rebellion attitude during the college years has come to haunt
me now. I never really gave priority to scoring high in exams;
passing was just about enough for me. I devoted most of the
time to my hobby of building robots. The college provided me
with ample of time to pursue this fantasy. My acads took a real
beating during this time. Why would I want to score high? To
stand first in the class? Na…To get a good job?
Na…I was never concerned about getting a job.
To better my prospects of getting into a good graduate school?
Bull’s-eye! And that’s when I realized
I had screwed up. I did manage to score good in my final semester
but probably that was a bit too late. I don’t regret any
of this at all. But what I do regret is the fact that during
this period I also managed to learn 'the fine art of procrastination'.
And this has come to haunt me now. Studying has never
been so difficult.
After
watching the rerun of the Rocky series recently, I’m determined to stay focused; eye
of the tiger. Now only if that was as easy as watching the
movie.
29
January 2007
What happens when you are putting in 15hrs at work,
building dozens of robots, conducting workshops and doing backbreaking
commuting? Well, you are left with an unupdated homepage! So
here's a belated happy new year !
Yesterday, IIT
Bombay's 10th Techfest was concluded. TRI had setup a booth at the R&D exhibition and was really well
received. A part of my assignment was to design and build a
dozen of BEAM robots for the display. Even though I had only
a few weeks in hand, I'm quite satisfied with the end result.
Pics
of all the robots will be put up soon.
Click
here to view the 2006 archives.
A special thanks to Solarbotics
for this free real estate
