Eric Ostendorff

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (12.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
December 2017
Dead reckoning, odometry, and robot navigation.

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (11.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
November 2017
Are there robots in every room of your house? Would you like there to be?

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (10.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
October 2017
There are lots of ways to make your robot more interesting and useful. One of the most popular ways is to give it the ability to speak!

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (09.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
September 2017
Hacking an inexpensive D2-1 Smart Car into a “photovore” light chaser, plus using PWM to control motors and wanting to build an R2D2

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (08.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
August 2017
Mr Roboto shows how to add Bluetooth control to the widely available (but poorly documented) D2-6 Smart Car

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (07.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
July 2017
Tap into the sum of all human knowledge and get your questions answered here! From software algorithms to material selection, Mr. Roboto strives to meet you where you are — and what more would you expect from a complex service droid?

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (06.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
June 2017
Tap into the sum of all human knowledge and get your questions answered here! From software algorithms to material selection, Mr. Roboto strives to meet you where you are — and what more would you expect from a complex service droid?

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (05.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
May 2017
Read about troubleshooting random re-boots with a Raspberry Pi; if motion sensors can be used as infrared receivers for remote uses; reviving the battery in an AIBO; and getting into telepresence robots.

New Sensor on the Block!
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
April 2017
There’s a new sensor on the block: a laser obstacle type that you really have to try. Lasers are just plain cool, and this one only costs about $10-$15.

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (03.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
March 2017
Using a BASIC Stamp 2 in omni-wheeled robots, building a robot arm to move chess pieces, and ideas for keeping yourself entertained on long flights are all discussed this month.

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (02.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
February 2017
Topics discussed this time include servo options, dealing with a sonar range finder’s erratic responses, an explanation for jittery servos, and to LEGO or not to LEGO.

Your Robot Problems Solved Here (01.2017)
Column: Ask Mr. Roboto
January 2017
Mr. Roboto returns to offer solutions to those issues plaguing our robot builds.

Mini Wi-Fi Video Cameras
February 2016
Take a look at some different camera options to stream live video from your drone or mobile robot to your smartphone on the cheap.

BASIC Bots & PICAXE   Processors — Part 5
January 2016
Building the Cruiser Robot. We’ll wrap up our series by using the knowledge we’ve gained to construct Cruiser: a rolling breadboard which can turn in place using differential steering.

BASIC Bots & PICAXE Processors — Part 4
December 2015
RoboCar — The Self-Driving Car of the Future!

BASIC Bots & PICAXE Processors — Part 3
November 2015
Analog Sensors, ADCs, and a Walking Robot! Take a look at some simple sensors to give our breadboard the ability to measure distance, light, and temperature, then turn that breadboard into a simple robot.

BASIC Bots & PICAXE Processors — Part 2
October 2015
LEDs, IR Control, and Servos We continue with our tips and techniques for implemeting PICAXE 08M2+ chips in robotic applications.

BASIC Bots & PICAXE Processors
September 2015
Ready to try a different microcontroller in your robot builds? Well, this new series will show you how to work with a PICAXE 08M2+.

Analog Servos for Robotics
July 2015
In some ways, analog servos are the “unsophisticated brutes” of the robotics world.Thoroughly understanding their strengths and limitations can help you identify which things are better handled in hardware vs. software.

TheoBot — A DIY StrandBeest Walker
April 2014
Similar to last month’s SpiderBot hack, see how to take a $10 kit and turn it into programmable bot with a mesmerizing walking action.

Build a Simple Walking SpiderBot
March 2014
Hack an $8 toy into a programmable walking and sensing maniacal octopod of doom!

REVIEW Talk is Cheap! New Low Cost Speech Chip for Microcontroller Projects
November 2012
RoboVoice will definitely give your robots something to talk about!