We’ve learned something over the past year: Roboticists from Norway can make some really awesome hexapods. We first met Phoenix Hexapod creator Kåre Halvorsen (who goes by Zenta on our forums) when he entered his amazing creation in our Project Contest. Needless to say, he won by a landslide vote. He went on to work with Lynxmotion and Jeroen Janssen (also from Norway, goes by Xan on our forums) to develop a kit based version of his Phoenix with complete wireless PS2 control!

We are now proud to carry the Phoenix Hexapod Comprehensive Kit! This kit contains everything you need to build your very own wireless controlled Phoenix Hexapod. It even comes pre-programmed with Xan’s Wireless PS2 controller program. Words can’t describe how amazing this robot is, you really have to see it in action so check out the video below!

You heard it here first folks. I always knew that robots would be involved in the end of the world, but I never suspected one of our own beloved pets would be the masterminds behind it. I have discovered undeniable evidence that our days are numbered.

I present to you the most terrifying video I have ever seen. In it you will see a cat with complete psionic control over a robot, commanding it to do its bidding. Or maybe its the other way around. Either way, what this spells for our future is not good.

Trossen Robotics is proud to be the first in the United States to offer the new MechRC Humanoid Robot! This new ready-to-walk robot is a breakthrough in price to performance at only $599.99 USD.

High torque metal gear servos, LiPo batteries for longer run times, a fluid 3D visual software programming interface for easy custom motions, and a remote control unit are included. Everything you need to have you own walking robot is included in this ready-to-walk kit! With over a hundred pre-installed motions and sounds you can get this robot throwing some dance floor shapes or some killer fighting moves straight from the box.

Also check out the MechRC’s take on the Evolution of Dance!

A challenge many roboticists and experimenters face is finding a way to get custom metal parts built for their projects. Not everyone can afford to invest thousands of dollars into tools, which is where Big Blue Saw can help. They specialize in custom laser cutting and waterjet machining, and allow builders to place small orders to avoid the high minimum order amounts that most local shops charge.

Big Blue Saw founder and fellow roboticist, Simon Arthur, has been kind enough to give our community the ‘heads up’ when Big Blue Saw is offering specials. We wanted to let all the ‘bot builders out there know about their current sale!

Announcing: Big Blue Saw’s pre-Thanksgiving Sale

From November 20 to November 25, 2008 Big Blue Saw will be having a pre-Thanksgiving sale. Customers will receive quantity discounts on parts made from select materials.

* Aluminum 5052 alloy, 0.08″ thickness
* Aluminum 6061 alloy, 0.125 inch (⅛”) thickness
* Cold roll 1018 carbon steel, 0.125 inch (⅛”) thickness

Any order of less than 10 parts will automatically be eligible for a quantity discount.

Many of you are visiting our website for the first time due to the buzz around the web about this sale. This is an excellent opportunity to try our services — you can order just one small part, and save on the setup charges.
About the materials
Aluminum 6061

One of the perennial favorite materials at Big Blue Saw, the 6061 alloy of aluminum features excellent strength and light weight. It is weldable and has good corrosion resistance. This alloy is a true “aircraft aluminum” and is often used in airplanes and spacecraft.
Aluminum 5052

We have recently added 5052 alloy aluminum as a new standard material here at Big Blue Saw in order to meet the needs of our customers who needed an aluminum alloy that is much easier to bend and form than 6061. It also has good weldability and excellent corrosion resistance.
Cold roll 1018 carbon steel

This carbon steel helps in situations where you need greater strength than aluminum can provide. It has good weldability and will wear better than aluminum.

With Robogames 2009 coming up this summer, we wanted to remind everyone of what a great time we had at Robogames last year. If you’re looking to get into Robotics or simply want to drink beer and watch giant robots duke it out, Robogames is the place to be. Here’s a quick video we threw together talking with a few Roboticists on how they got started and why!

We hope to see you at this years Robogames 2009 in San Fransisco!

You probably have heard the term thrown around, but many out there might not know what an Accelerometer does exactly.  They are used in a variety of modern machines and gadgets, and a necessity for dynamic balancing in walking robots. Here is a quick tutorial video that we put together, explaining the basics and application of Accelerometers.

David Calkins, founder of Robogames and cohost of the Revision3 show Systm, just finished wrapping up an entire episode dedicated towards RFID technology and a practical (impractical?) application of it. In this episode they cover RFID 101, how to lock your friends out of your beer cooler using RFID technology, and perplex us all as to what the heck ‘ARFED’ is. Silly Minnesotans!

The Atmega chips really are fantastic for robotics, but sometimes the learning curve can be a bit steep. Society of Robots has taken this into consideration with their new Axon Microcontroller. Boasting the impressive Atmega 640, which has 55 total I/O pins and can control up to 29 servos, this open source microcontroller was built from the ground up with the Roboticist in mind. Visit our store for more information on the Axon Microcontroller.

Here’s a video showing just how easy it is to interface with the Axon:

We had a blast at iHobby this year. Here are a few clips we threw together of some of the fun we had.

Starting off the video is a fight between Farrell Robotics Zog, and our own little Robobuilder. There is also some footage of the Chibotica area around the robotics section, and a peak at some of the robots on display.

Here’s a short video of Farrell Robotics’ Zog vs the Robophilo. This is what happens when you put a fully custom built, top of the line humanoid robot against a $400 budget humanoid! Hilarity ensues.

See you at iHobby next year!

Bioloid users have been drooling over these controllers since they were first announced at Robogames 2008! Well, the time is nigh to get your robot a fix, the Bioloid Boomerang Zigbee Controllers are due on our next shipment! These controllers finally put wireless Bioloid control into user’s hands, enabling easier participation in humanoid kung-fu, soccer, and stairclimbing.

We are now accepting Pre-Orders, with an expected arrival date of November 15th, 2008. They come in two flavors, one with a set of Zig-100s, and one without (if you already had purchased a pair previously). Get em while they’re hot!