Category: History

Centipede (RoboMarkov)

Mark Hinkle had proposed a Centipede project different from that previously built by Brooks Coleman. Alas, the project page was only partially-captured by the Wayback Machine and I have no further knowledge of its successful completion.

The Centipede is a segmented insect-like robot. The segments are constructed such that they are removable and stackable. That is, the robot can be made almost any length you like.

I have been encountering some problems in the design definition stage. The big problem is that of knowing the turn angle. I would like to use a potentiometer for it but all the ones I have looked at have a high friction on the wiper. The robot is lightweight so this is unacceptable. If you know of a small, low-friction potentiometer, please drop me a line.

UPDATE (23MAR04): Some people that I have contact with through work are getting me the name of a manufacturer that makes 360 deg. pots. That is, the pot can turn infinite angles and has very low stiction. I’ll post contact info for the manufacturer as soon as I find out. It is exactly (almost … it is a bit large) what I have been looking for!

Failing that, I decided that a flex sensor would be a good choice. They only sense flexing in one direction so I would need two of them back to back. I figure they would have to be about one inch long. That means custom.

UPDATE: (23Sep2004) I have found a part that will do the trick! It is used on the nose-vane of the Predator UAV for attitude sensing. The part is made by the Dynamation Transducers Corporation.”

Mark Hinkle (aka RoboMarkov)

The background material for this page is derived from an archived page on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Some links may have been added, removed, or updated.

Campshower

Campshower is another design from the mind of Mark Hinkle. As is the case for his Centipede project, this page was only partially-captured by the Wayback Machine.

This is a concept for a deluxe campshower I have. This was going to be for the Civic Guard, a Society for Creative Anachronism group. Unfortunately no one had the cash to pitch in for its components.

Mark Hinkle

Some calculations for it follow :

Assume :
15 persons
10 minute showers
12V 200 Amp-hour battery
50 gallon water tank
2.5 gal/min pump
5 gal water per shower

Total shower length per day = 10×15 = 150 minutes per day

A fully charged battery will last 200/5.5 = 36.36 hours continuous usage.
36.36hr x 60min/hr = 2181.81 minutes
2181.81min / 150min/day = 14.54 days @ 150 minutes per day

A full water tank lasts (under continuous usage) 50gal / 2.5gpm = 20 minutes continuous (under intermittent usage) 50gal / 5gpp = 10 people can shower before tank is dry.

Note : this assumes that the showerer will only have the water on long enough to get wet or to rinse. No water usage during lathering, scrubbing, or shaving. Also, no account is made for the hot water reserve. I recommend that we have two water barrels so that one may be filled while another is used.

Another note : It can get cold at Gulf War. Pipes may freeze. How do we prevent that? We could bury the hoses but will that work? Draining is not practical. Also, we could use some sort of insulation on the uprights.

The parts list goes something like this:

BATTERY : spec.: AGM???, 12V, ???AmpHr, $xxx

BATTERY CHARGING REGULATOR : 10A Schottkey diode with heatsink if possible.

WATERPUMP : 12V DC, 6.0Amp current, 2.0-3.0gpm

HOSE : garden or RV hose with large inner diameter. Need something to prevent freezing. Bury?

FAUCET : two valve

SHOWERHEAD : low flow, high pressure

WATER HEATER : gas, 6gal, no electric (spark or match ignite)

STORAGE TANK :
calculation :
50gal@3gpm~=16min. shower,
40gal@3gpm~=13min. shower,
50gal@2gpm~=25min. shower,
40gal@2gpm~=20min. shower

Shower cannot be continuous! These times are the cumulative length of all showers.

PAVILION : plasticized canvas, 5ft.x5ft base

ASTROTURF : toolbox liner is also acceptable

PALLET : modified so feet don’t fall between cracks

The background material for this page is derived from an archived page on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Some links may have been added, removed, or updated.

Another Fifteen Minutes

On Thursday, September 4th, 2003, at 7:00pm, the Austin Museum of Art (823 Congress Ave, Austin, 78701) presented “Another Fifteen Minutes : An Evening with Warholabot and Ediebot.” Admission was $5.00.

The show was in conjunction with the opening of AMOA’s new Andy Warhol exhibit. Robot Group members, the dashing Glenn Currie and the grizzled Eric Lundquist, portrayed the mysterious Men in Black.

“Andy Warhol once said that he wanted to be a machine. What if he actually became a machine?

In 2017, a mysterious group of beings, known as The Nine, have extracted Andy’s soul essence and inserted it into an Andy Warhol robot.”

Poster for the Austin Museum of Art's production, "Another Fifteen Minutes."

“Andy Warholabot and Ediebot (Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick) will time-travel from 2017 in an Interdimensional Limousine to 2003 in order to put in an appearance in the gallery of the AMOA where they will be interviewed by Mega 93.3 DJ Miss Kitty. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Andy Warholabot and Ediebot talk about art, fame and silver pillows.”

Glenn Currie and Eric Lundquist as the mysterious Men in Black.

Written and Directed by Sidney Moody

Robert Patterson as Andy Warholabot

Lisl Friday / Acclaim Talent as Ediebot

Miss Kitty playing herself as “The Interviewer”

Glenn Currie and Eric Lundquist as the Men In Black

Musical Accompaniment by Golden Arm Trio

Costumes by Big Bertha

Hair and Make-up by Avant Salon

  • Glenn Currie
    Glenn Currie
  • Eric Lundquist with Lisl Friday (Ediebot)
    Eric Lundquist with Lisl Friday (Ediebot)

Insomniac Party

July 03, 2003, a date that will live in infamy.

Robot Group members get together to watch a long-awaited episode of Comedy Central’s Insomniac with Dave Attell. You know, the episode in which Dave and his crew visited with The Robot Group!

  • Mark Hinkle
    Mark Hinkle
  • Jocelyn Hinkle holding Linnet
    Jocelyn Hinkle holding Linnet

Mark Hinkle and his wife, Jocelyn, were our hosts for the evening. There was great food and drink for everyone. Fresh baked bread, cakes, dips, BBQ … mmm, mmm, mmm.

Mike Scioli, Denise Scioli, Sonia Santana, Derek Bridges
Mike Scioli, Denise Scioli, Sonia Santana, Derek Bridges

Derek Bridges, Don Colbath, Tom Davidson, Tami Friedman, Mark Hinkle, Eric Lundquist, Krista Lundquist, Tom Morin, Sonia Santana, Denise Scioli, and Mike Scioli were in attendance.

Tami, Denise, TomD, Mark, and Don
Tami Friedman, Denise Scioli, Tom Davidson, Mark Hinkle (standing), and Don Colbath (seated with back to camera)
Tom Morin (l), Tom Davidson (c), and Tami Friedman (r)
Tom Morin (l), Tom Davidson (c), and Tami Friedman (r)
Tom Morin (l) and Derek Bridges (r)
Tom Morin (l) and Derek Bridges (r)
Krista Lundquist
Krista Lundquist

Dave Attell visits The Robot Group

“Sleep is for the weak.”

Dave Attell
Dave Attell and his crew from Insomniac come and hang with The Robot Group
Dave Attell and his crew from Insomniac come and hang with The Robot Group [L-R Jason Robbins, Eric Lundquist, Dave Attell, Glenn Currie, Brooks Coleman]

The fourth season ran from 5/29/03-7/31/03 (Thursdays at 10pm|9c). The Austin episode first aired on July 3, 2003.

Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group
Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group

Members got together at Mark Hinkle’s home to watch the show at the Insomniac Party.

Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group [Tai Chi Charlie in the background with Kevin Derichs]
Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group [Tai Chi Charlie in the background with Kevin Derichs]

The episode aired again on July 6, 2003 at 10:30pm CT and was rerun several other times.

Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group [Brooks Coleman on the right sporting his Dylanesque leopard-skin pillbox hat]
Dave Attell and his crew on their visit to The Robot Group [Brooks Coleman on the right sporting his Dylanesque leopard-skin pillbox hat]

In an interview with The Onion A.V. Club, Dave Attell mentions that it was 20 degrees outside when he filmed in Austin.

Glenn Currie at the console
Glenn Currie at the console

He also refers to the organization as The South Austin Robot Group. Alas, this is a common gaff. We are The Robot Group, Inc. and, at the time, we hung-out in the south of Austin.

Eric Lundquist (foreground) and Kevin Derichs
Eric Lundquist (foreground) and Kevin Derichs
Babbling Head atop the Robot Brain
Babbling Head atop the Robot Brain
Brooks Coleman among several of his creations
Brooks Coleman among several of his creations
Tom Davidson
Tom Davidson
Jacob Brown and Jason Robbins
Jacob Brown and Jason Robbins
Kevin Dreichs and Bill Craig
Kevin Dreichs and Bill Craig
Dweebvision in disguise
Dweebvision in disguise

Outreach : Barton Creek Elementary School, 2nd grade, Gifted & Talented class

The Robot Group was invited to the 2nd grade Gifted & Talented class at Barton Creek Elementary.

Eric Lundquist brought the Babbling Head, Catherine the Creative, and the P5 Virtual Reality Glove.

  • Eric monitors as Babbling Head entertains the troops.
    Eric Lundquist monitors as Babbling Head entertains the troops.
  • Babbling Head entertains the students with a song.
    Babbling Head entertains the students with a song or two.
  • Eric and the class observe Catherine the Creative.
    Eric Lundquist and the class observe Catherine the Creative as she manipulates a chess piece.
  • Eric Lundquist demonstrates the P5 Virtual Reality glove.
    Eric Lundquist demonstrates the P5 Virtual Reality glove.
  • Students try P5 Virtual Reality Glove
    Eric Lundquist with the students in the Barton Creek Elementary School, 2nd grade Gifted & Talented class as they experience the P5 Virtual Reality glove.

The students were great and had a lot of interesting questions. Babbling Head sang a few songs. Catherine the Creative moved a chess piece around. All of the students got a chance to try out the virtual reality glove.

Everyone had a lot of fun.

South by Southwest Interactive Media Trade Show 2001

In March 2001, The Robot Group, Inc. set up shop at the SxSW Interactive Media Trade Show. The highlight of the show was a catapult built by a local high school that was used for lobbing t-shirts and other goodies to show attendees.

Oscar, the Trash Can Robot

Oscar was created by Leon Hubby and Kevin Derichs

Oscar, the Trash Can Robot
Oscar, the Trash Can Robot.

Oscar – he’s our own trash can man. He is made from a standard metal trash can and a servo controlled robot hand.

Oscar puts trash in its place. An object placed in the robot hand will trigger the mechanism to retract the hand into the trash can and dispose of it properly

Animated GIF of Oscar, the Trash Can Robot performing his routine
Oscar, performing his routine for the kids.

Oscar could have been a great boon in the waste disposal industry. The kids at RoboFest certainly loved feeding him. When Oscar is around, floors remain pretty spotless.

[Images and text initially from http://www.robotgroup.org/projects/oscar.html]