Well, a tax break, who would’ve thought…. Though I did see a pig flying recently.
For all you Canadians, you can now order and pay only the 5% GST - even before January 1st!
Oh, and we won’t be open on the 31st as we’ll all be too busy preparing for our respective New Years bashes!
Happy New Year to all our customers, distributors and suppliers from the Solarbotic/HVWTech staff!
Hi all.
The staff at Solarbotics/HVW Technologies has been worked hard these last six weeks leading up to the winter holiday, so we’ll be open again December 27/28, and again for regular hours January 2nd.
Hope the holidays are good to you too!
Regards,
Dave Hrynkiw
President, HVW Technologies/Solarbotics Ltd.
Wow, has it been that long already? The MAKEr Faire in Austin was beautiful, and interesting. Funny how we saw many Texans driving along with their windows up, while us two Canadians were wearing shorts with the top down on our rental. Interesting how people adjust to different climates!
The MAKEr Faire wasn’t quite as packed as the ones in San Mateo, but it was just as interesting. We stuck around the Maker store, showing off Herbies to a great many people, and got to see many interesting exhibits. Hm. Almost time for a Flikr stream or similar of our own.
The holidays are fast approaching, and we’ve been swamped with “what should I get for my son/dad/mother/daughter” questions. HENCE, the “Geekware” category on the right side of the “products” page! Check it out for some ideas.
Also - if you want to receive those gifts by Christmas you need to order by the following dates:
Canada & United States (Major Metropolitan Areas):
Please Note: This is to metropolitan areas, if you live outside of a major metropolitan area you may still receive your package, but we can’t promise it. And if you live inside of a metropolitan area you still may not be guaranteed to receive it either as the Grinch sometimes works to slow down our couriers. We try our best, but again no promises.
More soon, I promise!
…Well, sorta.
We won’t have a full booth like we have in past faires, but that’s because Austin is sooo far away, and it’s not easy to bring all our gear down that far. So we’ll be down there assisting in the Maker Store. Feel free to stop by and say hi! We’ll be near the “Mousey the Junkbots” display.
What’s the Maker Faire you say? Check out this segment from KQED - it’s among the best I’ve seen:
Yes, we’re Canadian, so we celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend a bit earlier than our neighbours to the South. Thus, we won’t be in on Monday the 8th. But our website will always be here!
Have a good Columbus Day down there!
…And by “digs” I mean website!
Thanks to all of you who’ve dropped in for a looky-loo while the paint dries. We’re still (metaphorically) moving the furniture in, but everything is ready to roll.
Stay tuned while we finish tweaking and installing new content!
Thanks,
Dave
Darn! Why is it that everybody else has time to get video of these robots online but me?!?
Oh well - at least it comes with a real nice review!
Hi all.
I went through the effort to invite y’all into our new digs, but didn’t stand here at the door to welcome you in! So sorry…
Please excuse the sawdust. I’m still pushing the people that push the brooms around here. No matter - everything will be tidied up in no time.
The website is 100% functional, so you can place orders. A few features are still in the works, notably the “gallery” and “fastlane” shopping, so stay tuned!
If you like it, you can blame me (Dave). If you don’t, blame him (Eric, the web-developer)!
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The following instructions detail how to modify the Solarbotics GM2 gear motor from a torquey slow 224:1 ratio to a speedy 14:1 ratio. A similar modification can also work with the GM3 but it’s a bit more involved due to the crown gear used. |
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1. Take out the two screws and open up the gear casing, you may need to use a flat head screwdriver to pry apart the two half’s. |
| 2. Remove the gear with the slip clutch (the output gear) as well as the gear driving the output gear. | |
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3. Remove all of the remaining gears except the one on the motor output. |
| 4. Of the two smaller white gears you want to save the one with the bigger center gear, this one meshes better with the output gear (the one with the slip clutch). | |
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5. The problem with simply removing gears is that the output shaft will be countersunk in the gear casing. To fix this problem you will need a spacer of some sort; one of the unused gears works well. I use the green gear, but the other spare white gear could also be used. Be sure to clip away some of the edge of this spacer gear so that it doesn’t interfere with the gear works. |
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6. Slide the spacer onto the middle shaft. |
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7. Place the white gear we saved earlier (the one with the larger center gear) on top of the spacer. You will most likely have to slide the small pinion gear on the motor shaft up a bit to get the pinion to mesh with the white gear. Slide the pinion so that the two gears are level. If you go too far the gear on the motor output won’t have enough grip. |
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8. Almost done, just add the final output gear (again the one with the slip clutch), snap on the motor casing and put in the two screws, that’s it. Done! |
Don’t bother disabling the slip clutch. This gear ratio is not high enough to cause the slip clutch to slip.
At 5V, the unmodified GM2 free-spins at 40 RPM, but with this modification, it will go closer to 640RPM (wheee!).
We still have yet to test but this gear ratio should be better suited for heads and rolling robots.
UPDATE: These modified motors work great on Herbie-style robots.
(c) Solarbotics, 2002
Check out the Videos!
and the new Vivisection Page at Solarbotics.net
NEW B.I.O. BUGS FROM HASBRO’S WOWWEE TOY
MIMIC REAL BUGS
Advanced “Nervous Networks” Technology Creates
Next Generation of “Intelligent Toys”
NEW YORK - February 12, 2001 - The WowWee Toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) today introduced the first toy line to incorporate advanced “nervous network” technology. New B.I.O. Bugs (Bio-mechanical Integrated Organisms), the hit of last month’s Hong Kong Toy Fair, are robotic bugs that can autonomously act by themselves, come and go as they please, identify friend or foe and have the ability to avoid or climb over obstacles in their path.
“B.I.O. Bugs is the most innovative product I’ve seen all year,” says Mike Normann, buyer at Toys ‘R Us. “Its advanced technology will enable the line to grow every year.”
‘Nervous network’ technology was developed ten years ago and is used by the U.S. government to create robotic living creatures. ‘Nervous net’ is to a body what a spine is to an organism, serving to connect functions together.
B.I.O. Bugs marks the first time that the technology will be used in a toy. ‘Nervous networks’ takes your basic toy bug to the next level and enables B.I.O. Bugs to mimic real insect behavior. They give kids the power to play with other bugs, other toys and unsuspecting humans.
B.I.O. Bugs will react to outside stimuli - a wall, another B.I.O. Bug, even your foot - and change or modify its behavior accordingly. Will it turn right or left, move forward, climb or retreat? B.I.O. Bugs are always in motion and determine what they want to do. Just like real bugs, Bio Bugs are unpredictable.
“B.I.O. Bugs decide what they want to do because they are just like real bugs only without the tissue, with a battery as a heart and ‘nervous network’ technology acting as its brain,” says Peter Yanofsky, president of WowWee Toys.
BIO BUGS FACTS
Left to their own devices, B.I.O. Bugs first instinct is to survive - at all cost. B.I.O. Bugs adapt to surprising changes in situations and environment. However, if you don’t want to let your B.I.O. Bugs act autonomously, you can control their action with a wrist transmitter. Special ‘follow me’ technology even enables them to follow you around.
There are four different B.I.O. Bugs species. Each one is a different color - red, blue, green or yellow - and comes with its own transmitter. Color is key in this “21st century eco-system” because it defines the specific characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each bug. For example, a green B.I.O. Bug has the ability to operate over rough terrain while a yellow bug moves quickest over smooth surfaces.
To keep their strength and power, B.I.O. Bugs have to occasionally ‘feed’. To do so, they return to their transmitter which acts as a feeding station, homing beacon and manual control. And, they can ’snack’ off any household item which emits infrared technology like a TV remote or florescent lighting. So, if you’re watching TV and go to change the channel with the remote, any B.I.O. Bug in the vicinity will follow the source and move toward you. Imagine mom in the kitchen using the microwave finding her swarmed by a herd of Bio Bugs!
Ages: 6 years and up
Approximate Retail Price: $ 39.99
Availability: September 2001
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, SUPER SOAKER, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
