From MAKE: In the Maker Shed: Big Bad Beetlebot Kit

Are you looking for a great kit to introduce your children to the joys of making and robotics? The Big Bad BeetleBot, available in the Maker Shed, is a simple kit to make a quick and basic obstacle-avoiding robot – no soldering required! Use only a screwdriver to put it together, then watch it zoom and smartly bounce off anything in its path! No microcontrollers, ICs, or transistors are used – just two switches wired cleverly together form the brains of this robot. We recommend this popular kit to all our new makers. It’s a Maker Shed favorite!

Features

  • Simple screw-together mechanical construction (we even included the screwdriver!)
  • Plug-in wiring
  • Sturdy, preformed wire sensors
  • Laser-cut acrylic shell
  • Detailed construction manual with large, clear graphics
  • 4 AAA Needed but not included
  • Body measures a big 4″ x 4.5″ x 1.25″

 

 

from MAKE

From MAKE: Make: Talk 006 – William Gurstelle, Backyard Ballistics

Make-Talk-1

Here’s the 6th episode of MAKE‘s podcast, Make: Talk! In each episode, I’ll interview one of the makers featured in the magazine.

Our maker this week is William Gurstelle. He’s a contributing editor to MAKE and his books include Backyard Ballistics, Adventures from the Technology Underground, and Absinthe and Flamethrowers. In addition, Bill writes frequently on culture and technology for national magazines and blogs including The Atlantic, Wired, and Popular Science.

Here’s are some projects William has done for MAKE:

Two-Can Stirling Engine Bullwhip Double Pendulum
Super Tritone Shop Whistle

 

from MAKE