January 20th. Week 1

Class Structure
Electronics vs Mechanics
Conceptual vs Technical
Open Resources

Online Tools
Twiki
Blog
Group Emails
Editable Resources

Items and Supplies Students are Resposible For
Organize Group Order
Suggest Purchasing Own Soldering Iron

Reading: Ron Brooks - PDF


January 27th. Week 2

An Electronics Vocabulary

Soldering Demo and Instruction

Lab Assignment: Basic Circuit - Demo Credit - Tom Igoe NYU

Start your Twiki pages. Email Me the Links

Introduce PROJECT ONE
Unique Switches
Unique Outputs

NOTE: Sign Up for Tool Demo Outside Class

Reading: Design/Basic Interactivity
Wired - link



February 3rd. Week 3

Intro to Mechanical Fabrication


TOOL TIME
Mill
Lathe
Drill
Vicing
Measuring for Accuracy

From Drawing to Object
- steps to working effectivly

Lab Assignment: Basic Fabrication

Viewing:
Fast Cheap and Out of Control- Video
The Way Things Go - Video

Rodney Brooks - Chapter 2 pgs 12-21
William Grey Walter
examples
Rube Goldberg - Web
Wim Delvoye - Web
Tim Hawksinon - Web

Brief Timeline of Early Mechanical Creatures
Mechanical Duck
Early Automatons

February 10th. Week 4

Microcontrollers: what they are, different types, levels.
PIC16F87X Datasheet

Intro to PIC programming
MPLAB Development Environment
CCS C Complier
Progamming in C

Digital Input and Output

Lab Assignment: Beginning PIC program

PROJECT ALERT - Begin Looking For "Fun Code"

Reading/Viewing:
Wired -
Open Source Design Projects - PDF

http://thinkcycle.org/


Art Interface Device

http://www.interaccess.org/aid/project.html

Open Automaton Project
http://oap.sourceforge.net/index.php

February 17th. Week 5

Memory and variables: Decimal, binary, hex

Electronic Lab Assignment: tracking changes with variables;

Reading/Viewing:
Future of Robots - PDF


ArtBots - Web
http://lemurbots.org/
http://artbots.org/2003/participants/micro.adam_micro.eva/
http://www.scratchrobot.com/
http://artbots.org/2003/participants/Slowscan_Soundwave/
http://artbots.org/2003/participants/Tribblation/
http://artbots.org/2003/participants/50_drones/


February 24th. Week 6

Analog Input - What is an ADC?
Basic Binary Explained

Balancing Input and Output Responsiveness

Lab Assignment: Variable Resistors and Analog Sensors

Sensors Types Overview
Online Examples
Photoresistors
Flex Sensors
Tilt Vibrate
Temperature
Microphone

Machine Shop Lab Assignment

Project One Proposals

Reading/Viewing: Basic Instincts
Bug Basics - PDF
Battle Bots - PDF

Kelly Heaton - Web
Guy Mardsen - Web
Matt Heckert - Web
SRL - Web




March 2nd. Week 7

Transistors and Relays: Switching Higher-Current Devices

Basic Mechanical Output
Output Devices Overview
Sample Online Resources
Geared Motors
Sprockets and Chain
Mechanical Componenets
Surplus

Lab Assignment: Variable Motor Control

Reading/Viewing:Electric Bodies - Anthropomorphics
Million Doller Legs - PDF
COGnition - PDF

Amorphicrobotworks
Arthur Ganson


March 9th. Week 8

No Class

Facial Recognition Robotics - PDF




March 16th. Week 9

Analog output: Devices that create analog motion or sound.

Lab Assignment: servo

Reading/Viewing:Automata and Movement: Culture of Robots
Stan Winston
Robotic Pets - PDF
Creature Effects - PDF


Ken Feingold - Web



March 23rd. Week 10

Review Machine Types

Mechanical Advantage
Friction - Teflon, Nylon, Brass
Materials Discussion - Plastics, Metal, Wood
Mechanical Connections - Pin, Screw, Glue
Tap and Die

Reading/Viewing: Wearable Computing
Armed Man - PDF


Stelarc

March 30th. Week 11

Formal Production Stategies -

Integration
Modularity
Finishing

Lab Time


April 6th. Week 11

View PROJECT ONE
Final Project Overview and Meetings Scheduled



April 13th. Week 12

Overview of Feral Dogs Project
Natalie Talks



April 20th. Week 13

Dog Release



April 27th. Week 14

FINAL PROJECT Presentation



May 4th. Week 15

FINAL PROJECT Presentation