i3 Detroit

OMG, as they say, Build!

Two FIRST robots, one built by team 1216 Oak Park and one built by team 3302 Clawson, are undergoing final assembly in i3Detroit’s workshop. Just two weeks remain in the build season, and there’s at least three weeks’ work to do. Situation normal! At least we’re not snowed out, like many school-hosted teams.

The end of build season is marked by “ship date”, at which time the robots are sealed in giant tamper-evident bags and/or shipped off to their competition locations. Between now and then, there are drives and kickers to finish, pneumatics to perfect, control systems to integrate, and an entire autonomous-mode program to write. Drivers need practice time, too! No wonder the pitch is a bit frantic.

Tuesday electronics night: the bench?

Anything with wires, solder, or batteries is welcome at Tuesday’s electronics gathering. This is a “birds of a feather” session, with no specific lessons planned. Non-members, just to be clear, are welcome as always!

If there’s interest, it might be fun to go along the electronics workbench and play with the various equipment: Power supplies, signal generators, oscilloscopes and meters.  We’ve got a decent setup here, and this would be a good chance to get some hands-on fiddling time.

Tuesday February 9th, 7pm, 322 e. 4th st, 48067. See you then!

Open Shop Friday – 2/5

It’s time for another Open Shop Friday.  Tonight we will be exploring the new chemistry equipment, playing with fire, working on music circuits, working on the cupcake car modifications and that is just me.  Who knows what the other members will be working on.  Swing by to check out the space if you have never been or work on your project of the week.  The party starts at 7pm.  See you there.

Encore, encore! Another jam session, etc.

Did you make it out to the first unusual musical instrument jam session? We had fun, we made noise, and we recorded a bit of video.

Chicago’s Pumping Station: One also held a similar event at the same time, and also had a blast. They liked it so much they’ve decided to make it a regular event.

What’s good for the goose is good for the [michi]gander, right? Let’s do it again! Second Friday of the month works out to February 12th. 7pm-ish?

Introducing the i3 Detroit Podcasting Studio

It has been a long work in progress but the i3 Detroit Podcasting Studio is finally up and running.  It is a professional set-up with 4 stations, streaming capabilities, skype & 2 track digital recording.  Please swing by i3 Detroit and check it out.  We are encouraging local podcasts to come and utilize the facilities to make their podcasts better or to get a change of pace.  If you have any questions about the set-up, send a note to nbritsky@i3detroit.com.

Open Shop Friday, late start 9pm!

It sounds like most/all of the members who normally host Open Shop Fridays will be otherwise engaged this Friday around the usual time.  (Details may come later.) But we should be back and have the door open by 9 or so, sound good?

As always, Open Shop is a time when non-members are explicitly invited to come hang out. If you have a project to work on, bring it along. We’re at 322 e. 4th st, Royal Oak 48067, at the end of an almost-hidden driveway.

Maker Faire Detroit community planning meeting Sunday

Individuals  and organizations interested in being involved in Maker Faire Detroit are invited to a community planning meeting, Sunday, January 24th at the Henry Ford in Dearborn. Meet at the clock tower entrance at 3:15!

Open Shop Friday, why not?

You know the drill.  Public welcome!  Bring a project to work on, or don’t. Bring snacks, or don’t. Bring a friend, definitely.

I’ll be here with the doors open by 7pm. Check the i3Detriot twitter feed to see if it’s open earlier, if you’re in the area earlier.

Robot build continues…

As you may have gleaned from the calendar sidebar, there’s robot building underway at i3! We’re hosting two FIRST teams, 1216 from Oak Park and 3302 from Clawson. If you’re not familiar with the First Robotics Challenge or this year’s game, take a look!

To get a sense of the issues and questions that teams must tackle, check out the Chief Delphi forums, where students and mentors hang out.

That funny-looking wheel in the photo, by the way, is a Mecanum wheel. These are one way (Omniwheels are the other) of achieving a holonomic drive.

Open Shop Friday

In case you haven’t been peering too closely at the calendar sidebar, tonight is open shop night! I promise to have the doors open by 6:30pm, but if you knock earlier, there’s a good chance another member will answer. Swing by!

What is open shop? Basically, it’s your excuse to come hang out. Bring a project to work on, or don’t. Bring a completed thing to show off, or don’t. Bring a friend, definitely.

We’re at 322 e. 4th st, 48067, hiding at the end of a nondescript little driveway. (If you’re having trouble finding the place, look for 323East, the art gallery across the street. They have a huge graffiti wall, you can’t miss it. Oh, and Bethany Shorb’s exhibition opens there tonight!)