Solar Tracker in the Internet Cloud The major system components identified in the block diagram: 90 Watt solar Panel Two axis motion platform constructed from 2x4’s complete with wooden peg gears and re-used curtain rod/pole. Custom electronics – Electric Imp connected to stepper drivers, IO Expander and 6 Axis MEMS accelerometer/magnetometer Rechargeable battery – retired unit from my motorcycle as it is no longer capable of turning the engine over. Solar Charge Controller – cheap unit from ebay to make sure the battery doesn’t overcharge. Smartphone or web browser – monitoring status and remote control. The tracker circuit includes a tilt compensated compass - the math was coded from an application note. This whole thing could be done a lot more simply, but I was intrigued by the Internet Of Things made possible by the Electric Imp. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. There is plenty more to learn with this project but I had to cap the list somewhere!
Grants For Women in Business | Loans and Credit for Women Business Owners | Grants For Small Business< Finding the right grant for your project can be a long and arduous task. There are a number of excellent resources available to help shorten the search, but to make good use of these resources you need to do your homework first. To find a grant, you must first do the following: 1. Analyze your own organization and project to determine: the problem or need you want to address the audience or target beneficiaries you will serve the amount and type of support you need the resources & commitment your group brings to the project potential partners in the community 2. Become familiar with facts about foundations in general and how they operate. Learn more... Could you use a little help figuring out where to get more money to finances your business? "Yes!
How to Extract DNA from Anything Living First, you need to find something that contains DNA. Since DNA is the blueprint for life, everything living contains DNA. For this experiment, we like to use green split peas. Spinach Chicken liver Strawberries Broccoli Certain sources of DNA should not be used, such as: Your family pet, Fido the dog Your little sister's big toe Bugs you caught in the yard Step 1: Blender Insanity! Put in a blender: 1/2 cup of split peas (100ml) 1/8 teaspoon table salt (less than 1ml) 1 cup cold water (200ml) Blend on high for 15 seconds. The blender separates the pea cells from each other, so you now have a really thin pea-cell soup. Step 2: Soapy Peas Pour your thin pea-cell soup through a strainer into another container (like a measuring cup). Add 2 tablespoons liquid detergent (about 30ml) and swirl to mix. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. Pour the mixture into test tubes or other small glass containers, each about 1/3 full. Why am I adding detergent? Step 3: Enzyme Power Use meat tenderizer for enzymes.
Raising Money With Grants Looking for information on grants for small businesses? We take a look at raising money with grants. There are many business grant programs that are worth checking out, including government grant programs (e.g. SBIR) and private and nonprofit grant programs. STTR Small Business Grants - Learn how to win an STTR federal funding grant to fund your business. How to Build a Robot Tutorial - Society of Robots Introduction to Gears No good robot can ever be built without gears. As such, a good understanding of how gears affect parameters such as torque and velocity are very important. In this tutorial I will first talk about the basics of gears, how to use them properly along with simple equations, and then I will go into specific types of gears. Mechanical Advantage, Torque vs. Rotational Velocity Gears work on the principle of mechanical advantage. This means that by using different gear diameters, you can exchange between rotational (or translation) velocity and torque. As with all motors, by looking at the motor datasheet you can determine the output velocity and torque of your motor. With gears, you will exchange the high velocity with a better torque. Torque_Old * Velocity_Old = Torque_New * Velocity_New Torque_Old and Velocity_Old can be found simply by looking up the datasheet of your motor. 3 lb-in * 2000rps = Torque_New * 300rps 3 lb-in * 2000rps = 5 lb-in * Velocity_New
Newsletter August 22 is Earth Overshoot Day - Footprint Network News Dear Global Footprint Network friends, Today, August 22, is Earth Overshoot Day, marking the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. We are now operating in overdraft. Earth Overshoot Day (from a concept devised by the UK think tank new economics foundation) helps conceptualize the gap between what nature can regenerate, and how much is required to support human activities. In the past year, severe economic and environmental crises have reverberated across the globe—ranging from the European debt predicament and extreme weather events to grain shortages, groundwater depletion and overfishing—affecting many among a world population that has surpassed the 7 billion mark. “Nations around the world, and particularly in the south of Europe, have started to painfully experience what it means to spend more money than what they earn,” said Dr. Today, humanity is using the equivalent of just over 1.5 Earth’s worth of ecological resources and services.
Build Your Own ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE The finished project is a 1981 Kawasaki KZ440, converted to electric. It is powered by four Optima Yellow Top sealed (AGM) lead-acid batteries, that drive a Briggs & Stratton Etek electric motor. The speed of the motor is controlled by an Alltrax brand "AXE" programmable controller that can run at up to 48 volts and 300 amps. Contrary to popular belief, and electric motorcycle is NOT silent, but is CONSIDERABLY quieter than a typical gas cycle. The cycle is GEARED to 45 mph, has fairly good acceleration, no clutch or transmission. The cycle recharges from the wall, through a renewable energy program, and if there is a blackout, I can actually run my house off my electric motorcycle! In this Instructable, I'll walk you through the work required with the motor, batteries, controller, and mounting all components, including showing you some low-tech paper and cardboard "CAD" tricks. Your Project But what do you want? Give some thought to what cycle you would like to convert.
WebEcoist | Strange Nature, Rare Animals & Weird World Wonders DIYLILCNC The Zombie Nation Webcomic - Zombies Defined What defines a zombie? What can cause a zombie? Where does the idea of a zombie even come from? These are the questions that keep me up at night. So far I have been unable to find any satisfactory answers (Nerds arguing back and forth doesn’t count). First we need a definition, but we need a more inclusive definition than “If it’s fast, it’s not a zombie.” So here is “Zombie Carter’s Unified theory of Zombiism.” My Zombie Definition Main Entry: zom·bieVariant(s): also zom·bi \ˈzäm-bē\Function: nounEtymology: Louisiana Creole or Haitian Creole zonbi, of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu nzúmbe ghostDate: circa 1871 1. Yeah! Look, I realize that you all love George Romero, and “Night of the Living Dead” is a super nifty movie. I think we can all agree that he did the world a great service by showing us the “abject horror that awaits us all” and how we’re all going to die painfully. Zombie Subspecies Classification Project Biological Zombies Metaphysical Zombies Chemical Zombies Energy Zombies
Quadcopter build log 1. Introduction This page will be a walktrough on the creation of my quadcopter. 2. Should you decide to build your own frame, start with drawings as every engineer does. Cross (aluminium square tubes from the local DIY shop) For the Dutch, Hornbach is your next stop ;-) Lower level of the "Hamburger", with light switch, power plug, Spektrum satellite receiver and LiPo low battery warner. 3. I decided to make a 'power ring' to provide the ESC's and other equipment with power. After supplying your ESC's with power, you have to program each ESC to let it function properly for a Quadcopter. Typical programming card Quadcopter setup. 4. Before you make your control board unreachable by wiring etc, be sure it's programmed with the latest firmware. Pin 1 on the KK board is located here: The Lazyzero KK multicopter flash tool is excellent for upgrading your control board to the firmware of your liking. The control board should contract less vibrations from the motors as possible. 5. 6. !! 7. 8.