Hacktastico!

Unlike the majority of picture frame hacks on the internet, this guide from Hack A Day teaches users how to build and program a digital picture frame from scratch. This is a great tutorial because it not only teaches the reader how to build the frame, but also teaches some useful functions like reading from SD cards, PIC programming, and working with common graphical LCDs.

“We set out to build a 100% DIY, scratch-built digital picture frame. Our frame has a 12bit color LCD, gigabytes of storage on common, FAT-formatted microSD cards, and you can build it at home.”

This project presents bit-twiddling and PIC programming in a more accessible fashion than many other tutorials on the net with a great end result.

Additional fun with digital pictures frames can be found here.

Wow.

I’m pretty sure that sentiment is shared by everyone who attended the 2009 FRC Kickoff event yesterday. The new challenge, Lunacy, looks like it will put both the veterans and newcomers on even footing because it’s like nothing FIRST has done before.

The challenge this year is to navigate the surface of a simulated crator on the moon and fill the opposing alliance’s robots with special ball-like objects. The game will be extra-tricky because the surface of the playing field is a slippery plastic and every robot is required to use special wheels that when coupled with the plastic floor have a coefficient of friction of 0.05 (static) and 0.04 (dynamic). This looks to be a great engineering challenge.

I may post more about this year’s FRC event as the season progresses. To follow a team as the season wears on, visit OregonCityRobotics.com For more information about FIRST, visit usfirst.org

Update:

I had some major problems that ened up with me having a non-functioning live blog on this site and all my posts being redirected to Twitter. I’m very sorry about this. Here are the contents of the kickoff live blog.

7:01am

Introductions have finished, live feed in t minus 70 seconds

7:03am

The challenge from JFK? Man on the moon? What does it all mean?

7:04am

Tom is obsessed with the idea that it involves spaceships. Could he be on the right track?

7:06am

FIRST chairman makes his annual opening address. He introduces Paul Hodes, congressman from New Hampshire

7:12am

Wow, the growth of FIRST worldwide is astounding. There are teams in Israel, Germany, Great Britain, Chile, and a number of others

7:13am

Chairman’s award has a new requirement: video footage of team’s work. This is definitely a change

7:15am

The work MOE (team 365) has done is really incredible. They are a great example of what FIRST is all about.

7:21am

The 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 as been mentioned numerous times. It must be a space game this year. Side note: the crowd of 300+  here are silent

7:26am

Oh wow, a partnership with Lockheed Martin has produced a simulation program for the new season. Cool beans

7:31am

The new documentary that’s soon to come looks really cool. Team 2550 might even have a cameo!

7:40am

Dean Kamen (founder of FIRST and inventor of Segway) has finally come on stage

7:42am

As always, Dean’s message is really compelling. He always drives the point that it’s not about the robot, its about making the world better

7:51am

Dean’s passion really fuels FIRST. One can only wish to have this sort of passion for anything, really.

7:54am

Dean: “FIRST is full of contradictions” how true. It’s amazing what lays in the balance. Knowledge, fun; wide-spread, personal

7:59am

Dean throws a hint: “sliding down a slippery slope.” crowd begins to talk amongst self

8:06am

Dean’s homework assignment: keep track of alumni.

8:14am

Introduction to the new control system. National Instruments’ CompactRIO system. It seems really advanced. I can’t wait to see what comes out

8:19am

Uh oh, the satellite signal died. 300+ people are upset. No one knows if the feed problem is local or from NASA itself

8:24am

Problem solved. It seems a wire was crimped by a door. Woody Flowers (MIT prof.) is now talking about the great mentors FIRST has

8:30am

Woody is demoing a strange weight contraption. The tension is building for the unvieling of the new game

8:31am

The new game is: an empty field?

8:32am

The name of the game is Lunacy

8:35am

Everyone is in awe.  Super slick surface combined with strong player interaction. This will be a good competition

8:41am

Everything has changed. The whole system has changed. There will be few penalties. I’m still stuck on the whole super slick ground

8:50am

On the screen: recap of new rules and rule changes. In the crowd: talk of the new challenge and ideas are bubbling

8:50am

Access code for manual: 1GiantLeap4FRC