Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
EXPO Hat Parade — Parallax Forums

EXPO Hat Parade

ercoerco Posts: 20,259
edited 2012-03-21 13:36 in General Discussion
In another thread, Matt G mentions a wireless camera hat. Right on the line between cool & dorky.

Then I got the idea to make a purposely dorky tech hat for Expo. Something on, live, operating, doing a dynamic, visible task. Motors, servos, lights, sounds, LEDs... (although outdoors, LEDs might not be so visible). So far, my ideas are:

1) giant relays & flashing lights per http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7xZP7p7Zpe4
2) robot arm (2-3 servos moving. I have plenty...)
3) servo catapult per http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBN9sTBDDLE
4) flamethrower (unwise, but certainly fun to consider)

So I'm throwing it out there if anyone else wants to knock out a silly hat. If we have a few of us, we might just get our own Main Street Electrical parade going. This might be a fun overnight project for Friday night. Pizza, beer, soldering irons & hot melt glue (OMG, is erco advocating scratch-building AGAIN?)

If not a hat, something wearable that would show up well indoors on video. Any interest? Peter, I hope I can count on you...

Clearly, a Prop Beanie with motorized propeller is low-hanging fruit. OBC?

Joe Grand has his weather hat: http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Images/Resources/JoeGrand-L.jpg

Between him and Matt, someone subliminally planted this foolish seed in my head.

Comments

  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2012-03-21 09:16
    Clearly, a Prop Beanie with motorized propeller is low-hanging fruit.

    @erco, we'll make a Propeller head out of you yet!!

    OBC
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2012-03-21 09:45
    Clearly, a Prop Beanie with motorized propeller is low-hanging fruit. OBC?

    BUT, a QUAD Propeller Beanie should be all the rage at this years event!!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2012-03-21 09:55
    Or mayhaps a mecanum-wheeled hat.

    Duane?

    Rich?
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2012-03-21 10:29
    And if you need a shirt I can lend you my CCFL shirt (tall, XL). You'll need to carry a 7AHr/12V SLA battery in a fanny pack, however. And, if you sweat you might just die - the inverters are on the inside of the shirt. Between the high-voltage AC and 12V DC there's a lot of opportunity for problems.

    CCFL shirt for geek party.jpg
    800 x 600 - 104K
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2012-03-21 10:47
    erco wrote: »
    Or mayhaps a mecanum-wheeled hat.

    Duane?

    If Ken wears his shirt, I'll wear my Mecanum robot as a hat.

    erco, I don't need another project! I have a bunch of half finished projects I want to finish before Expo.

    Although since the UAV rules have changed, I'm no longer trying to get my robot arm attached to my helicopter. So, if others are joining in, I might cave to peer pressure and bring things to make a hat.

    I'm just trying to figure out how to explain this to my wife.

    "Why are you making a hat?"

    "Because the guys on the forum told me to."

    The above reason didn't impress her much as a reason to program the mecanum robot to do a figure 8.

    "You having the robot drive around our (what used to be clean) dinner plates because the guys on the forum told you to?"

    Fortunately she didn't ask the "if they asked you to jump off a cliff. . ." question I would have received from my parents long ago.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2012-03-21 13:25
    @Ken: I wanna see you in that shirt, if only for a few (dozen) hours.

    @Duane: Fine. I FORBID YOU to make a hat. That can do a Figure 8...
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2012-03-21 13:36
    Only Ken could wear that shirt.. (Ken.. Why Black? So unlike you. Was this for a special occasion?)

    I have body shaped like a god... (Buddha) --
    Afraid those two lamps on the front wouldn't stand a chance of not being flexed.. :):)

    OBC
Sign In or Register to comment.