Dan Kohn’s Blog

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2018/05/14/robots-drones-self-driving-cars-coming-to.html

https://educationblog.microsoft.com/2018/05/lego-mindstorms-education-ev3-microsoft-makecode/

Looking for the perfect micro controller board for a project? CLICK HERE for a handy guide done by make magazine that lets you search for the perfect board!

from: Interesting Engineering
by: Saoirse Kerrigan

The History of Robots: From the 400 BC Archytas to the Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog
Take a journey through the long history of robots, from the 4th Century BC to today.

Robots have fascinated and preoccupied human minds for centuries – from ancient tales of stone golems, to modern science fiction. Though the word “robot” was only officially penned in 1921 by Karel Čapek, mankind has endeavored to create autonomous machines since as far back as the 4th Century BCE.

Today, robots are widely used across a variety of industries, aiding in the manufacturing of vehicles and more. According to the International Federation of Robotics, in 2015 there were as many as 1.63 million industrial robots in operation worldwide, and that number continues to grow steadily each year.

Here’s a brief history of how robotics have evolved and grown from the early imaginings of 400 BCE, to the global resource they are today.

Read more…

Microsoft MakeCode for LEGO Mindstorms Unveiled

http://flip.it/pvZwbK

[update – as of 5/14/18 most of the articles on this have been deleted…..I wonder why?]

From: Nerdist

Under normal circumstances we would never encourage or endorse slathering someone in BBQ sauce, beating them up, and leaving them lying on the side of the road, and that goes for both humans and robots. But we’re not exactly short-circuiting with anger over this one mechanical security guard who had that exact thing happen to it, because it’s tasked with harassing homeless people.

In a story we first came across at New York Magazine, a Knightscope security bot used by a non-profit organization in San Francisco in part to discourage homeless people from congregating, was found lying on its side wrapped up in a tarp and marinating in some barbecue sauce. (No word on what flavor or brand.) The five-foot tall, 300-pound machine that fittingly looks like it was inspired by Doctor Who‘s Daleks, is designed to alert the local authorities of any untoward behavior, but apparently it wasn’t able to get help for itself in time.

We doubt there will be any great outcry or anguish for this bullied Knightscope from the community, though, because while these robots have been used for other, less upsetting reasons, they haven’t been very popular with residents or the local government.

If you were looking for a great backstory for your dystopian novel, robot security guards that scare your dog and harass the homeless while roaming one of the richest cities in the world is a pretty fantastic foundation. Whether you keep the BBQ sauce or go with another condiment is up to you.

Would you be bothered by one of these roaming your neighborhood? Tell us why in the comments below.

Champions declared in worldwide robotics contest

http://flip.it/hYoPdo

I am posting this more to remember this for future FIRST Robotics Competition Seasons. Once in a while we have to stack boxes, crates excreta and this is a wonderful method to do it:

http://www.businessinsider.com/14-most-popular-programming-languages-stack-overflow-developer-survey-2018-4?utm_source=googleplaynewsstand&utm_medium=referral#/