Methods

Sintering

Sintering of metallic powders

Most, if not all, metals can be sintered. This applies especially to pure metals produced in vacuum which suffer no surface contamination. Sintering under atmospheric pressure requires the use of a protective gas, quite often endothermic gas.[4]Sintering, with subsequent reworking, can produce a great range of material properties. Changes in density, alloying, or heat treatments can alter the physical characteristics of various products. For instance, the Young's Modulus En of sinterediron powders remains insensitive to sintering time, alloying, or particle size in the original powder, but depends upon the density of the final product:

Pasted from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering>

Plastics sintering

Plastic materials are formed by sintering for applications that require materials of specific porosity. Sintered plastic porous components are used in filtration and to control fluid and gas flows. Sintered plastics are used in applications requiring wicking properties, such as marking pen nibs. Sintered ultra high molecular weight polyethylene materials are used as ski and snowboard base materials. The porous texture allows wax to be retained within the structure of the base material, thus providing a more durable wax coating.

Hydrothermal synthesis

Hydrothermal synthesis includes the various techniques of crystallizing substances from high-temperature aqueous solutionsat high vapor pressures

A large number of compounds belonging to practically all classes have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions: elements, simple and complex oxides, tungstates, molybdates, carbonates, silicates, germanates etc. Hydrothermal synthesis is commonly used to grow synthetic quartz, gems and other single crystals with commercial value. Some of the crystals that have been efficiently grown are emeralds, rubies, quartz, alexandrite and others. The method has proved to be extremely efficient both in the search for new compounds with specific physical properties and in the systematic physicochemical investigation of intricate multicomponent systems at elevated temperatures and pressures.

Materials

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoplastic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda-lime_glass

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(methyl_methacrylate)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarbonate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-density_polyethylene

Bot Concepts

Cubits -

A multi-functional cube that can be dropped conveniently and inconspicuously to carry out passive monitoring, command-control linkage, or as supply caches.

Features and uses:
 

• Modular design in several sizes: 1x" - 6x"

• Multi-function passive sensors with on board memory, RFID, and small processor to format and store data streams.

• WiFi radios with on board controllers to create ad-hoc networks along routes built by scout drones; extending the range of workers and haulers beyond an immediate control network.

• Solar-charging, self-righting battery packs that can be discarded to charge, and picked up with simple manipulators or positioning magnets.
• Linkable storage or processing power - like a modular hive mind.
• Rapidly deploy-able defense networks; laser fences, proximity alarms, small payloads (explosives, chemical barriers, etc.), supply way-stations for other bot types to exploit.

Orbits -

They roll, they float, they pass through critters. Completely passive . These very tiny devices simply report their location when encountered by a listening station, or active sensor. Their purpose is to gather high volumes of environmental data at a very low cost.
 

They include small pebble sized granules with little more than an RFID  chip and a hardened rubberized shell, to larger fist-sized nodules that can include a GPS transceiver.

Entomorphs -

Like insects; they have jointed exoskeletons actuated by a variety of electromechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuation. These guys are fully functional units, and possess a fairly comprehensive suite  of on-board sensors to aid in navigation and exploration.  They are generally built to be self-reliant with native code that integrates all sensor and navigation data allowing them to explore freely and return to a home territory.

Workshop Safety

Caution

We work with chemicals which are toxic, flammable, and caustic.We work with electricity - typically in very small doses, but sometimes with enough current to kill. We work with sharp things, and heavy things. Safety is a concern. These are some guidelines for a fun and safe experience.

Flammables: No smoking of course, but have you considered your test circuit may arc? Keep flammables outside and in the open. Besides the risk of starting a major fire, sparks can ignite gasses and produce a highly exothermic reaction! Uncontrolled explosions in confined places are no fun. Please don't blow it.

Toxics: Always, always, always wash your hands after working with solvents, fixatives, or any other compound with a skull-and-crossbones indicator.Obviously do not ingest or inhale. Less obvious risks: Over-spray, fumes, or residue. MOST solder is lead-free now, but pay attention to the specific bale. DO NOT use lead-based solder without a fume-extractor in close proximity.

Some solvents used for etching circuitry are readily absorbed through the skin. Use latex gloves when handling these sorts of chemicals.

Some metals other than lead can be toxic - copper, silver, or tin for example are found in wire and solder compounds. Although a morbid dose is unlikely with only a few exposures, over time inhaling or ingesting these metals can lead to significant health issues.

Metals such as Lithium or Cadmium found in batteries can not only be toxic, but volatile. ALL METALS IN GROUP 1 OF THE PERIODIC TABLE PRODUCE STRONG EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS WITH H2O! This can be quite a blast - literally. Although sodium bombs are fun when controlled, accidentally setting one off on a workbench or lab table is not.

Caustics: Battery acid, some solvent, and etching compounds are typically caustic, meaning they will breakdown organic matter readily.Sulfuric (battery) acid is usually encountered in a dilute form, and is not likely to produce more than an unpleasant rash on the skin, it will eat through cloths. Concentrated forms can be deadly. The solution (:chuckle:) for skin contact with caustics is immediate and thorough rinsing.

Electricity: Most applications will be dealing with Voltages around 6-9 volts at the most. These are not sufficient to kill, however capacitors can store a deadly charge. Although voltage in-and-of itself is not a deadly it is a component of current which DOES have a lethal limit..EVEN AT LOW VOLTAGE components can be destroyed.

Always switch OFF or DISCONNECT your power-source before changing components, or changing a board configuration.

Hots: Soldering irons get hot, so do saw-blades and batteries. These are not typically life-threatening, but are no fun none-the-less. There is a good chance that anything which produces friction also generates heat. Be aware of what you are about to touch. Avoid burns.

Heavies: When moving heavy objects (60+ lbs.) consider asking assistance - "Team Lift".Wear gloves and heavy shoes - preferably with steel-toe

Helpful Links

Links

Essential Components

Amazon: A good source for pre-fab kits and basic components. Amazon has is a good source for nearly any type of product you need, but is a generalist web-retailer. You may not find specialty components, or comprehensive documentation.

Jameco: Jameco is an electronics specialist web-retailer. You can find nearly any component you need for your project such as Raspberry-Pi kits, Beagle-Bone kits, Arduino-shields, and specialty component such as muscle wire (Flexinol, Nitinol, etc.), and great deals on basic components such as LEDs, resistors, etc.

Colpar Hobbies (Hobby Town USA in Lakewood, CO): Hands down one of the best hobby stores in the Denver area for the last 30 years. Great selection of RC components for planes and trucks, interesting science gadgets and gizmos, and even RPG/Wargamming. A great go-to when you need a local retailer

Microcenter: A computer component super-store near the DTC, with other locations across the country.. It's probably the best way to buy computer components from a brick-and-mortar. Has a selection of robotics components such as Arduino shields, Rasp-Pi kits, etc. Inconsistent stock however.

Kits and Microcontrollers

Lego NXT: Adds the magic of microcontrollers to your favorite building toy. NXT has it's own GUI-based programming software (Mindstorms), and supports C-based code, as well as blue-tooth (and now WiFi?) connectivity. Several different sensor modules exist, but it is not as robust as the following selections. It's a great start for prototyping if you have many Lego kits however.

Arduino: Probably the first widely accessible consumer grade micro-controller. Arduino was built specifically for robotics and automation. Many different "shields" exists - modular components that introduce different sensor modules, and connectivity solutions.

Raspberry-Pi: Not so much a competitor with Arduino as an alternative for firmware and software developers wishing to bridge the gap between electronic components and computers. R.P. seems to focus more on the programming side of robotics than controlling physical architecture.

Beagle Bone: The new kid on the block? - Beagle Bone is comparable to Raspberry-Pi in intended function, with a Linux basis.

Make: A comparison article on the different features of Arduino, Beagle-Bone, and Raspberry-Pi. This article does not quite "get" the purpose of any of the above boards, and also attempts to compare the Arduino Uno with the others - not really an equal comparisson, as the Arduino Uno is the (AFAIK) smallest unit meant primarilly for small micro-electronics, or simple 1-2 function controls.

Skills and Disciplines

Instructables: This site is one of the early "maker-movement" sites with a rich collection of user content and projects you can replicate, model, or borrow from.

Programming Extensions

MS C#: Microsoft's free edition of the C# programming language. Many extension libraries exist, and several of the micro-controllers listed above can accommodate C# code with the appropriate library editions.... (C# and Mindstorms, Bluetooth Communication with Mindstorms)

MS C++: Microsoft's free edition of C++ programming language. C++ is as bare-bones as it comes, but also has the smallest footprint in terms of required memory and storage. A very useful tool for programming simple controllers with analog feedback.

MS VisualBasic: An alternative to visual C# for application programming, but not as widely used in Robotics. The argument is less technical than preference and tradition based - VB is great for newer developers to build apps. C#/C++ tends to be smaller, faster, and more concise for physical applications. Also - consider your hardware. Arduino and C based languages fit very well together. VB is not frequently used and may not be supported by your components!

Python: Yes Microsoft has even adopted Python into it's Visual Studio release for 2013. Or if you are a purist you can get a non-MS Python distribution here. Python is a very accessible scripting language which supports the integration of many different applications and software platforms. To really "get" it you should watch lots of Montey Python's Flying Circus - here's a primer.

C++/C# vs VB: Technical Comparison, Op/Ed Comparison: Essentially if you want to develop application based solutions with your micro-controller you will want to A) determine if your hardware supports the language, and B) determine if your physical application can support the processing and storage requirements.

In terms of writing a user interface, C# and VB are essentially interchangeable! Under the hood they come from quite different places. In data-driven solutions, SQL will almost certainly play some part. SQL is a C-based scripting language. Although there are connectors for VB to access databases, consider the extra step involved in translating between base languages.

* Note that all of the above languages are available in the 2013 Express edition of Visual Studio. 

Modeling Extensions

Google Sketchup: A fantastic tool for creating 3-D models of your physical application fast! I highly recommend a gaming key-pad or similar programmable device - but definitely not a $200+ model. This program isn't quite a professional CAD system, but is completely free and can produce 3-D models that can be converted to files usable by 3-D printers, CNC mills, etc.