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In previous LEGO robotic arm builds I’ve used servo motors to move each joint in the arm. However, the weight of the motor and related mechanism meant each arm needed to be reinforced to the point it became too bulky and exhibited excessive inertia. By contrast, pneumatic cylinders are light, and can apply significant force… Continue reading Continuously Variable LEGO Pneumatic Control

Today, as I do most Tuesdays in warmer weather, I went for a cycle ride with my friend, Dave. Sometimes we like to punctuate our ride with a theme: today, our theme was murals. Or, to be more precise, murals connected with music, plus a sculpture depicting a large pencil. We thought up the idea… Continue reading Three Princes and a Pencil

We’re surrounded by reminders of war. Generally, most of us get the choice to look away, but many do not have that luxury as they live with the emotional and physical consequences of war. Today, Memorial Day, I’ve been picking out old posts that reference war or its consequences. Here’s some microposts that also touch… Continue reading Reminders Of War

Over the past three years, while Dwight has been happily tending to plants in our apartment garden, I’ve been regularly upgrading the technology. This is mainly my side of the story.

In April we completed a multi-day, inn-to-inn hike across and down the Marin County peninsula, across the bay from San Francisco. We walked through Muir Woods and across the peninsula to the Pacific. We then crossed back to the Bay side before heading to downtown San Francisco. This was an easy adventure: each day we… Continue reading A Walk to San Francisco

Most weeks, when the weather is fair I go cycling with my friend, Dave. I always look forward to our bicycle adventures: we indulge our curiosity about the world around us, the conversation flows, and we get some exercise. Yesterday our cycle ride included the recently completed Robert Piram Trail in South St. Paul. When… Continue reading We Always Stop For Trains

This winter we stayed in an apartment in Palm Springs for a month. Until this year, we’ve never settled in one place for that long when traveling. The number one reason we went to Palm Springs is easy access to hiking trails: we walked to mountain trails right from our front door. The daytime temperatures… Continue reading Settling in One Place for a Month

For two weeks in January we hiked the trails around Tucson, Arizona. The city is an excellent base for winter hiking: daytime temperatures were in the 60’s and we used just nine gallons of gas driving our rental car to nearby trailheads. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Saguaro National Park East Saguaro National Park West Around… Continue reading Hiking Tucson