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SparkFun launches ProtoSnap MiniBot for the budding roboticist (update: now available for order)
SparkFun struck a chord with many when it released the ProtoSnap series last year. The perforated perfboard housed not only a tiny Arduino compatible chip, but a small host of sensors and components that made assembling simple projects a snap (pun not only intended, but relished). Tomorrow, the company will begin selling the next member of its ProtSnap family -- the MiniBot. Just like its predecessors, the ProtoSnap MiniBot is based around an Arduino compatible microcontroller (specifically ATmega328) and features a number of components that can easily be detached when you're ready to move from prototype to a more permanent arrangement. The onboard selection components is fairly limited. The base is a relatively bare perfboard with a 9v battery holder on one side and two wheels connected to a motor on the other. Up front is two IR sensors that can be used for basic controls. Of course, it's simple enough to expand on the basic platform with any host of sensors and components, like servos or RF receivers. Ultimately it's up to your imagination and skill level, which is why SparkFun is primarily targeting the kits at the educational market. The company's new educational outreach program is making a big push to put the ProtoSnap MiniBot in classrooms across the country, starting with high schools and trade schools, as a bridge from more simplistic robotics kits to the more advanced projects tackled at the university level. The completely open source robotics platform will be available tomorrow for $74.95. As soon as we can get our mitts on one our own we'll return with a thorough hands on... one that reveals just how much smarter the average high school kid is than us. Update: Good news, everyone: the ProtoSnap MiniBot kit is now available for order. You can claim yours at the source link below.
Mini robot treats ailments from the inside out
Researchers from Ritsumeikan University and the Shiga University of Medical Science have developed a miniature robot prototype that is controlled remotely once placed inside the body via an incision (whew! not a suppository) at the affected area. Unlike existing swallowable robots that can only snap pictures and gather info, this minibot is maneuvered by controlling external magnetic fields located close to the patient, and can perform medical treatments that may, in some cases, negate the need for surgery. As of now, the researchers have experimented with 5 different variations of the device to test functions like capturing images, taking tissue samples (see creepy forceps above), and administering medicines. The robot is positioned and guided using an MRI of the patient taken pre-surgery, and an attached mini-cable relays stats and images back to a computer during the procedure. The robot is composed of plastic and measures at 0.8-inches in length and 0.4-inches in diameter, which, by all means, doesn't seem that tiny when you picture it crawling around inside of you. Supposedly, this little guy has tested well with animals, so we humans may be next in line.[Via Pink Tentacle]
