Amazing bionic elephant trunk

Wow. I've seen a number of neat Festo demos, but this is nearest and dearest to my heart. Krishna found it.

Now, how can I get my hands on one of these? :)

UAVs galore

Here's a nice article which goes through a number of UAVs out there, from hobbyist to military versions.

Python for robotics

I'm planning on using Python-on-a-chip for the Summer Bridge program and for my Intro to Robotics course next semester. I'm pondering also using Python on the host PC for Intro to Robotics, instead of Matlab. Thoughts:

Helpful links:

• NumPy for MATLAB users

Requirement	MATLAB	Python
Pseudo-inverse	pinv	linalg.pinv
ODEs	ode54, etc	scipy.integrate
3D visualzation	My Coin/MATLAB bridge	IVuPy or pivy

Scary video

Wow. Big brother is coming, and we'll welcome him with open arms. Even worse, I'll be helping design the systems that makes it all possible. Wow. (Here's the full version of the video).

Clean up and catch up

I'm working today, trying to clean up and catch up a bit. I've posted an updated oscope tutorial. Others stuff:

• A great article by Mark Taylor on his ideas for effective engineering education.
• Helpful advice for new faculty (I could still use it!)