The Curious Engineer

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Home on Robot Daycare

robot-daycare.com

Engineering contraptions

HardwareElectronics

’10’15’20’25
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304 from 3 Jul 2010 to 19 Oct 2026
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monthly (12 in the last year)
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personal blog
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2026 12

  1. Zipp 2001 Part 4: The Build Starts
  2. View all posts →
  3. Making fast, pressure-sealed thermocouple probes
  4. Painted Zipp
  5. Drafting Table: an engineering sketchbook
  6. Low-profile two-piece vises for the CNC router
  7. Good Bonds
  8. Electric motor scaling laws and inertia in robot actuators
  9. Machining new endcaps for a DT Swiss hub
  10. Machining a saddle clamp for the Zipp
  11. Zipp 2001 Restoration, Part 1
  12. A new toolpost spindle, part 1

2025 3

  1. Kart Rear Brake Mounting
  2. And We're Back
  3. A year of adventures

2024 16

  1. Drive Units Mounted
  2. Drive unit mounting parts
  3. Kart Steering Yoke
  4. Go Kart Revival Part 1: Drive Units
  5. Working on the kart again
  6. Off on an adventure
  7. Spinning Drive Unit
  8. Assembled Rotors
  9. That's looking like a drive unit
  10. Making More Kart Parts
  11. Ring Gear Machining
  12. Ice Trike
  13. Stator Assembly
  14. Lathe Spindle Motor Upgrade
  15. More motor housing machining
  16. Printed Motor Housing First Post-Machining Operation

2023 16

  1. Machining some lock rings
  2. Big Kart New Beginnings
  3. Press Tool Trick
  4. Finally some lathe tool organization
  5. Hopper Stabilization Hardware Progress
  6. Trike Revival for the BD Car Show
  7. A hilarious situation
  8. Balancing Leg
  9. Leg + reaction wheel doing stuff
  10. New capacitor for Yottacoil
  11. Reaction wheel motor assembly
  12. Dovetail Vise Fixtures
  13. Reaction wheel assembly
  14. Reaction Wheel Mount Op 1, Pulley Weight Reduction
  15. Reaction Wheel
  16. Back to making shiny things

2022 25

  1. Lathe DRO Installation
  2. Mini Cheetah Clone Teardown
  3. Mini Cheetah Clone First Test Drive
  4. More Coiling
  5. Varying Pitch Screw Robot: Finishing the Mechanism and First Tests
  6. First outdoor tests of the screw mechanism!
  7. Finished Test Fixture
  8. Hopper test fixture
  9. More Screw Mechanism Testing
  10. Screw moving under power
  11. Guide Rollers
  12. CPW Coiling
  13. Clausing 4901 Moving and Restoration
  14. 2022 04 15 chips
  15. Lathe Preview
  16. Tool Holder Tightening Fixture
  17. Varying pitch screw robot build progress
  18. Another weird part
  19. Ioniq HSG
  20. Foot Mechanism Prototype
  21. Motor housing
  22. Organization
  23. Spinning things!
  24. Undercutting tool
  25. Screw mechanism progress

2021 25

  1. Today's contraption
  2. It exists!
  3. *gloop*
  4. Closed Loop Espresso Part 2: Firmware Estimation and Control
  5. Espresso machine software testing
  6. Adjustable Puck Simulator
  7. Mill enclosure is almost done
  8. Mill Enclosure
  9. Half way done
  10. The scrap pile grows....
  11. Gratuitous simultaneous 5-axis
  12. Stainless Shaft
  13. Varying pitch screw machining
  14. New motor drive firmware
  15. Pressure control, 1 kHz USB data logging
  16. STM32 USB CDC + PyUSB Data Transfer
  17. Frequency response measurement
  18. Closed Loop Espresso Intro
  19. First Shot
  20. Espresso Machine Group Head Machining
  21. Reassembling the "shop"
  22. First attempt at shrink fit tool holders
  23. Pretending the mill is a lathe
  24. Thin Part Fixturing
  25. Gourd Ukulele Modifications

2020 13

  1. Gear Pump Closed Loop Pressure Control
  2. Inaugural Photo Dump: 5 Axis Mill At Work
  3. New Photo and Video Feed
  4. La Pavoni Europiccola Lever Espresso Machine Restoration
  5. Transmission Ratio Trajectory Optimization
  6. Music Server
  7. Another batch of furuta pendulums
  8. Benchtop 5-Axis Mill
  9. Varying pitch screw mechanism
  10. A decade of project blogging
  11. Simple Dynamics With Varying Transmission Ratios
  12. Titanium anodizing experiment
  13. New High Power Motor Drive

2019 13

  1. Planar Magnetic Headphones
  2. The Mini Cheetah Robot
  3. The Rubik's Contraption
  4. Furuta Pendulums
  5. Machined Electric Travel Ukulele
  6. Motor Dynamometer
  7. Furuta Pendulum(s): Building some more
  8. Building All The Robots
  9. So Many Robots
  10. Motor Temperature Estimation Without a Sensor
  11. Mini Cheetah at ICRA
  12. Hello There, Mini Cheetah
  13. Big Dyno Up And Running

2018 9

  1. Planar Magnetic Headphones, Part 3: Finishing Up
  2. CORE Outdoor Power PCB Motor Teardown
  3. Controlling Phase Current Harmonics with FOC and AFC
  4. Thermal Testing, Round 2
  5. Thermal Testing
  6. Integrated Motor Controllers V2: Searching for the noise
  7. Big Dyno Beginnings
  8. The Rubik's Contraption
  9. Small motor controller with integrated position sensor

2017 18

  1. Controls Ramblings: How to get from Point A to Point B very fast (and stop)
  2. Stall Torque Test Stand
  3. A brief introduction to the big go kart, and machining some PolyChain sprockets
  4. Extremely Chinese Brushless Power System Dyno-ing
  5. Planar Magnetic Headphones, Part 2
  6. Dynamometer Database
  7. Planar Magnetic Headphones, Part 1
  8. Reamer Regrinding
  9. Vector Hysteresis FOC
  10. Toolpost Spindle, Part 2
  11. Motor Dyno Efficiency Mapping
  12. EMRAX Motor Teardown
  13. Encoder Autocalibration for Brushless Motors: Offset and Eccentricity
  14. Lathe Toolpost Spindle
  15. E-Mount to Sinar View Camera Adapter
  16. LEM-On-A-Stick
  17. Motor Dyno: The Talk-To-Everything Board, and Other Updates
  18. Return of the Snow Bike: It actually works now

2016 21

  1. Some Motor Math and Simulation
  2. Small Motor Controllers, Round 2
  3. Motor Dyno Updates, First Tests
  4. Introducing the GigaTroller
  5. Small Motor Dynamometer: The Beginnings
  6. Desktop Inverted Pendulum Part 2: Control
  7. Desktop Inverted Pendulum, Part 1
  8. Documenting all the things
  9. Slow-Motion Jump
  10. More Jumping
  11. Jumping Leg
  12. I'm Back to Building Robot Arms
  13. Torque Ripple Characterization and Position/Impedance Control
  14. Motor Module
  15. New Boards!
  16. Planetary Gearboxes
  17. Motor Control Progress: Working Hardware, and a Field Oriented Control Implementation
  18. Snow Bike Part 2: How Does Snow Work?
  19. Emergency Snow Bike, Part 1
  20. Closed Loop Subwoofer With Interferometer Feedback, Part 2: The Hardware
  21. Motor Characterization for Small Running Robots

2015 23

  1. High-Speed Quadrature Decoding with the STM32F4 Nucleo...Because Lasers and Bass
  2. Metal Electric Ukulele
  3. Benchtop Lathe
  4. Shiny Lathe Pictures
  5. The Tiny Lathe is Working!
  6. Ball Turner
  7. Motor Mount and Bearing Shields
  8. Tiny Tool Post
  9. Mini Lathe Pulleys
  10. Spindle and Headstock Machining
  11. Mini Lathe Handwheels
  12. Cutting a Rack Gear on a Bridgeport
  13. Compound Slide
  14. Cross Slide, Take 2
  15. The Longboard Has Gone Too Long Without a Motor
  16. BendyPack
  17. New Cross Slide
  18. Taig Mini Lathe
  19. Finishing Up the Coreless Motor
  20. Coreless Axial Flux Motors
  21. Some Long Needed Updates to the Big Scooter
  22. Trying to Crack the EC Desk Safe
  23. A Box for a Plane

2014 23

  1. 2014 East Campus Roller Coaster
  2. East Campus Roller Coaster: Actually Building the Thing
  3. Turning An Outrunner Stator Into A Really Bad Induction Motor
  4. Robot Arm Z-Axis and Custom Servo Drive
  5. Roller Coaster Mechanical Design: How to Make Solidworks Really Sad
  6. iPad Retina Display External Monitor
  7. Roller Coaster Track Design
  8. Carbon Fiber Scooter
  9. It's Time
  10. Chibi Atomic Jeep, the Power Racing Series, and the Detroit Maker Faire
  11. Various Updates to the Tiny Go-Kart
  12. The Reason I Haven't Updated Anything in a Month
  13. Spontaneous Hub Motor
  14. External Display from an iPad LCD, Part 2
  15. External Display from an iPad LCD, Part 1
  16. How Not to do 2.007
  17. Adding Gears to the Oar Bike
  18. What's Happening With the Robot Arm?
  19. How to Build a Mini Electric Go-Kart in a Day
  20. Robot Arm, Now With The Drawing Ability Of A 5-Year-Old
  21. A Tale of Two Robot Arms
  22. Fun With Encoders
  23. Now It Looks Like A Robot Arm

2013 37

  1. More Snow Scootering
  2. Snow Scooter!
  3. Belt Reduction #2 Finished
  4. All Terrain Scooter Redux
  5. CNC Everything
  6. Electric Tricycle: 9 Month Service, Painting, and Data Collection
  7. Robot Arm: Testing Construction Methods and More Design
  8. A Really Really Fast Robot Arm
  9. Gourd Ukulele
  10. Finishing up the Giant Scooter
  11. Rotating Climbing Wall
  12. The Building of the Climbing Wall
  13. Scooter Mega-Update: Piling on the Absurdity
  14. Bot Blast Recap
  15. One-Week Battlebot Blitz
  16. The Rebirth of the All-Terrain Scooter
  17. REX 2013 Project: Rotating Climbing Wall
  18. Gourd Ukulele, Part 2
  19. Gourd Ukulele, Part 1
  20. Electric Tricycle, now with Gaudy Lighting
  21. Zero-Dollar Carbon Fiber Bicycle
  22. Bike, Trike, and Science
  23. PocketBoard v2: Metal Edition
  24. Another Differential
  25. Electric Tricycle
  26. It Almost Looks Like A Bicycle
  27. Tricycle Shenanigans, Pre-CPW Stress Testing
  28. Playing with Real Carbon Fiber™
  29. Laminated Chainstays
  30. OarCycle: Tacked Front Triangle
  31. Bike Frame Jig
  32. A Preview of Upcoming Projects
  33. Autonomous Anti-Mouse Sentry Turret
  34. Battery Building, Motor Woes, and a Rideable Tricycle
  35. Motorized Projector Screen
  36. Mechanically Finished Tricycle
  37. PocketBoard

2012 25

  1. PocketBoard Part 2: Now it Need Wheels
  2. PocketBoard: The Tiny Oak Skateboard
  3. Improper Use of Machinery
  4. Building the Differential
  5. Assorted Tricycle Updates
  6. Soon-To-Be-Named Three-Wheeled Electric Thing
  7. Monitor Arm
  8. Nyan Hat
  9. Finishing Nyan Hat
  10. Nyan Hat: Nice Lasered Things and More
  11. New Project: Nyan Hat
  12. Post-Maker Faire Update
  13. Scooter Accessories
  14. 2012 09 15 loft
  15. Scooter vs. UPS
  16. Blacksmithing: Year 3
  17. Chain Tensioner V3: So Close...
  18. It Floats!
  19. Electric Scooter: Drivetrain Refinement
  20. Site Change
  21. All-Terrain Electric Scooter
  22. Graduation Glasses
  23. MIT Tube Hack
  24. Impossible Circuit
  25. Arduino Game Port Interface

2011 15

  1. Retro Rechargeable USB Booster
  2. Shellback Dinghy
  3. iMac Mini
  4. Tree Climbing Robot
  5. Predator-Prey Simulation
  6. More Blacksmithing
  7. Dual L298HN Motor Driver
  8. GUI Controlled LED Matrix
  9. Useless Machines
  10. How to Fit Your PC in a Power Mac G5 Case
  11. Bench PSU
  12. Doodle4Google Entry
  13. Birch and Mahogany Home Theater PC
  14. Triple Monitors
  15. Artillery Game

2010 10

  1. Python Game and Cipher
  2. Carbon Fiber Bike Light Holder
  3. Battery Powered Ipod Box Speakers.
  4. Building a Bamboo Bike Frame
  5. Rocket Car
  6. Blacksmithing
  7. Skull Flash Drive Mod
  8. Water Cooled Laptop
  9. Mini Ipod Speakers
  10. Book Speakers