RSSC: The Magic of Robots

Over Coffee® is on hiatus through the Christmas holidays.  We’ll be rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes of 2017.  Thank you for listening–and be sure to be with us for our coverage of CES 2018!
Alan Timm (l) and Walter Martinez (r) with one of RSSC's early battling robots.

How would you like to start building your first robot?

Or, if you already have, would you like to learn even more about your next ones?

The Robotics Society of Southern California is waiting to help.

A nonprofit organization which has been in existence since the 1970s, Robotics Society of Southern California, or RSSC, is geared towards helping anyone with an interest in robotics.  And that includes total beginners.

In March, we had the opportunity to talk with RSSC vice-president Alan Timm and secretary Walter Martinez.  We discussed the RSSC. robots in general--and the InMoov, the world's first 3D printed robot, in particular.  At the time of our conversation, Alan had completed his InMoov, and Walter was in the process of 3D printing and building his.
On this edition of Over Coffee® you’ll hear:

How Alan and Walter first became involved in robotics;

How makers are creating prosthetic hands through nonprofit E-Nable;

What’s involved in building the InMoov;

What the InMoov can currently do;

The directions in which Walter, Alan and their fellow roboticists are going, as they experiment with the InMoov’s capabilities;

How the Robotics Society of Southern California was created in the 1970s;

What Walter, who teaches robotics, would tell a beginner about creating a first robot;

How both Alan and Walter first became involved with RSSC;

What a beginner can expect, the first time attending an RSSC meeting;

An exciting major contest in which RSSC will be participating on June 10: the Fire Fighting Robot Contest;

Some misconceptions about the InMoov;

What Alan and RSSC are currently teaching the InMoov;

How Gael Langevin came to create the 3D printed InMoov robot;

Where to find  “Alan’s Robot Lab” online, and Walter’s “Robotics City“, which includes a kit he created for children;

The resources each of them recommend to fellow roboticists as they get started;

Alan and Walter’s favorite stories about life with robots;

AND, a good mistake each of them made, from which they learned, that can encourage any of us as we build robots!
ALL-IN-ONE-PLACE, COOL ROBOTICS RESOURCES:

E-NABLE – a global community that matches volunteers who can 3D print prosthetic hands with those who need them

Robotics Society of Southern California – Their upcoming summer classes include Amazon Alexa programming and machine vision

InMoov – here’s where to find the plans for the life-sized 3D printed robot

Thingiverse – where you’ll see videos of the InMoov robot by Gael Langevin

Alan’s Robot Lab – here’s a link to his YouTube page, as well

Walter’s Roboticscity.com, with research, lecture notes from his robotics classes and his robot kit!