Beginning stages of making digital robotic arm

This is the beginning stage of a robotic arm module model in Maya. I got the blueprints from the instruction manual of the robotic arm that I bought online. One of my goals for my arduino is to control a robotic armature via python serial port. I'd like to drive the arm with a digital rig. The hardware of choice is the Robotic Arm-Edge that I bought here:

http://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376881135&sr=8-1&keywords=robotic+arm

I'm really excited to have a digital controller in Maya or Houdini drive this physical asset.

I love my Arduino!: Got text updating on an LCD module

I made some great progress with my Arduino by setting up my LCD to update with programmable text! It was a little tricky but it worked out in the end. I also made use of my bread box and took a lesson on LED set up, making pretty colorful lights :o

Hit the jump for more images and code snippets

Maya Python for Games and Film

I highly recommend any tech artist to buy this book. If you want to write python tools for Maya, this goes over all of the fundamentals and advanced techniques for you to be coding at a professional level.

Here's the official website:
http://www.maya-python.com/

You can buy a copy on Amazon for 43 bucks:
http://www.amazon.com/Maya-Python-Games-Film-Reference/dp/0123785782/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375657664&sr=8-1&keywords=maya+python

Set up Eclipse with Maya 2014!

It's my second year using Eclipse as a Maya Python IDE. Thanks to Tyler Good and Ryan Trowbridge for inspiring me to do it. This time around, I went ahead and grabbed Eclipse Keplar with the Dark Juno theme to better match my Autodesk products.

Hit the jump if you're interested in setting up Eclipse with Maya yourself. I can add some links that can help.

Yoda Alert!: NPR starts asking questions about copyright infringement

You know you're do something interesting when NPR calls out your work on their show.

"Yoda is not just something we can copy and duplicate - Yoda is protected by copyright," says Michael Weinberg, a lawyer at Public Knowledge, a group that advocates for an open internet.

Hit the jump for the video episode and link to the article

Yoda Alert!: Origin Story of Yoda Sculpt

It's been close to two years since I released my yoda sculpt into the wild. I've been blessed to see the huge support that it got since! I never had a chance to tell the story of how it blew up so I want to dedicate this post to its conception.

Hit the jump for the rest of the story.

Yoda Alert!: Yoda sculpt made it into MakerBot TV

Makerbot has really done a huge job advertising my sculpt all over the country and here's another installment with them featuring my sculpt on MakerbotTV.

Hit the jump for more images and the pilot episode

Yoda Alert!: You can now buy a copy of the yoda sculpt that I made on etsy

Etsy.com is currently selling prints of my yoda sculpt for 20 bucks for anyone interested. I really love how popular this guy got :)

You can buy a copy here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/124911869/3d-printed-yoda-head?ref=sr_gallery_11&ga_search_query=3d+printing&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=3d+printing

Yoda Alert!: NASA may be using my yoda sculpt to test out their custom 3d printer

Here's another article from Gizmodo on 3D printing. As you can see, they're using my yoda sculpt for stock photos these days. I'd love to see yoda in space!

http://gizmodo.com/nasa-is-taking-a-3d-printer-into-space-959371929

Incidentally the same stock image is used to talk about the health risks of 3D printing as well.

http://gizmodo.com/3d-printing-indoors-is-as-bad-for-you-as-smoking-a-ciga-894193776

First Post!

Hey guys! I'm going to give this blogging a try :)

I've always wanted to to this!! Hit the jump if you want see an arbitrary picture!