The GRASP Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania has an interesting robotics program that deserves some attention. GRASP stands for general robotics, automation, sensing and perception, and the lab blends computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering in a collaborative environment that lets students, research staff, and faculty work together on interesting projects. According to the lab's information, it has a $10 million budget that helps researchers build autonomous vehicles and robots, develop self-configuring humanoids, and create robot "swarms." See More ...

When you need a USB 2.0 connection to a human-interface device (HID), matching the specifications from the USB Implementers Forum with the USB port on an MCU can take a lot of time, code, and energy. Microchip has a new device that simplifies this type of connection and because the chip, MCP2210, will "look like" an HID, you just plug in a USB cable and it works. You also have a USB-certified connection to a remote SPI-based circuit. The Windows, Linux and Mac-OS operating systems all support the USB HID class of devices. See More ...

 The 24 January 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal included an obituary for Norman Edmund, the founder of Edmund Scientific, who died at age 95. I ordered some components from Edmund while in high school and my dad and I stopped at the company's Barrington, NJ store during a trip to visit Drexel University in 1962. The store provided a lot to look at--telescopes, microscopes, scientific kits, lenses, books, star charts, and barrels full of optical components. I never got heavily involved with building telescopes or photography as a hobby--electronics and chemistry took most free time-- but always had an Edmund catalog close at hand. A project might involve something Edmund had in stock. For optics enthusiasts, Edmund provided a broad spectrum of components, finished products, and kits for schools and young experimenters. I would bet as kids, many scientists and engineers got a kit or a telescope from Edmund for a birthday or Christmas. See More ...

In mid January 2012, Design News magazine sponsored a 5-hour track--one hour per day for five days--dedicated to microcontroller basics. Although the live seminars have passed, you can find them archived on the Design News Web siteObjectives for each seminar. Each seminar provides about a 45-minute lecture with PowerPoint slides and streaming audio that includes a few questions and answers. You can find answers in the "chat" window for each session, too.  Here's the link to the list of available courses: www.designnews.com/lecture-calendar.asp See More ...

 In an emergency--a REAL emergency, not just loss of power--photovoltaic (PV) arrays can play a part in backup power. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, communities expect to operate without outside assistance for as long as three weeks. Earthquake damage could leave us without road connections, utility-transmission lines, water reservoirs, and other necessities, so we prepare with regular drills and test communications and rehearse organizational and response situations. See More ...