RoboCommunity - Hacks & Mods

Transforming Elvis to the Terminator - Part 4 Now Posted!

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:48:54 GMT

Check out the lastest installment in GWJax's Alive Elvis hack. In this episode, you'll be able to see technical information on the circuit boards inside the Elvis, complete with details on the pinouts and their functions. Click here to view Part 4! The WowWee Alive Elvis "Elvinator" Project: Quick Links Part 1: the Electronics | Part 2: Removing the Skin | Part 3: Inside His Brain Elvinator Project Thread: Info and Teasers | Elvinator Source Code Thread

The "Elvinator" Part 3 - Inside His Brain!

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:17:19 GMT

In case you haven't been following GWJax's great series of hacks to the Alive Elvis , check out the first two guides here: Transforming Elvis to the Terminator #1 Transforming Elvis to the Terminator #2 In the third installment of this project, GWJax has opened up the "Elvinator" to expose his brain cavity. Now, you get to see more of the inner workings of the Alive Elvis! Make sure to follow the exciting, upcoming installments of this hack. Click here to view the third installment in the Elvis to Terminator project!

Transforming Elvis to the Terminator - Part 2

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:58:41 GMT

This project, lovingly dubbed the "Elvinator," is generating a huge amount of excitement! Check out this thread for more background information and discussion about this project, including photos, videos, and more. Now, are you ready for part two of this hack? Witness the compelling task of removing the Elvis's robotic skin, to see what's going on inside. You'll get to see some of Elvis's electronics and get an idea of how he works. If you dare, follow here to read the whole article by GWJax, complete with detailed step by step pictures!

Transforming Elvis to the Terminator - Part 1

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:06:34 GMT

Everyone's been super excited about this new modification project by our own GWJax. He's dubbed it the "Elvinator," or the Alive Elvis "transformed" into a model of the Terminator. You can take a look at this thread for more background information and discussion on this exciting mod. We're really in for some detailed, exciting hacking work with this one. This first part of an ongoing series of articles about the "Elvinator" shows you how to open up your Alive Elvis to reveal some of his electronics. Here's an excerpt: "Next is a look under the shoulders. This is where the head is controlled; it can tilt right, left, up and down. Two motors control these functions in the X-Y axis using worm gears and a gear box. Notice the large silver washer. In between is a thick rubber washer, so the motor gear box can move without breaking or locking up. The board to the right of the center motor is an HBridge circuit for controlling the movement of the motors fowards and backwards. Also in the motor gearbox is a PT sensor for detecting speed and lack of motor movement. On the far left and far right is the...

Checking Your IR Remote and Replacing Your IR LED in the Roboquad

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:50:48 GMT

Check out this great article by GWJax on how to resolve issues with the IR LED and remote on your Roboquad! Here's a sample: Now, let's check the LED to see if we are getting anything to it. In the photo below, you will see 3 pad in a sideways triangle, and it's located to the left of the blue component: "a 4Mhz crystal." The one you want is the one on the far left, which is in front of Q1's collector. Find the Black battery line and make note of where it is connected to the battery housing. Now, get out your meter and put the setting to 20v DC (or auto DC) depending on what kind of meter you have. Place the batteries inside the housing; make sure to remember where the black wire was connected. Place your black ground lead from your meter in between the battery and spring. Place the red lead from the meter on the test pad in front; For the Q1's collector, you should read almost 0V. Now, press a button, and the stop button and it should read about 0.35v or so - and then back to 0V. If this test works,...

Battery Monitor for RoboQuad

Hacks & Mods Blogger — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:49:14 GMT

Check out this great article by GWJax on how to build a battery monitor for your RoboQuad. When properly adjusted, this mod will visually tell you when your batteries are getting low, and it also serves as a reminder to remove them before storage. Read the full details on how to complete this mod here!