Time to get serious?

As a writer, I have to be careful.  I’m the type of writer who types out his stories as if I’m a omnipresent journalist observing actions in realtime.  If I think out the characters’ actions ahead of time, or describe to someone else, then I won’t/don’t write them down.

Same for my projects.  If I design too much detail into an idea, then I’m finished with the idea and ready to move on to something else.

Thus, I’m wary about sketching out too many steps ahead of time while working on my yard art sculpture.

Instead, I’m fleshing out the general direction, hoping I remember to photograph the evidence of my progress as I go along.

I’ve dug out a few more supplies I bought, including a seeed studio motor shield (product number 2760242) and RadioShack standard servo (product number 2730766).
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Yes, I know I could have bought some of these items online and at a lower cost but I shopped at RadioShack when I was a kid and still enjoy the physical shopping experience not to [forget to] mention the altruistic motion of giving extra money to the local economy, employing great kids like Aaron who works at the local store.

Anyway, it’s time to experiment with making robotic arms that move up and down, using the lightest-weight material I can find.

Wish me luck!

Oh, before I go, I’ll mention that I started a Google Docs spreadsheet to help me keep in one place the list of supplies and an ongoing to-do list of steps I need to take or have taken.

Yard Art Sculpture Update

In the slow progress of building a yard art sculpture, I have accumulated a few new items, including:

  • RadioShack motion sensing door chime/alarm, product number 4900426
  • RadioShack project enclosure (6″x4″x2″), product number 270-1806
  • RadioShack metal 20 mm PC board standoffs, product number 276-195
  • the following purchased from Mike’s Merchandise, a surplus supply store:
    • Four metal dryer hoses
    • Two metal poles
    • Ten multidirection flexible joints

Pictures to follow in next blog entry…after lunch!

Ideas I’m working on include motion detection trigger of sculpture, and aforementioned facial “features.”