Between the Lines

FIRST Robotics FRC PNW District 3 Competition Friday & Saturday

FIRST Robotics FRC competition season has started with week 2 competitions happening this week. Here in the Portland Oregon the Pacific Northwest District 3 has have 40 teams competing from the Pacific Northwest including the team I volunteer with Team 1540 Flaming Chickens. Autodesk is a proud supporter and sponsor of the PNW District and the big regional PNW Championships in April in addition to every student and teacher worldwide gets free Autodesk software. Autodesk’s Greg Fallon Vice President, DLS... Read more →

Designing More than Robots - The JuiceBox Project

For almost two seasons I have have had the pleasure to work with an amazing and inspiring group of young high school students involved in the FIRST Robotics competitions at Catlin Gabel in Portland Oregon. The FIRST Robotics Team 1540 the Flaming Chickens are also looking for ways they can make the world a better place using technology and design. One recent example that has been the project they worked on with the Catlin Gabel InvenTeam to solve a local... Read more →

FIRST Robotics FRC STEAMWORKS 2017

Details of FIRST STEAMWORKS 2017 Robotics Game Revealed And they were off as of just over a week ago on January 7th reading the game rules, discussing strategies, and then talking about design of their robot to best compete this year. This is my second year participating with Team 1540 Flaming Chickens. Last year among the thousands of teams they made it to the World Finals. Team 1540 already has their design all designed in one week and sourcing parts... Read more →

BunnyBots is this Weekend in Portland Oregon

Update 12/16/16: “We have had to reschedule BunnyBots from Saturday Dec 17th to Friday December 30th. There's just too much snow, ice and hazards especially for teams pulling trailers long distances. The 30th is our last backup day, though, if weather causes us to cancel the event on that day then we'll have to cancel BunnyBots for the year.” Come have fun and see some amazing high school kids who designed and built some robots at BunnyBots competing between the... Read more →

Aerial View of Lake Oswego Oregon Autodesk Office

I recently purchased and received my new personal UAS/UAV a DJI Mavic. This little drone folds up and can be easily packed in my backpack or camera bag and has many advanced technologies like obstacle avoidance and several automated flight modes like follow me and follow terrain. II t can go 40mph and has a radio range 4.6 mile range however FAA rules require visual one of sight which is definitely not that far. The camera is not as good... Read more →

The Future of Making Things - Robotics

This is a really great video featuring my Autodesk colleague and team mate Maurice Conti, Director of Applied Research and Innovation providing a glimpse at how robots will augment and collaborate with humans in the future. A couple other team mates gave a cameo in the video like Evan “Robot Lover” Atherton, Heather “Robot Tamer” Kerrick, and David “Robot Whisperer” Thomas. Read more →

Hands-On CNC Training at Autodesk University

The very first Fusion 360 CNC full day hands on training will be held at Autodesk University for AU attendees to register to take. The training will be led by by John Saunders from NYC CNC. Learn how to create your custom CAM toolpath in Fusion 360 followed by hands on machining using the Tormach 440 machine. Read more →

Girls Generation Robotics Competition

This past Saturday local school Catlin Gabel hosted a robotics competition for PNW regional FIRST Robotics teams where only girls would be the robotics challenge team drivers and pit staff. Teams used their robots and a competition field from last seasons Stonghold competition. Despite the big storm outside, the gymnasium was packed with hundreds of team members, parents, and teachers, volunteer mentors, and FIRST Robotics regional personnel. What an awesome and inspiring event for not just girls, but everyone that... Read more →

FIRST Robotics Team Event Girls Generation October 15

The events are starting for FIRST Robotics teams here in Oregon with a great event "Girls Generation” just over a week away on October 15th. My Catlin Gabel Team 1540 Flaming Chickens are hosting this event at their campus in Portland www.catlin.edu/map. Only girl team members may drive the robots and be in the pits.Teams will be playing using last years competition robots from Stronghold. I hope you will join us at the event and see how much fun it... Read more →

AR, VR and MR - Oh My

Learn about AR, VR and MR and the impact it will make for all of us from Autodesk Brian Pene Director of Emerging Technology, Office of the CTO. Five Ways AR and VR Will Improve Our Current Reality http://autode.sk/28WjqhN In recent years, technological advances, coupled with a proliferation of affordable hardware and software, have made immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) more commercially feasible than ever. A flood of investments into these new... Read more →

The Next Phase in Robotics - Collaboration

The robots are coming and they are not all evil but will help us make things and augment our capabilities at solving other challenges facing the world. Maurice Conti Director, Applied Research and Innovation, in the Autodesk Office of the CTO and colleague was interviewed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers for a nice article on robotics and the research Autodesk is doing in the Applied Research Lab. Human Augmentation: the Next Phase in Robotics http://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/human-augmentation-the-next-phase-in-robotics Prominent, respected public figures... Read more →

Fast Cars and Generative Design

Back in May of this year I had the pleasure to be in the hot and beautiful Southern California desert at Trona Pinnacles near Death Valley with a group of engineers, scientist, champion Baja 1000 champion race drivers, car builders, mechanics, designers, cinematographers, technologists, and more for a historic off road race car project test for a generative designed car, the Hackrod. The Hackrod was designed by Autodesk Dreamcatcher using design input and performance data from many types of sensors... Read more →

Giving a Hand

Yesterday many big hearted employees in the Autodesk Lake Oswego Oregon office took time to assemble 3D printed Phoenix prosthetic hands designed using Autodesk’s own Fusion 360 in the e-NABLE Buildathon. The hands are destined with a personal card for children in war torn Syria by e-NABLE. Autodesk employees around the world donate their personal time year around and Autodesk whole heartily supports this and matches the time and donations and also has a philanthropic foundation with the Autodesk Foundation... Read more →

BattleBots Watch Party at Autodesk with Robots, Fun, and Prizes!

Don’t miss the chance to meet two BattleBots, Bronco and Mega Tento, in person(robot) at Autodesk’s First Annual BattleBots Watch Party! On the heels of last year’s wildly successful TV reboot of BattleBots, the world’s premier robot sporting event, bots and humans alike will assemble to watch the show’s Season 2 premiere. Come join us at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco—the birthplace of robot combat—to watch the BattleBots rumble while enjoying food, drinks, robo-swag and fun activities. You can... Read more →

How to Make an Autonomous Go-Kart by Autodesk CEO Carl Bass

Join Autodesk CEO and Chief Maker extraordinaire Carl Bass for a live Instructable session on how to build an autonomous go-kart at the Maker Faire Bay Area. Carl, his son and some friends have rigged their electric go-kart with the guts of a drone, and now it can be driven remotely. Check it out in person at MakerFaire Bay Area 2016! Carl’s session: http://makerfaire.com/maker/entry/55314/ Read more →

Congratulations to FIRST Robotics World Champion Teams

This weekend over 600 teams of high school students competed in St Louis Missouri for the FIRST Robotics 2016 world championship. FIRST 2016 Winning Teams: Team 120 – Cleveland's Team Team 330 - The Beach Bots Team 1086 - Blue Cheese Robotics Team 2481 - Roboteers Congratulations to all FIRST participants, students, mentors, schools, teachers, volunteers, parents and sponsors. See you next competition season! Read more →

Autodesk PNW FIRST Robotics Championship was this Weekend

Autodesk sponsored the recent Pacific Northwest FIRST Robotics Championship for high school students held from Thursday to Saturday last week at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in sunny and unseasonably warm Portland Oregon. There were 64 high school teams participating from the Pacific Northwest states of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington that had won local district competitions to compete in this event. In addition to the students, parents, mentors, judges, there were many Autodesk employees volunteering at the event. What an amazing... Read more →

A New 3D Printer Heading to the International Space Station

Autodesk partner, friends, and Fusion 360 users Made in Space sent the first 3D printer designed for space 2011 is again sending a new updated 3D printer up to the International Space Station this Tuesday, March 22nd at 11:05 pm EST. Keeping with the long tradition of crazy NASA acronyms the 3D printer is named the “AMF” for Additive Manufacturing Facility. Made in Space is the cutting edge on additive manufacturing in space and it opens up many possibilities to... Read more →

FIRST Robotics Competitions PNW Wilsonville District

The high school FIRST Robotics team I have been working with this year participated in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) Wilsonville District competition this past weekend in Wilsonville Oregon. Team 1540 Catlin Gabel got into the later rounds with their robot Zuko (designed in 3D using Autodesk Inventor) making it to the elimination rounds and ultimately winning the 2016 Wilsonville District Chairman's Award. Wilsonville District Competition Results http://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2016/ORWIL What a great event packed with energy and gracious professionalism. Congratulations to all... Read more →

First Robotics Competition Team 1540 Reveal of Zuko

I have been involved with one of the most amazing group of young humans (High School students) as a mentor. Team 1540 Flaming Chickens of Catlin Gabel are now entering the 2016 FRC competition season and just created their robot reveal video. http://oregonfirst.org/events/pnw-frc-championship/ Team 1540 Reveal Video 2016 - Zuko The official Team 1540: The Flaming Chickens 2016 robot reveal video for FIRST Stronghold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_wsfItlaE Zuko was designed by the students using Autodesk Inventor and built in their lab. The... Read more →

Solve Most Autodesk Software Issues with this One Solution

If you are getting crashes or visual display issues in your Autodesk software like AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, 3ds Max, Maya etc. it could very well be your graphics driver. After years of reading solutions and reports of problems, the top issue is graphics drivers and the second being you have not installed the latest product updates. In fact recently I was experiencing issues myself after a system update of my laptop which affected my software, updating to a supported driver... Read more →

FIRST Robotics 2016 Kicked Off this Weekend

The start of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) 2016 was revealed Saturday with the new game challenge named STRONGHOLD by FIRST Founder Dean Kamem. This years revealed game field is one of the most challenging for the robotics competition of high school students according to the many experienced FIRST participants I have spoken with. I am mentoring Team #1540 Flaming Chickens of Catlin Gabel in Portland Oregon this season and their use of Autodesk Inventor. After the reveal of the... Read more →

Replicate a Keepsake in 3D Using Autodesk Memento

Recently I replicated a silver necklace pendant of a very sentimental pinecone using Autodesk Memento which converted standard photos into a 3D model. I then 3D printed the model on an Autodesk Ember 3D printer and plan to then cast in pewter or silver an exact replicae. The pinecone pendant on a necklace was originally created as a silver casting from the real pinecone given to a mother by her oldest son. It was a really heart warming story why... Read more →

Autodesk Ember 3D Electronics and Firmware Released as Open Source

In keeping with our open approach, the Autodesk Ember 3D printer electronics and firmware are now available to download & modify. http://autode.sk/1FaV5nL Read more →

3D Printing Making Dreams a Reality - Kieran's Hand

Everyone needs an inspiring and feel good story to start off their work week, and this is a great one about an amazing young boy and technology. Kieran was born with a birth defect of Amniotic Band Syndrome and has no fingers on his right hand. As Kieran states in the video it has been difficult to deal with until he received a 3D printed prosthetic hand. Modern prosthetics are very expensive costing tens of thousands of dollars, and even... Read more →