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March 2010 Dorkbot: Kit Night

Learn a bit about soldering and constructing circuit boards, burn your fingers, and end up with a cool new toy to take home!

Meeting Details:

• WHAT: March 2010 Dorkbot: Kit Night
• WHEN:Weds, March 3rd, 7:00 - 10:00pm
• WHERE: University of Washington, Seattle campus, Art Building, Room 327 [gmaps]
• ADMISSION: Free if you bring your own kit, otherwise $18-$25 - see details below and please register so we know how many people to expect
• EQUIPMENT: You can order parts from us or bring your own. If you order from us you will still need to bring batteries. If you have soldering tools please bring them; if you don't then we'll have some you can use.

Our March meeting will be a hands-on kit night. If you've never done any electronics work before, we'll teach you basic soldering and you can borrow tools. If you already know what you are doing, join us for social time and the satisfaction of helping beginners along.

We have identified three kits, and will put in group orders for them. If you are a beginner we strongly recommend you stick to one of these so there will be other people working on the same thing as you.

• Tiny Cylon: The original Cylons are from TV's Battlestar Galactica. They are humanoid robots with a scanning red visor where their eyes should be. If you are unfamiliar, try Google or YouTube.
  This is a tinyCylon because it's, well, tiny and because it is based on Atmel's ATtiny family of microcontrollers. The tinyCylon is a small, electronic device which simulates the red scanner. Add some chrome and you're halfway there!
  Where some people look at this little invention and see a Cylon, other people see KITT's scanner from TV's Knight Rider. A lot depends on how old you were when these TV shows were first aired.
  $18
  Batteries not included - bring 3 x AAA batteries.
  
  
• Drawdio: Drawdio is an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw! It's great project for beginners: An easy soldering kit with instant gratification. Essentially, its a very simple musical synthesizer that uses the conductive properties of pencil graphite to create different sounds. The result is a fun toy that lets you draw musical instruments on any piece of paper.
  $25
  Batteries not included - bring 1 AAA battery.
  
  
• Game Of Life: In 1970, John Conway came up with a 1-player game called Game of Life. The Game of Life is a mathematical game that simulates 'colonies' that grow or die based on how crowded or lonely they are and is known for the way it creates a beautiful organic display out of randomness.
  This kit is simple electronic project that plays Conway's Game of Life. Make one kit and keep it on your desk, or attach multiple kit modules together to create a large display.
  $25
  Batteries not included - bring 2 x AA batteries.

If you would like us to supply your kit, you must place an order by February 15^th at this page: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/98147.

A portion of the admission price will go towards buying a pool of soldering irons and associated tools for dorkbot to use for this and future kit nights. If you are bringing your own kit there is no charge, but please make a reservation from the orders page (at no charge) so we know how many are coming, and consider making a donation at the event to help us out. Until we have official dorkbot tools, please bring your own (most importantly a soldering iron), and extras to share if you have them. If you don't have tools don't be afraid to come out, we will be rounding up loaners for the evening.

We wish to give huge thanks to the UW's Division of Design, in the School of Art, for their support and providing the space for our meetings. We are especially grateful to department chair Professor Karen Cheng for this generous offer and facilitating it.

The Art Building is on the main UW campus. Parking is available in campus lots for $6, or you can usually find metered spaces on nearby streets in the University district. Lots of buses stop quite close, and there are bike racks outside the Art Building. Be aware that there is no cafe open in the Art Building in the evening. The closest place to eat, on campus, is the food court at the HUB student union building. Eat first, or bring a brown bag, but sorry, no alcohol is allowed in the meeting room. There are also plenty of places to eat on University Avenue, just off campus.

Here is a campus map showing the Art Building: http://www.washington.edu/maps/?l=ART. There will be signs and maybe even live human beings at each entrance directing you to the room, which is on the third floor.

photo: t-t

Dorkbot calendar: We are always looking for speakers for future meetings, and while it's now too late to add artists to our upcoming show, there will be more in future. We have tentative themes lined up, but we're always willing to accommodate interesting speakers who approach us.

Upcoming topics:  DIY Bio, Education, Privacy, and plenty of space for wonderful ideas from YOU.