[chbot] Robotics Group meeting, Monday 17 Feb 2020, 6-30pm, 5 Idris Road

[Mark Atherton]

Hello everyone,

Several new faces this evening (including some of Levi's family); welcome.

Good turnout with 32 attendees, and lots of huddles-of tech-talk. $49 + 
change (in gold, and flat-money) collected and transferred into the 
robotics loose-change jar (for later banking).

Quick reminder: equipment donations are welcome for the trading table, 
but no CRT based product, printers, toner or items that are likely to be 
a disposal burden. All sales from the trading table should go into the 
brown box on the wall, and are directly for the benefit of our host 
club, NZART Branch 05.

With thanks on behalf of the group,

Mark Atherton

============

Mark Started the evening by talking about his high-vacuum system, and 
some of the challenges of keeping the air out. Also, a discussion about 
getting 20mm aluminium alloy machined by water cutting.

Levi presented his homemade robotic arm; quite a feat of engineering, 
aluminium, plastic and determination. This appears to have taken him 
over two years, with many, many lessors learned in the process. 
Congratulations on all fronts Levi. He has been asked to prepare a short 
talk about things he has learned during this project. Hopefully we will 
hear this second talk sometime this year.

William brought in his (almost complete) analogue PABX, including quite 
a collection of old rotary-dial telephones. Rotary dialling between 
extensions now works, and it is even possible to dial extensions by 
tapping the hook-switch (just like the old-days).

Bevin gave a talk about compiler construction. This was part one and two 
of a multi-part series of lectures occurring throughout this year. Thank 
you for taking the time with this Bevin, this is a difficult and 
fascinating subject, and was well presented (and received).