[chbot] Robotics Group meeting, 5 Idris Rd, 630pm, Monday 18 Dec 2023 report

[Mark Atherton]

Hello everyone,

Good turnout with 24 attendees, and lots of huddles-of tech-talk. $46 + 
change (in gold, and flat-money) collected and transferred into the 
robotics loose-change jar (for later banking).

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, Christchurch 
Amateur Radio Club, NZART Branch 05.

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.

With thanks on behalf of the group,

Mark Atherton

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Mark talked about feature-creep. Project started with the idea of 
resurrecting an 1980s vintage VDU (CRT controller, CRT display) and 6802 
CPU. VDU morphed into FPGA + LCD. Project could now subsume the 6802 
into real-time emulation on the FPGA.

Interesting YouTube content:

HOVERair X1 drone. youtube.com/watch?v=jBu1kMd_H40 small, low cost 
next-gen flying camera with noise cancellation recording and gesture 
controlled landing.

NASA SP287 ‘What made Apollo a success’. Destin Sandlin/Smarter Every 
Day addressing The American Astronautical Society 
youtube.com/watch?v=OoJsPvmFixU

Animate Anyone: Consistent and Controllable Image-to-Video Synthesis for 
Character Animation. Extraordinary animation derived from static image 
plus wire-frame movement. youtube.com/watch?v=8PCn5hLKNu4

William gave us an update on his JumboClock (900x250mm), now with added 
Real Chime (removed from a real pendulum mantle clock, struck by a 
solenoid).

David talked about “light pole RF modules”.

Bevin – Described some encryption hazards associated with multiple uses 
of a one-time-pad key generator.

Robin talked about the design of a disdrometer – an instrument to 
measure raindrops, snowflakes, and hail.