[chbot] Robotics Group meeting, 5 Idris Rd, 6:30pm, Monday 15 July 2024 report

[Mark Atherton]

Hello everyone,

Good turnout with 24 attendees, and lots of huddles-of tech-talk. $35 + 
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 design progress and the mechanical design issues 
associated with the audio DSP project. Schematic is complete with 
details slowly being filled in. Quite a lot of effort went into 
specifying push buttons, rotary encoder, potentiometers, rotary switch, 
and LCD components which will play together well on the control surface 
(actually the top surface of a Hammond 1598BBBK ABS enclosure).

Mark also briefly touched on a visit to Sydney tools, Blenheim Road.

Rudy talked about the disassembly of some petrol pump EFTPOS types 
devices, and associated security features.

Russell gave us a fascinating talk about his project to migrate a Prius 
power plant + drive chain into a camper-van.

Andrew E talked about his laser-cut scalable storage system.

Darren talked about a visit to an EV uses-group, and a presentation by 
Meridian related to charging stations.

Bevin talked about security systems associated with an old mechanical 
till and well as some commentary about social-engineered phishing, and 
fraud.

Interesting stuff on YouTube:

youtube.com/watch?v=u3-Kw9u37I0 static testing of a first-stage rocket 
engine goes awry. Unexpected liftoff without fins, guidance, or second 
stage.

youtube.com/watch?v=Lu56xVlZ40M OpenAI Plays Hide and Seek, with some 
unexpected results.

youtube.com/watch?v=nKIqYKiAmpI&t=10s worlds silliest boost converter. 
9v to 70v using only one capacitor, and a little conservation of charge.