News

News about upcoming big events, workshops, and other announcements.
I'm a geek! I love learning about and working with all kinds of technologies. I am also a family man. I love spending time with family and friends. There is nothing better than letting the kids run around while chatting on the back porch! I've been a member of MTRAS off and on since 2007. I took a long break after my youngest son was born in...
I'm a geek! I love learning about and working with all kinds of technologies. I am also a family man. I love spending time with family and friends. There is nothing better than letting the kids run around while chatting on the back porch! I've been a member of MTRAS off and on since 2007. I took a long break after my youngest son was born in 2008. Now that he's old enough to tag along, we are back and buildin'!
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February Meeting and Workshop Canceled

Hello, my friends.

It is with a heavy heart that I convey to you the passing of Quincy Jones. We were notified from his wife Sarah that he had passed last week.

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***NOTICE: Fusion 360 Workshop 1 date changed

Warning***UPDATE: We have moved our regular January meeting and workshop
to January 27th, 2024 due to inclement weather. 

 

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Happy New Year! 2024 - The Year of Community

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Hello my friends! As we start a new lap around Sun, we have some pretty big goals for the new year! At the end of last year, we started talking about these goals which can be grouped under the idea of "increasing membership and community."

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MTRAS Promotional Documents and Graphics

When promoting, referencing or linking to the Middle Tennessee Robotic Arts Society (MTRAS), we ask that you use the following documents and links.

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Quick Trip

Event Summary

The objective of this contest is to create code for a robot (built or purchased) that will start moving from one side of a field, cross a line at the other end of the field, turn and return to the original starting line. The robot that accumulates the highest score wins.

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Line Following

Event Summary

The objective of this contest is to create code for a robot (built or purchased) that will follow a black line on a white background without losing the line. The robot to complete the course in the shortest period of time while accurately tracking the course line from start to finish wins.

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Website Update 2022 Ed.

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It is that time again! You can almost smell the freshly cut pixels in the air! It's website update time and we need YOUR help to make it all about US!

DID YOU KNOW??? MTRAS will be 15 years old in 2022?

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New Workshop - Intro to Electronics, Coding and IoT with ESP32

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Starting in April, we will be conducting 10 weekly (one per week) online workshops around the ESP32 line of processors. The ESP lines of microcontrollers are used in many of the IoT devices that you might find online or at local retail stores. The ESP8266 and the ESP32 are popular platforms for connected projects online due to compatibility with the Arduino programming environment and vast open user projects and community. We are focusing on the ESP32 in this workshop as it is the newer and more feature rich processor that is intended to replace the ESP8266.

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Freeform "SevenSeg" Bot Workshop with special guest Mohit Bhoite

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On April 25th, we had the privilege to host a workshop by Mohit Bhoite on building free-form circuit sculptures. During the workshop, Mohit walked us through a small project and covered planning, materials, methods and tips. By the end of the event we each had started our own "SevenSeg" bot.

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Intro to NodeMCU - Updated!

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Hey folks, I was thinking about hosting a short intro to NodeMCU Zoom session if anyone is interested. It would have to be one evening this week. You wouldn't need to have one on hand necessarily.

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Nashville Mini Maker Faire 2018 Load-In / Out Instructions

If you are participating in the event and planning on bringing materials, display projects or competition bots, please read these load-in / out instructions for the event!

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Whistlestop - Call for Projects

Whistlestop - Call for Projects

Whistle Stop Weekend is Nov 12th and as is usual, MTRAS will be hosting a booth at this annual event from 12:30 - 4pm. This is something we do every year to show the Science Center how much we appreciate them allowing us to use their space and is also another great opportunity to help spread the word about MTRAS.

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GMX - Call for Volunteers

GMX - Call for Volunteers

GMX is scheduled from October 28th thru the 30th and MTRAS will have a presence at the event. This year the Robot Battles will be on the 30th so get your bots ready! 

We need help from the group in the following areas:

  • Audio/Visual - We just have to have solid, reliable video to a projector and be able to record each individual fight. Patrick has a projector and a go pro. What we will need is something to project on. Also, someone needs to follow up to edit and post the video after the event.
  • Logistics - We will need for volunteers for setup and break down.
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Nashville Mini Maker Faire - Call for volunteers

Nashville Mini Maker Faire - Call for volunteers

Hey group, the Nashville Maker Faire is scheduled for Sept 17th and MTRAS will again have space and a presence in the event. We will have a 10' x 50' space and plan to fill the space with MTRAS member projects and demonstrations. Two 10ft sections will be an area where visitors can come in and see some of the bigger projects on display. This area can also be host to any type of competition. The remaining 30ft will be available for members to display their projects. 

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Video - Learn how to solder

Video - Learn how to solder

One of the hardest simple things about electronics is soldering. I had a EE professor once say that soldering was "impossibly easy" which, only those who have tried to figure it out on their own, have come to understand the meaning of this description. I have been trying (and mostly failing) to solder for years before I was sent the links below but, by the end of the first video, I could solder tenfold better than my best previous attempts. After the the second video, I was ready to take on the world. 

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Arduino Basics Workshop Series and Optional Kit Available

Arduino Basics Workshop Series and Optional Kit Available

Overview

Beginning with the June workshop, MTRAS will now be offering an Arduino Basics Series for those who are new to robotics and specifically new to the Arduino platform. One of the most common questions we are asked is "I love robots and really want to get started but I don't know where to begin." Our goal is to help those who are just getting started and those who are currently tinkering, get a good foundation on which, to build their own ideas. 

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Website Upgrade

Website Upgrade

As many of you have noticed, our group is growing - at every meeting there are new faces and new projects. Growth is good! With each new person we add excitement, experience and wonder to our little corner of the Maker community. Of course with growth in numbers, we also need to grow our support for those numbers which is why we have decided to invest in some upgrades to our online presence. While our original site was great and absolutely helped grow our community, it, like all websites, needs to grow and adapt to changing technologies and demands. 

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