= Mark Hinkle =
|| Hi there! Welcome to my robot design page.||
||http://www.robotgroup.net/eric/annmtg2002/PC050535.JPG||

==== About me ====

I have a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from NMSU. During my over nine years as a digital design engineer, I have tracked satellites, designed research lab equipment, microcontroller based home automation devices, multi-processor workstations, and laptop computers. I also have a patent (pending) on a power connector. If you have seen a Dell Workstation 400, Precision 610, 410, 210, 620, Latitude D600, or Inspiron 600m, then you have seen some of my work. Hopefully you own one! The power connector is used on all the new Dell D-Series Latitude notebooks and Insprion.

I am currently living in Sierra Vista, AZ (about a 980 mile drive from Austin, TX) after a prolonged period of unemployment. My new job is as a systems engineer out at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. I am now doing experimentation with UAV systems. Flying robots! Whoopee! You can see some pictures at [http://tinyurl.com/3z2q4 my Yahoo Photos site]. The neat thing about my job is that if I do it really well, some of our troops will get to come home to their family... alive. That is a good feeling.

In the meantime, I am still a dues-paid member of The Robot Group and still, when I can, work on robots.

== About my projects ==

I currently have several robot concepts and other projects in the works.
----
 1. ["Jumping Jack"]
   a. scarecrow with jack-o-lantern head.
   a. sits in a chair.
   a. motion detector.
   a. speaks, then leaps and screams.
   a. uses pneumatics due to speed requirements
 1. ["Mobile Coaster"]
   a. purpose is to follow the user around.
   a. you can set tools or a drink in the holder.
 1. ["Centipede"]
   a. insect-like behavior.
   a. mulitple segments.
   a. add and remove segments to make any length.
   a. each segment has own power and controller.
   a. each segment has two wheels
 1. ["Tree Climbing Centipede"]
   a. similar to Centipede.
   a. uses claws and not wheels.
   a. designed to climb.
 1. ["Baby Monitor"]
   a. wheeled computer base.
   a. streaming video and audio.
   a. full duplex audio.
   a. uses VPN or SSH.
   a. web based control.
   a. general purpose manipulator arm.
 1. ["Cat Shooer"]
   a. stationary.
   a. compressed air gun or water pistol.
     A. uses non-toxic foam or soft projectiles.
     A. water used where no damage might occur.
   a. motion sensor.
   a. image sensors.
     A. since we want to shoo the pets off the counters and not the dishes, bottles or plants.
 1. ["Leaf Sucker"]
   a. similar to existing [http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/ robomower].
   a. for collecting and mulching leaves and very small twigs.
   a. bags yard waste in 30gal "lawn and leaf" bags.
 1. ["Bartender Bot"]
   a. makes mixed drinks.
   a. voice controlled.
   a. senses fluid volume.
   a. uses 750ml bottles.
   a. uses peristaltic pumps.
   a. debating on making mobile.
      A. if mobile need collision avoidance.
      A. stop until drink mix finshes and beverage is received.
      A. need to be able to locate source of request for service.
   a. what about multiple simultaneous requests? Conflicting.

=== Miscellaneous Projects ===

 1. ["Campshower"]
   a. 2gpm flow rate.
   a. 6 gallon propane RV water heater.
   a. uses 12V battery.
     A. deep cycle.
     A. prefer AGM type (absortive glass mat).
 1. ["Fermentation Tank Chiller"]
   a. cooling jacket for 5gal fermentation tank for homebrew.
   a. uses TEC (thermoelectric cooler).
   a. digital temp sensor inserted into tank.
   a. adjustable temperature.
   a. temperature readout.

=== Robot Links ===

||[http://www.rdrop.com/~cary/html/robot_links.html RDrop]||
||[http://www.techtv.com/robotwars/robotbuildingguide/story/0,24330,3424506,00.html TechTV]||
||[http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/step/ Jones on Stepper Motors]||