Who needs a Roomba?
Make your own robot sweeper with a paintbrush, some servos and a microbit instead! 🖌️🤖
(Half as effective, but twice as adorable?)
Instructions are in my column in this week's
@newscientist
magazine 😉
Hand soldered my first 0201 component today! A teeny capacitor on a PS5 HDMI
I knew the husband would *love* a PS5 for xmas but we didn't have that kinda money, so I learned to repair them
Got a cheap broken unit, repaired it and gifted it...now I can't stop😅😂
#RightToRepair
You know you're an electronics technician when...
you get a new handbag in the sales, and while decanting the contents of old bag into new bag you find an unexpected raspberry pi 😅
Folks, I'm crying happy tears. These tiny squares of joy just came in the post
In November, I'd never opened board design software.
I'd never even soldered SMD.
Today I can say I MADE THESE. And they're BEAUTIFUL.
(thanks to
@josephattard02
for helping with the artwork 😉)
Hey
@netflix
, this looks like a great show... BUT
Just dudes? Come on.
You're reinforcing the message I've had programmed into me since I was a kid that girls don't make things. And that's not fair
Representation matters
(also, at least credit
@KidsInventStuff
for the format)
I've been a bit absent from twitter lately for two reasons - first, throwing world's most fun wedding in a science centre, and second working on a secret project I can finally tell you about!
During the
#CommonwealthGames2022
opening ceremony, I was riding around in this beast:
You know you're an electronics technician when...
you get a new handbag in the sales, and while decanting the contents of old bag into new bag you find an unexpected raspberry pi 😅
The context: I tried to teach a neural net to create dot to dot patterns. Instead it created cursed penis owls.
So... My fiancé made an illustration inspired by the worst example for me to bring to life with my pen plotter.
Every day we stray further from God's light.
Happy international women's day!
Don't mind me and my giant robot friend popping in to say
#STEM
is for everyone and women can do anything -especially carving giant crocodile tails out of polystyrene using the biggest, scariest machine in the workshop 💪
#InternationalWomensDay
Sorry I've been so absent recently – but I've been getting to grips with my NEW JOB 😮
I'm now a full-time technician for Artem special effects 😎
I'm having the *best* time, but it's a big adjustment after a year of working from home. So, be patient with me 🙂?
Folks... I don't really know how to say this, but, I'm back?!
I took an accidental hiatus from Twitter over this crazy year
I've got loads to share, even if it's a bit late in the year for my Christmas PCBs 🤦♀️ but for now have an unrelated picture of me in an airport!
Happy
#InternationalWomenInEngineeringDay
to all my badass ladies!
Here's a picture of me helping pilot an 8-metre tall mechanical bull out of a square in Birmingham at about 1am - a career in engineering or STEM might be more varied than you think 😉
Thought I deserved a tool upgrade now I'm a *clears throat* professional 😎
So, I didn't choose Makita solely because it matches my interior decoration... but that did help 😂
I don't know who needs to hear this today but, folks,
PUT TAPE OVER YOUR BATTERY TERMINALS.
Sincerely, the lady who started a *small* fire in the electronics room earlier with a few rogue cells on the benchtop 🤦♀️
Were it not for covid, today would have been our wedding day.
We're just pleased we're both healthy and able to celebrate with a drink in our local.
ALSO I 3D printed the headband 😉
Happy international day of women and girls in science! I'm a physicist, but now I mostly make whimsical electronicy things, like this light up dress, and write about them 👍
Finally home after about six weeks in Birmingham! Sorry I've been a bit absent on socials - who knew an 8 metre tall mechanical bull would be so much work?
I took a video of my view from inside the bull at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony - with bonus selfie at the end😜
We've all heard of tombstoning when soldering... but what about divingboarding?!
Not entirely sure how I managed that really.
I'm actually good at soldering, honest!
Can't wait to share our professional wedding pics but now I'm back from Brum I can at least share this!
2022's been full of firsts -like my first PCB design, used as wedding favours
"It's only 3 components!" -until you make 150 of them😂
(cheers
@PCBWayOfficial
for the boards)
Hi twitter, how's your Monday going?
Because I just almost crashed the giant robot arm. Twice.
So basically, my day is going *a lot* better than if I had *actually* crashed the giant robot arm twice. But a bit worse than if I had not almost crashed the giant robot arm at all.
@BillieRubenMake
@schmuserkadser_
@sciencedirect
Seconded.
@sciencedirect
They stalked hundreds of med students and ranked by their criteria for "clearly unprofessional", which were unscientific value judgements. This paper provides no clear benefit or furthering to human knowledge. I feel dumber for having read the abstract.
🧵 I'd like to thank these colossal prats for, perhaps inadvertently, proving my point.
It's not worth responding, since arguments that dumb can't be won with reason, but for anyone else who's interested, this is what I mean:
(🧵1/11)
Realised I haven't shared a video of the NFC boards in action!
Still can't get over how great these little PCBs came out! (I guess that's in part thanks to
@PCBWayOfficial
- they really nailed the skinny silkscreen! )
Can't wait to order another 200 of these 😂
Printed up a new home for my soldering iron tips.
I literally use about... two of these? So the rest may as well be as decorative as possible, right 😅?
Behold. A monument to my impatience 😂
I was *despirate* to try out my Pi camera module with
@OctoPrint3D
but haven't got round to designing and printing the mount I have in mind. In the meantime, a stick, some twist ties and a cardboard shim will just have to suffice 😂
Wish I could show you the PCB I'm working on at the moment... but then I realised I never shared my Christmas PCBs!
Forgot to select ENIG, but decided I liked the silvery colour better because it matches the doorbell 😄
...and forgot the rounded corners 🤦♀️ but pleased overall!
I'M ALIVE!
I've beaten covid and I'm back to carving suggestive shapes out of polystyrene with the giant robot arm.
The covid bit wasn't much fun - but I'm certain it would have been even more un-fun were it not for 3 doses of vaccine, so for that I'm very grateful!
You don't need any fancy kit to make a motion sensitive wildlife camera – THAT TWEETS!
Just an old smartphone and a copy of my column in
@newscientist
😉
THE CROSSOVER EPISODE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.
I had the BEST time hanging out with
@GeekyFayeArt
- who soldered up a storm.
Watch out world. We're coming for you with our soldering irons out 😎
The most magical thing happened today: I got to finally meet
@hannahmakes
IN THE MEAT SPACE. 🤩 It was incredible. We kvetched, pulled apart a Japanese appliance, and she taught me how to solder. I am over the moon.
(Also yes, there is a slight height difference 🤣)
Went to Kempton Steam Museum last weekend. They have two giant steam engines, one of which you can see in action! Quieter than you might expect. If you're in the UK I HIGHLY recommend a visit 👍
Genuinely excited for everyone to meet
#biscuitbot
– so excited that I'm claiming the hashtag! 🍪🤖 If you want to build along with me, keep an eye on
@newscientist
magazine
First jab done!
I'm genuinely not sure which of my "underlying conditions" was the one that made me eligible, but feeling very grateful all the same ❤️
This feels like the light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there folks and get vaccinated!
Tuesday was a bad day.
I accidentally folded the robot up like a pretzel...
Then I came home and tested positive for Covid 😑
The robot forgave me, but I'm mad about breaking my 2-year no-covid win streak.
Hello from boring dystopia.
I tried to go to a shop to replace my busted laptop charger.
No. Order online for express pickup at the shop you're standing in front of.
For a timeslot more than an hour away.
I snuck in early and asked if it was ready. "still being packaged"?!
Stop what you're doing. This is important.
I took my new camera out for the first time last weekend and got THE BEST picture of a hoverfly and it has brought me immense and unreasonable joy.
I share this photo in the hope this tiny bug can bring unreasonable joy to you too ❤️
Actually went out to the pub yesterday! For the first time in *many* months.
But it wasn't just to sample the craft beer... It was to celebrate.
I have some very exciting news to share with you all in the next couple of weeks 🙃
Did you know that polystyrene is actually made from the compressed souls of the damned?
Or at least that's what I assume given that when you cut it fast enough it screams in otherworldly pain.
Sound on 🔊😂
Special effects technician
@HannahMakes
demonstrates how to create a catapult using lolly sticks and string for
#AMonthOfMaking
. Watch till the end to find out how you can experiment with different sized foil missiles!
It's always been a secret ambition to design a PCB - but I'd written it off as a dream
I genuinely believed I was incapable of it
Electronics can be intimidating as hell (especially for women), but you can do it!
Don't listen to the negativity you've been conditioned to feel
Today, I set out on a quest to lure one
@hannahmakes
into my clutches to get her help with code for a project. I decided that
@CrosstownLondon
donuts would be a good way to do it. I think it worked. :3
So it seems January is the month of trying new things - today I had my first ever go at welding!
TIG on some thin steel box
(... okay so this was maybe my 5th bead, but part of my first every session!)
Ta-da! Finally learning FreeCAD!
Very much enjoyed this milkshake glass tutorial – and this kind of CAD modelling is definitely a bit more geared towards my physics brain than other 3D design things.
I foresee many vases in my future... 🤣
And I didn't make it easy on myself for a first project😅
I designed a custom trace antenna, tuned to 13.56 MHz, with specific impedance to work with the particular energy harvesting NFC chip I spec'd
I taught myself SO. MUCH.
And I'm already working on a more ambitious PCB🤣
It's not always easy but it's incredibly rewarding, and if I can make it easier for any young women considering a STEM career, I'll do my best. The more of us there are, the better for everyone, no matter what some shitheads on the internet might have you believe 🙃
(🧵end)
Looking for something to do this weekend?
It's not quite biscuit bot, but this propeller car is certainly a step above lobbing hobnobs at each other 🍪.
Learn how to make one in this week's
@newscientist
!
#diy
#STEM
#kidsactivities
I should definitely be asleep. But I have BIG NEWS.
We've had our beautiful semi-ferral "difficult to adopt" fur babies for a year and a half.
Tonight for the first time Magna sat next to me on the sofa, purring, and SHE KNEADED MY LEG 🥺😭😻
I'm not crying. You're crying.
I used the little mill in work to make some brass earrings for a birthday present - and they turned out really cute!
Oh no. I seem to have acquired *another* hobby 😅