Totem - the Meccano replacement for 21C Makers

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Totem kit
Totem and Pimoroni have combined forces to make my Christmas very early this year!

Earlier this month I discovered Totem Maker kits. I bought a 2 wheel drive bluetooth robot and was delighted at how easy it was to assemble and drive.

Totem are based on Vilnius, but my first order arrived quickly.

I have a couple more robot designs in the pipeline and decided to use one of the larger Totem kits for prototyping them. Some of the kits are now stocked by Pimoroni, so I ordered one, along with the extra components I needed for the next robot. The kit appeared the next day.

Instructions 
The Totem kit is beautifully packaged and the instructions are outstanding: visually attractive, clear and easy to follow.

I'll report on progress as I work on the robot design. I'll be showing the end result at next month's Margate Raspberry Jam and at the London Arduino Maker day in March. I'll post more details here as they become available.

Jetson Nano Upgrade

The Jetson Nano goes Stereo


The robot project after that will be based on the Jetson Nano. I'll probably get a third nano as the new upgrade can support two cameras - perfect for stereo vision.

Lazydoro


Lazydoro

Last week was mainly spent on finishing the lazydoro project - my automated Pomodoro timer. Lazydoro is working well enough for everyday use, and the code is on GitHub. There's more detail on https://hackaday.io and I will be presenting the project at tomorrow's Raspberry Pint meetup.


Lazydoro is going in the book


Get it on Leanpub!
I'm also going to add a chapter about Lazydoro to my book on the Pimoroni Explorer HAT  which I used for prototyping it. The chapter isn't there yet, but if you buy the book now you'll get it as a free upgrade when it's added.

I'll spend next week on the book, and I hope to have it 50% complete by mid-February.  The price will then increase, but current buyers will get all future upgrades free.

It's currently just $5, you get a 45 day money back guarantee, and there's a free sample available to see if you get on with the level and style.


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