RetroPie Portable Build Uses No Fancy Tools!

retro pie portable

RetroPie Portable builds are great fun, but lots of them make use of expensive tools like 3D printers and laser cutters, which tends to dismay — [Kaushlesh] proves you don’t need any of that!

To build his unit he’s using a Raspberry Pi, a USB controller, a 6 x 4″ project box, a cheap LCD screen, a hot glue gun, and various electrical components — you will still need some soldering skill to complete this project!

By modifying the case he assembled the control boards by taking apart the USB controller. Protoboard made for an easy way to mount his new buttons, with it simply hot glued in place. Quite a bit of soldering later and everything is connected. He notes you’d better make sure everything works as you go otherwise it will be hard to find out what’s wrong when it is assembled!

Future upgrades include a rechargeable li-ion pack and built in speakers (he’s currently using headphones). Take a look after the break!

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Velociraptor Robot Ready To Run With The Big Dogs

velociraptor-robot

[Jongwon Park] and his team of students at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have created a fast biped robot based upon the Velociraptor. Raptor weighs in at just 3Kg, and stands only 470mm tall, yet it is capable of running at 46 km/h. That’s almost as fast as Boston Dynamic’s Cheetah.

Raptor uses carbon fiber composite legs to absorb and release energy while running. The system is similar to that used in high performance prosthetic legs. A rotating tail assembly further helps to balance Raptor on rough terrain. We have to admit, the tail system does look a bit dangerous for any humans who might need to interact with the robot. It does work though, as evidenced by Raptor bounding over Styrofoam blocks.

The Raptor robot is quite impressive when running at full speed. Considering this project’s budget was nowhere near the resources of Boston Dynamics, it’s an amazing accomplishment. The video reminds us of  Boston Dynamics founder [Marc Raibert’s] early robots at the MIT Leg Lab. We can’t wait to see what this team produces in the future.

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