[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtH3iA1YrY&w=470&h=315%5D
[Dino] has been featured here at [HAD] on many occasions, so I was excited to see some of his inventions in person and meet the man himself. [Dino] didn’t disappoint, bringing a display that included a working demonstration of his upcoming cover story for Make Magazine – an automatic doggie ball-thrower. Also there were some crazy musical instruments, what appeared to be a cylindrical oscilloscope display, and a robot rolling around with the thrown balls (and kids).
As seen in the video, one thing to remember if you’re displaying at a Faire, kids will definitely be there, and will interact with anything they can. This can be good or bad, so make sure you design your display, like [Hackaweek]’s to be the former. [Dino] also had a projector pointed at the wall playing some video. This made for a great attention-getter! Check out the short videos below of his ball thrower in action and a view of the show from one of his robots!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5P8zBpIvwE&w=470&h=315%5D
Okay, but the dog needs to know how to drop the ball back into the throwing machine. This could be considered “cruel” to some dogs that would continue to “fetch” past the point of exhaustion. A ball count limit perhaps, or just have a ball “magazine” that the dog can’t reload.
My dogs know when they’re tired and they just stop playing…. it takes a little training to get the dog to drop it in the hopper. I always play with them even WITH the help of the ball launcher, and it saves my arm. :)
Not too many ladies in dresses at the faire, so they’re safe from the robot looking up their skirts.
;)
This was shot with my cell phone. No upskirt shots…
Thanks Dino, don’t take my comments as offensive,
(not that you did), I have known some dogs that don’t know when to quit, and I guess by my second comment my mind was down in the gutter (with your cell phone B^).
Ha ha… no worries. :)
But can it pretend to throw the ball every once in a while to trick the dog into trying to fetch something that isn’t there?