It's Finally Here: REAL-LIFE MARIO KART!

I know I have been promising people this would eventually come out, but we are finally ready to let RLMK go out the door. This was the finale of the Waterloo Labs summer internship program, so this shows what four engineers can do after just a few weeks of training. I posted a detailed system overview, so that should cover most of the technical details. We are actively working on our next project as this video releases and we can say for sure that it will come out in the January, so subscribe and stay tuned!

New Video: Karaoke on Fire

Looking to learn more about the incredibly awesome spectacle you just witnessed? Great– you’ve come to the right place!

The Fire-Breathing Karaoke setup consists of a homemade Rubens' Tube connected to a LabVIEW-powered karaoke program. Propane feeds into the tube through a valve at one end and slowly leaks out through a row of holes drilled along the top of the pipe. This gas is then ignited, forming a line of standing flames. A speaker sealed to the other end of the tube emits sound waves into the pipe.

Our karaoke program utilizes three NI myDAQ devices, connected as seen in the diagram below. Two NI myDAQ devices serve as audio in/out for each player, connecting to a microphone and set of headphones.The third NI myDAQ device takes in the song to be played and outputs the music to the speaker attached to the Rubens' Tube.The NI myDAQ devices then connect to the computer via USB.

The LabVIEW code is available here, along with a more detailed description of how it works. Enjoy, and stay tuned for even more epic projects coming soon!

Progress on the Intern Videos

I know it has been so long since we've released a new video, but we are making headway now. The intern projects from this summer will be up soon. As a preview, here is a screenshot from the first of the three projects. We filmed several of our projects at the ATX Development Center in Austin. They were nice enough to let us use their facilities for our intern projects. If you need space for your projects or start-ups and access to 3D printers, Plasma cutters, spray booths, and smart people, check out their website.

Update from the Interns

Finally, an update from the interns! After a month and a half of design, explosions, and other vaguely engineering-related activities, we've completed our first wave of epic projects. Shooting begins this weekend, so be on the lookout for new videos in the coming weeks. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can be the first to receive updates about our new endeavors. Remember, this is just a taste of the awesomeness yet to come!

- Tim, Humphrey, Dylan, and Peter

Waterloo Labs Summer Internship is on!

The Waterloo Labs Interns started two weeks ago and are already knee-deep in projects. We have some pretty ambitious projects lined up for this summer, so prepare for the awesome. We also got a chance last week to check out the Austin Dev Center, a new project intended to help engineering and fabrication start-ups and hobbyists. They have a sweet set-up just down the road from our office, so we will definitely be back to visit. Stay tuned for new videos coming in the next two weeks featuring our new interns, Peter, Dylan, Tim and Humphrey.

-Hunter

Headed to the UK for the Gadget Show Live

Waterloo Labs has been invited to participate in this years Gadget Show Live in Birmingham, UK, on April 12-17. We will be showing off a new lower-cost version of our eye control gaming system in the Future Tech Zone. Be sure to look out for some new videos in the coming days showing off our new system. This will be Waterloo Labs' first international trip-- hopefully there will be many more.

Want to Join the Waterloo Labs Team?

We have been working on this one for a while, but I can now announce that Waterloo Labs will be hiring four summer interns in 2011. We have so many great project ideas, but we need your help to continue to grow Waterloo Labs. Working with National Instruments, we are offering a 10 to 12-week PAID internship in Austin, TX for summer 2011. The team of interns will work together on a wide variety of projects that will all be documented on YouTube and our other channels. Since we want to get started right away, we are looking for well-qualified engineering and computer science students who have a passion for projects and a diverse design, fabrication, and programming background. Depending on your schools requirements you may even be able to get a class credit for this internship (bonus).

The application is online and ready to go. Video resumes and web portfolios are highly encouraged so be sure to add links in your application cover letter. We are looking forward to seeing great candidates and will be setting up phone and Skype interviews for our best candidates.

Update:

The application deadline has passed. If you want to see the intern team in action, be sure to subscribe to the Waterloo Labs YouTube Channel. If you would still like to get involved sign up for our mailing list, so you will be included on our future crowd source projects.

Desired Skills

(You don't need all, but well-qualified applicants will have a few)

• LabVIEW Development Experience

• Data Acquisition Experience

• Circuit Design Experience (Analog, Digital)

• User Interface Design

• Microcontroller Experience (Arduino, ARM)

• Sensor Interfacing (Temperature, force, optical…)

• Motor Control (DC, Servo, Stepper)

• sbRIO/ cRIO project Experience

• Mechatronics Design Experience

• Robotics Experience (FIRST, BEST, Class projects)

• Machining / Mechanical Prototyping (CNC, SoildWorks…)

• Control System Design (PID)

• Mobile Development Skills (iPhone , Android…)

• Video production (Writing, Shooting, Editing)

• Web design

Join the Waterloo Labs Mailing List to find out other ways you can stay involved with Waterloo Labs.