<span style="font-family: Verdana;">WHAT: <b>Inaugural DorkbotDC + Make:DC Workshop</b></span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">WHEN: <i>16 January 2008 (Wednesday), 7 - 9pm</i></span>
<br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">WHERE: Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences</span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">
6th & E Streets, NW</span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Washington, DC 20001</span><br><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> (202) 334-1201 (for directions)
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><a id="kyx8" title="Map to Marian Koshland Science Musem" style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=500+Fifth+Street,+NW,+Washington+dc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=57.684464,63.896484&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=38.896713,-77.018993&spn=0.007022,0.0078&z=17" target="_blank">
Click here for a map</a><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">URLs: </span><a id="zj9k" title="http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/" style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/" target="_blank">
http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/</a> <br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><a id="oxix" title="http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotdc/" style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotdc/" target="_blank">
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotdc/</a> <br> <br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">ALWAYS FREE! (Except for materials, see below.)</span><br><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br><u>Feel free to forward this notice to other interested parties.
</u></span><br><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Join us for the first-ever joint meeting of Dorkbot DC with the first-ever meeting of Make:DC!</span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><br style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">During this meeting, we will be building LED cubes as seen on the Make blog:<br><br style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><a title="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we.html" href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we.html" id="hb.t">
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we.html</a> <br style="font-family: Verdana;"><a style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we_1.html" target="_blank">
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/09/make_a_pocket_led_cube_we_1.html</a><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But we're going to improve on it by using an open-source Arduino microcontroller instead of an
</span>ATtiny2313V<span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><br style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The chosen project will provide an opportunity for participants to learn:
</span> <br style="font-family: Verdana;">
<div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: Verdana;">
<ul><li>Structural and electrical soldering
</li><li>Programming and usage of microcontrollers
</li><li>Simple programming</li><li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">About the economical but versatile Arduino microcontroller that participants can use as a basis for future projects<br></span></li></ul></div>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Participants should bring their own <u>safety glasses</u></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, <u>the asterisked items</u>, below, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">
and as many of the others listed here as they can:</span><br style="font-family: Verdana;"></p>
<p><b><u>Tools:</u></b></p>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana;"><li>soldering iron and stand<br>
</li><li>solder
</li><li>wire cutters* <br></li><li>wire strippers</li><li>needle nose pliers</li><li>insulating tape (black electrical tape works well) and/or shrink-fit tubing<br></li></ul>
<p><b><u>Parts (or order parts through our group order; see below):</u></b></p>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana;"><li>Arduino or compatible unit</li><ul><li>Diecimila PLUS USB board (fully assembled)<br></li><ul><li><a title="Arduino Diecimila PLUS USB Board, fully assembled." target="_blank" href="http://store.makezine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKARDIE&Show=ExtInfo" id="ic1f">
http://store.makezine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKARDIE&Show=ExtInfo</a> </li></ul><li>Boarduino (solderless Arduino clone)<br></li><ul><li><a target="_blank" title="Solderless Breadboard Arduino Clone" href="http://www.ladyada.net/make/boarduino/" id="p_x9">
http://www.ladyada.net/make/boarduino/</a> <br></li></ul><li>Bare Bones Arduino Kit (unassembled)</li><ul><li><a title="Bare Bones Arduino Kit, unassembled" target="_blank" href="http://store.makezine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKBBARD" id="pnfk">
http://store.makezine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKBBARD</a> <br></li></ul><li>Arduinos and related components:</li><ul><li><a title="Sparkfun Electronics!" target="_blank" href="http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=arduino&x=0&y=0" id="inm2">
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=arduino&x=0&y=0</a> <br></li></ul></ul></ul><div style="margin-left: 40px;"> <i>Please have your Arduino assembled by the meeting, if you buy it unassembled.
</i><br></div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana;"><li>47 Ohm resistor (yellow purple brown striped) <br>
</li><li>27 LEDs <br>
</li><li>Wire (or paper clips work pretty well for this type of application)
</li><li>Case for it all to go in. (you might be able to repurpose
something as a case for more of a 'prototype' look. E.g., the Boarduino
and a 9V battery should fit in a big Altoids case.) <br></li></ul><br>Some kits will be pre-ordered at a discount but the window for <b><i><u>seriously interested participants</u></i></b> to sign up for this option will close at 5 PM (ET) on
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Friday, 21 December 2007</span>.
To order your kit using this method or to ask questions regarding this
event, let us know via the Dorkbot DC blabber mailing list to which you
can subscribe here:<br>
<p style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: 40px;"><a title="Dorkbot DC discussion list" target="_blank" href="http://dorkbot.org/mailman/listinfo/dorkbotdc-blabber">Dorkbot DC-Blabber</a> - General Dorkbot DC discussion (medium traffic)
</p>If you also want to keep up with upcoming Dorkbot DC events, you can subscribe to the announcement list here:<br>
<p style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: 40px;"><a title="Dorkbot DC announcements list" target="_blank" href="http://dorkbot.org/mailman/listinfo/dorkbotdc-announce">Dorkbot DC-Announce</a> - Announcements of events (low traffic)
</p>
<p style="font-family: Verdana;">Experts will be on-hand to help novices with soldering techniques and
other instruction. Those <u>under 18 must have full-time supervision</u> by at
least one legal guardian.<br><br style="font-family: Verdana;"></p><b><u>Background:<br><br></u>Dorkbot DC + Make: DC</b>
joint meetings are guided educational experiences that use the two hour
period to build and/or program a simple electronic device that teaches
elements of the do-it-yourself ethic that has spawned global groups
such as <b>Dorkbot</b> (<a href="http://dorkbot.org">http://dorkbot.org</a>) and the <i>"maker"</i> movement, championed by the print and web publication, <b>MAKE</b> (<a title="MAKE Magazine's website" target="_blank" href="http://makezine.com/" id="pk63">
http://makezine.com</a>
). MAKE's emphasis on hands-on instruction and learning make it an
ideal partner for Dorkbot in helping publicize and widening the base
for both organizations. <i>(Disclaimer: MAKE Magazine has no direct
involvement with MAKE clubs. Maker Media has encouraged their creation,
but has taken a hands-off approach.)</i><br><br>Both of these
organizations are in the vanguard of a growing movement that encourages
people to gain control of the tools and resources necessary to be
technically and artistically creative. MAKE, Dorkbot, and others like
them strive for an ecumenical approach to technology where
collaborative, open sourced projects and user-modifiable design are the
ideals. These approaches have already begun to affect the way that
governments regulate technologies and the way that technology companies
design their products. Consumers are reaping the fruits of this grass
roots movement's influence. The projects and methods covered during
these workshop evenings will
teach people to modify and improve the objects they interact with daily
and to view the world around them as creative raw material.<br><br>We
propose holding joint quarterly workshops for Make: DC and Dorkbot DC.
Please join the Dorkbot DC mailing list to stay informed about them and
the otherwise monthly Dorkbot DC presentations that take place at
George Washington University. Time permitting, we will also showcase
additional members' work in an <i>ad hoc</i> manner.<br><div style="text-align: center;">---<br></div>The mission of the <b>Marian Koshland Science Museum</b> is to engage the
general public in current scientific issues that impact their lives.
The museum's state-of-the-art exhibits, public programs, and
educational programs provide information that stimulates discussion and
provides insight into how science supports decision-making.<br><br>As
"advisers to the Nation on science, engineering and medicine," studies
conducted by the National Academies influence public policy decisions
regarding controversial science-related matters.
<p>Information on visiting the museum, including location and admission details, can be found in <a title="Koshland Science Museum's Visitor Information" target="_blank" href="http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/visitor/index.jsp">
Visitor Information</a>.</p><div style="text-align: center;">- # -<br></div><br>