OpenROV Assembly Challenges

I know this problem can be solved. I just haven’t figured it out yet, and I need help from the OpenROV community to do so.

Update: The OpenROV community delivered. Solution: ESC Programming and Calibration for OpenROV.

Parts That Work

Software image updates on the Beaglebone Black work flawlessly thanks to scripts written by Brian Adams and Dominick Fretz. The cockpit software shows a real-time image from the camera, the LED lights are super-bright, and the lasers hold steady at 10cm apart. My fully assembled OpenROV passes the water submersion test. Yes, it’s waterproof, thanks to O-rings and silicon-based lubricant!

What about the motors? The motors work, almost. Could it be the electronic speed control (ESC) settings, calibration, or less than perfect soldering? That’s where I need help.

Be Awesome. Tackle Big League Problems at WindyCityRails

Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios?

• You have already built a successful Rails app. Now that you’re “done”, you know you can make it better, but you’re not sure how. You want to take your skills to the next level.

• You recently graduated from Dev Bootcamp, Starter League, Mobile Makers or another school. You’re ready to meet and interact with your next generation of mentors.

• You are no longer a beginner. You have seen advanced developers in action, and you are determined to get there yourself.

• Software development is relatively new to you, and you built a successful track record in another profession. You want to meet people who can help you accelerate through the beginner phase so you can launch something useful.

Common thread: It’s time to unleash the awesomeness in your bones. You want to take your skills to the next level, and you are ready to tackle Big League Problems. WindyCityRails is for you.

Wanted: Community Manager

WisdomGroup is hiring a Community Manager (CM) to help run our user groups and conferences. This is a part-time independent contractor position, mostly remote, with some on-site work during meetings and conferences. The position could become full-time depending on results produced and community growth.

Smart People, Growing Together

Our community philosophy:

When smart people challenge each other to grow, great things happen.

Our community track record is covered in the article How to Grow a User Group.

LinuxBarbados is Global

LinuxBarbados is a user group for open source enthusiasts. The group meets monthly, offering solid knowledge for anyone who wants to ramp up their open source skills. For example, yesterday’s meeting featured a presentation on XBMC by Michael Layne. The presenter dug deep into the tool, offering tips on how to write plugins in C++ or Python.

CloudCamp Chicago: Developer Night

CohesiveFT hosted a CloudCamp Developer Night this week. Speakers were Philip Szalwinski of 8th Light, John Downey of Braintree, Marcy Capron of Polymathic, and me. My presentation, Citizen Science With OpenROV, was based on the blog post of the same name.

Thank you Margaret Walker for running a great event. Slides appear below.