{"id":6487,"date":"2019-10-24T16:37:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T20:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dronebotworkshop.com\/?p=6487"},"modified":"2021-09-28T14:52:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T18:52:42","slug":"db1-moving-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dronebotworkshop.com\/db1-moving-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"DB1 – Moving Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article is part of the \u201cBuild a Real Robot\u201d series of articles and videos which detail the ongoing construction of DB1, an \u201cintelligent\u201d robot that I am constructing.\u00a0 You can bring yourself up to speed with this project by reading the other articles<\/a> and watching the videos on YouTube<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This is a bit of a \u201cdifferent\u201d article in the series, essentially it explains the current project status and how I plan on proceeding.\u00a0 I\u2019ll also show you the documentation for the IO Controller Board.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just here for the IO Board documentation you can get the PDF here<\/a>.\u00a0 If you\u2019re at all interested in how the project will go forward, as well as some personal introspection, then read on!<\/span><\/p>\n

DB1 – An Update on the Project and a Personal Note<\/span><\/h2>\n

It has been a while since I have been able to work on the DB1 project, my life \u201coutside\u201d the workshop has had to take priority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being the caregiver to two family members, one of whom is elderly and the other who is handicapped, is a rewarding task but it sometimes has its challenges. While I love working in the workshop and creating content I do need to make my family a priority, and so in the last few weeks, there has been minimal progress on the DB1 project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m back working on the project and have decided to give it a different approach. So today I\u2019ll explain that strategy and will also show you something that I have created – the documentation for the IO controller board.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s look at how the project will be moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Life, The Universe, and Everything<\/span><\/h2>\n

Looking back at the first 15 episodes of this series I\u2019ve come to the (rather obvious) realization that creating a new video and article every week is just not feasible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many weeks have gone by when I have had very little chance to work on this project. So a \u201cweekly update\u201d can be a challenge to put together when nothing has really changed.\u00a0 Keep in mind that it\u2019s a lot more than just designing and building the project, I also need to create a video and article, and these things take time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also have the \u201cregular\u201d DroneBot Workshop articles and videos to prepare as well, these typically take a lot longer to make as they involve research, writing code and the creation of many graphics.<\/span><\/p>\n

The last thing I would ever want to do is a rush job on either series. And while I have made many time-saving improvements in my production and research processes it still takes time to put quality content together.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a \u201cone-man operation\u201d here in the workshop, so there is no one to delegate tasks to. I need to do it all myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now please don\u2019t think for a millisecond that I\u2019m complaining, I love working on this stuff and creating content for all of you. And I really love working alone so I\u2019m not looking for assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Believe me, it\u2019s the greatest job in the world and I\u2019m thankful to have it, and I\u2019m grateful to all of you for making it possible. I\u2019m reminded of that every time that I watch my neighbors brushing the snow off of their cars or fighting the wind and rain to head off to the bus or train in the morning. It sounds pretty bad I know, but I always give a chuckle while I sip on my morning tea while watching their struggles before heading back down to the workshop to get to work. Not having a daily commute is absolutely wonderful!<\/span><\/p>\n

But one thing that does cause me a great deal of stress is when I can\u2019t fulfill my promise to bring you regular content.\u00a0 And being stressed out doesn\u2019t do me, or you, any good at all. So something needs to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s change it!<\/span><\/p>\n

New Schedule<\/span><\/h2>\n

I still intend to publish DB1 content on Thursdays, but not every Thursday. I\u2019ll attempt to get material out every second Thursday, but even that is not cast in stone, sometimes it may go three weeks. I\u2019ll make every effort to never make it a longer gap than three weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

This reduced frequency will have several advantages for all of us:<\/span><\/p>\n