Hi,
About a year ago, I picked up a soldering iron again after 25 years or
so of programming. I've been getting acquainted with a microcontroller
and the circuitry to drive various motors and servos, along with
reading various kinds of sensor data.
I work for a big technology company here in San Diego, and I have
access to a machine shop with CNC lathes, mills, etc. I find myself
wanting to design and build all sorts of things (I've modeled various
ideas in 3-D software), but never having had any formal mechanical
engineering classes, it'd be more like trial and error than actual
_design_... I want to do engineering, not bumbling-hacking...
I know that it's possible for EEs to learn to program late in life
(enough to get a microcontroller to do what they want)... is it a
realistic notion that I, a humble software weenie could learn some ME
basics - enough to be able to design articulated robot arms that
aren't underpowered and don't collapse under their own weight, killing
their creator?
Any advice on books, sites, groups, podcasts, etc. would be very much
appreciated.
Mr. INTJ
San Diego, CA
- posted
13 years ago