I read your post and I feel you have entered a wonderful magical world. Now before you think I am off my rocker let me explain. By the way I learned about your post from Grandoids, a wonderful site, check it out.

I have had the robot bug for many years. There is something about robots that has gripped my imagination and interest. Not a day goes by that I do not think about robots.

I also build robots and to me this is so much fun. I have designed and built from scratch a few machines. It is hard work and it becomes harder when your creation just sits there and does not work. It seems the learning curve with robotics is always on the up tick.

I cannot tell you how may books , wires , transistors ,equipment and tools I have purchased over the years. Interesting enough a lot of my parts are scavenged form the electronics people heave into the trash.

I feel we, those of us who actually build robots, are on the verge of creating something well for want of a better word, wonderous. These days there are so many people doing robotics that it is very encouraging. In my humble opinion it makes no difference who or what you are when it comes to this line of work. Do I not live in the 21st century? Are we still thinking in the stone age? I have a little six year old daughter and I always tell her that ,robots are your friends. I hope one day she joins me in my effort. However that will be up to her.

Please continue your building and remember your not alone when it comes to soldering iron burns. Once I found a loose wire and not to lose it I kept my eye on it as I reached for the iron. Gee these things are about 300F degrees, as my fingers found out.

Have fun

Take care

Pius