The Library of Technomadics
BEHEMOTH
In 1983, I left Ohio on a "computerized recumbent bicycle" named Winnebiko to begin a career of technomadic publishing, then after the first 10,000 miles built a new machine that would let me write while riding. After another 6,000 miles, it was time for the mega-cycle... a 580-pound monster named BEHEMOTH. All three bike versions are described here.
Microship
After 9 years of pedaling around the US on geeky bicycles, it was time to port the whole adventure to water. The Microship project spanned a decade, with three different labs and multiple design revisions... at last yielding an amphibian pedal/solar/sail micro-trimaran. This massive project was fueled by about 160 corporate sponsors and a team of brilliant geeks...
Nomadness
By the time the Microship was "done" in 2003, I wanted something more practical... large enough to live aboard with crew, piano, and lab. After a year with a rocketship 36-foot trimaran, I bought an Amazon 44 — a steel pilothouse cutter. With the intent of preparing for open-ended global voyaging, I cruised and lived aboard for 6 years while immersed in nautical geekery.
Datawake
In my sixties, it was time to move to the Dark Side... so I found a new owner for Nomadness and acquired a Vic Franck Delta 50. I now live aboard this floating lab in the San Juan Islands, with communications, virtual reality, underwater vehicle, piano, audio studio, data collection, machine shop, and deployable micro-trimaran for local exploration.
New Posts
This column showcases new additions with current dates, and may include articles about the boat project, dives with the ROV, photography, new toys, or other real-time content.
Steven K. Roberts September 25, 1965 This is just one of those studio shots, probably taken at someplace boring like Sears in the Mall, showing the birthday boy with parents Edward and Phyllis. We were living in Jeffersontown, Kentucky – a suburb of Louisville, and I had just spent a few weeks at Camp Mountain…
Combo Bolens Mowing Rig – 1965 – Jeffersontown, Kentucky from Steven K Roberts. This little video is also here in my YouTube channel, where it is more convenient to share. When I was a kid in Kentucky, we had 5½ acres… and it was pretty much my responsibility to keep it all mowed. Our Bolens…
My father, Ed Roberts, was an avid sailor for many years before I came along, and only after his passing did I discover the extent to which this permeated his life. As a child, I picked up a bit of nautical lore and sensed the allure on family vacations, but I didn’t really learn to…
My father (Ed Roberts, at left) was director of the Louisville Regional Science Fair in the 1960s, and this delightful photo is from his archives. The robot was named Andrew, and his builder, Ed Ramsey (center), went to school at Trinity, then went on to study electrical engineering at Purdue. The robot had magnetic hands and a tape-recorder…
This was my third science fair project… in 8th grade. The full title was The Harmonograph’s Lissajous Curves Duplicated by Servomechanisms, and it won first place at Louisville Country Day School (General Division) as well as first place in the Kentucky State Science Fair (Junior Division). The only photo of the machine that remains is…
I have often joked over the years that I never outgrew science fairs… showing off the various technomadic machines at trade shows and other events was eerily reminiscent of those early years, complete with passion, demo effects, marketing, and procrastination followed by despair. I credit science fairs with giving me a lifelong project-oriented perspective, and…
Recent Archive News
Changes to the library are automatically shown here... whether newly scanned articles, digitized videos and movies, historical documents, or edits to existing material. June 10, 2024 item count: 1,091
(excerpt) by Michael ShapiroYahoo! Internet LifeJune, 1998 This piece from Yahoo’s internet lifestyle magazine featured a number of us who were using the Internet while traveling full-time. The story introduced: Here’s my bit… And a flashback in the form of part of the magazine cover… back in the days when there were print publications about…
by Steven K. Roberts HPV News January/February, 1988 Photo above: © Thomas E. Forsyth, 1987 Is This the Ultimate Human Powered Utility Vehicle? Read about Steve Roberts and his very high-tech recumbent bicycle. His idea of daily life on a computerized two-wheel vehicle may not appeal to you, but his ideas and the pioneering work…
This story in Gram News from Batavia, New York, describes our visit with a delightful ham couple in August 1987. What Are High-Tech Nomads?by Deb Johnson – KA2VTY Well, on Thursday, August 13, at Syd’s house, we had the pleasure of meeting Steve KA8OVA, and his girlfriend, Maggie Victor, KA8ZYW. They had just hit the…
This epoch of the BEHEMOTH project included obsessive involvement in packet radio, and I spoke at a meeting of interesting people… PPRS Meeting Announcement PPRS meets the first Tuesday of the month at the Ampex Cafeteria located at 411 Broadway, Redwood City. The May meeting is on the 2nd and the speaker will be Steve…
Computing Across America, Chapter 6 by Steven K. Roberts October 4, 1983 I would live all my life in nonchalance and insouciance Were it not for making a living, which is rather a nouciance. —Ogden Nash My first sensation after the initial shock was freedom — a dizzying and unfamiliar freedom. I stood quietly as the…
by Steven K. Roberts 1 – Under Pressure by Rebecca Parks: an Exploration of Meta-Patterns With her “Under Pressure” series, Rebecca Parks expands Outsider Art onto the virgin landscape of the rural deck, exploring the dialectic contrast between Relaxation Spaces and the technologically mediated high-velocity streams of water with which she creates thoughtful, mandala-like representations…
Microship Store
I have an online store linked above for technomadic publications and cards, along with a few special items of historical interest. (This is in addition to the Microship eBay store offering an eclectic mix of gizmology, nautical geekery, and antiquities.)
1974 Homebrew 8008 System
In 1974, six months of geek obsession led to one of the first personal computers... a homebrew 8008 that is now on display in the Computer History Museum. The story of that machine is here, including complete schematics. This predated the computer kits that kicked off the personal computer revolution, and it was in daily use for years.
The Polaris Mobile Lab
I have occasionally needed a capable laboratory that is not constrained to a fixed location, so I built one into a 24-foot utility trailer. Featured in MAKE: Magazine, this is a detailed description that includes preparing the space, inventory storage, furniture, fixturing, and power.
Isabelle
I live aboard Datawake with this magical being, and have a massive backlog of photos and stories. In the meantime, this is just a teaser... this 7-year-old Russian Blue has a lot to do with my quality of life. Here's her high-tech litter box, with carbon filter and webcam:
The Shacktopus Power Cart
A universal power system, built into a collapsible hand truck for use in emergencies.
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