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 Bionode development, nautical geekery, digitizing, new toys, or other real-time activity.
Oh my. Y’all touched my soul. Two and a half months have flown since our pivotal tale of downsizing from Mighty Hogfish to a pair of micro-trimarans, and we have a lot of ground to cover in this issue… but first, I want to profoundly thank the 75 or so of you who took the…
During the decade-long Microship project, I published 138 Status Reports as well as a few more general pieces in the old Nomadness series, and for years those were squirreled away in a rather obscure corner of my website as clunky text pages without any images. This one was pivotal, marking the transition from a frustrating…
by Steven K. Roberts Nomadic Research Labs Santa Clara, California March 14, 1997 Arggggh! You called it a SINK! You have sealed your doom. David Berkstresser, referring to my foolish error in Issue #117 in describing the place where I’ll wash the dishes. One must never refer to a “sink” in a boat. We have…
This was a beautifully produced event, with a refreshing inversion of the usual trade-show marketroid demographic. It was like a grown-up Science Fair, with almost every exhibit a fascinating presentation of somebody’s techno-passion. Wearables, music, robotics, even a jeep with a built-in recliner made of powerful speakers that let you feel the music big-time… lots…
This was filmed during a rather overwhelming part of the project… I was in a big windowless building in Silicon Valley, my relationship of 2.5 years was ending, and we were definitely behind schedule. Computer Chronicles came by on December 18, 1996, and captured a snapshot of that phase… including some nice shots of the…
by Steven K. Roberts Nomadic Research Labs Santa Clara, California January 21, 1997 A whim, once watered with imagination, becomes a dream, and the best time to take your first step toward a dream is always yesterday; the worst time: tomorrow. Our best compromise is today. Alvah Simon, aboard Roger Henry Since this is the…
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 23, 2025 item count: 1,095
I can already see how the winter is going to take shape, and it’s going to take a major exercise of will to get through it. “Next steps” bubble to the top of OmniFocus and get flagged, I make a first-pass approximation of stuff needed and load up the truck, then drive far away and…
It’s interesting to watch the etymological gestation of a neologism. Twice now, Sky has referred to the folks who mysteriously appear at just the right time to catch lines as dock angels, and thrice I have performed the service for others… feeling a tonnage-proportional measure of the same gratitude I know well from my own…
About a half-dozen times in the past 24 hours, the Polaris mobile-lab project has been reinforced. This is going to be wonderful tool, I think… not only to bring R&D; facilities within range of the system I’m trying to focus on, but also to add another nickel generator to the arsenal. A fairly comprehensive electronics,…
by Edward H. Roberts Clearwater and Tarpon Springs, Florida April, 1961 When I was nine, our family vacation to Florida in 1961 yielded a few reels of 8mm home movie footage, and this page presents two clips of general interest. I digitized them in 2020 with a Retroscan Universal (which I do as a business).…
As Maggie and I headed out from Columbus on the second half of the Miles with Maggie expedition (Winnebiko II), there was a short bit on the local Channel 6 news. Video digitized from VHS off-air dub via Time Base Corrector at Harbor Digitizing.
by Steven K. Roberts Nomadic Research Labs Santa Clara, California September 19, 1996 There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about. paraphrased (by Anomalous) from Anonymous Gizmology Attack The above quote, which brought an amused smile to my lips when I first saw it on Henry Cate’s humor…
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:
Bionode
2025 Development project, a robust homelab and cognitive prosthesis built into a hand truck... with video production, AI, Home Assistant, and NAS.
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