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 activity, and may include articles about the Datawake boat project, dives with the ROV, photography, and other real-time content.
Witnessing an inter-species encounter photo ©2016 by Steven K. Roberts (All rights reserved – please contact for usage info) Every now and then, a photographer gets lucky… the right palette of colors, a self-organizing composition, and a sweet vignette all align at the moment of shutter-release. This was one of those, caught through the 83X zoom of the wonderful Nikon…
My dear friend Rebecca moved to Missouri last year, and in addition to her many family activities and house-renovation projects, she is exploring a new artistic realm. When she posted this image of her latest pressure-washer work in the porch-mildew medium, I was inspired to write a bit of ArtSpeak to help solidify this emerging genre. Under Pressure – an…
Every now and then, the pixels align, the light is right, and the subject is perfect. This post has nothing to do with geeky boats, technomadics, blinky gizmology, communication tools, or even Isabelle the cat… it’s just a photo I took at a friend’s garden pond in Friday Harbor on June 18. It’s worth viewing…
One of my “Roberts Laws” about project management, recently meme’d with nice graphics by Dave Hickey. Thought I should immortalize it here in the archives….
As I look fondly back on my 7 years with the Amazon 44 named Nomadness, many images come to mind… dreamlike moments aboard a beautiful boat in a stunning setting. She is now entering a new phase with her new owner, and has plans to head down the Pacific Coast later this year. I want to…
by Steven K. Roberts Nomadic Research Labs As I settle into Datawake, wrapping myself in a console of rackmount blinkies, I often reminisce about the obsessive Microship project that occupied me for almost a decade (1993-2002). This amphibian pedal-solar-sail micro-trimaran is still in my life, though really should find a new skipper one of these…
Recent Additions to Archive
Changes to the library are automatically shown here... whether newly scanned articles, digitized videos and movies, historical documents, or edits to existing material. June 16, 2019 item count: 857
8mm film by Edward H. Roberts Digitized by Steven K. Roberts August 13-19, 1945 My father filmed this journey on the Manitoulin out of Owen Sound during the week of August 13, 1945…. two weeks before the end of World War II. His 8mm movie reel sat in a box for 74 years, then I…
8mm movie by Edward H. Roberts digitized by Steven K. Roberts Harrodsburg, Kentucky — August, 1973 My father left behind a huge library of 8mm home movies from his various explorations ranging from 1940 to the mid-seventies, and I have been converting them to video and selectively uploading to YouTube. Sometimes I also join a…
My first book, written for technicians encountering service issues with those newfangled microprocessors, was published in October 1980. This fell out of a series I wrote for Electronic Technician/Dealer magazine beginning with the August 1978 issue, and covered what was then a rather esoteric subject… driven by the recognition of this transformative technology as it…
When I was a kid in Kentucky, we had 5½ acres… and it was pretty much my responsibility to keep it all mowed. Our old Bolens tractor had a reel mower attachment, but it was awful… so my father (Edward H. Roberts) designed a rig that used the tractor/sulky to pull a pair of properly offset…
As I digitize the massive film library of my father, Edward H. Roberts, I find lots of glimpses of events from times long past… often wishing I had been able to do this while he was still alive to answer questions. This is one of those. Through the 1940s, he actively raced his Star-class sailboat,…
I am not certain of the exact date; these stills were from an 8mm home movie by Edward H. Roberts, and he had written “December 11, 1945” on the box. But the reel also contained a trip to New Orleans, so it may have been referring to that. In any case, he lived in Erie…
Harbor Digitizing and other Services
I live aboard in Friday Harbor, and offer a variety of services using some of the tools that have become part of the ship: 8mm & 16mm film digitizing, thermal imaging, 360 photography, ROV exploration, 3D printing, and system design...
Microship Store
I have an online store for my technomadic publications, along with a few special items of historical interest. (This is in addition to the Microship eBay store offering an eclectic mix of gizmology, collectibles, 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.
