davidcann

Nothing - they asked for a loaner unit and we sent it, knowing they'd have some fun with it. I believe we'll even get it back next week.

Double Robotics (YC S12), Sunnyvale, CA - FULL-TIME

We're looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer, a Director of Marketing, and a Lead Firmware Developer.

http://www.doublerobotics.com/jobs.html

Contact us: jobs@doublerobotics.com

Presumably, you enter YC with pre-existing domain knowledge and/or network or you have a way to gain those quickly.

Sunnyvale, CA - Double Robotics

Lead Embedded Firmware Developer

We're seeking an engineer to lead development of the embedded C/C++ code running on the robot's microcontroller. While the person will be responsible for the overall firmware development, the key component is the balancing and driving algorithm. Experience developing complex motor control loops is a must, such as robotic arms or even balancing robots.

You will be responsible for all aspects of the firmware, including communication protocols, encoders, motors, LEDs, etc.

You will refine and improve the balancing and driving control loop.

Your input will have a significant and lasting impact on the company and products.

You will have the opportunity to grow into a leadership role.

You should have relevant hands-on experience with complex motor control loops.

Formal degrees are optional. Please show past professional and/or side projects. jobs@doublerobotics.com

The wifi and cell networks at CES are terrible. We ended up using Bluetooth for the demo.

Sunnyvale, CA - Double Robotics (YC S12)

Join our small team in building the next generation of telepresence robots. We're currently seeking an embedded C programmer, an electrical engineer, and a designer with an eye for both software and hardware, as well as some web/JavaScript skills.

Email jobs@doublerobotics.com with your best projects and your resume.

The simple answer is that it's no different than a software-only startup: spend 10 years learning how to build [software/hardware], then the logistics are straightforward.

This is great! I added it to our homepage because olark has been great, so hearing the voices of our customers would be great too.

I did a quick custom button on our page and put it alongside our twitter and fb buttons (http://www.doublerobotics.com), but it would be nice to have a well designed/branded widget that fits nicely with social buttons.

It would be fun to hook up a head mounted display, so you just turn your head and the robot turns.

Ah, I'm glad you see the potential of where this technology can go! Those are all great ideas. "We have nothing to announce at this time."

That looks pretty cool. It looks like you nailed the precise zoom feature, which is key for your use-case.

Agreed and noted. "We have nothing to announce at this time" is our standard response in a situation like this.

Thanks, I asked them to fix the typo in the article.

Thanks for your thoughts, but the third wheel theory isn't actually true. We investigated this, of course, and a third wheel without balancing provides a pretty crummy and bumpy user experience. The key is reaching the magic human height while keeping the base no larger than a human's foot prints. Look at the VGo, they opted to limit their height to about 3' and add a third wheel, but the driver is always looking up at people's stomachs and up people's noses. It's awkward in a standing conversation and, even at that height, it's a bit shaky riding around - not to mention the extra counterweight they need to put in the base to weigh it down. Two wheeled, self balancing is simply a more elegant solution all around.

Also the extra cost of the accelerometer and gyro is almost negligible these days, thanks to smartphones requiring them to be made in such high volume. For both together, it's maybe $20 or less in volume.

Nice, I love it. We started out super simple and just kept improving it and making it taller.

Haha, yes, we've come a long way since then!

Yes, that's right! Our very first prototype was using a 5 degree of freedom IMU board from SparkFun.

Yes, the kickstands can be deployed manually during a call or automatically, if the robot is sitting in one place for a long time. When the user attempts to drive again, the kickstands instantly lift off the ground and the robot can drive again.

Yes, to keep things simple, the iPad and robot communicate wirelessly, so the iPad is currently charged separately.

Direct link to our site: http://www.doublerobotics.com

I don't know your specialty, but in design or programming, you only really need a good example of your work to get started. Try the monthly freelancer posts on HN. Worst case, here's a list of RSS feeds I used to follow (some can filter by freelance/anywhere): http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2465077

I did freelancing (web, then iOS) for 8+ years based in the US, but for companies (large and small) around the world. I rarely worked with companies in my local area. The problem is thinking of the clients as "employers".

If you think of them as just clients and you have a lot of inbound leads (built up by word of mouth over time), then you can choose the projects that interest you.

In my experience, projects ranged from 6 weeks to 6+ months, but I almost always had multiple projects in various stages happening at the same time. There were often a couple other freelancers on the project, coordinated by a project manager. It's useful to work with or through a design agency or "interactive" agency (as they were called 10 years ago). The key is to manage the entire project from start to finish for the client. The worst problem is clients who don't deliver content/approvals/etc, so you need someone focused on bugging them.

I also usually set a per-project price, not hourly. I hated tracking hours and it didn't give me the motivation to get stuff done faster. A fixed price also forces everyone to agree on a detailed spec up front. Add a little padding into your price, so you you can be kind about implementing the inevitable changes.

tldr; Yes, it's totally possible to make a living doing freelance development, all from home (or anywhere you want).

I did this for years, albeit in the US with domestic and foreign clients, and it can work great.

Perhaps this will encourage more unique branding instead of generic terms. It sucks for some decent apps in the short term, but hopefully it will reduce search term squatting in the long term. I doubt this change will be a problem for well-branded apps like Evernote and Dropbox.

The Bad Websites of Good VCs

http://www.icanlocalize.com/ has been very good for iPhone apps.

You should give it more than a day before calling it a failure.

Maybe try having thoughts that are more kind and respectful? You can't win everyone as friends, but being respectful will win enough.

The design is good and the app sounds interesting, but the rewards on kickstarter are lackluster. $60 for an ebook, a sticker, and 5 business cards isn't very enticing, so I'd suggest reworking the rewards, if possible.

No, I'm referring to "external-accessory". This works with both dock connector and Bluetooth iAP accessories. You're right that the other one is only for BT LE (4.0). It's understandable that many people are confused about the CoreBluetooth vs MFi Bluetooth.

Isn't that exactly what Y Combinator companies do? They create single, focused, unproven products and try to "prove" them.