Burning Man 2022

Made it! Drove around a bit. Didn’t take nearly enough photos. That’s okay. We’ll be back! Heading out from Washington State. Rear camera, as the RV was so big I couldn’t see any part of the trailer or Brain Car. Still there? Yup, still there. Familiar sight… Ready to go! Trying some last minute fixes. ... Read More

Alas, No Lights This Year

I’ve run out of time. So the rig won’t be going to Burning Man 2022 with the lights I’d planned. The software was written, the Arduino stacks built and ready, but trying to put it all together hours before leaving… not so much! Testing the Arduino controller with the custom laptop controller.

Forming the Shell

This is the first time I’ve done anything with fiberglass and epoxy. It was definitely a trial by fire. I wasn’t sure at first how to create such a large form, since that much Styrofoam is only used for things like LOTR movies (it’s expensive!). I instead bought sheets of thick insulation and then layered ... Read More

Structure

This project is a bit of a fast and dirty job, as I didn’t leave myself a lot of time to complete it. So, rather than using metal as was my original design, I’m going with wood. It’s easy to work with, it’s quick to prototype, and it’s strong. The main frame will hold the ... Read More

Golf Cart Overhaul

The golf cart I bought for this project is a late 1970’s vintage Club Car Carouche. I lean heavily upon the word “vintage”. It’s old, but functional. Front end removed to expose the suspension, which I plan on replacing to increase the height of the car. Solenoids to tap power from the resistor leading to ... Read More

BrainCar Invited for Inspection

I received notice from Burning Man DMV that this art car has been invited for inspection! Thank you to Burning Man and the Hotties for believing in this project. I hope that this vehicle will ultimately pass inspection and be licensed to roam about the playa this year.

The BrainCar

Burning Man has been on pandemic-enforced hiatus for the last two years. My son and I last went in 2018, so it’s been a while. We are not veteran Burners. We have only gone twice. Because he was young at the time, my son and I experienced Burning Man mainly for the art and culture ... Read More

3D Modeling Cart and Brain

Merging a golf cart and a brain is a challenge. Will they even fit? I thought to use a random 3D modeler for Android and import them as objects into Unity to drive them around or something. First step: create a 3D render. That worked fairly, well, except some of the kitchen got caught up ... Read More

Golf Cart Arrives

The first major part for the build has arrived at home: the golf cart itself! This beauty is a running, late 1970’s Club Car Carouche 36V electric golf cart. The cart even came with its original charger, which looks like it could burn down a house if left by itself. I’ll be looking for a ... Read More