by Max Maxfield I’m currently running around in ever-decreasing circles shouting, “Don’t Panic!” because I’m trying to spin too many plates and juggle too many balls and I was never trained to spin and can’t juggle. Hmmm, now that I come to think about it, that’s not strictly true because I once read a book on the art of juggling and — as a result — I can juggle nine fine china plates, but only for a very short period of time. The term mechatronics refers to an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on systems that combine electronic, electrical, and mechanical elements. I just saw some amazing videos of something that really got my mechatronic juices flowing (I’ll mop things up and wipe them down later). Seeing these videos — which I shall present shortly — made me realize that there’s more to life than flashing tricolor LEDs (and I never expected to hear myself say that out loud).