HomeBrew Robotic Chip Programmer

Posted 5 Jun 2007 at 14:40 UTC by Rog-a-matic

Even though I'm limited to English, pictures of ASTLab's robotic chip programmer completely conveys what an industrious tinkerer can create with a handful of RC servos, custom fabricated brackets, a breadboarded circuit, a vacuum pump, and what looks like a PC-based control system running a VB program. If you've got the time to wait for the 12MB download, I highly recommend viewing the video of this impressive device.

Coolness, posted 6 Jun 2007 at 05:13 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

I could envision a whole shop of automated workstations like this and one employee running them all. Just setup program to burn and burn a tube. I like. Not trying to disrespect this cool device or anything but the next step would be to make it robotically change out tubes also so you could burn 1000's of chips, nay millions of chips!

Yet the next next step, posted 6 Jun 2007 at 16:58 UTC by Rog-a-matic » (Master)

Why not just take it to the next next step -- Robots mining the silicon, creating the chips, sticking them in programmers, taking orders on the web, and shipping them to other ROBOTS! :)

The Best Solution?!?!, posted 7 Jun 2007 at 14:38 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

What if you just paid a teenager minimum wage to burn the chips for you?! You could also get him to mow your lawn! Then the robots could just relax! :-)