Recent blog entries for MDude

New video from Aldebaran Robotics. NAO Robocup Edition getting put into production.

Thet's weird. There used to be an article on a coffe-making robot up, but now it's just gone. A google search focusing on robots.net takes me to the main page, but even the Google cache dosn't have the article in it. Was this taken out accidentily, or is there a reason I'm not aware of?

Interesting... I'm having trouble finding information on how to make a robot that can keep itself from falling into the pool, or a duck pond, or any other wet thing a robot should usualy stay out of. Is there any known reliable way to detect large bodies of water (besides human vision), or am I better off just waterproofing a pool skimming, duck feeding robot?

Hey look guys, somebody made space moneys! And from the look of them, and the fact that they're made of soft, not toxic plastic, they look perfect for teething! Be carefull, though: The smaller demoninations may pose a choking hazard for kids 3 and under and should not be used for that purpose.

Here's a way to make bump sensors I found of Instructables.

http://www.instructables.com/id/EQ10N6B4YPETVPKSGM/

I might as well cross-post this from a forum I go to:

First off, I'll typing about the Robosapien series. I have the previous two versions, and they're very well-made. The first one is fairly manuverable and is good at chasing my dog around. I can't get it to do much other that walk around, make noises, and wave it's arms, but i didn't expect much more than that anyway. As for programming it, I could make it back up when it hit a wall and stuff, but I either didn't make a very good wall-following program, or the furniture in my house isn't good for robosapien navigating. Maybe I'll try the program on the website.

The second robot in the series is also neat, but realy as useable. Realy, it tends to fall down on hardwood and trudge in place on carpet, so it only realy moves on the stone tile floor of the bathroom. I think it would move better if it's leg motors were stepped down. Moving more slowly would probably make it fall over less, and the increased torque would let it move on carpet better. It's camera is more likeley to make it stop outright when it gets near a wall than anything else, but I guess if i hacked into it, which I'm supposed to do, I might be able to make it work better.

And for the next one, it's website is up now (the main website for the company is at www.wowwee.com), and I think I'll ask for it for Christmas, since it'll let me have a robot that I don't have to take apart to mess with. Not that I don't want to take robots apart, but I would like to have my own work space first, and the work bench out in the barn is covered with 2 broken PCs and a Star Wars model my brother is painting. I'll probably write a big reveiw about it when I get it.

I'll be asking for the NXT bot too, for the same reason as the RS Media, and also because I'll be able to make the mechanical parts, what with it being a LEGO kit and all. The biggest problem with it is that you get three motors, but if you want it to move you'll probably want to use two motors for movement, unless you built some mechinism where moving the motor backwards will work some kind of gear shift. Maybbe I'll be able to do that, and be able to make a robot that can move and have a hand that can raise, lower and twist. But then it might be to heavy. I could have the NXT motors activate controls for more powerfull motors, but then I might as well build a robot from scratch. I'll try to build a robot from scrath either way, but I'd like it if this worked well.

And speaking of robots that don't, i have a robot dog called Tekno that's exactly 1/10th of a step up from Poochie. Instead of sitting in place, it lurches forward until it hits something, then lurches forward some more, never realising that an obstacle is in it's path. What realy irks me is that it clearly has three motors, since it's ears and tail can wag seperatly, or both at a time, and also walk, but they didn't give it a motor for each side of it's body, so it can't turn left or right. I think being able to turn left and right is more important in a robt dog than being ale to wag it's ears without wagging it's tail and vice-versa. I should've gotten the I-Cybe instead. It did help me keep the organic dog out of the trash, since she's afraid of the robot dog, so I just put it in front of the can and she stayed away. I thnk I'll be scrapping it soom, though. Unless a robot museum wants it or something.

Again with the Robosapien: The official RS Media website is up now.

http://www.rsmediaonline.com/

http://www.boysstuff.co.uk/ product.asp?id=13625&random=&cid=&src=Search

It seems that the RS Media is out now, although there arn't any indepth reveiws about it yet, just a few reports from news sites. I'll be asking for it for Christmas, and then maybe I'll put up my own review of it if no good ones are up by then.