Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00580
To: "BEAM" beam@corp.sgi.com
From: "Dan Larson" dlarson@citilink.com
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 09:04:16 -0600
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Robot ideas - contributions pleaded :-)
On Thu, 18 Feb 1999 17:11:43 +1300, Justin wrote:
>I've recently got some new parts that I'm itching to use, and I thought
>I'd try to tap your brain for some cool ideas :-)
>
>I'd like to build something small, but I'd like it to have a purpose.
>My current ideas range from the totally-cool-but-near-impossible to the
>pretty-boring-but-extremely-easy. (eg from a hunter-killer of any
>intruding insects/spiders in my room, through to a toy for the cat,
>respectively).
>
>I tend to gravitate towards challenges, so the cat toy is not all that
>appealing. The hunter-killer, on the other hand, is too much of a
>challenge (I've thought about it a bit, and I think I _could_ build an
>insect hunter, the problem is that would be a very _specific_ insect
>hunter, when what would be useful is a very broad range hunter that
>could get most types of moths as well as most types of spider as well
>as... etc.)
Ummm, isn't the spider already designed to hunt and kill insects? By killing
the spiders you are defeating your own purpose! ;-)
The same idea has crossed my mind though...
My 'bot will probably just end up as a cat toy ;-)
>
>Anyone have any neat ideas you'd love to see made but don't have the
>time to make them yourself? :)
>
How about a bot that will roam around your workshop and pick up parts
that have been dropped on the floor. Most parts have metal in them
so a small metal detecting coil could be used to identify parts and
a small scoop could pick them up. Heh heh, it might even recover enough
parts to build another robot!
>(My personal preference would be something inbetween the extremes above.
>Indoors or outdoors. Preferably something small. Something solar powered
>(or using a solar-recharged battery pack), and if it needs consumables
>(eg fertalizer or paint or whatever), preferably consumables that only
>need to be replaced every few days or weeks. But as I don't really
>expect people to do my thinking for me, just post ideas regardless of
>whether they suit me - they might give someone else something to work
>with :)
>
Personally, I'm waiting for some better solar cell technology to come
along. I have lots of great ideas for solar power autonomous bots but
they need power levels closer to what would be provided by batteries.
>Any if you think of a great way to actively hunt insects, broad
>spectrum, let me know! :-)
>
Leave that task to the spiders! (Or your cat)...
Dan
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