Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00689
To: Justin jaf60@student.canterbury.ac.nz
From: Bob Shannon bshannon@tiac.net
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 10:06:55 -0800
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: hmmm...i wonder which subject
Justin wrote:
>
> > Clearly using a CPU to control a small robot adds a lot of repeatability
> > and versatility. Its much easier to experiment with different behavior
> > sets.
>
> Adding a CPU is something I'd love to be able to do, but as my
> electronics skills don't run that high and remain anything approaching
> reliable, I'd be looking at something like the handyboard instead.
> However, the handyboard, while looking very attractive, is quite
> expensive and not really suited to micro-power devices. So I was
> wondering if there was much else out there in the same vein, but perhaps
> a little smaller, simpler, cheaper, etc.
> I think there is
> Has anyone come across anything?
Have you looked at the First Step controller from Lynxmotion?
$40 and your up and running, and can even program STAMP I's if you make
a simple cable.
Many of my small CPU based robots are little more than a $9.95 PicProto
18
board with motors slung off the sides much like the Cybug kit.
If you can relabily build a working photovore, your electronics skills
are good enough for a STAMP. IF your able to build and converge a 2
motor walker, your probably more than ready to try your hand at building
a PIC controller from scratch.
When your rady for more advanced capabilities, you can get the $99
PicBasic complier and re-use your existing STAMP code, while adding
machine language programming abilities as well.
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