Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #05733



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 18:28:17 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: LEM videos now on-line.


Well, i decided to get it. $132 for all that (and they had free shipping
and some other free stuff too! and a 20 year old company too!!!) It's
mainly so i can see the bot from a distance using a handheld controler,
but maybe some day I'll work on a tracking sytstem. The head, and
walking controler are going to be comanded by DTMF tones (the same as a
touch tone phone). I can up the frequencys by adding encoders/decoders
with different crystals. DTMF supports 16 signals, and extra work can
gain 8 more by using the non mixed DTMF frequencies. I'm looking forward
to building this thing, but it'll be a while.

I found a 6 inch color TFT LCD for $99, but I'd have to buy a power
supply, inveter, and some connectors for $105 extra. Plus some shipping.
Still $210? for a 6 inch color TFT LCD isn't to shabby either. Jameco
sels a 4 incher for $250!!! I'm getting info on it, but if the supplies
are still decent, I'm going to wait. I'm going to try to at least get
some of the cash for it by selling my PC. It ain't much. 75 MHz Pentium.
Will that program PICs/BSI/II??? I never use it anyway. My Mac's WAY
better!! 400 MHz G3. Maybe Someone on the TCRG group would be
interested. They might be able to make a =B5Processor based bot with it.

Arno Jansen wrote:
>=20
> Probably too late for your dicision, but if it was my opportunity? I
> wouldn't dare to pass.... A ColorCam? Transmitter and receiver??? Hmmmm=
YES!
> Even though I am probably not into making a bot that can effectively us=
e a
> cam as vision system.... I still wouldn't pass...
>=20
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: owner-beam@sgiblab.sgi.com [mailto:owner-beam@sgiblab.sgi.com] =
namens
> Richard Piotter
> Verzonden: donderdag 12 augustus 1999 19:38
> Aan: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
> Onderwerp: Re: LEM videos now on-line.
>=20
> It's probably the timing too though. How many people workerd on designs
> between classes at school, and built on weekends or afternoons, while
> sitting indors, bored as heck. Summer is here and most people are
> probably working or having fun. Summer seems like it should be realy
> busy, but it never seems to be... I think it might just be the timing.
>=20
> Personaly, I wanted to enter, but I havn't ordered parts in the longest
> time!!! Sucks! also, is there a good 245 based reverser circuit??? If
> so, then maybe I can build hexapod before the robotics meeting next
> Thursday at St. Paul MN.
>=20
> Oh, and is $150 a good deal for a color mini camera and a video
> transmitter and receiver? I'm thinking of using it for Quadrapod, but
> then again, i don't plan on finishing it anytime soon. Should I save my
> money for a camera when I build the bot, or is this deal one of those
> ones you don't want to dare to pass up?
>=20
> Deadline is Aug 12... TODAY!!!
>=20
> http://www.x10.com/home/offer.cgi?!ZDSL4,../1index1043.htm
>=20
> Bob Shannon wrote:
> >
> > Ian Bernstein wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > >Now people are talking about the *next* contest already.. What's u=
p
> with
> > > >that?!?!
> > > I think it's good to throw around ideas. Personally I didn't really=
like
> > > the theme "Most Innovative Form of Motion" It's a really tricky thi=
ng
> > > because over the years a LOT of things have been done so it's hard =
to
> > > come up with anything new. Also having to make a video and send it =
off
> > > (if you don't have a digital camera with video) will discourage a l=
ot of
> > > people???
> >
> > Of all the BEAM robots I've ever seen, very very few used an innovati=
ve
> form
> > of
> > motion. I dont agree that many different things have been tried (wit=
h
> BEAM
> > designs).
> >
> > I actually had 3 totally different designs, and spent more than 2 wee=
ks
> just
> > trying to
> > decide which to complete and submit for the contest. (Almost everyon=
e I
> > asked thought
> > that I sould have submitted a design called 'Snake Spring Drive' rath=
er
> than
> > LEM!)
> >
> > Not having a digital camera with video is not a problem at all. I do=
nt
> have
> > one. Chiu offered to digitize video from standard VHS tapes. How mu=
ch
> > easier
> > could it be?
> >
> > With so few contestants, I worry that there wont be any future contes=
ts.
>=20
> --
>=20
> Richard Piotter
> richfile@rconnect.com
>=20
> The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
> http://richfiles.calc.org
>=20
> For the BEAM Robotics list:
> BEAM Robotics Tek FAQ
> http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bushbo/beam/FAQ.html

--=20


Richard Piotter
richfile@rconnect.com

The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
http://richfiles.calc.org

For the BEAM Robotics list:
BEAM Robotics Tek FAQ
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bushbo/beam/FAQ.html



5734 Mon, 16 Aug 1999 18:30:29 -0500 [alt-beam] Re: MOSFET sensor thingy beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Richard Piotter Interesting! What exactly is it responding to. will it detect a wall,
wood table leg, metal shelf, stack of papers etc? Obviosly, a hand
affects it, but what else?


> Richard Caudle wrote:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Evening all,
>
> Yet another in a long line of strange things...
>
> Today at work, I came across a circuit for detecting electrostatic
> fields. Since I have need for such a thing, I tried to build one.
> The only problem is that the required components weren't available
> (what else is new?). It called for an n-channel FET and all I could
> come up with was an n-channel MOSFET (2N7000). I got the pinout from
> Digi-Key and proceeded to build the circuit.
>
> Needless to say, it didn't work. So I decided that the pinout must be
> wrong. I turned it 180 degrees and it started working, but not like
> the description said it would. The closer I moved my hand to the
> 'antenna', the higher the voltage went. I put in an LED so I could
> watch it. It was sitting at about 530mV until my hand got about 10"
> away and it began to rise. At about 4 inches, it went to about 1.3V
> and when I would touch it, it jumped to 4.8V (input V=5VDC).
>
> The strange thing about it: The 2N7000 is backwards! At least I
> think it is. The S (source?) pin is on the negative side of the
> supply and the D (drain?) pin is on the positive side. The gate is
> acting as the antenna. Maybe I've got the terms wrong. It's still a
> cool thing. I was thinking it could be used as a 'real' antenna for a
> walker or popper. It could trigger a Nu that operates the reverser.
> Something that deserves further investigation(IMHO).
>
> Richard Caudle
> richard@cqc.com
> Home ICQ - Frankendaddy
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Guardians of the sacred words: Nee, Ptang, and NeeWhon!

--


Richard Piotter
richfile@rconnect.com

The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
http://richfiles.calc.org

For the BEAM Robotics list:
BEAM Robotics Tek FAQ
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bushbo/beam/FAQ.html



5735 Mon, 16 Aug 1999 19:55:12 -0500 [alt-beam] Re: MOSFET sensor thingy Richard Piotter wrote: > Interesting! What exactly is it responding to. will it detect a wall,
> wood table leg, metal shelf, stack of papers etc? Obviosly, a hand
> affects it, but what else?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----

Hi Richard (cool moniker),

Right now it's just my hand and the coffeepot. I think that if I get a lon=
g enough antenna coil, I can use it to trigger a 74XX14.

I tried to make one here at home with a 2N7000 from Motorola, but it didn't=
work. The one that I used has a double 's' thing on it...now that I look =
at it, maybe it's a upper case 'I' with a lower case 'i' inside. Not too s=
ure of the maunfacturer. It seems that there's some reverse leakage in the=
mystery transistor, 'cause the motorola one dosen't work reversed. =


Anybody have any thoughts?

Richard =


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-----
=






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>
From: Richard Piotter <
href=3D"mailto:richfile@rconnect.com">richfile@rconnect.com> =

wrote:
 

> Interesting! What exactly i=
s it =

responding to. will it detect a wall,
> wood table leg, metal shelf, =
stack =

of papers etc? Obviosly, a hand
> affects it, but what else?
>


Hi Richard (cool moniker),

 

Right now it's just my hand and the coffeepot.  I think that if I=
get =

a long enough antenna coil, I can use it to trigger a 74XX14.

 

I tried to make one here at home with a 2N7000 from Motorola, but it d=
idn't =

work.  The one that I used has a double 's' thing on it...now that I l=
ook =

at it, maybe it's a upper case 'I' with a lower case 'i' inside. =
Not =

too sure of the maunfacturer.  It seems that there's some reverse leak=
age =

in the mystery transistor, 'cause the motorola one dosen't wo=
rk =

reversed. 

 

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

Richard 



 

 


 




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