Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #10912



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: StickG@aol.com
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 12:19:26 EST
Subject: [alt-beam] bicore sensor aps


Hi folks,
I'm making a two motor phototropic bicore walker, and I'm looking for
some great suggestions for other sensors I can attach to this baby to give
some really impressive behaviors, the simpler the better. Please e-mail with
ideas and descripitions ("see- spot run" language please), I'm itching to try
them out ASAP. By the way, if you can tell me how to attach Ian's reverser or
the essential info on it so I can incorporate it into my walker without using
his "almost complete walker circuit" that would be great.
thanks very much
stick



10913 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 11:58:50 -0600 [alt-beam] Re: Bot of the Week Contest beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Richard Piotter Unless a walker has turning and reversing capabilities, it's not realy
suited to a park situation. If it relies on battery power, that makes it
even more of a problem. More likely, walkers should possibly be judged
on capability rather than on RJP use.

Terain navigation, ability to change direction, unique gaits, extreme
size (large or small), leg count, controler complexity (or simplicity!),
etc. Of course, that'd be hard to run through a web cam.


JVernonM@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/26/00 11:42:55 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> jester96beam@iname.com writes:
>
> > I think weekly is too much. You'll get tired doing it after a while, but
> > also after the first few weeks people aren't going to be able to pump out
> > bots quick enough for you to have new bots every week.
> This is a good point. I would go so far as to say that a quarterly contest
> may be better. That's 3 months in the park and three months to build for the
> next contest. This would allow time for more entries as well as ample time to
> observe interaction. It would also allow for good prizes without bleeding you
> or Solarbotics dry. I have a feeling that the contest will only last a couple
> of months as building new contestants will get very involved, even on a
> monthly basis, and entry numbers will drop off. Spread it out more so time is
> on your side as well as the builders. I'd also like to see this done with
> Aquabots in an aquarium. The little buggers are often forgotten, which may be
> why their population is still so low. Besides, watching a few Aquabots flit
> around in a tank is absolutely fascinating to watch. If done quarterly, the
> contest could be revolved around different categories. Photovores, Walkers,
> Aquabots, and Symets. This would make it more varied and interesting. A
> builder could take a year to build a photovore for the next contest. I think
> walkers may be a problem as most are battery powered at this point. They also
> move around quite dramatically and forcefully, making a small park a killing
> zone. Another criteria may be needed for them. Great idea. I look forward to
> seeing how it comes out.
>
> See ya,
> Jim
> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
> ICQ# 55657870

--


Richard Piotter The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
richfile@rconnect.com http://richfiles.calc.org

-- Make Money by Simply Surfing the Net or responding to E-Mail!!!
-- Click below!!!

http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=ATL147
http://www.spedia.net/cgi-bin/dir/tz.cgi?run=show_svc&fl=8&vid=329630



10914 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 14:01:52 -0700 [alt-beam] Re: Zenbot beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Sharon Williams you would end up with problems of getting sand in the motors though
(nothing that couldn't be overcome). but i like the idea.

-Jeremy Williams

At 09:56 AM 2/26/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Cool idea.
>R.M.
>
>JVernonM@aol.com wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 2/25/00 7:08:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>> malstudios@tradenet.net writes:
>>
>> > This sounds zen like, or the minimalist approach in art. Is this sort of,
>> > almost, kinda, might be what you are describing.
>> > R.M.
>> This made me think of an idea I had, well, it was my wife actually. I
thought
>> I would throw it out since the list has been so slow lately :). How about a
>> Unicore that lives in a sand box. It pulls a small rake behind it and
avoids
>> 2 or 3 various sized smooth rocks in the center of the sand. The tiny rake
>> scratches out rows of parallel lines as the bot travels randomly around the
>> box. A Zen Garden bot! An ever changing pattern of rows and lines
>> circumnavigating the entire surface of the sand. A Unicore roughly the size
>> of Scarlet with wide wheels could be placed in a Zen garden roughly the
size
>> of 2'x3' with ornamental rocks in the center. Patterns could be
influenced by
>> light whether natural or artificial. Zen gardens are traditionally
places of
>> meditation and reflection. A small bot making endlessly different patterns
>> would be a nice touch.
>>
>> See ya,
>> Jim
>> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
>> ICQ# 55657870
>
>
>



10915 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 16:41:03 -0500 [alt-beam] Re: Bot of the Week Contest beam@sgiblab.sgi.com "FCO Enr." greetings,

I've run a website for over 1 1/2 years which dealt with
Quake Map Making, and i would review new maps that were released
and put the reviews online. In order to make it fair on everyone, I had
to establish a very strict set of judging fields, each clearly defined.
the last section was called 'my 2 cents' and was basically my overall
opinion.

The last section included photos in various angles and
some written comments on the scores above and such.

You can take a look at the format below.

http://www.planetfortress.com/factory/reviews/dkeep2.html

I also agree with the posts concerning making it a monthly
contest. I think the key to success of such a project lies with how
interesting and worthwhile it will be for contestants to take the trouble
of sending in their creations. It should also be stated early on what
the RJP details are (for fine tuning), what the scoring and voting
will be like and most of all what the point of this contest really is.
I mean it wouldn't be very interesting to have just anyone go vote
on some form, maybe have audience votes and votes from selected
judges?

an interesting idea to make it more interesting for walkers
would be to have a RJP where half of it is more realistic terrain. It
could be a 1 inch step that would make most other bots just turn
away and walkers could scale it and go within.

How about goals? Moving sun, timer then move to target location
and see which bot makes it there first? repeat in various patterns and
add obstructions of various types?

Andy
fco@total.net

hrdware's digital sanctuary - mindless oddities
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/hrdware

The Factory - TF Map Making Tutorial
http://www.planetfortress.com/factory

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 26/02/00, at 11:58 AM, Richard Piotter wrote:

>Unless a walker has turning and reversing capabilities, it's not realy
>suited to a park situation. If it relies on battery power, that makes it
>even more of a problem. More likely, walkers should possibly be judged
>on capability rather than on RJP use.
>
>Terain navigation, ability to change direction, unique gaits, extreme
>size (large or small), leg count, controler complexity (or simplicity!),
>etc. Of course, that'd be hard to run through a web cam.
>
>
>JVernonM@aol.com wrote:
>>
>> In a message dated 2/26/00 11:42:55 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>> jester96beam@iname.com writes:
>>
>> > I think weekly is too much. You'll get tired doing it after a while,=
but
>> > also after the first few weeks people aren't going to be able to pump=
out
>> > bots quick enough for you to have new bots every week.
>> This is a good point. I would go so far as to say that a quarterly=
contest
>> may be better. That's 3 months in the park and three months to build=
for the
>> next contest. This would allow time for more entries as well as ample=
time to
>> observe interaction. It would also allow for good prizes without=
bleeding you
>> or Solarbotics dry. I have a feeling that the contest will only last a=
couple
>> of months as building new contestants will get very involved, even on a
>> monthly basis, and entry numbers will drop off. Spread it out more so=
time is
>> on your side as well as the builders. I'd also like to see this done=
with
>> Aquabots in an aquarium. The little buggers are often forgotten, which=
may be
>> why their population is still so low. Besides, watching a few Aquabots=
flit
>> around in a tank is absolutely fascinating to watch. If done quarterly,=
the
>> contest could be revolved around different categories. Photovores,=
Walkers,
>> Aquabots, and Symets. This would make it more varied and interesting. A
>> builder could take a year to build a photovore for the next contest. I=
think
>> walkers may be a problem as most are battery powered at this point. They=
also
>> move around quite dramatically and forcefully, making a small park a=
killing
>> zone. Another criteria may be needed for them. Great idea. I look=
forward to
>> seeing how it comes out.
>>
>> See ya,
>> Jim
>> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
>> ICQ# 55657870
>
>--
>
>
>Richard Piotter The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
>richfile@rconnect.com http://richfiles.calc.org
>
>-- Make Money by Simply Surfing the Net or responding to E-Mail!!!
>-- Click below!!!
>
>http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=3DATL147
>http://www.spedia.net/cgi-bin/dir/tz.cgi?run=3Dshow_svc&fl=3D8&vid=3D329630



10916 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 14:01:39 -0800 Re: Zenbot "Sharon Williams"
> you would end up with problems of getting sand in the motors though
> (nothing that couldn't be overcome). but i like the idea.
>
> -Jeremy Williams
>
> At 09:56 AM 2/26/00 -0800, you wrote:
> >Cool idea.
> >R.M.
> >
> >JVernonM@aol.com wrote:
> >
> >> In a message dated 2/25/00 7:08:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> >> malstudios@tradenet.net writes:
> >>
> >> > This sounds zen like, or the minimalist approach in art. Is this sort
of,
> >> > almost, kinda, might be what you are describing.
> >> > R.M.
> >> This made me think of an idea I had, well, it was my wife actually. I
> thought
> >> I would throw it out since the list has been so slow lately :). How
about a
> >> Unicore that lives in a sand box. It pulls a small rake behind it and
> avoids
> >> 2 or 3 various sized smooth rocks in the center of the sand. The tiny
rake
> >> scratches out rows of parallel lines as the bot travels randomly around
the
> >> box. A Zen Garden bot! An ever changing pattern of rows and lines
> >> circumnavigating the entire surface of the sand. A Unicore roughly the
size
> >> of Scarlet with wide wheels could be placed in a Zen garden roughly the
> size
> >> of 2'x3' with ornamental rocks in the center. Patterns could be
> influenced by
> >> light whether natural or artificial. Zen gardens are traditionally
> places of
> >> meditation and reflection. A small bot making endlessly different
patterns
> >> would be a nice touch.
> >>
> >> See ya,
> >> Jim
> >> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
> >> ICQ# 55657870
> >
> >
> >
>

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