BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) (11/16/88)
Hi guys, I've a creative question for you. I'm considering my senior project and I've reached two conclusions. One I want to use my amiga and two it must be interesting enough to keep me trying to finish it in a year. ok? Also it must be hardware based. Now any brilliant suggestions that would be fun. Any wacky, innovative, or stupid ideas are welcome. I would be interested in doing something maybe robot-based, maybe with a tinkling of AI. Am I jumping too high or what? I don't know. Let me know. I want some interesting ideas here. Thanks, Bin, BPJ0@LEHIGH. /bin/memo012200135345
cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (11/17/88)
[Bitnet mailers are made out of rubber, everytime I throw a message at them it bounces right back to me.] In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: > Now any brilliant suggestions that would be fun. Any wacky, innovative, > or stupid ideas are welcome. I would be interested in doing something > maybe robot-based, maybe with a tinkling of AI. Am I jumping too high or > what? I don't know. Let me know. I want some interesting ideas here. Well one of the many projects that sits on my whiteboard at home and hasn't yet been done, is a robot simulator. Everyone who has built a robot knows that it quickly becomes very expensive, and what you really want to do is make it do something intelligent not just roll forward about 5 feet (+/- 1' :-)) and stop. Design notes (no code exists yet!) : The simulator runs in a multiroom "universe". Rooms are 1000 X 1000 pixels wide maximum (1 pixel == .5") Giving a maximum room size of about 41' on a side. One can simulate most houses in this environment. This also lets you use a superbitmap window to show the current position of the robot. Robots will typically be about 24 - 50 pixels on a side (12" - 25") and can be equipped with any equipment that can be modelled. Sensors that are modelled are InfraRed, Ultrasonic, Bumpers, Radio Frequency Beacons, and light detectors. The robot itself should have reasonable motors on it, I have a model for some brevel motors (in my current robot) that travel at 30'/minute. Modeling such things as "carpet slip" is desirable. The goals : o Build a simulator with a database for a 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath house available. o Build the routines that allow the Robot to move around in this simulator and to measure it's environment. o Design a simple interpretive language for the Robot that will allow it to make moves and test input. o Design a dead reckoning program that will move the robot from Point A to Point B. o Design a navigating program that uses sensor input to move the robot from Point A to Point B o Build the simulated robot and compare it to the simulated performance. (optional) Sound like a years worth? --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (11/17/88)
In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: >I'm considering my senior project >and I've reached two conclusions. One I want to use my amiga and two >it must be interesting enough to keep me trying to finish it in a year. >ok? Also it must be hardware based. > >Now any brilliant suggestions that would be fun. Any wacky, innovative, >or stupid ideas are welcome. I would be interested in doing something >maybe robot-based, maybe with a tinkling of AI. [ ... ] Buy the following items: Two 3" color or B/W monitors Two Amigas A position/orientation sensor with six degrees of freedom A mess of TTL parts Wire A motorcycle helmet Krazy glue Glue the position/orientation sensor to the top center of the helmet. Glue the monitors to the helmet faceplate so that they end up where your eyes would be. Wire up the helmet. Plug one Amiga into the left monitor, and the other Amiga into the right monitor. Plug the position/orientation sensor into both Amigas. Now, write software to read VideoScape files and display them in realtime wireframe (realtime for this application is >= 4 fps). When this is done, add software to read the position/orientation sensor, convert it into camera coordinates for each eye, and project the images onto the correct monitors. You may use 68020-based systems, and 1M of CHIP RAM. Extra credit: Connect the position/orientation sensor to only one Amiga, and communicate the data to the other Amiga via a high-speed data path. Guaranteed Master's Degree: Make this setup work with Starglider II. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: UUCP: pacbell > !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor
derick@garfield.MUN.EDU (Derick Linegar) (11/18/88)
In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: >Hi guys, > >I've a creative question for you. I'm considering my senior project >and I've reached two conclusions. One I want to use my amiga and two >it must be interesting enough to keep me trying to finish it in a year. >ok? Also it must be hardware based. > >Bin, BPJ0@LEHIGH. Here's an idea for you. Find a way to produce a CHEAP version for more than 2 amigas to be networked together. I am talking of building a device that hangs of a serial port which with the proper software would allow a group of amigas to be networked together. Then I can port my RPC routines over and work on a NFS (Yaaaa ..!) Naaah, stop dreaming... Oh well, it was just an idea...... Derick Linegar, 12A Fleming Str. St John's Nfld. Canada A1C 3A2 UUCP: derick@garfield.mun.edu -- Derick Linegar, 12A Fleming Str. St John's Nfld. Canada A1C 3A2 UUCP: derick@garfield.mun.edu
u-jmolse%sunset.utah.edu@wasatch.UUCP (John M. Olsen) (11/19/88)
In article <5004@garfield.MUN.EDU> derick@garfield.UUCP (Derick Linegar) writes: <In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: <<One I want to use my amiga and two <<it must be interesting enough to keep me trying to finish it in a year. <<Bin, BPJ0@LEHIGH. < <Here's an idea for you. Find a way to produce a CHEAP version for more <than 2 amigas to be networked together. Does game port 2 have enough lines to make a network bus using parallel connection and serial data transfer? Yea, a 9 line version of VMEbus! That's the ticket! :^) <Oh well, it was just an idea...... <Derick Linegar, 12A Fleming Str. St John's Nfld. Canada A1C 3A2 <UUCP: derick@garfield.mun.edu /\/\ /| | /||| /\| | John M. Olsen, 1547 Jamestown Drive /\/\ \/\/ \|()|\|\_ |||.\/|/)@|\_ | Salt Lake City, UT 84121-2051 \/\/ /\/\ | u-jmolse%ug@cs.utah.edu or ...!utah-cs!utah-ug!u-jmolse /\/\ \/\/ "A full mailbox is a happy mailbox" \/\/
rsb584@leah.Albany.Edu (Raymond S Brand) (11/19/88)
In article <5004@garfield.MUN.EDU>, derick@garfield.MUN.EDU (Derick Linegar) writes: > In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: > >Hi guys, > > > >I've a creative question for you. I'm considering my senior project > >and I've reached two conclusions. One I want to use my amiga and two > > > Here's an idea for you. Find a way to produce a CHEAP version for more > than 2 amigas to be networked together. I am talking of building > a device that hangs of a serial port which with the proper software Connect pin 7, GND, of all the machines together. Then connect pin 2 of machine A to pin 3 of machine B, pin 2 of machine B to pin 3 of machine C, ... , pin 2 of machine N to pin 3 of machine A. What you now have is a token-ring, just add machine addresses and drivers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raymond S. Brand rsbx@beowulf.uucp 3A Pinehurst Ave. rsb584@leah.albany.edu Albany NY 12203 FidoNet 1:7729/255 (518-489-8968) (518)-482-8798 BBS: (518)-489-8986
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (11/19/88)
>>I've a creative question for you. I'm considering my senior project >>and I've reached two conclusions. One I want to use my amiga and two >>it must be interesting enough to keep me trying to finish it in a year. >>ok? Also it must be hardware based. > Here's an idea for you. Find a way to produce a CHEAP version for more > than 2 amigas to be networked together. Well, there's not much you can do in a pure hardware sense. But lots of hardware/software things come to mind. As far as networks go, that's a good idea. First of all, don't assume the RS-232 serial port is the only way to go. There's a synchronous serial port available on the parallel port connector. Or you could use the floppy ports. Of course, for any of this stuff, you've got to have two Amigas. I can think of lots of neat stuff one might do with an Amiga, but most of these ideas require at least some reasonable cash outlay if hardware's involved; something I know I would have trouble with when I was in college. My personal favorite neat add-on that hasn't been done yet would be a mathematics engine. You could build a device that does faster floating point math, perhaps using a DSP chip or one of the really fast math chips from Weitek or TI. Maybe even a vector/matrix processor. It's not going to be cheap, and it will require some software support, but it won't want for being interesting. -- Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession
ncegeber@ndsuvax.UUCP (Roger Egeberg) (11/23/88)
In article <1277@leah.Albany.Edu> rsb584@leah.Albany.Edu (Raymond S Brand) writes: >In article <5004@garfield.MUN.EDU>, derick@garfield.MUN.EDU (Derick Linegar) writes: >> In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: >> Here's an idea for you. Find a way to produce a CHEAP version for more >> than 2 amigas to be networked together. > >Connect pin 7, GND, ... What you now have is a token-ring, just add >machine addresses and drivers. Another idea along these lines was discussed several years ago (Oct 1981 if I remember correctly) in an article in Byte magazine. It was called ULCNET, for Ultra Low Cost NETwork. There was a small circuit that you hooked to the serial ports on an IBM-PC. It was set up as a bus network. I believe that many of the no-slot LANs for PC and compatibles use the same principle. Some CS grad students built a box with one of the versions of the circuitry and wrote some software to drive it several years ago. I think it worked okay but the commercial versions were starting to show up and I guess people lost interest. The box is still sitting in the basement of my advisors home. If the student above isn't interested in this, maybe someone else is. I think that the code is still around here somewhere - written in C. They had some of the low level stuff done, like building the packets, checking for network activity, and sending/receiving packets. At least it would be a starting point. I would be interested in working on it, if anyone else is. PS - Please no flames about using 'four-letter' words here -- ("Byte" and "IBM-PC" :-) -- Roger Egeberg USENET: ncegeber@ndsuvax.UUCP NDSU Extension Service BITNET: nu062423@ndsuvm1.BITNET
fullmer@dover.uucp (Glen Fullmer) (11/25/88)
In article <7669@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes: >In article <5435@louie.udel.EDU> BPJ0%LEHIGH.BITNET@ibm1.cc.lehigh.edu (Binoy James, Lehigh University.) writes: >>I'm considering my senior project >> ... > Buy the following items: > Guaranteed Master's Degree: Make this setup work with Starglider II. > >_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ >Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU New technology, old idea. At the University of Utah they called it the "Sorcerer's Apprentice". It also had a wand with which you could write in 3-d space! The only problem is that the monitors were small HIGH VOLTAGE CRTs with prisms that the helmet positioned ajacent to the each side of your head! After the first guy got shocked with 3,000 volts, they (those that still could) rethought the experiment! Maybe its time has come. Shock treatment does wonder for one's state of mind, however! -- _____ _ "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence" {____/ // "over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." \ // _ __Richard P. Feynman, Appendix F of Shuttle Disaster Report {____/ </_</_/ / <_ {sun!sunburn | cadillac} !dover!fullmer