[comp.robotics] New Robot stuff

cmcmanis@stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (06/03/90)

Political note : I can understand the pride someone would have in getting
a robotic machine working since this is an impressive feat. What I don't
understand is the number of people who waste network bandwidth besmirching
other people's projects. Do I care if Ambler or ASV or ThingAmaJig is
"better ? " Hey, from my perspective any six legged, multitonne machine is
going to do more damage trying to mow my lawn than the roll around variety
in Radio-Electronics. I for one would appreciate it if we could let the 
discussions continue more in the vein of "Here's an example of X"

Anyway, there are two interesting newsbits from the Homebrew Robotics
Club for those of you building robots on the cheap. The first is a 
5 axis plastic arm from Edmund Scientific for $65. This arm is similar
to the Radio Shack (and Tomy) Armatron EXCEPT that the motors are all
controlled electrically so you can more easily hook this up to a parallel
port. 

The other bit is in this month's Radio-Electronics (June). There is an
advertisement for a CCD based "peep hole" camera that can see well in
a variety of light situations. It uses .8 Watts, needs only 12V input
and is only 1" X 2" X 3" in size. (A bit larger than a deck of cards)
I didn't get the manufacturer but this issue should be easy to find.
It is the one that has Part II on building a robot to mow your lawn.



--
--Chuck McManis						    Sun Microsystems
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: <none>   Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"

ardai@bass.bu.edu (Michael Ardai) (06/03/90)

In article <136564@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> cmcmanis@stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) writes:

>The other bit is in this month's Radio-Electronics (June). There is an
>advertisement for a CCD based "peep hole" camera that can see well in
>a variety of light situations. It uses .8 Watts, needs only 12V input
>and is only 1" X 2" X 3" in size. (A bit larger than a deck of cards)
>I didn't get the manufacturer but this issue should be easy to find.
>It is the one that has Part II on building a robot to mow your lawn.

There is an add for one in the latest Nuts & Volts from Mitchell Industries
for $324.95 (ouch!)  Two less-expensive sources for these small CCD cameras
are Sanyo (who makes the chip set that these are all using) and Uniden.  
Sanyo has a developer's board for $190 that sounds very much like the one
from Mitchell.  Uniden sells a slightly larger version (fewer ASICs, more
discretes on the board) complete with a 5" monitor as a baby watcher/peephole.
DAK carried this one for $149.
/mike

>--
>--Chuck McManis					    Sun Microsystems
>uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: <none>   Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM


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