Looking for a TOY

[Darrel Taylor]

Hi All,

I've been making industrial related PIC projects for too long! I need to have a little fun with PIC's for a change. But, there's so many different little robot things out there. Some spiders, some followers, some just weird.

Is there one particular PIC based TOY that you bought, enjoyed assembling, AND actually liked when it was completed?

[rhino]

I don't know if you'd consider it a toy, but I always thought building one of those spinning LED clocks would be cool. I think there was something like that in a recent issue of N&V. I've even seen them as caller ID's. I always thought it would be cool to have one of those for my desk at work, so if I was at a meeting or away from my desk, the person looking would know. Maybe have the ability to program messages like "In a meeting", "Will be back @ 12:30", or "On vacation". I know I'd buy one.

[jessey]

Hi Darrel

I haven't worked with robotics yet but I'd sure like to get started on one soon. I found this cool platform for building your own robot and it sure looks like it would be a great start to getting into it with the least amount of hassles. It's big enough and can handle up to 35 lbs of whatever gadgets you want onboard and comes with the drive motors already attached and at a reasonable price too. Check it out and let me know what you think. Does anyone else have any suggestions for other robotic platforms that look interesting?

https://www.zagrosrobotics.com/index.asp?main.htm~main

Thanks
jessey

[Darrel Taylor]

Jessey, Thank you for that link!!!!

But, for a different reason. They also have the Robosapien.

I've seen this several times in the stores. It always had some stupid demo running with the robot dancing to music. I'd say to myself. Who'd buy that noisy piece of ____.

But after looking at the spec's for it. I had no idea the range of motion, the number of onboard sensors to use, and the easy (Hackable) interface. Add a camera and some long rang communications, and I think I've found my new TOY.

At $70 a piece I can't go wrong. I'm ordering 2. One to destroy, and one to modify.

Muchos Gracias!!!!!

Darrel

[Melanie]

Somebody bought me one for Christmas - it's cr*p (and I've got the bigger one of the two!). I wouldn't mind so much if he (you'll know why I call it a 'he' when you get it) could chuck his plastic bucket across the room at junior techies with any sort of accuracy... but twelve inches is all he can manage! What's a girl gonna do with just twelve inches? Now consigned to walking up and down the desk and spilling coffee... Oh and Batteries... Did I mention Batteries?... buy shares in Duracell first! Uses more D-cells than my favourite Toy... very clever though - you shove so many into his feet, it lowers his centre of gravity and gives him stability...

[Darrel Taylor]

Melanie,

I'm hoping that you just got a bad one for your gift.

With only 4 wires required to interface with it, it seems like it was designed to be hacked. And, from the number of sites on the web showing how to hack it. There's a lot of people doing it.

Here's an interesting picture of one competition of modified RoboSapiens at the RoboCup German Open 2005 in Paderborn.
Once you're there, zoom the picture to full size for best view. Although these were modified with PDA's in their heads (I'm not going that far), it does seem to illustrate their potential.

As for that 12 inches. It's called a Foot. So unless you have some kind of Foot Fetish (not typical for girls) you'll have to find some other use for that 12 inches. You little tease you

ADDED: I figured it would go thru a lot of batteries like you said. I'm thinking of making them rechargable. Maybe put some contacts in his feet, so when he walks on a platform, the batteries get recharged. But then there's that lower voltage problem. Maybe he'd run too slow on that voltage. Hmmmm

[Bruce]

My wife bought me one of those last Christmas. I haven't done much with it outside forcing it into slavery as guard-dog on top of my beer fridge. His collateral duties are paper weight & D-cell battery exterminator.

I made a little IR-to-RF converter for long-range control, and it was really fun running him up & down our street for a few days (500 D-cells later); pestering the neighborhood cats & dogs. The lady next door asked us to cool it. She's already having to borrow money for her dogs therapy as it is, so we retired him to less exotic excursions.

Mark Tilden (the designer) left the control design very open with the intention of folks hackng it to add more capabilities. They are popular.

P.S. I do beleive they have some Robo-Extender accessories that allow no limit expansions of that 12" limit too...;o}

[Darrel Taylor]

Yes, well, won't be needing that Extender for my ..uh.. Robot

But I may need an extender for my Wireless network. My plans at this point are to have it connect via 802.11B so it can be controlled from my PC. With a modified Wavecom Jr 2.4Ghz video/audio transmitter sending the camera signal back to a video to PC adapter. Although it would be nice to send the video via 802.11B too, it might be a little too hard.

Then using DarkBasic, bring all the controls and video together to create what I'm hoping will be a decent ROV. Or, at least a fun ROV.

Well, that's the plan. Now we'll see how far I get.

Number 1 priority is rechargeable power though.

[Melanie]

Darrel... Now, instead of getting bored, you should be thinking of useful applications of technology... Do us girls have to think of everything? (And if it turns into the world's best selling add-on (or should it be 'strap-on?') for Robo, don't forget my cut!)...

Client: "Hey Robo!"
Robosapien: "Uh-huh"
Client: "Go strutt your stuff..."
Robosapien: "Uh-huh"
Client: "Listen you dumb Robot, you're holding the vibrator by the wrong end"
Robosapien: "Uh-huh"

... a dozen sets of D-Cells and much later...

Client: "Robo... Did the earth move for you too?"
Robosapien: "Uh-huh"

Hey Bruce... one for the wife... you never know, afterwards she might even let you budget for that HP Logic Analyser you always wanted...

Legal Note: Only consenting Robots over the age of eighteen were used in the making of these pictures. Props provided by AdultToys-R-Us.

[Darrel Taylor]

Melanie,

I can tell from his eyes that he's not even "Turned On".

I guess you've completed drained his "D" cells.

Perhaps one of my boys can help.

http://www.darreltaylor.com/files/Mels_Toys.wmv

Sorry, didn't have an "Toy" available.

P.S. Yes, I know it looks like he's doing something else.
(bad camera angle)

[Melanie]

mmmmm a threesome....

Yes, poor thing was getting a bit limp and lifeless towards the end... (LED's don't show up in Camera Flash either - perhaps it was in red-eye reduction mode!).

*laughs* At last programming skills put to good use!