Subject:
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Re: Newbie has an idea
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 21 Nov 2002 04:51:05 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmailNOSPAM.net>
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Eduardo Vazquez Harte wrote:
> Do I have to buy the batteries seperatedly?
Yes.
> How long can they last?
Depends a lot on how much work your robot is doing. If it's just
running the computer with no motors or sensors turned on - then
probably 12 hours.
If you are running lots of motors and sensors then it's more like
3 hours...but it depends a lot on how much load you put on the
system.
Most serious users spend the extra to get rechargable batteries.
I use NiHM batteries. They cost quite a bit - but it's worth it.
I find that even with intensive use, my batteries last a long time
because I'll build the robot, program it, try it for about a minute
then turn it off while I think how to fix whatever it was I did wrong.
Since that happens a lot, one set of batteries lasts me for WEEKS
because I only run the robot for a few minutes in every hour or two
of 'play'.
If you are concerned about this, buy one set of regular AA's and
see whether you run them flat too quickly. If so - you'd be well
advised to buy a set of NiMH's - but you may find that ordinary
batteries suit you OK.
> Want can the robots do since they are so basic not like r2d2, c3po...?
R2D2's functionality is probably mechanically possible in Lego - but
he's far more intelligent than something powered by the RCX's simple
computer could ever be.
Making a robot that walked or talked as well as C3PO would also be
impossible I think.
But the beauty of Lego is that it's amazingly flexible. You program
the robot yourself - so it could be as simple as making the robot
follow a black line on a white sheet of paper - to some of the amazing
creations you see on this mailing list and on Lego's web site.
I've built a computer game, robot arms, cranes, vehicles of MANY kinds
that move in interesting ways, musical instruments, robots that play
'tag', robots that ran a relay race - passing a baton between them, a
robot that could navigate to my refrigerator, open the door and bring
me a can of soda.
Other people have made amazing things like: Robots that walk, a clock,
a photocopier (!), a robot that balances on two wheels, a robotic
bartender, a 'Coke Machine' that accepted coins or read paper money
and dispensed cans of Soda, a typewriter, a milling machine, a
'factory' that assembled tiny Lego cars automatically. Lego
railroads with the tracks switched and trains driven using
several RCX computers, a CD auto-changer. A robot dog (like the
'Aibo' robot). Robots that can climb a rope, climb up a vertical
sheet of glass(!), swing along the rungs of a ladder, stack
soda cans, play Soccer, ski on snow, solve a maze, play chess
(including moving the chess pieces), play tic-tac-toe, fight
in robotic Sumo contests...
...so many clever things built by so many clever people.
The things that people create don't compare to the robots you
see in movies - but that's because those are generally not real
robots and they are far beyond the best technology that exists
in the world today.
Lego can't compete with works of fiction.
However, there aren't many things that 'real' robots can do that
you can't do *somehow* in Lego.
> I whould like to read some ideas for this RIS 2.0 set specially.
The RIS 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 sets are virtually identical - so most
Mindstorms ideas will be OK for RIS 2.0. However, some of us
AFOL's (Adult Fans Of Lego) are fanatics and have dozens of sets
and millions of parts...I have four Mindstorms sets and 20 Lego
motors with LOTS of other Lego besides. So it's inevitable that
there will be some things people have come up with that you won't
be able to build.
There are MANY books out on the subject - I recommend:
Building Robots with Lego Mindstorms by
Mario and Giulio Ferrari
Published by Syngress.
...but I only own a few of the many books out there.
There are HUNDREDS of web sites out there showing Lego Mindstorms
robots - and the Lego site itself has lots of ideas and building
instructions.
There are many Lego competitions held around the world - some of
them can be entered 'remotely' without having to actually travel
to the competition venue - some have websites where you can find
out the details of the problems set for the robots to solve - and
the results of the competition after it's over.
Then there are lots of Lego mailing lists (like this one) with
hundreds of friendly people who will be only too happy to suggest
things for you to try and help you out when you get stuck.
---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
Projects : http://plib.sf.net http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Newbie has an idea
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| Do I have to buy the batteries seperatedly? How long can they last? Want can the robots do since they are so basic not like r2d2, c3po...? I whould like to read some ideas for this RIS 2.0 set specially. (...) (21 years ago, 20-Nov-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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