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Subject: 
Re: Crate Contraption Standard
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.org.us.smart
Date: 
Fri, 8 Oct 2004 22:02:31 GMT
Viewed: 
8299 times
  
In lugnet.org.us.smart, John Barnes wrote:
> I have been pondering on the subject of a modular "thing" for next year's
> BrickFest Mindstorms room.
> 
> I have been working on an idea similar to the moonbase idea where a module can
> have four ports. West and North are ins, East and South are outs. My idea was
> that the interface be gravity driven. There would be  gradient across the module
> boundaries so balls could flow from module to module.


This is really along the same lines as what I was thinking, except, I'd start
with two ports (1 in, 1 out) on opposite sides of the module.  Each module would
have 1 input "crate" in a specified location, and would be responsable for
moving balls to the input crate in the next module, using any means (as you
suggested)

The "input crate" could be a funnel that leads balls to a conveyor belt, that
lifts balls up, and drops them into the next module's input crate.

It sounds like that's pretty close to what you're suggesting.


> 
> What modules do with the balls is up to them. If we use two sizes or colors,
> then modules can hord, sort, divert etc etc.



The LEGO soccer/basket balls seem to work well, from what I've seen...


> If you think the crate scheme is more appropriate, I will cease and desist. I am
> concerned that the crate thing may be too complex for all but a few. I woild
> like to attract less complex modules if I can.


My general thought is to have more than one type of interface.  The simplest
(Type 1) would just have modules passing balls.  A more advanced standard (Type
2?) would allow modules to exchange crates.

Steve



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Crate Contraption Standard
 
(...) I guess I am confused then. A crate is a thing that balls go in. A crate contraption would need to be able to handle crates, yes? Else it would be a ball contraption? The thing is, I think the problems of actaully building a mechanism which (...) (22 years ago, 8-Oct-04, to lugnet.org.us.smart)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Crate Contraption Standard
 
I have been pondering on the subject of a modular "thing" for next year's BrickFest Mindstorms room. I have been working on an idea similar to the moonbase idea where a module can have four ports. West and North are ins, East and South are outs. My (...) (22 years ago, 8-Oct-04, to lugnet.org.us.smart)

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