Subject:
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Re: RIS SDK - Comments and questions
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:37:07 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail#IHateSpam#.net>
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Reply-To:
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sjbaker1@airmail{StopSpam}.net
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Viewed:
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406 times
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Harley Myler wrote:
> Interesting comment, frankly I am surprised. The MicroScout (MS) is
> far from a "piece of junk" considering the fact that you can get the
> DDK for $40 (I might modify my opinion if the price jumped much
> higher than this). Irrespective of good vs bad design issues, the MS
> is an "intelligent motor".
It's *far* from an intelligent motor! It's a pain to use even as a simple
motor. You can't even tell it "turn on and keep running forever"...
which seems like a pretty basic operation for any motor! The darned
thing runs for a few seconds, stops and then goes into an orgy of
annoying beeping!
> This follows a foundational principle of
> robotics and machine intelligence. If you are familiar with Saridis'
> increasing complexity with decreasing precision theory you will
> recognize the MS as a key element in the control hierarchy.
I know exactly what you mean - and if the control set for the MS had
been well thought out (and if it hade been about 1/3rd the size and IR
controlled and RCX/Scout-compatible), I'd be agreeing with you.
I'd *love* to see a Lego system where the standard system carried an I2C
bus modulated on top of the power signal down a standard Lego wire - then
to have an I2C computer in every motor and sensor. You could have RAM bricks,
IR sensor bricks, voice synthesiser bricks, etc, etc. You could have an
unlimited number of motors and sensors - each one with local intelligence.
Now *THAT* system would kick ass.
> > To program it, you need a Scout to send the VLL commands. Unfortunately,
> > to get the Scout to send the VLL commands you want, you have to program
> > the Scout to make it send them.
>
> So, the Scout commands the MS. I rest my (hierarchical control) case.
But the RCX can't do that - and the command set inside the MS is ridiculously
badly thought out!
Have you actually *tried* to use the MS? I have.
> > I think the parts are worth having - but the Microscout is just a waste of
> > time. I'd have preferred a standard Lego motor, a battery box and some
> > switches.
>
> Let's see: standard Lego motor and battery box (Technics) were going
> for $18. For twice that you get a programmable motor and a (big) bag
> of parts. The math seems to sway in favor of the DDK.
No - I get a bulky motor that can't do simple things like not turning
off!
The other parts are worth-while though even knowing how bad the Microscout
is, I bought a second AT-AT set for the other parts.
> Surely you don't recommend stopping there? My advice is to get a kid
> the DDK.
My 10yr old kid is programming our RCX in NQC...he was only 9 when he
learned how to do that.
> Gets them used to Lego, motion and programming under the
> aegis of a popular theme robot (R2D2).
You evidently havn't *TRIED* programming the MicroScout. There is no
way that a kid could jump through the hoops of writing a program for
the Scout to send a program to the Microscout then download that program
into the Scout and then run that and *THEN* finally running the stoopid
little 8 step program in the MicroScout!
A kid that could master all those steps is more than ready to just
write programs for the regular Scout.
--
Steve Baker HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net>
WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
Projects : http://plib.sourceforge.net
http://tuxaqfh.sourceforge.net
http://tuxkart.sourceforge.net
http://prettypoly.sourceforge.net
http://freeglut.sourceforge.net
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: RIS SDK - Comments and questions
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| (...) As far as a motor is concerned I guess 'producing an orgy of annoying beeps' is pretty intelligent :) (...) bricks, (...) If you're not afraid to use non-lego technology you might take a look at the Velleman K8000 kit, the 'Computer Interface (...) (24 years ago, 1-Mar-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: RIS SDK - Comments and questions
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| (...) Interesting comment, frankly I am surprised. The MicroScout (MS) is far from a "piece of junk" considering the fact that you can get the DDK for $40 (I might modify my opinion if the price jumped much higher than this). Irrespective of good vs (...) (24 years ago, 28-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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