Subject:
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Re: Mindstorms Bleak Future - Bah! Purism Shmurism!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 8 Aug 2002 16:55:04 GMT
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Original-From:
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Bruce Boyes <bboyes@systronix=nomorespam=.com>
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Viewed:
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1510 times
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At 09:14 AM 8/8/2002 -0400, The Gaff wrote:
> At this point, I am frustrated and embittered. I honestly thought Mindstorms
> signalled the coming of a new era... not only for LEGO, but for robotics, a
> longtime interest of mine. I thought LEGO would continue to expand the
> abilities of the system, adding new actuators, sensors, and mechanisms...
> instead, their initial offering seems to represent the whole of the thing.
> Unlike others who frequent this group, I don't see the bright side of
> Spybotics, the Scout, or - heaven forbid - the MicroScout. I don't want them
> and won't buy them. I want my RCXs to be smarter, more flexible, more
> able... I'm willing and ready to pay for it. At present, my only alternative
> is to purchase homemade expansions from businesses like HiTechnicStuff.
> (Very, very cool products... but my LEGO purism can't deal with them.)
(Shields up)
Purism shmurism -- if you're a pragmatist, who cares whether Lego makes a
new part, or HiTechnicStuff, Jennifer Clark, Systronix, or some other
company, as long as it serves a need and works well? Why is everything Lego
makes "pure"? Is Znap "pure"? This sounds like religion -- not robotics.
Why not embrace anything and everything which might move the state of the
art forward?
Historically whether it's Mozart, Frank Lloyd Wright, Einstein, Beatles,
they are all initially banned/panned for being "not pure" -- to what --
good design? Art? Common Sense? No, just not pure compared to the status
quo. Then some time later the former "radical fringe" becomes the
mainstream. And then the cycle repeats with a new radical fringe.
I think the sort of advanced robotics market is a bit too "high end" for a
mainstream, mass-market, ToysRUs company like Lego. That's why it's Pitsco
that sells the $3000 Brutus robot arms.
At Systronix we are (finally) into the last stages of finishing the
production version of the turbocharged Lego-compatible computer, jcx
(www.jcx.systronix.com). How does a native Java CPU, 3,000,000 byte codes
per second, 54 nsec timer/counter resolution, multi-threaded Java
J2ME/CLDC, 32-bit integers or floating point numbers, 512 KBytes SRAM and
up to 2 MBytes Flash sound? A real language and your choice of open IDEs
for development? How about 16 or 24 Lego-compatible sensor inputs and 12
Lego compatible motor outputs in one 100 x 100 x 40 mm module?
Yes, it's highly "unpure", but all the Lego motors and sensors plug right
on, with ready to go software (Java class files) drivers. Plus you can plug
on Dallas 1Wire sensors, and a bunch of mind-boggling (at least it boggles
my mind!) future modules such as power relays, peer to peer RF networking,
10 BaseT ethernet, IrDA, etc.
How about this vision for the future - Lego makes all the neat plastic bits
and basic robot brains, and third parties push the envelope and do the
lower volume, high-tech stuff?
Sounds like a Bright Future to me!
Bruce Boyes
-----------------------------------------
WWW.SYSTRONIX.COM
Real embedded Java, fast 8051s, & more
+1-801-534-1017 Salt Lake City, USA
-----------------------------------------
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: LEGO Purism
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| (...) Because my chosen hobby is *LEGO* robotics, a distinct subset of robotics as a whole. I am fully aware of the advantages of "opening my mind" to using non-LEGO elements; I just don't want to. I understand that you feel differently, but that (...) (22 years ago, 8-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: LEGO Purism
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| (...) I don't have any quarrel with setting limits for the scope of some hobby. When I was a kid I made a whole raft of 'useful' household articles from nothing but glue, popsicle sticks and dried pasta in various shapes. Most were spray painted (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | RE: Mindstorms Bleak Future - Bah! Purism Shmurism!
|
| (...) I consider myself a LEGO purist in the sense that I try as hard as I can to solve the problems with what LEGO provides. I simply can't take a GOOD LEGO piece and "brake" it of modify it on purpose. I will, on the other hand, try to use a (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Spybotics vs Cricket
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| Greetings!! This is my very first contribution to this group so I just wanted to introduce me in a few words. I'm 27, living in Paris (France). I just bought the RIS 2.0 after reading a paper on a French and European Robotics Cup and feel pretty (...) (22 years ago, 8-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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