Subject:
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Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Fri, 7 Feb 2003 01:44:24 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <(sjbaker1@)AntiSpam(airmail.net)>
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Viewed:
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754 times
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John Barnes wrote:
> Since Lego doesn't make a modest sized mechanically compatible motor with
> built in electronics to perform command decode and execution. (and you don't
> want to investiagte the cost of producing your own!)
That's a good point...providing Lego carry on making them.
It comes down to who makes this wonderous hypothetical system.
* We'd hope that Lego would make it...then the motor design is
a non-issue.
* If not - then I suppose we'd need a 'legacy output interface'
contraption to make existing motors, lamps, etc work with the
new system.
> since there is a legacy of existing sensors out there
Ditto for sensors.
> since there is a legacy of Lego two conductor wires out there
I don't have any particular attachment to the wires.
> - shouldn't a possible RCX replacement try to maximise use of what is
> already in people's hands?
>
> What don't you like about the RCX? RCX-RCX comms speed and limited I/O.
>
> What if you had a "good RCX" which had;
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> more motor outputs (6?)
> more sensor inputs (12?)
> more memory (512k?)
> more CPU horse power (???)
> RF based RCX-RCX comms
No - that would still be limiting:
1) If it's going to use existing wires - it's going to be **HUGE**
just because of the need to have 18 2x2 stud connectors on it.
2) It's inflexible. If I just want four motors, I still have to
haul this massive lump around. If I want two processors - I
need two honking great lumps - even if I still need only two
motors and one sensor.
3) It's *STILL* limiting and goes against the modularity that makes
Lego mechanics so attractive.
Most of the things I'd like to build wouldn't need anything like that
complexity - but some things would need a lot more than that. Only
a completely modular system would cover the range from the small/light
robot that doesn't need even something as big as RCX - to the highly
complex contraption that needs considerably more.
Weight and balance are important in robotics - and ever increasing
monolithic chunks don't help that.
> couldn't you build significantly more sophisticated robots with such a thing?
You could - but they still wouldn't come close to my imagination.
> You only need one new part - the new RCX
Well, yes. But it doesn't grab my imagination as a gigantic
leap forwards - it's not *enough* better than the existing
system.
I would imagine there would be quite a few people who'd be
interested in it though. I just want something that's as
flexible and modular as Lego itself. The problem is that
unless some largeish company comes up with the complete
system, it's never going to happen. :-(
It's fun to plan how you'd do it - but ultimately, I doubt
it'll ever happen.
---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://www.sjbaker.org
Projects : http://plib.sf.net http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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| (...) Is it going to be honking huge? A 12 x 8 stud box can support the required number of I/Os. Compare with the RCX. I understand the modularity issue. I am guessing my ideal basic module is just bigger than yours which economizes on CPUs, power (...) (22 years ago, 7-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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| (...) It doesn't need to be huge! You can easily fit 6 inputs and 6 outputs into a space the size of the current RCX. But don't forget that the pads don't have to be spread out on TOP of the RCX, you could easily place them along the sides, or along (...) (22 years ago, 7-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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| Despite this thread having become strangely fractured within the lugnet system of threads, and despite the intriguing "what if's" that always get aired when threads like this are allowed to take wing, I have a couple of rather down to earth (...) (22 years ago, 7-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
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