Subject:
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Re: The Scout brick: smart or dumb? (was: Robotics Discovery Set)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 7 Sep 1999 21:28:20 GMT
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Viewed:
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666 times
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Robert Munafo wrote:
> I appreciate the description, but I'm having trouble figuring out how it could
> possibly (even in the altered reality of marketing) come out to 3000.
>
> Based on your description, it appears that the Scout user selects one of four
> types of motion, and then selects one of four actions to take on a touch event,
> and then selects one of four actions to take on a light event.
>
> That works out to 4 x 4 x 4 = 64 combinations. To get to 3000, there has to be
> an additional factor of about 50. Even if we factor in another 4 to allow the
> second touch sensor to behave differently than the first (which seems likely)
> there is still a factor of 12 left over.
>
> What am I missing?
The error is in my depth of description. My aim was to provide
interesting general information instead of (perhaps) boring or confusing
details. So to clarify:
There are four MOTION actions but the "circle" command can be set to
clockwise or counterclockwise. The "loop" command (runs motors A and B
back and forth in different patterns) can be set to "loop A", "loop B",
or "loop AB". Under the LIGHT actions, the "seek" command can be set to
"seek light" or "seek dark". Also, all three actions can be set to do
nothing so that adds to the list of commands in a way. Therefore within
the 12 commands, it could be said that there are actually 19 commands.
This makes the combinations so far of 8 x 5 x 6 = 240.
Furthermore, the timing of all actions can be set universally to execute
slow, medium or fast. So, not counting "off", that is 7 x 4 x 6 = 168 x
3 = 504. Add back in the 3 "off" commands and we are at 507, so far.
Now, on top of all of this, there are 4 "special effects" that can be
set that effect the whole system. So the 5 added options would be "no
special effects", "bug mode" (bug sounds and at least two additional
random behaviors), "alarm sounds" (different sounds for movement and
sensors), "random movements" (at least two different movements in random
order and timing), and "geiger counter" (different sounds for movement
and sensors). So not counting the the "off" commands, that is 504 x (at
least) 6 = 3024. This must be close to how TLG figures it.
I believe head to head comparison of the Scout to the RCX is a mote
point. It's REAL value is in "playability". Within 15 minutes of opening
the box, I followed step-by-step instructions and had a robot running
around my kitchen, avoiding objects, beeping, flashing lights, and
randomly doing a little dance that made me laugh. This is instant
gratification that the RCX cant give. Its not better or worse, just
different. I think the Scout has a place.
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