Subject:
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The Scout vs. the RCX
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 20 Sep 1999 18:16:38 GMT
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Original-From:
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Tilman Sporkert <tilman@activesw.com/spamless/>
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Viewed:
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571 times
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I played with a Scout over the weekend, and build two of the models.
Summary: If you like the RCX, skip the Scout. For $50 less, you get half as
many parts, and a not really programmable controller with only two motor
outputs, and no external light sensor. The Scout is the big brother of the
Micro-Scout in the R2-D2 set, but not the little brother of the RCX. On the
other hand, if you just want to build a little bug that runs around, avoid
ostacles, and chases a flashlight, go for the Scout. No hooking up IR
transmitters, installing software, mastering the RCX programming
environment, or downloading software.
In late 2000, a booster pack will be available to let the scout work with a
PC. That will unlock more functions and allow it to work with other sensors,
too. I doubt that it you will be able to program it like the RCX or
Cybermaster. The scout also works with the RCX remote control.
The scout is basically a controller with a set of built in functions. You
can configure what triggers these functions. The motor functions are
targeted to vehicles with differential steering ("drive circle", "zig-zag",
"avoid", "seek light"). You have no control over the individual motor, or
the motor speed. The two sensor inputs only support touch sensors, and also
the Scout recognizes them separately (it makes different sounds when each is
pressed), you can only configure a function for "touch". It doesn't matter
which one was touched. And there's only "touch", not "release". You also
have no control over the level at which the light sensor triggers. You can
only configure one function per category.
It makes lots of sounds, and has little LEDs that indicate what's going on.
There's a bright red LED in front that comes on temporarily with certain
functions.
There are four categories. The first is "Motion" for the motors. I.e. what
will it do when you hit the Run button. You got "off", "forward", "zig zag"
(alternates left and right motor), "circle left", "circle right", "loop A",
"loop B", "loop AB". The loop commands control the motor outputs in a
sequence of forward/backward/pause cycles.
The second category is for the touch sensors. You have "ignore", "reverse",
"avoid" (turns on red light, backs up, and turns, then resumes), "wait for"
(turns on motors when touched), and "brake" (turns off motors when touched).
If you set Motion to "Forward", and Touch to "avoid", you get your basic
vehicle that avoids obstacles.
In the "Light" category, you can pick "ignore", "seek light", "seek dark",
"avoid" (backs up and turns away when it sees light or dark), "wait for",
and "brake". The seek modes are kind of cute. When enabled, the vehicle
will stop every once in a while, and circle around on the spot. It
apparently looks for the highest (or lowest) light sensor reading. It then
reverses, and stops when it points pointing at the brightest (or darkest)
spot.
Finally, you have the special effects category. Her you can pick "none",
"bug mode" (stops ever once in a while, and dances around on the spot like a
bug), "alarm sounds", "random movements", and "geiger counter". The geiger
counter is hooked up to the light sensor.
You can configure the length of the operation in three steps.
You can also trigger the functions through IR commands from a RCX. I believe
the list was posted here the other day.
So you have
8 Motion modes * 5 Touch modes * 6 light sensor modes * 5 special effect
modes * 3 timing modes = 3600 possible "programs".
Tilman
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: The Scout vs. the RCX
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| (...) Are the scout bricks available by themselves? If so, and if they're under $50, they might make an okay add-on to the RCX... (25 years ago, 20-Sep-99, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: The Scout vs. the RCX
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| (...) My son got all of the Mindstorms and we haven't even put batteries in the Scout since we have the RCX. I did use the microscout only because we built the R2D2. (25 years ago, 20-Sep-99, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: The Scout vs. the RCX
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| (...) <Scout feature description snipped> I second this review. The Scout is definitely easier to program, but so much more limited as to make it almost useless for any real robotics project. The programming commands are so grainy that it would be a (...) (25 years ago, 21-Sep-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | RE: Questions Regardsing Lego Scout
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| That is fast... The scout is pretty cool, and easy to get going. The commands are best learned by experiment. On/Off button: self explanatory. Run button: ditto. Select button:Cycles you through motion menu, touch menu, light menu, speed of (...) (25 years ago, 17-Sep-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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