Subject:
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RE: AI and even more exiciting stuff
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 18 Oct 1999 22:36:37 GMT
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Original-From:
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Jim Thomas <Jim.Thomas@trw.com(stopspam)>
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Viewed:
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475 times
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32K is a ton of memory for embedded 8 bit code... if you need data storage
and processing then that's an entirely different thing -- it could easily
make AI difficult. As far as fixed point vs. floating point, I once worked
on a project where they did the control loop calculations in fixed point.
It took literally days for them to rework the code every time you changed
the control data tables. Since this project was really R&D even though they
wanted it to be pre-production, it was a real pain. When you are doing R&D
type work you should not waste time optimizing to fit your resources you
should fit your resources to optimize your time.
In this case (under discussion) it is a big jump in $$$ and convenience to
go up from the RCX to a more capable controller platform (and no, the
handyboard does not help here). In my experience fixed point math tends to
dictate fixed control algorithms and fixed control constants whereas
floating point tends to allow you to make changes just about as fast as you
can recompile. Am I wrong?
JT
-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Hempel [mailto:rhempel@bmts.com]
Sent: Monday, October 18, 1999 11:52 AM
To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com
Subject: RE: AI and even more exiciting stuff
Richard, I hope you don't mind me using your quote...
<snipped discussion of junior programmer and temp sensor application)
> One of the beauties of the RCX is that you have a fixed resource
> with which
> to solve your
> problem and it is not rich in what it has. If you compare it to what was
> used in the lunar lander
> however it looks like a super computer 8*) the programmers in the
> late 60's
> really could pack
> a lot of functionality into an improbably small amount of space.
Yesss! I am going to tie the moon mission into my panel presentation
at Mindfest. Here's a source I used on the Apollo Mission Computers...
Just scan the page for "memory" or some other likely computer term to
find the section on the CPU specs. It's almost funny!
<http://home.wxs.nl/~faase009/Ha_Apollo.html>
Have fun....
Cheers,
Ralph Hempel - P.Eng
--------------------------------------------------------
Check out pbFORTH for LEGO Mindstorms at:
<http://www.hempeldesigngroup.com/lego/pbFORTH>
--------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: rhempel at bmts dot com
--------------------------------------------------------
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | RE: AI and even more exiciting stuff
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| (...) Ummm, respectfully, yes. If the team took days to rework the code when control data tables change, then they were not using tools and methods appropriate to the task at hand. I'm hoping you weren't "them" :-) The algorithm is the same whether (...) (25 years ago, 19-Oct-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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