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In lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, Steve Lane wrote:
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This whole GBC hasn’t really inspired me at all. But thats what’s so good
about Lugnet, differing opinions are, if anything, encouraged.
Theirs nothing wrong with GBC, but I’ve found the few posts offering
alternatives far more intriguing, particulary the pallet idea. The duck
constructor was also, neat.
So what I thought I’d do is to construct a fantasy specification of an
alternative to GBC. Somthing diametrically opposed to gbc.
GBC is
| | So the alternative is
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| | Random (balls roll around)
| | Linear
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| | Repetative (same action over again)
| | Random (note 1)
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| | balls
| | blocks (2x2)
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| | Fast
| | Slow
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| | Imprecise
| | Precise
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| | Noisy
| | Quiet
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| | Cheap
| | Expensive (Lots of RCX’s)
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I do like the idea of passing standard objects between modules though and I
think that this fundamental principal be maintained.
Instead of a hopper you could have a line of blocks. Each block received from
another module would push the line along one.
Also GBC modules never have a conclusion. In the new system you could have a
module construct a 2D pyramid and then break it down again.
(1) If you had a block stacking robot it could arrange them in random
patterns
Anyway this post is just a bit of fun, but if anyone has opinions , I’d be
interested to read them.
S.R.L.
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I have nothing against GBC, having experimented myself, but I specialise in
other stuff. I have an idea that would satisfy most of your requirements:
Linear
If not entirely random, then complex, with some degrees of movement repeating
more often than others. Moving Blocks (regular 2x2s or 2x4s)
Moving slowly
Precise
Quiet, apart from a compressor and a few hisses here and there
Expensive, but in pneumatic parts, not RCXs
This would be a pneumatic robot that would assemble a small model, given a few
stacks of the right bricks. The duck assembler is inspiring, but I want to do
one without using an RCX or other electronic unit. I think writing software for
the RCX is easier than designing a pneumatic finite state machine that doesn’t
leak except when you want it to - RCX software allows so much trial and error.
I have the idea that a robot could turn 1/8 of a turn on a turntable, then do
something like pick up a brick, then turn another 1/8 of a turn and do something
else, etc... till it’s done 3/4 of a turn and passed the object to the next
robot.
Perhaps the robot could stack bricks in the way that they are stored in the box,
giving more purpose to its task. A friend of mine built a coin sorter for
charity collections, which was useful.
I’ve experimented with pneumatic circuits where a sub-system will do part of a
cycle and then wait for the main process to command other sub-systems to act
before returning to complete the cycle of the first one. I suggest that this
principle is used for the turntable and that the gearing be such that 3/4 of a
cycle turns it by 1/8 of a turn, using 2 cylinders turning cranks at 90 degrees
to each other. This will permit the robot to do its turn a bit, do something,
turn some more, do something else,... cycle.
My first robot has 4 movements with one moving twice per cycle. It only moves
bricks, rather than stacking them, but it’s the first step:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=82738
Mark
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: GBC does nothing for me
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| (...) But these are all things that makes GBC ideal for it's application as a mass-appeal event. * Random not linear... Allowing laxity over ball arrival times allows for more variety in the way mechanisms work - which gives a much higher chance (...) (19 years ago, 27-Feb-05, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | GBC does nothing for me
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| This whole GBC hasn't really inspired me at all. But thats what's so good about Lugnet, differing opinions are, if anything, encouraged. Theirs nothing wrong with GBC, but I've found the few posts offering alternatives far more intriguing, (...) (19 years ago, 26-Feb-05, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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