APM: Q: TRG Maker SIG interest in BEAM, nervous networks, biomimetics, etc.?

jameschoate at austin.rr.com jameschoate at austin.rr.com
Tue Nov 17 14:46:15 PST 2009


Hi,

I've ordered some pager motors (10ea on this first order) and will begin putting some effort into exploring some simple applications to nervous/neural networks, BEAM robotics, biomimetics, etc.

At this time I've got two aspects that I'm looking to explore:

- using old VCRs, cassette decks, game consoles, etc. to get mechanisms and related hardware/electronics to explore BEAM and similar robotics

- biomimetics; in particular I'm looking to build a small 1ft dia model of my hovercraft project. The primary goal being to explore the skirt construction pattern and optical mouse sensor applications to dead reckoning (which by implication means at least some simple propulsion/navigation). Secondarily I've got this crazy idea of taking a plastic bottle (eg water or soft drink) and using it as a platform for doing some basic exploration into flagellated propulsion. It would have sensors and the basic control  architecture would be a very simplified Box Jelly CNS. Maybe we could get limited access to the pool across the hall for testing????

Both of these would be good application frameworks for using small footprint SBC packages as well as  off-board computing resources. I'll be ordering some kits of resistors and capacitors as my own supply is down to a couple of boxes of each. In addition we'd like to get a small collection of used electronic consumer devices to get additional parts and pieces from.

As a related aside, because of the paucity of TRG Maker SIG meetings this month and next I'd like to propose that we bring our Lego Mindstorm work to the regular meetings to try and keep some inertia going, assuming it doesn't conflict with other business of course.

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Venimus, Vidimus, Dolavimus

James Choate
jameschoate at austin.rr.com
james.choate at twcable.com
512-657-1279
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