• Event chairpersons. one per event.
• Location Planner to work with Exploritorium regarding facility requirements.
• Sponsorship champion.
• Promoters and artists for a propaganda machine. Coordinate T-shirts, brochures web content, and most importantly PRESS RELEASES. I can tell you that I never would have found out about this SFRSA as early as I did if I didn't see it in a local paper a few years ago.
• Awards champion. Perhaps the same person as sponsorship chair
• Judges. If you don't have a robot to compete then you may be drafted as a judge.

• I will organize and direct the event. Actually I hope that come competition time everything will be organized that someone will judge and direct the competition because I want to compete in it.
• I want to hold workshops to help other learn how to and help them build their own mini sumo bot.
• I will institute a double eliminations bracket method of competition that will fairly and efficiently keep thing moving and interesting. This should cut the time of the competition in half.
• Define the rules (republish the existing ones) and environmental conditions (solve the lighting issue).

• A criterion based event that recognizes those that pass the test with an award and perhaps www mention.
• A three level system. Like autonomous obstacle coarse for Robot Master level (typically Lego RCX level stuff). An Robot Apprentice level for those that can build a mechanism with at least one stimulus-response behavior (Lego Scout controller level stuff). Lastly a Robot Mechanic level for those that can build a creation that moves.
• The levels could be SFRSA's trademark events that get kids involved
• Hold at least two workshops to demonstrate Lego Mindstorms, robotics in general, and examples of the criterion.
• Document the proceed for future generations.

This may be a little away from robot schtuff, but on a recent trip
to the computer store I was trying out the new Mac's. (Funny
looking computer that doesn't run Windoze)

Anyway, there is a little free program on the Mac called Graphing
Calculator. And you can type in equations like y = sin x, or even
a 3D one like z = sin x + cos y. And it will do a beautifully rendered
3D graph, and rotate it for you and stuff. Fun little software to play
with in the store, and on the new Mac's it was so fast.

Of course, the sales guy had never seen that program before, deep
sigh...

Mark Medonis
Robot Guy and closet Mac user

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Medonis
Medonis Engineering
Products for robot builders
Tel (503) 860-1980
http://www.medonis.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----- Original Message -----

From: Joe Miller

To: sfrsa@egroups.com

Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 11:32 PM

Subject: [sfrsa] Sept./Oct. Robot Competition

As discussed in this month's meeting, we are going to start preparing for our annual robot competition.

 

Roger almost single handedly organized the whole show last year by himself. Previous officers and event coordinators left no written guideline or rules to go by. Lets change all that. I partially ignorant about the whole process but I know one or two things that can make it better, as I'm sure everyone has there idea/opinion.

 

 

We need:

• Event chairpersons. one per event.
• Location Planner to work with Exploritorium regarding facility requirements.
• Sponsorship champion.
• Promoters and artists for a propaganda machine. Coordinate T-shirts, brochures web content, and most importantly PRESS RELEASES. I can tell you that I never would have found out about this SFRSA as early as I did if I didn't see it in a local paper a few years ago.
• Awards champion. Perhaps the same person as sponsorship chair
• Judges. If you don't have a robot to compete then you may be drafted as a judge.

Anything else?

 

I volunteer to:

1. Champion the sumo matches. 

• I will organize and direct the event. Actually I hope that come competition time everything will be organized that someone will judge and direct the competition because I want to compete in it.
• I want to hold workshops to help other learn how to and help them build their own mini sumo bot.
• I will institute a double eliminations bracket method of competition that will fairly and efficiently keep thing moving and interesting. This should cut the time of the competition in half.
• Define the rules (republish the existing ones) and environmental conditions (solve the lighting issue).

2. Co-champion along with David Calkins a Lego Mindstorms criterion. My thoughts are:

• A criterion based event that recognizes those that pass the test with an award and perhaps www mention.
• A three level system. Like autonomous obstacle coarse for Robot Master level (typically Lego RCX level stuff). An Robot Apprentice level for those that can build a mechanism with at least one stimulus-response behavior (Lego Scout controller level stuff). Lastly a Robot Mechanic level for those that can build a creation that moves.
• The levels could be SFRSA's trademark events that get kids involved
• Hold at least two workshops to demonstrate Lego Mindstorms, robotics in general, and examples of the criterion.
• Document the proceed for future generations.

We also need a Rope climbing chairperson that can once and for all specify a standard off the shelf rope from a national brand and bring it to the competition.

 

The obstacle course kind of slacked off last year. I don't think there's much interest in that anymore. What about a micromouse ala IEEE rules. Anybody want to chair that? It might be too late now but may it can be demonstrated this time and be incorporated in next years program. There is good value in such a competition from the fact that many current robot applications require mapping capabilities.

 

Any other competition?

 

Please don't be bashful about volunteering, even if you don't think you are the best person for a job. Because one, nobody else is stepping up, and two there are plenty of people willing to give advise that you won't have to worry. Also this is an opportunity for you to be a part of something exciting and special. Consider it a career builder. Maybe even get a free T-shirt. I'm a busy guy like the rest so the more people we get the less work for any one person.

 

Please forward this to anyone you know that does not subscribe to this egroup. Snail it to them if you have to.

 

Joe Miller

---

---

Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.

Up up and awaaaaaaaay, Joe! I'll be glad to help out with the Web end
of things. Please let me know what you would like on the Web site to
help promote the events, get the rules posted, etc. It would be great
if we could let people know what they need to do to join the fun,
even if they don't live nearby or come to sfrsa meetings! I can start
things off by offering to post "biographies" and pictures of 'bots
that want to enter...how about Maxwell, Mark? Post me directly at
tonitt@... if you have something to contribute.

Joe, I can prepare a press release or two, but we need to find the
information compiled by Toni Denmark (I think she compiled it - might
have been David - I know someone did it!). This was a list of
submission specifics for the various media (length of sumissions,
amount of advance notice required, etc.). Roger may have this stuff
as it may have been passed on to the current pres from past
presidents. I think the Exploratorium helps us with publicity as
well, though I don't know the specifics.

--- In sfrsa@egroups.com, "Joe Miller" <joemiller@p...> wrote:
> Before we can advertise our competition we need the following:
>
> A DATE:
> I'll talk to Roger about contacting the Exploritorium. I think it's
based on their schedule.
>
> ARTWORK/LOGO
> We need something for our website, brochures, an T-Shirts. My
employer, Precision Navigation Inc (PNI), is going to donate the T-
shirts. Lets show submissions at the July meeting. Winner gets a
prize.
>
> NEW NAME:
> Last year someone suggested, and others concurred, that the ARCE
name is not very nice. Lets hear new ideas, final name to be decided
at the July meeting. Prize to the winner.
>
> I'll bring prizes, they will be of the PNI variety.
>
> As soon as we have the above information as well as more
information about the contests, we can start producing web content
and press releases (and mailings?)
> Toni, do you know how to prepare a press release document for
newspapers and/or other sources?
>
> Regarding the contest, so far all we have are those two items (sumo
and Lego)
>
> Please post remarks!
>
> Joe

I am involved in micromouse mobile robot project.  On account of
unusual circumstances I am the sole member of the project 'group'.  I
need some help finding infrared sensors that I can use for wall
collision avoidance.  Many of the sensors that I have seen have
ranges of 10 cm or more or are too large.  The passageways between
the walls are 16.8 cm wide (~6.5 in.).  I need sensors with a range
of 2 cm or less and small enough to mount on the micromouse chassis.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Especially of interest would
be parts suppliers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I live in
Richmond, CA.  I am using the Handy Board as my robot's
microcontroller.

An LED and a CDS cell - Radio Shack
Infrared LED and phototransistor or photoDarlington - Digikey
(A photodiode does not have enough gain )

These solutions have to have adjustments to compensate for different shade
backgrounds and ambiant light conditions.
Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: <palmiero@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 1:47 PM
Subject: [sfrsa] micromouse project


> I am involved in micromouse mobile robot project.  On account of
> unusual circumstances I am the sole member of the project 'group'.  I
> need some help finding infrared sensors that I can use for wall
> collision avoidance.  Many of the sensors that I have seen have
> ranges of 10 cm or more or are too large.  The passageways between
> the walls are 16.8 cm wide (~6.5 in.).  I need sensors with a range
> of 2 cm or less and small enough to mount on the micromouse chassis.
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Especially of interest would
> be parts suppliers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I live in
> Richmond, CA.  I am using the Handy Board as my robot's
> microcontroller.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Win a trip to Vegas for you and 20 friends, $15,000 and a suite at
> Bellagio for New Year's, courtesy of Expedia.com. Or win 2 roundtrip
> tickets anywhere in the U.S. given away daily. Click for a chance to win.
> http://click.egroups.com/1/5293/0/_/13629/_/961447662/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

An LED and a phototransistor works well with a little adjustment on
the compensation. I'm not sure about a CDS and an LED.
The intensity that the CDS receives during a bright day and nighttime
differs a lot.
Have you tried that in your project before ??
If it works, I would switch to that method.

Regards
gary

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Miller" <joe@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] micromouse project


> An LED and a CDS cell - Radio Shack
> Infrared LED and phototransistor or photoDarlington - Digikey
> (A photodiode does not have enough gain )
>
> These solutions have to have adjustments to compensate for different shade
> backgrounds and ambiant light conditions.
> Joe
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <palmiero@...>
> To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 1:47 PM
> Subject: [sfrsa] micromouse project
>
>
> > I am involved in micromouse mobile robot project.  On account of
> > unusual circumstances I am the sole member of the project 'group'.  I
> > need some help finding infrared sensors that I can use for wall
> > collision avoidance.  Many of the sensors that I have seen have
> > ranges of 10 cm or more or are too large.  The passageways between
> > the walls are 16.8 cm wide (~6.5 in.).  I need sensors with a range
> > of 2 cm or less and small enough to mount on the micromouse chassis.
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Especially of interest would
> > be parts suppliers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I live in
> > Richmond, CA.  I am using the Handy Board as my robot's
> > microcontroller.
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Win a trip to Vegas for you and 20 friends, $15,000 and a suite at
> > Bellagio for New Year's, courtesy of Expedia.com. Or win 2 roundtrip
> > tickets anywhere in the U.S. given away daily. Click for a chance to win.
> > http://click.egroups.com/1/5293/0/_/13629/_/961447662/
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Best friends, most artistic, class clown Find 'em here:
> http://click.egroups.com/1/5533/0/_/13629/_/961476339/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

You are right, you have to adjust it for the ambient condition at the time
of use. The CdS cell has terrific gain, a bit slow, but fast enough for this
application and it is very simple to impliment.
If you want to get complicated you could cancel out abient with a second
sensor (phototransistor or CdS).
I've used CdS cells for ambient light level measuring applications, but not
as an object detector. I've seen it used to detect a white line for a sumo
robot, and used on line followers.

Backing up to those 10cm minimum sensors. How long is your mouse? Couldn't
you set the sensor back from the front edge 10cm?

Joe


Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Chung <gary.chung@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] micromouse project


> An LED and a phototransistor works well with a little adjustment on
> the compensation. I'm not sure about a CDS and an LED.
> The intensity that the CDS receives during a bright day and nighttime
> differs a lot.
> Have you tried that in your project before ??
> If it works, I would switch to that method.
>
> Regards
> gary
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe Miller" <joe@...>
> To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 12:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [sfrsa] micromouse project
>
>
> > An LED and a CDS cell - Radio Shack
> > Infrared LED and phototransistor or photoDarlington - Digikey
> > (A photodiode does not have enough gain )
> >
> > These solutions have to have adjustments to compensate for different
shade
> > backgrounds and ambiant light conditions.
> > Joe
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <palmiero@...>
> > To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
> > Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 1:47 PM
> > Subject: [sfrsa] micromouse project
> >
> >
> > > I am involved in micromouse mobile robot project.  On account of
> > > unusual circumstances I am the sole member of the project 'group'.  I
> > > need some help finding infrared sensors that I can use for wall
> > > collision avoidance.  Many of the sensors that I have seen have
> > > ranges of 10 cm or more or are too large.  The passageways between
> > > the walls are 16.8 cm wide (~6.5 in.).  I need sensors with a range
> > > of 2 cm or less and small enough to mount on the micromouse chassis.
> > > Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Especially of interest would
> > > be parts suppliers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I live in
> > > Richmond, CA.  I am using the Handy Board as my robot's
> > > microcontroller.
> > >
> > >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Win a trip to Vegas for you and 20 friends, $15,000 and a suite at
> > > Bellagio for New Year's, courtesy of Expedia.com. Or win 2 roundtrip
> > > tickets anywhere in the U.S. given away daily. Click for a chance to
win.
> > > http://click.egroups.com/1/5293/0/_/13629/_/961447662/
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Best friends, most artistic, class clown Find 'em here:
> > http://click.egroups.com/1/5533/0/_/13629/_/961476339/
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Special Offer-Earn 300 Points from MyPoints.com for trying @Backup
> Get automatic protection and access to your important computer files.
> Install today:
> http://click.egroups.com/1/5667/0/_/13629/_/961523906/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

Toni,
I asked Roger regarding this information. He mentioned that he had a
resource list that we can use. As you know he had recently asked the
Exploritorium for dates and allocation of space. Hopefully at the July
meeting it will all come together so that we can start to release
information.

Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: Toni Thompson <tonitt@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2000 2:59 PM
Subject: [sfrsa] Re: contest stuff


> Joe, I can prepare a press release or two, but we need to find the
> information compiled by Toni Denmark (I think she compiled it - might
> have been David - I know someone did it!). This was a list of
> submission specifics for the various media (length of sumissions,
> amount of advance notice required, etc.). Roger may have this stuff
> as it may have been passed on to the current pres from past
> presidents. I think the Exploratorium helps us with publicity as
> well, though I don't know the specifics.
>
> --- In sfrsa@egroups.com, "Joe Miller" <joemiller@p...> wrote:
> > Before we can advertise our competition we need the following:
> >
> > A DATE:
> > I'll talk to Roger about contacting the Exploritorium. I think it's
> based on their schedule.
> >
> > ARTWORK/LOGO
> > We need something for our website, brochures, an T-Shirts. My
> employer, Precision Navigation Inc (PNI), is going to donate the T-
> shirts. Lets show submissions at the July meeting. Winner gets a
> prize.
> >
> > NEW NAME:
> > Last year someone suggested, and others concurred, that the ARCE
> name is not very nice. Lets hear new ideas, final name to be decided
> at the July meeting. Prize to the winner.
> >
> > I'll bring prizes, they will be of the PNI variety.
> >
> > As soon as we have the above information as well as more
> information about the contests, we can start producing web content
> and press releases (and mailings?)
> > Toni, do you know how to prepare a press release document for
> newspapers and/or other sources?
> >
> > Regarding the contest, so far all we have are those two items (sumo
> and Lego)
> >
> > Please post remarks!
> >
> > Joe
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Are you paying too much for your International Calls? Join beMANY! and pay
> less each month. Our huge buying group gives you Long Distance rates which
> fall automatically, plus an extra $60 in FREE calls!
> http://click.egroups.com/1/3838/0/_/13629/_/960760793/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

Wednesday June 21, 3:04 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

MIT and Bell Labs researchers create electronic circuit that mimics
the
brain's circuitry

Device may help create computers that work more like the brain

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2000--Researchers at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lucent Technologies' Bell
Labs report in
the June 22 issue of Nature that they have created an electronic
circuit that mimics the biological circuitry of the cerebral cortex,
the brain's center of intelligence.

This latest advance in ``neuromorphic'' engineering -- creating
devices that behave like neural systems -- was achieved by a team
that included MIT researchers Richard
Hahnloser, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Brain and
Cognitive Sciences; Rahul Sarpeshkar, assistant professor of
electrical engineering and computer
science; and H. Sebastian Seung, assistant professor of computational
neuroscience.

``Like electronic circuits, the neural circuits of the cortex contain
many feedback loops,'' Seung said. ``But neuroscientists have found
that cortical feedback seems to
operate in a way that is unfamiliar to today's electronic designers.
We set out to mimic this novel mode of operation in an unconventional
electronic circuit.''

The circuit was designed in collaboration with Rodney Douglas and the
late Misha Mahowald from the Institute of Neuroinformatics in
Switzerland. Much of the
research was carried out at Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs in Murray
Hill, N.J., where Sarpeshkar and Seung are consultants.

In the future, general principles illustrated by this circuit, could
lead to hardware that efficiently accomplishes complex perceptual
tasks, such as recognizing objects by
sight.

Cooperation and competition among neurons

The circuit is composed of artificial neurons that communicate with
each other via artificial synapses. All of these elements are made
from transistors fabricated on a
silicon integrated circuit.

Like neurons in the cortex, nearby artificial neurons affect each
other. There also is an inhibitory neuron that receives input from
the 16 excitatory neurons and returns
inhibition to them. This inhibitory feedback keeps in check
excitatory feedback that can lead to explosive instability.

In the brain, synaptic feedback connections are thought to mediate
neurons' cooperative and competitive interactions. Such interactions
are expressed most strongly in
the circuit when multiple stimuli are presented at the same time.

When simultaneous electrical currents are applied to two artificial
neurons, the circuit responds to only one stimulus and suppresses its
response to the other, much like a
frog choosing which of two flies to strike at.

Like the brain, there is no single element in the circuit that
decides which stimulus to suppress. The decision is the outcome of an
emergent, collective property of all the
neurons.

A combination of digital and analog

A typical neuron in the brain might be connected to 10,000 other
neurons. Because there are billions of neurons, this makes the brain
a vast and intricate network.
``Biologists like to focus on simple linear pathways through this
network, ignoring the tangled web of feedback loops, which seem too
complex to even contemplate,''
Seung said. ``But it seems unlikely that we could ever understand
intelligence or consciousness without understanding the role of
feedback in the neural networks of the
brain.''

Because electrical engineers rely heavily on feedback in their
designs, researchers have been tempted to draw analogies between
electronic and neural circuits. But
recent neurophysiological experiments suggest that the brain does not
use feedback in the same way as conventional electronics, which is
distinctly analog or digital.

Perception, the authors write, combines digital and analog aspects.
When we see an object such as an approaching car, we also receive a
continuous stream of
information about its color, its changing size in relation to its
distance from us, its spatial relations to other objects and so on.
Nevertheless, the digital component is still
there because regardless of how the object appears, our brains make
an either-or decision: Is it a car or not?

The hybrid analog-digital nature of the brain may be very important
for its computational efficiency. ``The electronic world is evolving
more and more towards mixed
analog-digital computation as the brain has already done,''
Sarpeshkar said. ``However, the brain's mixed-signal circuits combine
analog and digital functions in a much
more intimate way than is done in the electronic world.''

``Philosophers and psychologists have long been struck by the duality
between analog and digital in perception,'' Seung said. ``They have
further speculated about
whether the computational operations underlying perception in the
brain are analog or digital.

``Our research suggests that the two sides of this duality are not
mutually exclusive: the brain's neural circuitry is actually a hybrid
in which analog and digital coexist.''

Sarpeshkar, who does research in hybrid electronic circuits, said
that hybrid electronics has the potential to revolutionize computing
in the future because it combines the
digital advantages of programmability, noise immunity and divide-and-
conquer processing with the analog advantages of efficiency.

``The most immediate applications of such biologically inspired
circuits are likely to be in sensory data processing, where the input
is analog, and in prosthetic applications
for the deaf and blind, where mimicing the biology is important,''
Sarpeshkar said.

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation SPP
Program, Lucent Technologies and MIT.

Hi Stan,

What ever you think the majority of people at the next meeting will vote
for.
Practically the fewer number the colors the cheaper to print.
Naming the event is part of the task.

Joe



----- Original Message -----
From: <s.cossette@...>
To: <joe@...>
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2000 6:18 PM
Subject: Logo questions


> Hi Joe,
>
> It's Stan from my home email (pls reply here) or to the
> egroup.
>
> In the sfrsa egroup you said:
> ARTWORK/LOGO
> > > We need something for our website, brochures, an T-
> Shirts. My
> > employer, Precision Navigation Inc (PNI), is going to
> donate the T-
> > shirts. Lets show submissions at the July meeting.
> Winner gets a
> > prize.
>
> I am interested. Can you be more specific about what the
> logo should contain?
> - Name of the event
> - Some idea of what you're looking for
> - Multiple colors allowed?
>
> If my design was selected, I'd be happy to settle for a
> complimentary T-shirt.
>
> Thanks for getting the ball rolling!
>
> Regards,
>
> Stan
>

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Time: 7:30PM - 9:00PM PDT (GMT-07:00)

Free Monthly Meeting First Wednesday of each month San Francisco
Exploratorium

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Miller [mailto:joe@...]
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2000 12:16 AM
To: sfrsa@egroups.com
Cc: roger@...
Subject: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games

A BIG reminder that our deadline to have details together for this year's games is Wednesday August 2nd. Hopefully within a week after this press releases could be sent and our website stuffed with content regarding this event. If we hold the games in early October that gives us and participants two months to prepare.

 

The name of the event is The x Annual Robot Games, were x = the current successive year that we've held this event. Roger is going to find out what that is.

 

Toni, Cliff mentioned that you were interested in doing logo design also for this years games. If true please ring in. Stan mentioned that he had an idea or two, perhaps you two can contact one another. As mentioned before my company, PNI, is going to donate T-shirts. We will get the front, and PNI wants the back for it's design. We can reuse the logo can be every year - right? Even on our website.

 

Roger is going to provide Toni with press release resources.

 

Roger is working on other sponsors including, Lego, Jameco, and those generous folks at the Robot Store. Other people were staring at each other as though they had some companies they could ask. Is that true? Any takers? Please feel free to volunteer yourself as a representative of SFRSA when asking businesses for sponsorship. Roger, will companies also get to place banner at the games?, what about our website in our events section.

 

I am doing a Mini Sumo Robot workshop based on the Marvin slider. http://www.rdrop.com/users/marvin/omsi/sumo.htm

The cost will be about $100. Everyone is welcome to attend the first meeting, the other meetings will be limited to those committed to building the Marvin Slider ($100 for the kit). Hopefully they will be on Sunday afternoons about 1PM. I will present details (and HTML for the website) before 8/2/00. Roger, could I get Larry's phone number so that I can get expedite meeting times for this activity?

 

As announced at the meeting, the Lego games that we are hosting this year is going to be based on the three challenges of Lego Mission M007. See www.legomindstorms.com see their Grand Prix Mission (M007) to get an idea. I was thinking of holding a workshop for this. To help out novices and to encourage the timid, if enough are interested. I am not necessarily the best person either, surely there are those amongst us whom are better teachers than I.

 

Anybody else want to champion a game? I guess the rope climb and general obstacle course is out unless someone steps up. Someone mentioned a that members of robohoo.com or yahoo clubs had a robot challenge. That somebody, sorry but I forgot his name, was that you Nathaniel? Anyway, he is going to make an effort to host that challenge in our games. Please ring in if you are still pursuing this.

 

TTFN

Joe

 

 

 

 

Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.

This discussion group has been pretty quiet, so I thought it might
liven things up a bit  if I posted a couple of suggestions concerning the
Annual Robot Games. The first is a logo submission which can be viewed at
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/images/SFRSA.jpg>.  The logo itself is
shown, plus a version of what it might look like on a 'droid' model
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/images/SFRSAmodel.jpg>. ( Homage to
Surayama. It's hard to get 'droids to pose these days.)
	 The second suggestion is that I would like to host a walking/legged
robot event or exhibition for the Annual Robot Games; or, if there is not
enough interest in this category alone, a floor exercise,   obstacle
course, "Concourse d'Elegance", "petting zoo" or some other event for bots
not dedicated to specialized events such as Sumo, etc. The intention is to
attract some of the more complex and ghastly machines as well as B.E.A.M.
type individual 'bots and swarms. I think we could accommodate commercial
types (eg. AIBO, Lynxmotion kit based, etc.) as well as really unique
creations.  I confess that I enjoy the "Smackdown" mentality of Sumo,
Battlebots and other events where the action leads to an obvious winner and
loser; but my own 'bot is not suitable for these events
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>, so it is pretty much left out of
robot games. It might do well at detecting a threatening commotion and
retreating to a safe distance over uncertain terrain (picture the behavior
of the family cat placed in a Sumo ring  with a 3kg. Sumobot and surrounded
by noisy spectators.), but it would fail miserably at pushing a heavy,
mobile box out of a ring, even if programmed to attempt it. It may be that
the less structured type of exhibition that I'm proposing has been tried
before and found to be totally boring, so I'm completely open to
suggestions. If awards are necessary there could be a "peoples choice"
balloting or "ugly 'bot" contest.
	 Finally, I have a well-equipped workshop where I can construct any
reasonable exhibition arena and accessory structures, and transportation
adequate to get it all to the Exploratorium. I also have a lot of
accumulared materials so this could be done on the cheap.
	 So, let's hear what S.F.R.S.A. thinks of this idea. If there's a
positive response I'll put out a cattle call on other 'bot discussion
groups to see if there are enough potential participants to make it
worthwhile


<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>

<mailto:jZeissig@...>


To see an older version of the 'bot <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2000
Time: 7:30PM - 9:00PM PDT (GMT-07:00)

Free Monthly Meeting First Wednesday of each month San Francisco
Exploratorium

Jeanette, (or John, you didn't specify)

Those are gret ideas!
People have always brought there bots for show at the games but it would be
nice if we officially anounce it. We should discuss incentives. I intend to
bring my rover.

Regarding your design: It  would good to bring it up at the meeting. As far
as a show logo Toni Thomson has a design she has submitted and has committed
seeing it through to the color seperations for T-shirt printing and all that
other art stuff. Your design is more of a SFRSA logo, which might have
merit.

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeanette Eya-Zeissig <jzeissig@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 1:13 PM
Subject: RE: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games


> This discussion group has been pretty quiet, so I thought it might
> liven things up a bit  if I posted a couple of suggestions concerning the
> Annual Robot Games. The first is a logo submission which can be viewed at
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/images/SFRSA.jpg>.  The logo itself is
> shown, plus a version of what it might look like on a 'droid' model
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/images/SFRSAmodel.jpg>. ( Homage to
> Surayama. It's hard to get 'droids to pose these days.)
> The second suggestion is that I would like to host a walking/legged
> robot event or exhibition for the Annual Robot Games; or, if there is not
> enough interest in this category alone, a floor exercise,   obstacle
> course, "Concourse d'Elegance", "petting zoo" or some other event for bots
> not dedicated to specialized events such as Sumo, etc. The intention is to
> attract some of the more complex and ghastly machines as well as B.E.A.M.
> type individual 'bots and swarms. I think we could accommodate commercial
> types (eg. AIBO, Lynxmotion kit based, etc.) as well as really unique
> creations.  I confess that I enjoy the "Smackdown" mentality of Sumo,
> Battlebots and other events where the action leads to an obvious winner
and
> loser; but my own 'bot is not suitable for these events
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>, so it is pretty much left out of
> robot games. It might do well at detecting a threatening commotion and
> retreating to a safe distance over uncertain terrain (picture the behavior
> of the family cat placed in a Sumo ring  with a 3kg. Sumobot and
surrounded
> by noisy spectators.), but it would fail miserably at pushing a heavy,
> mobile box out of a ring, even if programmed to attempt it. It may be that
> the less structured type of exhibition that I'm proposing has been tried
> before and found to be totally boring, so I'm completely open to
> suggestions. If awards are necessary there could be a "peoples choice"
> balloting or "ugly 'bot" contest.
> Finally, I have a well-equipped workshop where I can construct any
> reasonable exhibition arena and accessory structures, and transportation
> adequate to get it all to the Exploratorium. I also have a lot of
> accumulared materials so this could be done on the cheap.
> So, let's hear what S.F.R.S.A. thinks of this idea. If there's a
> positive response I'll put out a cattle call on other 'bot discussion
> groups to see if there are enough potential participants to make it
> worthwhile
>
>
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>
>
> <mailto:jZeissig@...>
>
>
> To see an older version of the 'bot
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> bayarea.com - win a $10,000 kitchen remodel - enter here
> http://click.egroups.com/1/6204/0/_/13629/_/964555915/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

SFRSA Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2000
Time: 7:30PM - 9:00PM UTC (GMT+00:00)

Regular monthly meeting at the Exploratorium. August Meeting
will include planning the Mini-Sumo Workshops in September at
the Exploratorium and the Robot Games in October.

Also, a presentation by members Mike and Vincent Howard, who
recently attended the Workshop on Neuromorphic Engineering in
Telluride, Colorado
http://zig.ini.unizh.ch/telluride2000/home.html
Related to BEAM robotics, NE involves the design and fabrication
of artificial neural systems, such as vision chips, head-eye
systems, and roving robots, whose architecture and design
principles are based on those of biological nervous systems.
Should be awesome!




.

Thanks for the response, Joe.  I plan to be at the meeting on Wednesday.
(BTW, this is John.)  I don't really have much time or ego invested in the
Logo thing.  I just thought it would be fun to do a robot motif using the
Club initials.  I knew from previous posts that someone was working on a
t-shirt design but hadn't  seen anything about it since.  This discussion
group has been so quiet that I thought it might provoke some responses.  I
didn't bother to put in any text relating it to the Annual Robot Games,
although looking at my original post, it certainly looks as though that's
what I was suggesting.  So, if anyone in the club wants to use it, tweak it
into something else, or whatever, it's OK with me.

John Zeissig



>Jeanette, (or John, you didn't specify)
>
>Those are gret ideas!
>People have always brought there bots for show at the games but it would be
>nice if we officially anounce it. We should discuss incentives. I intend to
>bring my rover.
>
>Regarding your design: It  would good to bring it up at the meeting. As far
>as a show logo Toni Thomson has a design she has submitted and has committed
>seeing it through to the color seperations for T-shirt printing and all that
>other art stuff. Your design is more of a SFRSA logo, which might have
>merit.
>

<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>

<mailto:jZeissig@...>


To see an older version of the 'bot <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>

For my proposed event at the Robot Games, I think I would like to take on
all comers that don't compete in the Sumo, Lego, or other win-lose events.
There has been mention of some of the concerns that I brought up in my
previous post on the Seattle Robot Society discussion group.  I hadn't been
aware of these when I did the post.

The S.R.S. list of events for Robothon 2001 shows a floor exercise event
which is just a 10' square enclosed arena with a smooth floor.
Participants can launch their 'bots for 5 min. sessions to show what they
can do.  The emphasis is on autonomous robots, but they are not restricting
participation to that category.  This would certainly be easy to implement.

I think we could spice this up by providing some portable/adjustable
accessories that participants could use to customize the arena.  What I
have in mind is:

	 a) an adjustable-slope ramp to test climbing ability and traction

	 b) a section of carpet or astroturf

	 c) an adjustable step height staircase

	 d) a gravel/rock/or sand pan

	 e) a shallow water hazard/pan

	 f) a set of moveable block/post obstacles

	 g) a section of corrugated roofing panel

	 h) anything else that a participant wants to lug to the arena as
long as
	    they are willing to take it away again upon request.  (Tall grass is
	    a wonderfully amusing challenge for my walker, but I can't think of
	    any way to incorporate it in this context.)

Most of these are things that I've been meaning to make anyway to calibrate
'bot performance when making mechanical or software changes, so it would be
a good opportunity to quit procrastinating.  Some, like the corrugated
panel and carpeting, are just junk that I have laying around.

The point of this event is to maximize participation.  I've gone back and
looked over the postings on last year's robot games.  I think Cliff pointed
out that the obstacle course looked hokey because people were throwing
shoes and socks in the arena.  Stan didn't participate because the rules
weren't posted clearly and well in advance.  These are points well taken.

Although my 'bot was fully functional, and I had planned to attend, I
didn't; because when the rules were finally posted, the stair climbing
portion of the obstacle course seemed to call for a 2" leg lift, and my
'bot couldn't make it without hours of rework.  I figured it would be a
DNF.  That was a mistake:  I should have participated anyway.  The point is
that if you make the rules too precise you exclude participants; hence an
adjustable stair climb that can accommodate the legginess of the 'bot.  Or
no stair climb at all if the 'bot doesn't do stair climbs.  I would rather
err a little bit on the side of hokiness if we could attract a participant
with a 'bot that could wander the arena using dead-reckoning and wind up
anywhere near its starting point.  On the other hand, we would have some
toys handy so the shoes and socks wouldn't be necessary if somebody wanted
to show off their 'bot's obstacle avoidance prowess.

My biggest worry in all of this is how to ensure that the maximum
participation is achieved while simultaneously making sure that all the
'bots get a satisfying workout.  This is where I'll really need some help
and feedback.  Is it unrealistic to attempt a modifiable arena if this is
only a one-day event?  How many participants should be anticipated?  Should
we try to get an advance estimate by e-mail polling or pre-registration?
Auto clubs are doing this now for inter and intra-club race events.  Are
all the events running sequentially or concurrently?  So let's hear from
those of you with some experience.  I've only attended one robot event:
the Japanese Sumo Challenge.  This was a straightforward elimination event
that only took a couple of hours, including some pre-demonstrations and
some exciting 'bot free-for-alls and 'bot-human shoving matches after the
main event.

Finally, what is the reason I want to do this event?  I've been working on
my robot for years.  I started out with only CMOS logic gates for control
and actually achieved some things that could only be accomplished by
somebody who didn't know any better.  I've had to completely start over
when my surplus supplier of linear stepper-motors went out of business:
new mechanical design, new electronics, the works.  I think I started the
whole thing in 1993.  Anyway, in all that time, I never saw a real, honest
'bot in the round until I went to a Home-Brew Robotics Society meeting
sometime in '98.  What I saw there was about as far along as what I was
working on at the time.  I've seen a few more at S.F.R.S.A. meetings.  I
saw maybe two dozen 'bots at the Sumo event, and they resembled my 'bot
about as much as a bulldozer resembles a cockroach.  I was really excited
that the Alan Alda TV special was showing a "robo-roach," and was
incredulous when it turned out that the damn thing couldn't even stand up,
let alone walk.  My 'bot could run circles around it.  If you listen to the
news media, you would think that robots are as common as pigeon droppings,
but it's not so.  Functioning, autonomous robots are very, very, very thin
on the ground.  My wife and I joke about the family 'bot and the
neighborhood 'bot; but really, we don't know any other family or
neighborhood that has a 'bot, and I suspect ours is the only one in town.
If you have one, you are about 3+ standard deviations out there on some
scale that psychometrics has yet to identify.  But I know those 'bots are
lurking somewhere.  Maybe they're all up in Seattle, I don't know.  What I
do know is that I want to see them in action, and it looks like the easiest
way to do that is to host this event.

John Zeissig

<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>

<mailto:jZeissig@...>


To see an older version of the 'bot <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>

Ya, not many online members like to talk much here, but those that are
concerned enough do I guess. I suspect many are listening though which is
more important. Bring your artwork to the meeting because there a many there
that still have not subscribed to sfrsa@egroups (including our president)
Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeanette Eya-Zeissig <jzeissig@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games


> Thanks for the response, Joe.  I plan to be at the meeting on Wednesday.
> (BTW, this is John.)  I don't really have much time or ego invested in the
> Logo thing.  I just thought it would be fun to do a robot motif using the
> Club initials.  I knew from previous posts that someone was working on a
> t-shirt design but hadn't  seen anything about it since.  This discussion
> group has been so quiet that I thought it might provoke some responses.  I
> didn't bother to put in any text relating it to the Annual Robot Games,
> although looking at my original post, it certainly looks as though that's
> what I was suggesting.  So, if anyone in the club wants to use it, tweak
it
> into something else, or whatever, it's OK with me.
>
> John Zeissig
>
>
>
> >Jeanette, (or John, you didn't specify)
> >
> >Those are gret ideas!
> >People have always brought there bots for show at the games but it would
be
> >nice if we officially anounce it. We should discuss incentives. I intend
to
> >bring my rover.
> >
> >Regarding your design: It  would good to bring it up at the meeting. As
far
> >as a show logo Toni Thomson has a design she has submitted and has
committed
> >seeing it through to the color seperations for T-shirt printing and all
that
> >other art stuff. Your design is more of a SFRSA logo, which might have
> >merit.
> >
>
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>
>
> <mailto:jZeissig@...>
>
>
> To see an older version of the 'bot
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

I agree... about everything!
We should have a robot show and tell floor exercise open program. Perhaps as
a filler between heats. But like I said, we've always done that but not
officially.
I'm glad your enthusiastic about making all the fixtures for this event. It
would be good to establish and document an official format so that when you
no longer care to present this event in future games that it can be
recreated easily by someone that has been assigned to it a month before the
show - it happens (beentheredonethat). Oh ya, and be prepared to provide
storage this setup in for eternity. So something with a handle and wheels
would be handy.
Very good ideas about the customized arena

A selected clipping from your message:
> and feedback.  Is it unrealistic to attempt a modifiable arena if this is
> only a one-day event?  How many participants should be anticipated?
Should
> we try to get an advance estimate by e-mail polling or pre-registration?
> Auto clubs are doing this now for inter and intra-club race events.  Are
> all the events running sequentially or concurrently?  So let's hear from
> those of you with some experience.  I've only attended one robot event:

Exactly! How many? But few people respond, but will complain if not informed
with due time.

I hope I don't come across sarcastic. I don't mean to be. I am just
communicating my experiences. I too want to improve the event. I am very
enthusiastic about it. But I have learned that you can't push rope. So I
have taken the initiative on several items, of as much as I think can handle
(a known quantity) and will see it through. I think the key is to be
organized, documented and to have good PR. All this well in advanced of the
event. Talk is cheap so I try to spend a lot of it at the meetings and this
listgroup. I put as much spare energy into it as I feel a can afford for my
own enjoyment and hope that someday others with like passion will join in.


Joe



----- Original Message -----
From: Jeanette Eya-Zeissig <jzeissig@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games


> For my proposed event at the Robot Games, I think I would like to take on
> all comers that don't compete in the Sumo, Lego, or other win-lose events.
> There has been mention of some of the concerns that I brought up in my
> previous post on the Seattle Robot Society discussion group.  I hadn't
been
> aware of these when I did the post.
>
> The S.R.S. list of events for Robothon 2001 shows a floor exercise event
> which is just a 10' square enclosed arena with a smooth floor.
> Participants can launch their 'bots for 5 min. sessions to show what they
> can do.  The emphasis is on autonomous robots, but they are not
restricting
> participation to that category.  This would certainly be easy to
implement.
>
> I think we could spice this up by providing some portable/adjustable
> accessories that participants could use to customize the arena.  What I
> have in mind is:
>
> a) an adjustable-slope ramp to test climbing ability and traction
>
> b) a section of carpet or astroturf
>
> c) an adjustable step height staircase
>
> d) a gravel/rock/or sand pan
>
> e) a shallow water hazard/pan
>
> f) a set of moveable block/post obstacles
>
> g) a section of corrugated roofing panel
>
> h) anything else that a participant wants to lug to the arena as
> long as
>    they are willing to take it away again upon request.  (Tall grass is
>    a wonderfully amusing challenge for my walker, but I can't think of
>    any way to incorporate it in this context.)
>
> Most of these are things that I've been meaning to make anyway to
calibrate
> 'bot performance when making mechanical or software changes, so it would
be
> a good opportunity to quit procrastinating.  Some, like the corrugated
> panel and carpeting, are just junk that I have laying around.
>
> The point of this event is to maximize participation.  I've gone back and
> looked over the postings on last year's robot games.  I think Cliff
pointed
> out that the obstacle course looked hokey because people were throwing
> shoes and socks in the arena.  Stan didn't participate because the rules
> weren't posted clearly and well in advance.  These are points well taken.
>
> Although my 'bot was fully functional, and I had planned to attend, I
> didn't; because when the rules were finally posted, the stair climbing
> portion of the obstacle course seemed to call for a 2" leg lift, and my
> 'bot couldn't make it without hours of rework.  I figured it would be a
> DNF.  That was a mistake:  I should have participated anyway.  The point
is
> that if you make the rules too precise you exclude participants; hence an
> adjustable stair climb that can accommodate the legginess of the 'bot.  Or
> no stair climb at all if the 'bot doesn't do stair climbs.  I would rather
> err a little bit on the side of hokiness if we could attract a participant
> with a 'bot that could wander the arena using dead-reckoning and wind up
> anywhere near its starting point.  On the other hand, we would have some
> toys handy so the shoes and socks wouldn't be necessary if somebody wanted
> to show off their 'bot's obstacle avoidance prowess.
>
> My biggest worry in all of this is how to ensure that the maximum
> participation is achieved while simultaneously making sure that all the
> 'bots get a satisfying workout.  This is where I'll really need some help
> and feedback.  Is it unrealistic to attempt a modifiable arena if this is
> only a one-day event?  How many participants should be anticipated?
Should
> we try to get an advance estimate by e-mail polling or pre-registration?
> Auto clubs are doing this now for inter and intra-club race events.  Are
> all the events running sequentially or concurrently?  So let's hear from
> those of you with some experience.  I've only attended one robot event:
> the Japanese Sumo Challenge.  This was a straightforward elimination event
> that only took a couple of hours, including some pre-demonstrations and
> some exciting 'bot free-for-alls and 'bot-human shoving matches after the
> main event.
>
> Finally, what is the reason I want to do this event?  I've been working on
> my robot for years.  I started out with only CMOS logic gates for control
> and actually achieved some things that could only be accomplished by
> somebody who didn't know any better.  I've had to completely start over
> when my surplus supplier of linear stepper-motors went out of business:
> new mechanical design, new electronics, the works.  I think I started the
> whole thing in 1993.  Anyway, in all that time, I never saw a real, honest
> 'bot in the round until I went to a Home-Brew Robotics Society meeting
> sometime in '98.  What I saw there was about as far along as what I was
> working on at the time.  I've seen a few more at S.F.R.S.A. meetings.  I
> saw maybe two dozen 'bots at the Sumo event, and they resembled my 'bot
> about as much as a bulldozer resembles a cockroach.  I was really excited
> that the Alan Alda TV special was showing a "robo-roach," and was
> incredulous when it turned out that the damn thing couldn't even stand up,
> let alone walk.  My 'bot could run circles around it.  If you listen to
the
> news media, you would think that robots are as common as pigeon droppings,
> but it's not so.  Functioning, autonomous robots are very, very, very thin
> on the ground.  My wife and I joke about the family 'bot and the
> neighborhood 'bot; but really, we don't know any other family or
> neighborhood that has a 'bot, and I suspect ours is the only one in town.
> If you have one, you are about 3+ standard deviations out there on some
> scale that psychometrics has yet to identify.  But I know those 'bots are
> lurking somewhere.  Maybe they're all up in Seattle, I don't know.  What I
> do know is that I want to see them in action, and it looks like the
easiest
> way to do that is to host this event.
>
> John Zeissig
>
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>
>
> <mailto:jZeissig@...>
>
>
> To see an older version of the 'bot
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

One way to structure contest rules is to give points for each of the
tasks... if a robot can not do a particular task... is misses those points,
but can still score with the things it can do.

Paul F. Grayson - Chief Engineer
AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC
1892 Pinewood Ave.
Traverse City, MI 49684-9022
(231) 946-0187, FAX (231) 946-1122
pgrayson@...
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeanette Eya-Zeissig <jzeissig@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 1:53 AM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games


> For my proposed event at the Robot Games, I think I would like to take on
> all comers that don't compete in the Sumo, Lego, or other win-lose events.
> There has been mention of some of the concerns that I brought up in my
> previous post on the Seattle Robot Society discussion group.  I hadn't
been
> aware of these when I did the post.
>
> The S.R.S. list of events for Robothon 2001 shows a floor exercise event
> which is just a 10' square enclosed arena with a smooth floor.
> Participants can launch their 'bots for 5 min. sessions to show what they
> can do.  The emphasis is on autonomous robots, but they are not
restricting
> participation to that category.  This would certainly be easy to
implement.
>
> I think we could spice this up by providing some portable/adjustable
> accessories that participants could use to customize the arena.  What I
> have in mind is:
>
> a) an adjustable-slope ramp to test climbing ability and traction
>
> b) a section of carpet or astroturf
>
> c) an adjustable step height staircase
>
> d) a gravel/rock/or sand pan
>
> e) a shallow water hazard/pan
>
> f) a set of moveable block/post obstacles
>
> g) a section of corrugated roofing panel
>
> h) anything else that a participant wants to lug to the arena as
> long as
>    they are willing to take it away again upon request.  (Tall grass is
>    a wonderfully amusing challenge for my walker, but I can't think of
>    any way to incorporate it in this context.)
>
> Most of these are things that I've been meaning to make anyway to
calibrate
> 'bot performance when making mechanical or software changes, so it would
be
> a good opportunity to quit procrastinating.  Some, like the corrugated
> panel and carpeting, are just junk that I have laying around.
>
> The point of this event is to maximize participation.  I've gone back and
> looked over the postings on last year's robot games.  I think Cliff
pointed
> out that the obstacle course looked hokey because people were throwing
> shoes and socks in the arena.  Stan didn't participate because the rules
> weren't posted clearly and well in advance.  These are points well taken.
>
> Although my 'bot was fully functional, and I had planned to attend, I
> didn't; because when the rules were finally posted, the stair climbing
> portion of the obstacle course seemed to call for a 2" leg lift, and my
> 'bot couldn't make it without hours of rework.  I figured it would be a
> DNF.  That was a mistake:  I should have participated anyway.  The point
is
> that if you make the rules too precise you exclude participants; hence an
> adjustable stair climb that can accommodate the legginess of the 'bot.  Or
> no stair climb at all if the 'bot doesn't do stair climbs.  I would rather
> err a little bit on the side of hokiness if we could attract a participant
> with a 'bot that could wander the arena using dead-reckoning and wind up
> anywhere near its starting point.  On the other hand, we would have some
> toys handy so the shoes and socks wouldn't be necessary if somebody wanted
> to show off their 'bot's obstacle avoidance prowess.
>
> My biggest worry in all of this is how to ensure that the maximum
> participation is achieved while simultaneously making sure that all the
> 'bots get a satisfying workout.  This is where I'll really need some help
> and feedback.  Is it unrealistic to attempt a modifiable arena if this is
> only a one-day event?  How many participants should be anticipated?
Should
> we try to get an advance estimate by e-mail polling or pre-registration?
> Auto clubs are doing this now for inter and intra-club race events.  Are
> all the events running sequentially or concurrently?  So let's hear from
> those of you with some experience.  I've only attended one robot event:
> the Japanese Sumo Challenge.  This was a straightforward elimination event
> that only took a couple of hours, including some pre-demonstrations and
> some exciting 'bot free-for-alls and 'bot-human shoving matches after the
> main event.
>
> Finally, what is the reason I want to do this event?  I've been working on
> my robot for years.  I started out with only CMOS logic gates for control
> and actually achieved some things that could only be accomplished by
> somebody who didn't know any better.  I've had to completely start over
> when my surplus supplier of linear stepper-motors went out of business:
> new mechanical design, new electronics, the works.  I think I started the
> whole thing in 1993.  Anyway, in all that time, I never saw a real, honest
> 'bot in the round until I went to a Home-Brew Robotics Society meeting
> sometime in '98.  What I saw there was about as far along as what I was
> working on at the time.  I've seen a few more at S.F.R.S.A. meetings.  I
> saw maybe two dozen 'bots at the Sumo event, and they resembled my 'bot
> about as much as a bulldozer resembles a cockroach.  I was really excited
> that the Alan Alda TV special was showing a "robo-roach," and was
> incredulous when it turned out that the damn thing couldn't even stand up,
> let alone walk.  My 'bot could run circles around it.  If you listen to
the
> news media, you would think that robots are as common as pigeon droppings,
> but it's not so.  Functioning, autonomous robots are very, very, very thin
> on the ground.  My wife and I joke about the family 'bot and the
> neighborhood 'bot; but really, we don't know any other family or
> neighborhood that has a 'bot, and I suspect ours is the only one in town.
> If you have one, you are about 3+ standard deviations out there on some
> scale that psychometrics has yet to identify.  But I know those 'bots are
> lurking somewhere.  Maybe they're all up in Seattle, I don't know.  What I
> do know is that I want to see them in action, and it looks like the
easiest
> way to do that is to host this event.
>
> John Zeissig
>
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>
>
> <mailto:jZeissig@...>
>
>
> To see an older version of the 'bot
<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>
>
>
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

----- Original Message -----

From: Roger Gilbertson

To: tonitt@...

Cc: joe@... ; jason@... ; robotman@... ; BSmallridge@...

Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 3:52 PM

Subject: RE: [sfrsa] Workshop dates & other business

Hi Toni and all

Thanks for the rules. If they're the most current put them up (perhaps run them by Bill H for his comparison...). Do we also want to do the Regular Sumo (non radio controlled?) We do expect Fuji back again in March so we want to keep up the habit.

We should also add Joe's suggestion of some of the Lego events, the line following event from the Homebrew group, and any other events that we can get a champion behind.

Also, the AIBO community should get tapped into. I believe we can get Sony to mail a note to their AIBO owners about any kind of doggie fair we might create. It could include more "fair" stuff than "clinic" stuff...

The ornaments sound great! Perhasp we can build some little trophies - Robot Store has quite a few little Lost In Space robots that could be mounted to bases... Plus we need a source for ribbons, as every kid that enters should get something to take home.

Ciao!

Roger G

Hi, guys! Enclosed is a copy of the Sumo Rules I had posted on the SFRSA site in 1998 and, I think, last year. I think I got them from Jason.

Do you want these rules posted for this year? If so, let me know so I can create the necessary links for people to find them on the site. Alternatively, Bill Harrison has the Northwest rules posted at <http://www.sinerobotics.com/sumo/>http://www.sinerobotics.com/sumo/. Do you want to use these instead? We got a bit of criticism last year for not having our events & rules clearly posted, so I would like to see if we can do a better job on that end this year. Let me know planned events & rules, if possible, by Tuesday evening or tell Cliff at the meeting so he can follow up as necessary while I'm gone.

By the way, we went to the Aibo clinic today - that's exactly what it was! Sadly, not an expo, thought there were some neat goings-on. We ran into Kyle & his dad there and they got really excited when I told them about the Sumo Robot Workshops in September! Nice work, Joe!!!

Oh, one other miscellaneous item. I got 4 of the Hallmark Robot 2000 Christmas Tree Ornaments for prizes for the Sumo event that I thought might be fun to present to some of the younger contestants. The bots are articulated and really neat! Cliff will bring one to the meeting so you can see it.

Later!

Toni

_____________________________________

Spend a happy Sunday afternoon at the San Francisco Exploratorium watching tiny Sumo robots compete by pushing each other out of a 5 foot diameter ring using brute strength, brilliant programming, sensors, etc.

Official FUJI All Japan Rules for Sumo Matches

The Rules have been modified for SFRSA contests to accommodate the local conditions of the SFRSA contests. These changes are noted in red italics in the relevant rules.

Section 1. Definition of the Sumo Match

Article 1. The match shall be fought by the two teams (one team consisting of one robot with two players, one of which is a leader), according to these Rules for Sumo matches (hereafter called "these Rules"), with each team's robot made by each team (either a radio-controlled model or a stand-alone model) competing to get the effective points (hereafter called Yuhkoh), within the perimeter of the defined Sumo Ring. The judges will decide which team wins. (SFRSA Note: There are no RC contests held in SFRSA SUMO)

Section 2. Requirements for Ring Area

Article 2. The Ring Area means the Sumo Ring and the space outside the Ring. Anywhere outside this Ring Area is called Outer Area.

Article 3.

1. The Ring shall be in circular shape with its height being 5cm and its diameter 154cm (including the outside of the line that divides the inside of the Ring from its outside.) The Ring shall be of black hard rubber (made by Toyo Linoleum: long vinyl sheet NC HR289) adhered on top of aluminum plate.

2. Shikiri lines (where robots stand at the beginning of the match) are the two parallel lines with 20cm. distance between the lines, drawn in the center of the ring. The Shikiri fines are painted in brown. 2cm wide and 20cm long.

3. The Ring shall be marked by a white circular line of 5cm thickness. The Ring is within the outside of this circular line.

Article 4. There should be the space of more than 100cm wide outside the outer side of the Ring. This space can be of any colour except white, and can be of any material or shape, as long as the basic concept of these rules are observed.

Section 3. Requirements for Robots

Article 5. (Specifications)

1. A robot must be in such a size that it can be put in a box of 20cm wide and 20 cm. deep. A robot can be of any height. A robot must not be in such a design that its body will be physically separated into pieces when a match starts. The robot with such a design shall lose the match. The design to stretch a robot's body or its parts shall be allowed. Screws or nuts (each within one cubic centimeter) falling off from a robot's body shall not cause loss of a match.

2. The weight of a robot must be under 3000 grams including the attachments and parts, but excluding the weight of a proportional system (hereafter called "Prop") for radio controlled models.

3. The radio frequencies for radio-controlled robots must be either 27MHz (1-6 bands) or 40MHz (61, 63, 65,69 bands). 40 MHz (71-83 bands) cannot be used. (SFRSA Sumo is autonomous robots only - no remote control)

4. The Prop must be one of Fubata's, JR's, Sanwa's or Kondo Kagaku's. Only one Prop can be used for one robot.

5. For stand-alone robots, any control mechanisms can be employed.

6. Stand-alone models must be so designed that a robot starts operating five seconds after a start switch (or any switch that invokes the operation of a robot) is pressed.

7. Microcomputers in a robot can be of any manufacture and any memory size can be chosen.

"Don'ts" in manufacturing a robot

Article 6.

1. Do not disturb your opponent's radio-control by putting into a robot's body such devises as a jamming device.

2. Do not use parts that could break or damage the Ring.

3. Do not put into a robot's body devices that can store liquid, powder, or air and throw it to the opponent.

4. Do not use any inflaming devices.

5. Do not use devices that throw things at your opponent.

6. Do not stick a robot down into the Ring, using sucking devices or glue.

Section 4. How to Carry Sumo Matches

Article 7.

(SFRSA Rules: The contest consists of a series of round-robin matches in which every robot is matched against all other robots. One point is assigned to the winner, zero to the loser. One-half point is assigned to each contestant in a tie. After all matches, the best score wins. In the event of a tie, an elimination round is played among the tied robots until one winner results)

1. One match shall consist of 3 games.

2. The team who received two "Yuhkoh" points first, within the time limit shall win the match. When the time limit is reached, and one of the teams has received only one Yuhkoh point, the team with the one Yuhkoh point shall win.

3. When the match is not won by either team within the time limit, the extended match shall be fought during which the team who receives the first Yuhkoh point shall win.

However, the winner/loser of the match may be decided by judges or by means of lots, or there can be a rematch.

4. One Yuhkoh point shall be given to the winner when the Judges' decision was called for or lots were employed.

Section 5. Start, Stop, Resume, End a Match

(Start)

Article 8. With the chief judge's instructions, the two teams bow in the Outer Ring and go into the Ring Area,
place A robot on or behind the Shikiri fine or the imaginary extended Shikiri line. (A robot or a part of a robot may
not be placed beyond the Shikiri fine toward the opponent.) A match starts with the following rules:

1. For radio-controlled robots, starting operating a Prop when the chief judge announces the start of a match.

2. For stand-alone robots, be ready to press a start switch. Press the switch when the chief judge announces the start of a match. After 5 seconds, the robot starts operating, before which players must clear out of the Ring Area.

(Stop, Resume)

Article 9. The match stops and resumes when a judge announces so.

(End)

Article 10. The match ends when the chief judge announces so. The two teams bring the robots out of the Ring Area, and bow.

Section 6. Time of Match

(Time of Match)

Article 11. One Match will be fought for 3 minutes, starting and ending by the chief judge's announcements. For stand-alone robots, the clock shall start ticking 5 seconds after the start switch is pressed.

Article 12. An extended match shall be for 3 minutes.

Article 13. The following are not included in the time of the Match:

1. The time elapsed after the chief judge announces Yuhkoh and before the match resumes. 30 seconds shall be the standard before the match resumes.

2. The time elapsed after a judge announces to stop the match and before the match resumes.

Section 7. Yuhkoh (Scoring)

Article 14. One Yuhkoh point shall be given when:

1. You have legally forced the body of your opponent's robot to touch the spare outside the Ring.

2. A Yuhkoh point is also given in the following cases:

(1) Your opponents robot has touched the space outside the Ring, on its own reasons.

(2) Either of the above takes place at the same time that the End of the Match is announced.

3. When a robot has fallen on the Ring or in similar conditions. Yuhkoh will not be counted and the match continues.

4. When judge's decision is called for to decide the winner, the following points will be taken into consideration:

(1) Technical merits in movement and operation of a robot.

(2) Penalty points during the match.

(3) Attitude of the players during the match.

5. The match shall be stopped and a rematch shall start when:

(1) Both robots are in clinch and stop movement for 30 seconds, or move in the same orbit for 30 seconds.

(2) Both robots move or stop for 30 seconds without touching each other. If one robot stops its movement for 30 seconds, he shall be considered not having the will to fight, and the opponent shall receive a Yuhkoh.

(3) Both robots, at the same instance, touch the space outside the Ring.

Section 8. Violations

Article 15. If the players perform the deeds as described in Articles 6, 16, and 17, the players shall be declared as
violating the rules.

Article 16. The player utters insulting words to the opponent or to the judges, put voice device in a robot, or write insulting words on the body of a robot, for the same effect.

Article 17. A player:

1. Enters into the Ring during the match, except when the player does so to bring the robot out of the Ring upon the chief judge's announcement of Yuhkoh or stopping the match.

To enter the Ring means:

1 .

(1) A part of the player's body is in the Ring, or

(2) A player puts any mechanical kits into the Ring to support his/her body.

2. Performs the following deeds:

(1) Demand to stop the match without appropriate reasons.

(2) Take more than 30 seconds before resuming the match.

(3) Start operating the robot before the chief judge announces the start of the match (for stand-alone robots).

(4) Start operating the robot within 5 seconds after the chief judge announces the start of the match (for stand- alone robots).

(5) Do or say that which should disgrace the fairness of the match.

Section 9. Penalties

Article 18. Those who -violate the rules with the deeds described in Articles 6 and 16 shall lose the match. The judge shall give two Yuhkoh points to the opponent and order the violator to clear out. The violator is not honoured with any rights.

Article 19. Each occasion of the violations described in Article 17 shall be accumulated. Two of these violations shall give one Yuhkoh to the opponent.

Article 20. The violations described in Article 17 shall be accumulated throughout one match.



Section 10. Injuries and Accidents during the Match

(Request to stop the match)

Article 21. A player can request to stop the game when he/she is injured or his/her robot had an accident and the game cannot continue.

(Unable to continue the match)

Article 22. When the game cannot continue due to player's injury or robot's accident, the player who is the cause of such injury or accident loses the match. When it is not clear which team is such a cause, the player who cannot continue the game, or who requests to stop the game, shall be declared as a loser.

(Time required to handle injury/accident)

Article 23. Whether the game should continue in case of injury or accident shall be decided by the judges and the Committee members. The decision process shall take no longer than five minutes.

(Yuhkoh given to the player who cannot continue)

Article 24. The winner decided based on Article 22 shall gain two Yuhkoh points. The loser who already gained one Yuhkoh point is recorded as such. When the situation under Article 22 takes place during an extended match, the winner shall gain one Yuhkoh point.

Section 11. Declaring Objections

Article 25. No objections shall be declared against the judges' decisions.

Article 26. The lead player can declare objections to the Committee before the match is over, if there are any doubts in exercising these rules.

Section 12. Requirements for Identifications for Robots

(Identifications for Robots)

Article 27. Identifications for robots shall be of red colour for the East players, blue for the West. Two seals for identification (2cm in diameter) must be adhered to the body of a robot. (Not applicable to SFRSA competitions)

Section 13. Miscellaneous

(Flexibility of Rules)

Article 28. As long as the concept and fundamentals of the rules are observed, the rules shall be so flexible that they will be able to encompass the changes in the number of players and of the contents of matches.

(Change in Rules)

Article 29. Any change to or obsolescence of these rules shall be decided by the General Committee Meeting based on the Sumo Match Committee Rules.-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Miller [mailto:joe@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 10:39 AM
To: sfrsa@egroups.com
Subject: [sfrsa] Workshop dates

To all,
Dates have be secured for the mini sumo robot workshops. Sept. 10,17 and 24th at the Exploritorium Classroom from 1 to 4PM.

Details are still being formed. Suggestions are welcome. This is what I have so far.

Workshop cost is $85 (subject to change), which covers the cost of a Marvin Slyder parts kit (IROD sensors not included) and motors. Currently there are 8 kits are available. I will purchase these and add motors to the kit. The purchasing of a kit through me is pretty much all that is required to attend the workshop. I will entertain other ideas. It will be first come first serve. See me at the next meeting were I will hash out more details (Wed Aug 2nd - 7:30 PM at the Exploritorium).

I'd like to point out that the kits are assembled by Marvin Green and myself as a non-profit activity to promote involvement in the art and science of robot building, any extra funds, if any, will be donated to the Exporitorium.

I will post the most up to date info at my website followed by the SFRSA site.
<http://www.positivelogic.net>www.positivelogic.net

Joe


<http://click.egroups.com/1/6210/0/_/13629/_/964766500/>


Be sure to visit our web site at <http://www.robots.org.>http://www.robots.org.

...../\ /\ /\
....//\\//\\//\\ Mondo-tronics, Inc. Phone: 415-491-4600
///// // // ///// PMB-N, 4286 Redwood Hwy Fax: 415-491-4696
....\\//\\//\\// San Rafael, CA 94903 Email: info@...
.....\/ \/ \/ USA http://www.robotstore.com
TOLL FREE Order Line 8 AM - 6 PM: 800-374-5764

Good idea for an open class event. But then an open class event could be so
wide that defined tasks may be too limiting. How about award classes for
most original, best engineered, best stupid-robot-trick, etc, etc.

Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul F. Grayson <pgrayson@...>
To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 11:02 PM
Subject: Re: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games


> One way to structure contest rules is to give points for each of the
> tasks... if a robot can not do a particular task... is misses those
points,
> but can still score with the things it can do.
>
> Paul F. Grayson - Chief Engineer
> AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC
> 1892 Pinewood Ave.
> Traverse City, MI 49684-9022
> (231) 946-0187, FAX (231) 946-1122
> pgrayson@...
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jeanette Eya-Zeissig <jzeissig@...>
> To: <sfrsa@egroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 1:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [sfrsa] Annual Robot Games
>
>
> > For my proposed event at the Robot Games, I think I would like to take
on
> > all comers that don't compete in the Sumo, Lego, or other win-lose
events.
> > There has been mention of some of the concerns that I brought up in my
> > previous post on the Seattle Robot Society discussion group.  I hadn't
> been
> > aware of these when I did the post.
> >
> > The S.R.S. list of events for Robothon 2001 shows a floor exercise event
> > which is just a 10' square enclosed arena with a smooth floor.
> > Participants can launch their 'bots for 5 min. sessions to show what
they
> > can do.  The emphasis is on autonomous robots, but they are not
> restricting
> > participation to that category.  This would certainly be easy to
> implement.
> >
> > I think we could spice this up by providing some portable/adjustable
> > accessories that participants could use to customize the arena.  What I
> > have in mind is:
> >
> > a) an adjustable-slope ramp to test climbing ability and traction
> >
> > b) a section of carpet or astroturf
> >
> > c) an adjustable step height staircase
> >
> > d) a gravel/rock/or sand pan
> >
> > e) a shallow water hazard/pan
> >
> > f) a set of moveable block/post obstacles
> >
> > g) a section of corrugated roofing panel
> >
> > h) anything else that a participant wants to lug to the arena as
> > long as
> >    they are willing to take it away again upon request.  (Tall grass is
> >    a wonderfully amusing challenge for my walker, but I can't think of
> >    any way to incorporate it in this context.)
> >
> > Most of these are things that I've been meaning to make anyway to
> calibrate
> > 'bot performance when making mechanical or software changes, so it would
> be
> > a good opportunity to quit procrastinating.  Some, like the corrugated
> > panel and carpeting, are just junk that I have laying around.
> >
> > The point of this event is to maximize participation.  I've gone back
and
> > looked over the postings on last year's robot games.  I think Cliff
> pointed
> > out that the obstacle course looked hokey because people were throwing
> > shoes and socks in the arena.  Stan didn't participate because the rules
> > weren't posted clearly and well in advance.  These are points well
taken.
> >
> > Although my 'bot was fully functional, and I had planned to attend, I
> > didn't; because when the rules were finally posted, the stair climbing
> > portion of the obstacle course seemed to call for a 2" leg lift, and my
> > 'bot couldn't make it without hours of rework.  I figured it would be a
> > DNF.  That was a mistake:  I should have participated anyway.  The point
> is
> > that if you make the rules too precise you exclude participants; hence
an
> > adjustable stair climb that can accommodate the legginess of the 'bot.
Or
> > no stair climb at all if the 'bot doesn't do stair climbs.  I would
rather
> > err a little bit on the side of hokiness if we could attract a
participant
> > with a 'bot that could wander the arena using dead-reckoning and wind up
> > anywhere near its starting point.  On the other hand, we would have some
> > toys handy so the shoes and socks wouldn't be necessary if somebody
wanted
> > to show off their 'bot's obstacle avoidance prowess.
> >
> > My biggest worry in all of this is how to ensure that the maximum
> > participation is achieved while simultaneously making sure that all the
> > 'bots get a satisfying workout.  This is where I'll really need some
help
> > and feedback.  Is it unrealistic to attempt a modifiable arena if this
is
> > only a one-day event?  How many participants should be anticipated?
> Should
> > we try to get an advance estimate by e-mail polling or pre-registration?
> > Auto clubs are doing this now for inter and intra-club race events.  Are
> > all the events running sequentially or concurrently?  So let's hear from
> > those of you with some experience.  I've only attended one robot event:
> > the Japanese Sumo Challenge.  This was a straightforward elimination
event
> > that only took a couple of hours, including some pre-demonstrations and
> > some exciting 'bot free-for-alls and 'bot-human shoving matches after
the
> > main event.
> >
> > Finally, what is the reason I want to do this event?  I've been working
on
> > my robot for years.  I started out with only CMOS logic gates for
control
> > and actually achieved some things that could only be accomplished by
> > somebody who didn't know any better.  I've had to completely start over
> > when my surplus supplier of linear stepper-motors went out of business:
> > new mechanical design, new electronics, the works.  I think I started
the
> > whole thing in 1993.  Anyway, in all that time, I never saw a real,
honest
> > 'bot in the round until I went to a Home-Brew Robotics Society meeting
> > sometime in '98.  What I saw there was about as far along as what I was
> > working on at the time.  I've seen a few more at S.F.R.S.A. meetings.  I
> > saw maybe two dozen 'bots at the Sumo event, and they resembled my 'bot
> > about as much as a bulldozer resembles a cockroach.  I was really
excited
> > that the Alan Alda TV special was showing a "robo-roach," and was
> > incredulous when it turned out that the damn thing couldn't even stand
up,
> > let alone walk.  My 'bot could run circles around it.  If you listen to
> the
> > news media, you would think that robots are as common as pigeon
droppings,
> > but it's not so.  Functioning, autonomous robots are very, very, very
thin
> > on the ground.  My wife and I joke about the family 'bot and the
> > neighborhood 'bot; but really, we don't know any other family or
> > neighborhood that has a 'bot, and I suspect ours is the only one in
town.
> > If you have one, you are about 3+ standard deviations out there on some
> > scale that psychometrics has yet to identify.  But I know those 'bots
are
> > lurking somewhere.  Maybe they're all up in Seattle, I don't know.  What
I
> > do know is that I want to see them in action, and it looks like the
> easiest
> > way to do that is to host this event.
> >
> > John Zeissig
> >
> > <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>
> >
> > <mailto:jZeissig@...>
> >
> >
> > To see an older version of the 'bot
> <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> Be sure to visit our web site at http://www.robots.org.
>
>

>In response to your question about where the robots are:

>There are a handful of them I have seen in person.  They were roaming the
>halls, parking lot, and test range while I was there.

>http://www.spawar.navy.mil/robots

>Cybermotion has been very good at placing robot security guards in places
>they would rather not say.

>Helpmate has been so successful with their hospital delivery robot: HELPMATE
>that they were bought out by a hospital supply company.

>Paul F. Grayson - Chief Engineer
>AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC
>1892 Pinewood Ave.
>Traverse City, MI 49684-9022
>(231) 946-0187, FAX (231) 946-1122
>pgrayson@...

	 Well, (even though we have payed for them) I suppose it would be
pointless to ask the Navy if ROBART III, for example, can come out to play
at the Annual Robot Games. The following examples of beautifully
understated "bureaurocratese" from the spawar website suggest that ROBART
III could be a real crowd pleaser.

Netscape: ROBART I, II, III
http://www.spawar.navy.mil/robots/land/robart/robart.html#Robart3
Monday, July 31, 2000

  "The non-lethal-response weapon chosen for incorporation into the system
consists of a pneumatically powered dart gun capable of firing a variety of
3/16-inch diameter projectiles. The simulated tranquilizer darts were
developed to demonstrate a potential response application involving remote
firing of temporarily incapacitating rounds by law enforcement personnel.
The demonstration darts consist of a sharpened 20-gauge spring-steel wires
approximately 3 inches long and terminated with 3/16-inch plastic balls. A
rotating-barrel arrangement was incorporated to allow for multiple firings
(six) with minimal mechanical complexity. (The spinning-barrel mechanism
also imparts a rather sobering psychological message during system
initialization.)"

	 I suspect that getting stiched up the middle by all six darts might
provide an overdose of tranqs that would prove to be more than "temporarily
incapacitating." That final parenthetical, however, shows that these guys
are not just meatball engineers, but have a real sense of the dramatic
possibilities of ROBART III. The image of that spinning-barrel mechanism
has a quality unmatched even by the sound of a round being jacked into the
chanber of a pump action 12 guage.

  "Recently a research thrust has been started involving ROBART III in a
distributed master/slave network, partly to address the communication
degradation problem as ROBART III explores a building. A group of slave
robots would follow ROBART III into a building and be deployed at strategic
locations to serve as communication relays, rearguard lookouts, expendable
point men, or part of a distributed sensor network, preventing an intruder
from playing "hide-and-seek" with ROBART III. A fleet of ten Lynxmotion
Hexapod II walking robots (six-legged, twelve-servo hexapods featuring two
degrees-of-freedom per leg) are currently used to illustrate the
feasibility of the master/slave network. The small slave robots perform
collision-avoidance, wall-following, and doorway-detection routines using
algorithms similar to those running on ROBART III. For all other tasks, the
slaves react to information that has been gathered and preprocessed by
ROBART III."

	 I always wondered who was buying up all the Lynxmotion kits! But
seriously, to be competitive these days the average 'bot just can't make it
as a solo act.

	 Thanks for the response,

	 John Zeissig







<http://home.att.net/~jZeissig>

<mailto:jZeissig@...>


To see an older version of the 'bot <http://home.att.net/~jZeissig/Bot.html>