[annevolve] DIY robots

[Mitchell Timin]

NY Times
July 13, 2006
Build a Robot of Your Own, Lickety-Split
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
You don’t need an engineering degree to build your own robot these
days; the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit comes with all the hardware and
software you need to whip up a working automaton in half an hour.
Lego Mindstorms NXT includes LabView software from National
Instruments, which lets robot makers program their machines by
dragging and dropping icons on the screen instead of writing code.
The software works with both Windows XP and recent versions of Mac OS
X. Bluetooth wireless signals are supported, so finished robots can
be controlled with compatible mobile phones.
The Lego Mindstorms NXT kit, which sells for about $250 and is aimed
at children age 10 and older, will arrive in stores early next month;
it can also be ordered at www.mindstorms.com. The Mindstorms kit
includes 519 Lego Technic building blocks; sound, light and touch
sensors; a 32-bit microprocessor called the NXT Intelligent Brick,
which serves as the robot’s brain; and several motors. Batteries,
however, are not included: six AA cells are required.
http://mindstorms.lego.com/?domainredir=www.mindstorms.com

I've heard about the Lego robots for the past decade or more. I don't
know what's new about the latest announcement. Perhaps there is more
for the money now.

I have no idea how difficult it would be to put ANN software into the
microprocessor. It might be interesting to build a math model of the
geometry & dynamics and then evolve an ANN to make them walk, or
navigate, or something.

m
--
I'm proud of http://ANNEvolve.sourceforge.net. If you want to write software, or articles, or do testing or research for ANNEvolve, let me know.




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[Nathan]

Now there's a project. Evolve an ANN that controls a lego robot to do
your bidding...or at least maybe climb up the stairs.

I'm getting almost 15 minutes of free time every day now. I may start
reading my email again...

~ Nathan

Post by Mitchell Timin

NY Times
July 13, 2006
Build a Robot of Your Own, Lickety-Split
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
You don't need an engineering degree to build your own robot these
days; the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit comes with all the hardware and
software you need to whip up a working automaton in half an hour.
Lego Mindstorms NXT includes LabView software from National
Instruments, which lets robot makers program their machines by
dragging and dropping icons on the screen instead of writing code.
The software works with both Windows XP and recent versions of Mac OS
X. Bluetooth wireless signals are supported, so finished robots can
be controlled with compatible mobile phones.
The Lego Mindstorms NXT kit, which sells for about $250 and is aimed
at children age 10 and older, will arrive in stores early next month;
it can also be ordered at www.mindstorms.com. The Mindstorms kit
includes 519 Lego Technic building blocks; sound, light and touch
sensors; a 32-bit microprocessor called the NXT Intelligent Brick,
which serves as the robot's brain; and several motors. Batteries,
however, are not included: six AA cells are required.
http://mindstorms.lego.com/?domainredir=www.mindstorms.com

I've heard about the Lego robots for the past decade or more. I don't
know what's new about the latest announcement. Perhaps there is more
for the money now.
I have no idea how difficult it would be to put ANN software into the
microprocessor. It might be interesting to build a math model of the
geometry & dynamics and then evolve an ANN to make them walk, or
navigate, or something.
m
--
I'm proud of http://ANNEvolve.sourceforge.net. If you want to write software, or articles, or do testing or research for ANNEvolve, let me know.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?
Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier
Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo
http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?
Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier
Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo
http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642

[Dave Harris]

Post by Mitchell Timin

NY Times
July 13, 2006
Build a Robot of Your Own, Lickety-Split
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
You don’t need an engineering degree to build your own robot these
days; the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit comes with all the hardware and
software you need to whip up a working automaton in half an hour.
Lego Mindstorms NXT includes LabView software from National
Instruments, which lets robot makers program their machines by
dragging and dropping icons on the screen instead of writing code.
The software works with both Windows XP and recent versions of Mac OS
X. Bluetooth wireless signals are supported, so finished robots can
be controlled with compatible mobile phones.
The Lego Mindstorms NXT kit, which sells for about $250 and is aimed
at children age 10 and older, will arrive in stores early next month;
it can also be ordered at www.mindstorms.com. The Mindstorms kit
includes 519 Lego Technic building blocks; sound, light and touch
sensors; a 32-bit microprocessor called the NXT Intelligent Brick,
which serves as the robot’s brain; and several motors. Batteries,
however, are not included: six AA cells are required.
http://mindstorms.lego.com/?domainredir=www.mindstorms.com

I've heard about the Lego robots for the past decade or more. I don't
know what's new about the latest announcement. Perhaps there is more
for the money now.
I have no idea how difficult it would be to put ANN software into the
microprocessor. It might be interesting to build a math model of the
geometry & dynamics and then evolve an ANN to make them walk, or
navigate, or something.

By another of those odd coincidences, I purchased a RIS (Robotic Invention
System) 2.0 last November on a lark. I started messing around with NQC
(not-quite-C) programming language and some Forth coding. Evolution might be
possible, the processor really has a lot of idle time. The NXT model is
supposed to be a significant step up in processing capacity.

Dave


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier
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http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263

[Mitchell Timin]

Post by Dave Harris

Post by Mitchell Timin

NY Times
July 13, 2006
Build a Robot of Your Own, Lickety-Split
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
You don’t need an engineering degree to build your own robot these
days; the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit comes with all the hardware and
software you need to whip up a working automaton in half an hour.
Lego Mindstorms NXT includes LabView software from National
Instruments, which lets robot makers program their machines by
dragging and dropping icons on the screen instead of writing code.
The software works with both Windows XP and recent versions of Mac OS
X. Bluetooth wireless signals are supported, so finished robots can
be controlled with compatible mobile phones.
The Lego Mindstorms NXT kit, which sells for about $250 and is aimed
at children age 10 and older, will arrive in stores early next month;
it can also be ordered at www.mindstorms.com. The Mindstorms kit
includes 519 Lego Technic building blocks; sound, light and touch
sensors; a 32-bit microprocessor called the NXT Intelligent Brick,
which serves as the robot’s brain; and several motors. Batteries,
however, are not included: six AA cells are required.
http://mindstorms.lego.com/?domainredir=www.mindstorms.com

I've heard about the Lego robots for the past decade or more. I don't
know what's new about the latest announcement. Perhaps there is more
for the money now.
I have no idea how difficult it would be to put ANN software into the
microprocessor. It might be interesting to build a math model of the
geometry & dynamics and then evolve an ANN to make them walk, or
navigate, or something.

By another of those odd coincidences, I purchased a RIS (Robotic Invention
System) 2.0 last November on a lark. I started messing around with NQC
(not-quite-C) programming language and some Forth coding. Evolution might be
possible, the processor really has a lot of idle time. The NXT model is
supposed to be a significant step up in processing capacity.

To do evolution you need a population of candidates, although in theory
that could be small, say 10 to 30. Now if you have only one robot, then
you would have to run it 10 times to get one generation of population 10.
Clearly, you could not go through a large number of generations.

But if you can model the important aspects of the robot for whatever
fitness function you have in mind, then you can evolve in the PC, and
just put one ANN into the robot.

m
--
I'm proud of http://ANNEvolve.sourceforge.net. If you want to write software, or articles, or do testing or research for ANNEvolve, let me know.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?
Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier
Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo
http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&b