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Is there any interest in a tiny scout-like brick?: msg#00070

hardware.lego.robotics

Subject: Is there any interest in a tiny scout-like brick?

I've been working on a tiny robot brick that I've nicknamed the "picoscout".
The goal is to fit the key features of the Scout brick (the blue one) in a
package the size of a light sensor. The plan is to have one pigtail for
power, and 2 electrical pads on the top AND bottom for a total of 2 sensor
inputs (probably touch only) and 2 motor outputs. I haven't quite figured
out how to let you choose which builtin program to run, but it will probably
be a recessed button on the bottom that you hold down when you apply power.

Besides tiny robots (limited more by the size of the 9v-battery box)
possible applications include a slave module for an RCX (put it on a motor
output, apply power when you want a standard drive/bump/turn robot, turn it
off when one of the RCX's three sensors see something and act with 2
remaining motors) or a touch-switch limted motor that cycles back and forth
(panning a sensor, for example). I'm also hoping to write a neural net
based learning program which will let you hook up the IO to any robot and
have it figure out how to avoid hitting things while still moving.

Anyway, I've returned to lugnet.robotics after a long hiatus to find, well,
everyone else is on hiatus! The robotics forum isn't hopping like it once
was. So I'm wondering if I should be buying enough parts to be able to sell
picoscouts to other enthusiasts, or if I should stick to my current supply
(enough for the big one on the breadboard, plus 2 finished size, muaha!).
Would anyone want to buy one of these? I can't see making it a kit (much
fiddly soldering) and even greatly undervaluing my assembly time they'd have
to cost $40-50. And eBay tells me you can get a real scout (maybe even an
RCX) for that much now.

Personally I think LEGO should ditch the microscout and the new blinky
vehicle crap and make these (which in volume they could do for $5-10 tops)
and include them in every set with a motor.
--
Did you check the web site first?: http://www.crynwr.com/lego-robotics



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