Re: An Idea for new Mindstorm

Citando Alexander Horoshilov <hor@xxxxxxx>:

 Hello,
 
 Recently, I had a good discussion (in Russian) about possible ideas for new
 Mindstorm products. I think, that these ideas are worthwhile to be published.
 Most of thinking is not mine, I just compiled the info.
 
 Basically, there are two principal ideas:
 
 1. Made new RCX brick do not depend on computer. It has to have ability to
 load
 program from some cheap media (flash/ROM memory chip, paper - like barcode
 scanner in #8479 or something like this)
 
 2. Along with some starter kit prepare a lot of expansion kits with (1)
 program
 ready to be plugged into RCX, (2) LEGO elements needed and (3) instructions.
 
 With such strategy a lot of benefits are possible:
 
 1. Cheaper starter kit(s). Since computer is not more required, interface to
 it
 may be separate option in additional kit. Starter kit itself may contain far
 less LEGO elements for several basic buidings only.
 
 2. Wider audience. To build "standard" robot no programming required at all.
 Plug ready-to-load program, attach LEGO bricks as shown at instruction. All
 building is not more complex than to make some medium-sized technic model.
 
 3. Another revenue source for TLC - selling expansion kits which are
 basically
 bricks and programs (as far as I know, LEGO didn't sell programs for RCX
 yet).
 
 With this schema all large kits which we have now can be splitted to many
 smaller (therefore cheaper and affordable) kits. Computer is not required,
 even
 program is already prepared and debugged - it will make the kits much more
 attractive to many people (a lot of them likes to build with instructions).
 It
 is why I think these kits must be more popular.
 
 All technical improvements are possible - they were decribed in many other
 threads and are not principal for this idea.
 
 WBR,
 Alexander Horoshilov
 


I'm not 100% sure, but I think that LEGO has already have something like a "non-
computer-dependent RCX" called MicroScout... It comes with the Droid 
Development Kit, I think... But, once again, I'm not sure...
The idea of making the unit independent from the computer is, as you can see, 
not new... But there's one thing I'd like to see: SD cards, like those which 
are used in digital cameras... It would make a lot more space available for our 
programs and we wouldn't need to delete the from the RCX if we wanted to 
replace them... But you would need a way to program the stuff inside the SD 
card... And that way is called computer... =S Having some kind of bar code 
programming is an interesting idea but, in my point of view, is not very 
effective: there would be LOTS of bar codes to digitalize if you wanted to make 
a decent program only out of factory-printed bar codes... If you wanted to 
simplify the whole thing by making and printing your own bar codes, you would 
surely be using a computer...
if there was something which used SD cards (when i say SD cards, i mean all 
those weird card formats that exist but i don't use, so i don't know their 
names =P ), it would be cool to have some pre-programmed cards for sale (or 
available for download)... and then, along with the cards, there could be some 
extra elements or sensors to build specific robots... =)
But, once again, i must say i don't know much about mindstorms... These are 
just the first thoughts that crossed my mind... =P
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