Re: the crypt

Hi

JGCASEY wrote:
> I think robots are of little interest because
> essentially most of them don't do much

I read this and my first thought was "grrrrrr...
no! wrong! robots good! robots good!"

Then I started wondering if maybe you're right.
So that made me think, what exactly _can_ our
robots do? Hmmmm.

I started to make a list of what hobbiests' experimental
autonomous mobile robots can do, now. It's not so
easy. It has to be what they can really do, now. That's
what people see, that's what they are attracted to.

This is what I've come up with so far:

1. Maneuver.

Move around without getting stuck or
hitting things.

2. Navigate.

Go somewhere.

This would have to include everything like
line following, odometery, wall following,
GPS following, maze running, etc.

3. Acquire a target.

candle flames, ir beacons, bright lights, orange
traffic cones. maybe this is also navigation?

4. Pick and place something.

Grip or push things from one place to another.

5. Sumo.

Seems like it needs a class to itself.
Or is it just pick and place?

6. Soccer.

likewise. Or just team pick and place?


There are surely more but it seems like I can fit all the
things I've seen various hobby autonomous mobile robots
do in one of these categories. At least all I can think of at 2am.

But maybe this is really just 2 basic capabilities:

1. Navigate (includes maneuver and acquire)

2. Pick and Place. (includes sumo and soccer)

Is that right? We've built a bunch of mobile pick and
place machines? I need to sleep on this. <g>

best,
dpa

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