robotics ?

[lazy_cod3R]

is there some sort of hardware we can buy that allows us to program it and make it move actual components. i dont know if anyone has seen it b4 but there is some thing along those lines which lego developed where it came with this box of IC's(which we would program) and it could actuually move the lego componets to say chase a cat around the house http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif, it was called lego robotics and we build the models and code the movments of our model in say visual c++('ehemm') http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif.
the only prob is this bad boy costs 600+, i was wondering if anyone has seen maybe a cheaper version of something mechanical(like this) which we can program but more to the cheaper side and not so toyish..

[Waffle_King]

are you thinking of lego mindstorms? they csost quite a bit less than $600, and there are actually a couple different languages you can use. I think the most popular one is NQC, search freshmeat for it.

[Butros]

Yeah Lego Mindstorms are rockin'

I think that is what you are referring to. They cost $199.00, and are available a lot of places. You can use the supplied software which is a gui windows app that allows dragging and dropping code. or there are the better alternatives such as NQC (not quite c) there are a variety of books out for them one by O'reily, and there are numerous home brew sensors and add-ons to do almost anything.

K'Nex just came out with a new set along the same lines, which are cheaper but less versitile.

Lego Mindstorms are really great, and would recommend them highly.

------------------
Error: Keyboard not attached. Press F1 to continue.

[lazy_cod3R]

sorry i was talking aus dollars http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif there is one for 499 and one for 695 ! http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/frown.gif i just found a site on the stuff.
yeh mindstorm is what i was talking about, it says it can be programmed using industry standard languages like visual delphi or c++ and also a few other things, it looks pretty good. there is alot of overhead tho, what i mean is to much other stuff comes with it that i really do not want, like the other lego parts, i was intrested in maybe just the software which allows u to program the chips, the chips themselves and just the essential mechanical parts that is directly controlled by the chips, so no other fancy gears and stuff.

is there anything like that, if not i might just try out the cheaper of the 2 mindstorms, it looks really interesting ...

[Stuka]

lazy-
Check out a magazine called Nuts&Volts. They run a regular column on robotics. I think the URL for their site is www.nutsvolts.com (http://www.nutsvolts.com) . Its a pretty cool place for electronic tinkerers of all types.

[YaRness]

wasn't there an article posted on /. (http://slashdot.org) about building a robot out of a palm pilot or something? slashdot is always posting weird sh!t like that.

------------------
"Assembly of Japanese bicycle require great peace of mind."
Registered Linux User #188285 http://counter.li.org/
------------------