Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!mixcom.com!Clint.Laskowski
From: Clint.Laskowski <Clint.Laskowski@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Subject: SQUIGGLE BALL INTELLIGENCE
Message-ID: <1993Jul4.050159.19322@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Sender: jjwwjj@mixcom.mixcom.com (Clint Laskowski)
Organization: Milwaukee Internet Xchange BBS, Milwaukee, WI (414) 241-5469
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 4 Jul 1993 05:01:59 GMT
Lines: 27


Today I was at a store and saw a children's toy called the Squiggle Ball.
It was great! It cost $7.99. It was a ball, about the size of a base
ball, with a battery, motor, and off-centered weight inside. When you 
turn it on and place it on the floor, it rolls around the floor by
itself. If it bumps into something or gets caught in a corner, it
quicky frees itself because the off-center weight causes it to 
travel in a new direction. I watched it for about 15 minutes and it
never got stuck, and this was in a very complex environment (i.e.,
a lot of junk on the floor :-)

Granted, it is only a child's toy, but I was impressed.

So, is this thing intelligent? Without considering the internal
operations, I'd say it was at least as intelligent as some of the
mobile robots we discuss hear in c.r at times.

This might be a great "pet pet" for those people who were looking
for something to keep their cat(s) amused.

- Clint
-- 
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CLINT LASKOWSKI                                           Home:  (414) 571-0739
435 Southtowne Drive, Apt. J-202                    Voice Mail:  (414) 778-7675
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53172          Internet: clint.laskowski@mixcom.com
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