Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: kube@cs.UAlberta.CA (Ron Kube)
Subject: Re: "That's not robotics; that's toy building"
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References: <247cg1$9e4@wampyr.cc.uow.edu.au> <GERRY.93Aug10100832@onion.cmu.edu> <1993Aug12.190036.24847@phx.mcd.mot.com> <24gqla$9j4@bigguy.eng.ufl.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1993 20:14:05 GMT
Lines: 40


seed@joker.mil.ufl.edu (Steven Seed) writes:

>In article <1993Aug12.190036.24847@phx.mcd.mot.com> schuch@phx.mcd.mot.com (John Schuch) writes:

>(Some words of wisdom wipped out)

>>Forth, and finally. The machines built by hobbiests ARE robots. The only
>>real difference between theirs and yours is the scale of the mission, and
>>the scale of the budget. 
>>
>>
>>John
>>

>   Amen, Brother!!! Can I get an Amen from all of you out there?!!!

Amen!  When viewed by an outside observer, our multiple robot system
appears no different than a hobbyist's robot creation.  However, we have
beem able to create a system of 5 mobile robots for $1000 allowing us to
stretch our limited research dollars while investigating questions in
collective robotics.

The approach, which has been referred to by some as "TOY", had the added
benefit of captivating the imagination of our undergraduate students
and motivated them into persuing a graduate degree.  Remember that the
microprocessor didn't really take off until it became inexpensive enough
to be in the hands of engineers and hobbyists.   So may be the path of
the ubiquitous robot.

Ron
========================================================================
C. Ronald Kube                                                     
University of Alberta                                              
Robotics Research Laboratory
Department of Computing Science                                     
615 General Services Building            vv          kube@cs.ualberta.ca     
Edmonton, Alberta                       @,@          Tel: (403) 492-5113
CANADA  T6G 2H1                        ( * )         Fax: (403) 492-1071
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