Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: mwd@walter (Mark Dalton)
Subject: Virtual Robotics course
Message-ID: <1994Oct22.235918.13679@walter.cray.com>
Summary: Help writing a virtual robotics course
Keywords: Robotics, tutorial, kit,course,education
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Nntp-Posting-Host: pajarito.cray.com
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Date: 22 Oct 94 23:59:18 CDT

I would like the comp.robotics/internet community to help in writing
up a WWW: Virtual Robotics course.  (No this is not some grand idea
I came up with, I am helping with a Cell Biology course in England, so
I cannot take credit for the concept).

I am very much open to suggestions/ideas/plans and HELP (^8.

This would be a way of helping the community, having a centralized course
(another place to point to for questions), a place to build on, and
a place to become 'known'.

Look for changes/updates at:
	http://lenti.med.umn.edu/~mwd/robot/robot-course.html
	http://lenti.med.umn.edu/~mwd/robot.html - for other info.

(The information below will be there).

Here is the basic Idea:

This is a attempt to put together some courses and kits that are not to
expensive for people to build. The idea is to set up a 'step-by-step'
guide to building various levels and styles of robots. Also in a easy
to read format, and advanced explaination of terms (we will need a
hyper-glosary and problably a short course on electronics). 

This could be used for 'new members' of the comp.robotics, kids that
want to learn, Robotics groups around the world, educational institutions,
and anyone that is just curious.  I don't want this to become a arguement
on the 'best way to build a robot', instead I want it to be a course
that teaches the basic concepts.  This is to enable others to become
'creative' and build their own robots, hopefully in non-conventional ways.

Please excuse my bias. I am VERY impressed with Mark Tildens work!!! 

"A course/kit for Robotics" Here are the different courses (ideally). 

   Course/Kit Level 1: 
      - Ideas anyone?? 
      - A simple 'cell', little 'radar'. 
      - Remote control car with a HC11 board. 
      - A small walker, just 6 legs, three move together.(pre-fab?) 
      - Edmund scientific kit??? 
      - Basic sensors - bump sensors, photosensors, sound. 
      - Build a robot from spare parts (old CD player, camera, tape-player)
   Course/Kit Level 2: 
      - Wheeled robot - Transitor based. 
      - Solar Robots. 
      - Build your own base - wheeled. CPU based. 
      - Build your own base - legged. CPU based. 
      - More complex sensing - 'intensities of the above senses' 
   Course/Kit Level 3: 
      - Advanced walking robots - transitor based (CPU only for planning) 
      - Advanced Sensors - vision, voice??, touch, pressure, temperature,
      'levelness', speed. 
   Course/Kit Level 4: 
      - Robot Communities (solar communities are cool). 
      - Cooperation between robots. 


Thanks!  You can e-mail me at: mwd@cray.com or mwd@lenti.med.umn.edu

Mark
--------
Mark Dalton
URL: http://lenti.med.umn.edu/~mwd/mwd.html
