Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!concert!decwrl!world!sje
From: sje@world.std.com (Steven J Edwards)
Subject: 1993.09 issue Computer Craft robot kit article
Message-ID: <CAxt22.9Lu@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 17:39:37 GMT
Lines: 25

The 1993.09 issue of _Computer Craft_ magazine has a Part One of an N part
article titled "Build A Real-World Work Robot".

This article covers the construction of the tractor base of the RONAR (tm)
robot.  The base is roughtly square, about 40 cm on a side and 15 cm high.
It uses two independent rubber tank-type tractor belts and includes all
axles, gears, belt pulleys, motors, and associated hardware.  The tractor
base includes storage for a pair of 12 V gel (or lead/acid) batteries that
are used to power the two 36 V heavy duty motors that drive the tread belt
assemblies.  No other hardware or software is covered in this article, but
plenty is promised for the future entries in the series.   Actually, just
about everything you could imagine is promised for the future articles
including RF data/control linkages, vision, and some kind of virtual reality
hook-up.

Best of all, parts for the housing and various subsystems are available from
a source listed at the end of the article.  A complete kit including the
metal housing can be had for US$269.95 plus S&H and it looks like it just 
might be worth it in time savings alone for the robotics enthusiast.

I'd like to hear what other experimenters think about the article.  I must
admit I'm sorely tempted to order one just to tinker around with it.

-- Steven (sje@world.std.com)

