Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!news.moneng.mei.com!uwm.edu!mixcom.com!Clint.Laskowski
From: Clint Laskowski <Clint.Laskowski@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Subject: Re: LONWORKS sensing for robots and embedded appl.
Message-ID: <1994Mar18.145157.19447@mixcom.mixcom.com>
Sender: jjwwjj@mixcom.mixcom.com (Clint Laskowski)
Organization: Milwaukee Internet Xchange BBS, Milw, WI (414) 241-5469
References: <CMuA38.JoA@athena.ulaval.ca>
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 14:51:57 GMT
Lines: 30

In <CMuA38.JoA@athena.ulaval.ca> gaudreau@gel.ulaval.ca (Daniel Gaudreau)
writes:

>I would be interested to know if any R/D groups out there are doing work
>with the Echelon Corporation's LONWORKS system. (This system enables
>intelligent sensors to communicate between themselves and a computer in a
>"transparent" fashion, using just a pair of twisted wires. Thus elimating a
>couple of feet of wiring, etc...)

>We're thinking about using this system on our mobile-robot project in which
>we will use a lot of sensors, but we wonder if it has been done before and
>if the experience was successful. So any information regarding the use of
>Lonworks in robotics and/or >embedded applications would be very
>appreciated.

The biggest problem with LONWORKS is that it is sooo expensive for the
average hobbyist, researcher, etc. I think the development environment
costs about US$30,000. About a year ago I thought I heard several
companies were trying to develop much less expensive 3rd party development
environments for LONWORKS. You might want to call Toshiba or Motorola.
They make the LONWORKS chips.

But, you are right, LONWORKS seems like a really cool way to develop
mobile robot systems... I know I'd like to use them.



-- 
* CLINT LASKOWSKI            
* Internet: <clint.laskowski@mixcom.com>
