Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uunet!news.mtholyoke.edu!world!mabpburg
From: mabpburg@world.std.com (Mike A Brooksher)
Subject: Robotics Project
Message-ID: <Co15D0.60G@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 1994 06:14:59 GMT
Lines: 107

Subject: Robotics Project
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Organizayion: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Summary:
Keywords:
 
Last weekend I posted the question "would anyone be intersted in starting 
a group project".
I received 10 letters that showed a lot of interest.

	Regardless of what happens next I want to take a moment to thank 
all of you who sent mail !! It is very encouraging to see people from all 
over the globe sharing a common interest.

A little about myself,
	I am a 36 year old Manufacture Engineering student at Pittsburg 
State University, Pittsburg Kansas (USA). I must confess that many of the 
letters I received left me feeling under qualified to be involved in a 
project such as this. I don't want to mislead anyone. I am not acustomed 
to working with robots, I am not a programer, neither am I an electronics 
engineer. However I have been involved in a few research and development 
projects, and it this experiance that leads me to beleive that a project 
such as this can be successful. I will seek out suport for the group. I 
can also maintain a record of the groups activity and do whatever is 
possiable to keep everyone up to date on the projects status. This 
anouncement is the first step.

	Everyone who sent mail should have gotten a reply. If not then it 
is possiable that you just received it as I just sent the last few 
4/9/94. If you sent mail prior to 4/5/94 you should have gotten a reply. 
If not then either I never got it, or I sent it to the wrong address. As 
far as I know everyone has received a reply so let me know if there is a 
problem.

A little about you,
	So far as I mentioned before, We have received 10 letters showing 
interest in developing a robot. Some were more specific than others in 
what they were interested in doing. Many of you mentioned resources that 
you thought might become available as the group got underway, that's 
good!, more on that later. It looks to me like there is easily enough 
talent here to build almost any kind of robot that you wish. Here's a 
point I thought you might be interested in...

	We have 5 different countries involved,

	6 from the USA
	1 from CANADA
	1 from ITALY
	1 from AUSTRALIA
	1 from SWEDEN
We also have a news letter interested in follwoing the progress of the 
group, I will give you more on that when I find out more myself.

	How do we get started !!!

	Somebody mentioned that it would be hard to get a group like this 
one organized. This is true, I have already spent a lot time on this, and 
we are just beginning. There will be a mailing list established at 
world.std.com I will mail you the information on how to get on the list 
as soon as it is passed on to me. This will be a moderated list, but only 
to the point that pranks, flamers, and misguided mail will be eliminated. 
If there is any doubt as to whether or not the mail received is legit I 
will ask the sender before posting it to the group.

	Almost everyone that sent mail asked what I had in mind. If you 
mean what kind of robot do I want to build, it's not all that important. 
What is important, to me at least, is that I learn something about 
computer control of robotic devices. If I had to throw out the first idea 
I would probably go a stationary pick and place device. That includes the 
use of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. The only reason for the cylinder 
is to learn feedback and control methods that apply to linear motion. 
This is just the type of stuff I see the need for everyday. I am not 
trying to sell this as "the project". 

	I'm going to stop right there, because some of you have mentioned 
your own ideas, and this probably isn't the proper forum to start this 
kind of discussion.

	Some things to think about;

	We will soon have a mailing list.
	
	We need to decide on some kind of CAD software that is readily 
available, inexpensive, and fairly easy to use. If you have used a 
shareware package that you like, or a professional package that you 
beleive will help sponser the group speak up. It's important that we are 
all using the same software, or at least have the means to read, edit, 
and create drawings in the same format.

	We also need an ftp site, to handle the drawings and related 
information to the project. If you have any suggestions on a site that 
might be willing to help let me know.

	Some things you probably don't need to hear;

1.	You must be an active partner to the group. Present your opinions 
and listen to feedback. No one knows everything, and no one knows 
nothing! Remember that you are the group!

2.	Keep an open mind, be ready to go with the majority opinion, make 
sure you understand whats being said, make every effort to be understood, 
and let it go at that.

3.	As a group we have the ability to accumulate resources. Share!

4.	Did you read #1.? ;)

