Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!cat.cis.Brown.EDU!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!convex!constellation!osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu!olesun!gcouger
From: gcouger@olesun.okstate.edu (Gordon Couger)
Subject: Re: QUick QUestion TO THose WHo COuld HElp ME
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Organization: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Oklahoma State Univ.
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Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 23:38:47 GMT
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In article <VsBDLc4w165w@ephsa.sat.tx.us>,
Robert C <robert@ephsa.sat.tx.us> wrote:
>A few days ago i was listning to my radio (background noise) i heard
>an interview with a colledge student who had built a robot that when 
>using UNIXs Finger would tell him if there were any cokes left in the
>coke machine he had the robot hooked up to. Does this make sense to you
>if so could you perhaps explane to me how this was done.
>    measly Computer Science 1 student
You put a device in the coke machine that counts the cokes probably it
has led photo-transistor pairs or it keeps count of how many are put in
and how many are sold. Every time a transaction takes place it updates
it's .plan file which prints out when you finger the coke machine account.

This is only one of many ways it could be done. It could be a computer in
the coke machine or just some sensors hooked to a computer on the network.

Gordon


                             Gordon Couger                            
                             Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering              
                             Oklahoma State University                         
                             114 Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK  74074                 
 gcouger@olesun.agen.okstate.edu 405-744-9763 day 624-2855 evenings 
    I do not speak for my employer
