And mulch pellets..... Wrong Way Ray (Raymond Choat) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lawrence Lile" To: Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 12:39 PM Subject: Re: [EE]: - Botboard > I'm actually calling my 'bot the Robot Goat. > > Maybe I should add a little milk dispenser on the bottom. > > We actually had goats for a while when I lived in the country. Cantankerous > little imps, we had 'em caged up in a little pen one night, the next morning > they were gone. Nothing in the pen but a panther track and a little goat > hair. > > Maybe the panther will leave this one alone. > > --Lawrence Lile > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Ferrell" > To: "Lawrence Lile" > Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 11:13 AM > Subject: Re: Re: [EE]: - Botboard > > > > I cannot resist: > > Do you guys realize you are proposing a robot goat? > > > > On a more serious note, the swimming pool cleaning devices that scrub the > > walls in a seeming random pattern might be worth researching. > > > > John Ferrell > > 6241 Phillippi Rd > > Julian NC 27283 > > Phone: (336)685-9606 > > Dixie Competition Products > > NSRCA 479 AMA 4190 W8CCW > > "My Competition is Not My Enemy" > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Lawrence Lile" > > To: > > Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 10:36 AM > > Subject: Re: [EE]: - Botboard > > > > > > > Right you are on power efficiency, an efficient mowing algorithm will > beat > > > randomness. But, in the long view, what else does this mower have to do > > > other than mow the lawn? If it gets around to mowing in front of the > walk > > > this week, or next week, what's the diff? I plan on a solar cell for > > > autonomy eventually. If it mows the lawn with an efficient algorithm, > > then > > > waits around for a week for the grass to grow again, there's not much > > > difference. > > > > > > Elegance is an arguable point, since perception of elegance is like > > > perception of beauty. Even a trash heap, or a noisy cantankerous > > > smoke-belching push mower, might be seen as beautiful by some warped > > > individual. > > > > > > The elegance of simple systems is in their simplicity. (another > circular > > > argument indeed.) > > > > > > > > > --Lawrence > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Byron A Jeff" > > > To: > > > Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 9:11 PM > > > Subject: Re: [EE]: - Botboard > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Aug 31, 2001 at 01:10:47PM -0500, Lawrence Lile wrote: > > > > > Phooey on all that complex programming. I want my mowbot to be as > > > stupid as > > > > > a cochroach. Did you know, a cochroach is so stupid, it cannot even > > > > > individually address it's own legs? They have about four modes - go > > > slow > > > > > with six legs, go fast with six legs, go with the right legs only, > go > > > with > > > > > the left legs only. Robot scientists puzzle over how they clamber > > over > > > tall > > > > > obstacles with no finesse, they just scrabble until they get over > it. > > > No > > > > > finesse at all. > > > > > > > > > > Now, who would argue that cochroaches are not wildly successful? > > > > > > > > > > My mower is going to stumble aimlessly across the yard until it > bumps > > > into > > > > > the barrier at the edge, back up, turn a random number of degrees, > and > > > > > wander aimlessly until it bumps into something again. You get good > > > coverage > > > > > by randomness. Stupid as a cochroach! > > > > > > > > It still has an asthetic inelegance that I just can't shake. Between > > power > > > > inefficiency, spot poor coverage, and the inability to navigate > > obsticles > > > > or do planning the concept bothers me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Also, I don't want any complex rocket science edge sensing. A line > of > > > big > > > > > dumb bricks is what I'm considering. I'd rather not find my Bot > > mowing > > > the > > > > > nieghbor's flowers when the house-of-cards edge sensing scheme > fails. > > > As > > > > > long as the edge is a barrier the bot cannot climb over, then > bumpers > > > are > > > > > all that I need. > > > > > > > > Sorry wrong edge. Not the edge of the property, the edge of the cut > > grass. > > > > It could be a navigational tool (follow the cut grass edge) and even > > with > > > > random wandering it can save power by only engaging the cutting motor > if > > > the > > > > high grass sensors indicate that there's grass to cut. > > > > > > > > I agree on the physical boundaries. I plan some type of low fencing > > along > > > > with bumbers. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Besides, I've got to finish this project by next summer. > > > > > > > > I understand. Mine is two revisions and several years in the making. > > > > > > > > BAJ > > > > > > > > -- > > > > http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics > > > > (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: > > > [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads > > > > > > > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: > [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads > > > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics