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Domain: charmedlabs.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to charmedlabs.com.

Comments · 12

  1. Because you could build one yourself by awtbfb · · Score: 1 · on Flower Robots For Your Home

    Why buy it when you can build it? Oh yeah, the brain of the unit is a Qwerk which means you can really hack it to respond to all sorts of things.

  2. Some Links by Rufus211 · · Score: 3, Informative · on Robotic Camera Extension Takes Gigapixel Photos

    This is a pretty cool project, and I actually saw it when I was at CMU a bit ago (and was wondering what the hell it was).

    There's a CMU press release about it.
    The site with all the pictures is http://www.gigapan.org/
    You can see the hardware here.

    The only problem with this, and any other multi-picture stitching, is that you get obvious stitching problems when there is any movement in the scene, like the trolley in the middle of this scene.

  3. Re:Hows this for $350 - And it plays video games t by ejtttje · · Score: 1 · on Google, Intel, Microsoft Fund Robot Recipes

    Are there any specs for the roboDS? I don't see them anywhere, not to mention it isn't shipping yet.

    Qwerk info here:
    http://www.charmedlabs.com/index.php?option=com_co ntent&task=view&id=29
    In short, 200 MHz ARM9, 32 MB RAM, 16 servo ports, 4 motor ports, 16 digital inputs, 8 analog inputs. And it's actually supported for this purpose instead of relying on Nintendo putting up with your hacking.

    But, in the DS's defense, having a builtin screen *is* kind of cute.

  4. You can use other microcontrollers for Legos too. by ron_ivi · · Score: 5, Informative · on Evolving Lego Mindstorms
    If you need a more powerful microcontroller for your legos, consider a GameBoy. Programmable in C or C++, has Sound and a color LCD display, and with a 32-bit RISC CPU, you can do far more with this than the current Mindstorm microcontroller.

    Bluetooth modules are apparently also available for this device. Engadget has a description and a link to a cool video of this Gameboy/Lego interface in action

  5. Re:Things of the past by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Nanoloop: GameBoy Advance Hard Disk Recording

    You missed the point. For us electronics hackers developing boards are extremely expensive beasts, while most cheap consumer appliances can be modified to work as embedded controllers. Most Wi-Fi access points contain MIPS+Linux based boards at 1/5 the price of a similar board, and the GBA itself is an excellent uber-cheap ARM based controller.
    Take a look here and here for some great examples of what can be done with a GBA.

  6. Re: why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on .Net On Lego Mindstorm
    A direct link to the video

    I love the part how the guy almost stomps on it and it sees his foot and turns out of his way.

  7. Re: why? by ron_ivi · · Score: 5, Interesting · on .Net On Lego Mindstorm
    Or even better, use a more powerful microcontroller for your legos like a GameBoy. Programmable in C or C++, has Sound and a color LCD display, and with a 32-bit RISC CPU, you can do far more with this than the current Mindstorm microcontroller.

    Bluetooth modules are apparently also available for this device. Engadget has a description and a link to a cool video of this Gameboy/Lego interface in action

  8. GameBoy! by ron_ivi · · Score: 1 · on Simple and Cheap Robotic Projects?
    A GameBoy makes an awesome microcontroler for home robotics projects. 4 MB of flash memory, 16 MB of SDRAM, various inputs, a nice LCD for output.

    Charmed Labs makes a great interface card and software to interact with the gameboy. This card can (but isn't required to) interface with many of the lego sensors and motors.

  9. Charmed Labs Xport by morcheeba · · Score: 5, Interesting · on Tongue-Controlled Gameboy Advance SP Launched

    From the picture, it looks like they are using Charmed Lab's Xport development kit. Glad to see it being put to good use. Although you could use this product to pirate games hopefully Nintendo won't sue again. I just wish courts could clearly see the benefits of home-brew development tools.

  10. Using GBA for a microcontroller by Jtheletter · · Score: 5, Interesting · on Overclocking your Gameboy Advance
    The Xport is a nifty little device that turns your GBA into a microcontroller, with a bunch of I/Os, 4 Megs of RAM and a fully programmable FPGA. This looks like a good application for overclocking too, in case you need faster computing for something like image processing or mapping from multiple sonars, etc.

    I haven't used one but it seems like a real useful way to do robotics platform development, especially since you can output to the GBA screen, that sure would make debugging all my Sharp IR sensors a lot easier than reading a binary LED display.

  11. Here's the development kit by ch-chuck · · Score: 1 · on OpenBSD Ported to Gameboy

    here

    The above is real. So is ucLinux running on a softcore MicroBlaze processor in a fpga.

  12. What to do with a GBA? ANYTHING! by Mutiny+Evolution · · Score: 1 · on Game Boy Advance SP Sells 1.1 Million in U.S.

    I guess since everybody is being negligent in discussing the cool hacking opportunities for your GBA/GBASP I guess I'll have to step in.

    First of all there is a huge development community out there to get you started. Lots of libraries, utilities, and best of all, an ARM GCC port http://devrs.com/gba/

    And the ultimate in GBA hacking, the XPort. 16mb of more RAM, 16mb of flash, and a programmable FPGA make this in my opinion the coolest thing you can do with a GBA. Plus it's so affordable how can you NOT get it? http://www.charmedlabs.com/

    Second, forget Linux, it's too hefty. You may be able to do it with uncompressed flash and XIP, though. Who cares, here is a eCos port, though, from the same fine people who brought us the XPort. http://sourceforge.net/projects/gbaxport

    (I don't work for Charmed Labs, but they make such a cool product I wish I did. ;] )