Slashdot Mirror
Build a Mindstorm Robot to Fly to ISS
CodingFrenzy writes: "If you're over 18 and living in Germany, Switzerland or Austria (thats all in Europe) you can submit your best Mindstorm based Robot to a competition to fly to the ISS (this link in German). Choose any design you want: cleaning windows, space-ballet, etc. Include a gravity generator and you might even be able to use those wheels. Pack it into fur and give them a space-pet. What the heck, there's enough junk in space already..." If you win, let us know, we'll send you a t-shirt. :)
The Plotter isn't Lego. (Some other stuff, same as the BBC Robot was built from {anyone old enough to remember that?})
I have seen a plotter made from Lego, but I don't have a link (sorry).
Also spotted a light sensing Robot that draw a blind (Lego) and a Lego robot that watered a plant when its soil started to dry out.
But these things are pretty cool, I think O'Reilly have a book if anyone's interested.
Yep, and you wouldn't believe how many people don't know the difference between Switzerland (north of Italy, east of France, west of Austria, south of Germany. Right in the middle of western Europe. Is that so hard?) and Sweden (it's in Scandanavia, you know, the really northerly, really cold place the has the reindeer, northern lights and very long, cold nights [in Winter] ?!)
First of all, when you say "Germany," you should specify "East Germany" or "West Germany." Switzerland is way the hell up north, by Norway. I don't know why they said Austria is in Europe; I've always considered it to be in the southern hemisphere, about as far from Europe as you can get.
(I am one of those "two people")
The problem is that with all the idiots around here, unless you're being blatantly sarcastic, you tend to blend in with the people who just don't get it. In text, sarcasm is barely distinguishable from stupidity.
And yes, I've seen enough idiotic posts here to be able to assume that a person who claims to think government "energy research" is about cold fusion may actually believe it. In asking where the ISS is located, CSC is a bit more obvious.
(What's an average nitpicker to do? Help!)
But then again, I could be wrong.
Germany, Switzerland or Austria (thats all in Europe)
CodingFrenzy, how stupid do you think Slashdot readers really are? I mean COME ON! You mean Austria isn't that continent in the South Pacific? Thanks for clarifying.
Just a T-shirt? I can see it:
-- Geof F. Morris
Damned Dirty Space Fungi
tcd004
If you read on the german article, the winner also gets to fly to Moscow in November. Then visit the
;-)
Mission control room from where the robot is to be used.
I've never been to a russian mission control room, but it's probably an interesting experience
I dunno. I mean, that's gonna take an awful lot of batteries, and AFAIK Lego don't make any launch kits. And I wouldn't have thought the little connector-bumps (do they have a technical name?) would be all that aerodynamic. And what if you want it back - re-entry's going to be a bitch on the plastic.
The fact that an American would assume Switzerland refers to the Oregon town and Germany to the Georgian town just demonstrates what an insular and inward-looking place the US has become.
Its become so bad, that in recent times movies have subtitles such as "Paris, France" under a picture of the Eiffel Tower. Or "London, England" next to an image of the Houses of Parliament.
Its a shame that Americans aren't willing to look beyond its shores and borders - especially when its such a culturally lacking place.
You should be doing more important stuff than playing with Legos.
>Sending a Mindstorms robot to the ISS should be fun and inspirational -- but I'd like to take the idea a step further.
I agree 100% with the first half, but I'm not sure about taking it a step further, because I don't tkink that Legos and Knex are space grade material.
For example, try using normal Legos to create a watertight container. I challenge you (only normal Lego bricks allowed, and no use of any other materials).
So, IMHO, Legos can be usefull for experiments involving mechanics and movement in zero G, but not for construction in or on the ISS.
Germany, Switzerland or Austria (thats all in Europe)
I just find it funny the fact you had to point that out
I've often wondered if/how the ISS crew will be able to reconfigure their own environment. Almost anywhere else, if you're a long way from home/Radio Shack/Home Depot and might need to build stuff for yourself, you'd want to have a machine shop ... but that's probably not a realistic possibility up there. So why shouldn't the ISS be stocked with enough Legos and K'nex to build whatever the residents need?
You can never have too many Legos.
You should be doing more important stuff than reading slashdot.
sulli
RTFJ.
first light sword (tm) bot
...but where is ISS ? He doesn't say!
What's an average slashdotter to do? Help!
-- Colin
This is a clever ploy to have an open source (and open-hardware!) replacement for the canada-arm.
Krispy Cream is people
I think the reason why the "morons from the USA" meme is so prevalent, is because of their president, their political and social conservatism, and the fact that a lot of them can afford to travel abroad, and countless AOLers and WebTVers have access the 'net.
Ironically, it's the "political and social conservatism" that provides that prosperity, and fosters "brilliant and amazing people".
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
This is one, sorta.
http://www.brickshelf.com/scans/8000/8888/8888-094 .html
It's from a LEGO idea book from the 80's. Uses adding machine paper but the output is random, although the clever could get jiggy with it and adapt it to mindstorms.
DoC
And people think I'm picky when I can't answer a question like "How long is 250k?".
> * I calmly explained, "Cape Cod is in
> Massachusetts, Cape Town is in South Africa." her
> response....click.
Hehe, how about the Simpsons episode where Homer goes to space:
Welcome to Cape Canaveral
Formerly Cape Kennedy
Formerly Cape Arbuckle
Big rocket go now!
I am for the complete Trantorization of Earth.
When I first read the headline I thought it said "Build a Mindstorm Robot to Fly the ISS". What a difference one word makes. That's also an awful lot of trust to put into a little pile of plastic.
Oh...I'm sorry...I thought it said build a robot to administer IIS.
Apparently this is NOT a contest to "Build a Mindstorm Robot to Fly to the ISS" ... since building a real spaceship out of legos is a LOT more difficult.
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
Furby with a jetpack? Granted I have seen the lil space buddy assistant thingys but I think something more amusing could be designed. When can we launch a remote on to the moon to stand our flag back up?
"If you're over 18 and living in Germany, Switzerland or Austria (thats all in Europe) you can submit your best Mindstorm based Robot to a competition to fly to the ISS"
I didn't know lego made a rocket module. Or do you just give it really big props+wings and hope for the best? Also, where do I get my orbital navigation and tracking update? Don't want my lego to just shoot off into outer space...
Send lawyers, guns, and money!
Plus, how are the Russians going to get the infrared remote control to work from that far away?
You're a decade or so out of date, and thinking of Sweden and Australia.
with that in mind, what have you folks managed with legos?
ObSatireWire: NetNarrow, the note at the end is even funnier than the article.
Some stories told by travel agents:
A common answer to folk from the USA saying that we are rude to them is: "We're not rude to people from the USA, we're rude to imbeciles." There's a difference between someone who doesn't know, and someone too stupid to learn.
I think the reason why the "morons from the USA" meme is so prevalent, is because of their president, their political and social conservatism, and the fact that a lot of them can afford to travel abroad, and countless AOLers and WebTVers have access the 'net. If anything I'd say that the USA has some of the most brilliant and amazing people, but the tourists and politicians unfortunately influence thought about USA folk more.
CowboyNeal for president!
"Hit any user to continue."
Yes. That's right. The only area we can hope to be sure to have no competition and I gave it away on /.
Start designing your triple redundancy air scrubbers now!
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/JTrack/Space craft.html
News for nerds. Stuff that matters. Geography for geeks.
Now if we could just teach the /. boys proofreading skills, we'd almost be scholarly.
Please somebody tell me that Americans don't *really* need it pointing out that that Germany, Switzerland and Austria are in Europe?
I always assumed it was a caricature...
Well guys, I won. Can you send the t-shirt via FedEx Next Day? Thanks.
Aye - be sure to wear protective clothing, and make sure you check yourself with a Geiger counter before and afterwards!
http://www.themeparks.ie