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Linux-Based Robot To Explore The Forest

Posted by timothy on from the sasquatch-is-running-scared dept.

crashoverride025 contributes this link to a BBC story about Treebot, "A Linux-based mobile robot equipped with a webcam and sensors swings into action to help monitor forests." Despite the Tarzan reference, it looks like this robot moves along a cable, rather than swinging from place to place.

4 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. what leads to... by demonhold · · Score: 3, Insightful

    what we all agreed before...

    probes sent to mars should've been run by linux. Instead of worrying us to no end, now we would be discussing the data obtained and ways of improving the performance of futere missions.

    Not only that, I'm sure that the code for those probes beeing opensource would've meant people contributing and finding solutions and apps no one would've thought of...

    Wouldn't it be lovely that the routines of a mission to space would've been a truly world project, with programmers from all over the world taking part in it?

    Well, I'm dreaming, maybe I'm not...

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    ... y Dios vio que Linux era bueno... Genesis 99.666
    1. Re:what leads to... by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Informative

      probes sent to mars should've been run by linux

      Are you kidding? what do you think they run, Windows?

      Linux is great, but nowhere near the level of certification required for software that runs on space probes. The latter, as well as software running on airplane computers, space shuttles, etc ... are so strictly checked that many parts of them are proven mathematically, with great care, at great expenses.

      Just propose NASA or ESA to power their stuff with Linux and they'll probably look at you with a thin smile and the kind of condescending look one makes while shooing a slightly annoying retarded child.

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  2. An Alternative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Instead of remotely viewing a forest over the web, maybe a walk would solve some problems?

  3. stealth by Pompatus · · Score: 3, Funny

    helps by being stealthy enough to travel through the forest canopy along specially-constructed cabling

    I suppose a piece of metal crashing through tree branches hanging from a cable is more stealthy than, say a jackhammer. Wouldn't it be more quiet if many sensors were placed about the forest and used wifi to connect and send information? They could even still run linux to do so and get mentioned on slashdot!

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    Squirrel ... It's not just for breakfast anymore