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Remember The Heathkit HERO? Check Out '912'
moorley writes "The 912 Mobile Platform built by White Box Robotics based on VIA motherboards as part of their PC Bots program. Still in prototype but they are projecting to have it out by Summer 2004. They have no prices yet, but estimate 'building or buying the 912 for about the cost of a decent PC.'"
And the Rev. B "security" models will contain combat programs to rid your business of unwanted Time Lords, just like real Daleks... Exterminate! Exterminate!
So this thing is a toaster, correct? Will it finally solve the problem that is switching between toast and Pop-Tarts? I don't want to give either of these delicious foods up and I don't have space in my dorm for two toasters set to different levels.
True story.
And this is just plain disturbing.
The "HMV" patrols your home or office, recording any disturbances and e-mailing your PC, cell phone, or even the authorities!
Great, so by the time you check your email the intruders are already gone and have your TV, jewelry and other valuables.
WWJD.... for a Klondike bar?
Have you ever played System Shock 2? I imagine that it will be something like that.
True story.
It's a PC with wheels and sensors. Which is why it will cost about as much as a PC.
It's as fully programmable as any PC, which means you can make an 802.11g beowulf cluster that will chase the cat around the house.
Obviously the big thing here is the propriatary AI programing, so I can't tell you anthing about that, but other than that you could whip one of these things up yourself for a few hundreds of dollars of used parts.
The "other than that" clause is a biggy though, if you don't have a few years to dick with AI software.
If you do you'll have more fun building one than buying it anyway, but already know that.
KFG
I think the pseudocode goes something like this:
while not intruder_is_dead
move_to_intruder
eject
eject -t
done
"It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey