Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Roomba + Tablet PC = ?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-you-can dept.

ptorrone writes "Using "off the shelf parts" I have constructed another pretty good mobile robot for my home. A Tablet PC is the brain and the Roomba robot vac is the locomotion. I'm currently working on sending the IR commands from the pc to the Roomba and having the robot "do a tour" and post photos / video automatically to the "roblog" (my robot photo blog). So yah, the Tablet PC sucks ;-]"

116 comments

  1. I have been thinking about doing something similar by dj28 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Also, here is a list of other home-built robot projects on the web. They are interesting, however many of them are not as complex as this person's robot.

    Some interesting projects include: OmniPede and TuteBot.

  2. Just pics on that site? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This shouldn't get posted until there are detailed instructions on how to build :)

  3. lots of graphics... by chrisopherpace · · Score: 5, Funny

    hope that robot can double as a webserver!

    --


    Bored? Why not join a decent mess
  4. What? by mlerner · · Score: 0, Funny

    "So yah, the Tablet PC sucks ;-]" No way the tablet pc is cool, well ok it has a slow processor but it's kinda cool.

    1. Re:What? by hplasm · · Score: 1

      Isn't it the Roomba that is supposed to suck?

      --
      ...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
  5. cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this is all great if you're rich, but people like me just don't have $2000 dollars (and let's face it, a tablet pc costs significantly more than a desktop) to more or less throw away (and if you do I have some land in florida to sell you), this is useless. this is one of those rare moments where you're better off buying stuff in the store instead of assembling it yourself.

    1. Re:cost by toesate · · Score: 5, Insightful

      On a similar note on cost..

      Maybe I am thick here, but why use a tablet?

      Wouldn't a cheaper notebook, or trashware with LCD panel serve similar purpose?

      The upfront economics do not make sense. If someone could elaborate..

      --
      Hey, that's my password you are typing
    2. Re:cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The tablet PC is useless. Just possibly a bad purchase.

    3. Re:cost by koreth · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, heaven forbid someone should spend $2000 on a hobby. What a moron.

    4. Re:cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why use a tablet? Maybe because he had one lying around. Seems pretty obvious to me. Anybody smart enough to put together a simple robot like this would know that a tablet PC is really overkill for this and wouldn't go and buy one specifically for the purpose. I'm sure that if he had an old laptop he wasn't using he'd have used that instead.

    5. Re:cost by ericspinder · · Score: 3, Insightful
      The upfront economics do not make sense. If someone could elaborate.
      You must be new here...
      because it's cool. Many "hack" projects are created not to save money, but to do something orginal, or difficult. If you want to do your "roombot" a little cheaper with an old notebook, more power to you, it might even be a better hack.

      I also doubt if he purchased the tablet with this application in mind. He probally just got "tired" of each of those toys. The Roomba, itself isn't all that practical. My Mother has one, and it doesn't suck well, is a tripping hazard when operating, and can't get dirt next to item (like couches, walls, etc.). Also, most people here seem to have little respect for the tablet as well.

      --
      The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
    6. Re:cost by enrico_suave · · Score: 1

      does she have a "real" roomba or an imitation/knockoff as seen on TV one... I'd bet the latter...

      *Shrug*

      e.

      --
      Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
    7. Re:cost by pbulteel73 · · Score: 1

      Interesting, my roomba works very well. We've had it for almost a year and are looking at purchasing another one. One for upstairs and one for downstairs.

    8. Re:cost by ericspinder · · Score: 1
      entire post quoted... does she have a "real" roomba or an imitation/knockoff as seen on TV one... I'd bet the latter...
      *Shrug*
      e.
      (entire "argument" quoted)

      So, what, are you now resorting to "yor mama" jokes. The Roomba is crap, a toy, a conversational item, what it isn't is a useful household appliance. BTW, she does have a "real" Roomba (TM)

      If you want to be useful, maybe you should tell me why I am wrong. Does the "real" Roomba(TM) emit a loud buzzing sound when someone comes too close, so that one will not trip over it. Does the "real" Roomba(TM) carefully trace around furniture legs. Does it "remember" to go around the couch. NO, it just bounces around, util it is about outta juice, and then homes in on the power. Another problem is that the unit has all the sucking power of a dustbuster.

      Eventually this type of unit will become more intelligent and thus more useful, but for now they really don't suck (sucking being a vacuum's primary function).

      --
      The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
    9. Re:cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given that ptorrone is married to a microserf, his M$ gear is mostly gratis.

    10. Re:cost by JCMay · · Score: 2, Informative
      As a happy Roomba owner (had mine over a year now), I will rebut.

      • No, the Roomba doesn't have a loud buzzer to warn people of its presence. Why? It's freakin' LOUD! If you don't here the Roomba running, you wouldn't hear the buzzer!
      • Does the "real" Roomba(TM) carefully trace around furniture legs.(sic) Sure it does, provided they're large enough. I've got a four footed pedistal table in the dining room. It goes under there and around its feet just fine.
      • Does it "remember" to go around the couch. NO, it just bounces around, util it is about outta juice, and then homes in on the power. No, that's not right, either. While it doesn't have an internal map of its environs, it's only $200. Yes, its motions look random, but it really has at least three different patterns: spiral, edge following, straight line until an obstacle is met. It has three different room size settings, which really just adjust a timer. Larger rooms get more time on the clock. Yes, it can run out of power, but no, it won't look for the charger. It just blinks a red LED and chimes a four-note tune that my wife and I have taken to mean, "I'm so tired!"
      • It doesn't suck well with its tiny little impeller, but it has something a dustbuster doens't: sweeping roller brooms. The Roomba uses suction to pick up dander and dust, but larger items like coins, sand, furballs, etc., get picked up with the rubber flapper/brush roller combination. Quite effective on our wood floors.


      • By the way, what kind of behaviors do you want? Its brain is a Microchip PIC microcontroller with something like 256 bytes of memory. Whoopee!
    11. Re:cost by ericspinder · · Score: 1
      Finally an happy Roomba owner, willing to defend the capibilities of his unit with more than an one-lined insult, or a single "I'm happy" statement.

      I suspect a Roomba may operate well in a room with all the furiniture placed against the wall with nothing in the middle that it couldn't go under. Also, getting arount plant stands, wine racks, assororted nit-kacks and square corners are outside of the capabilities of a machine about a foot in diameter(quess). I am interested in how it does with the chairs to that dining room table, or do you move them out of the way.

      "what kind of behaviors do you want", The ability to know that it hasn't done the sitting area would be a good start, and I did think that it found it's own powere unit, but I realize that I was wrong, but that would be an execelent feature (either a map or some kind of homing beacon). A small deployable boom to get into corners would be a nice hardware addition. In fairness, my knowledge of the Roomba is limited to a couple of short converations with my mother. The comments about "a tripping hazard" and I really thought that it had some kind of "auto return" feature, but after a short conversation with her, I found that I was at least on her mark with regards to it's inability to get around well.

      Regardless of it's limitations, I am certain that the first true domestic robot will be able to trace it's roots to the Roomba.

      --
      The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
    12. Re:cost by instarx · · Score: 1

      If you want to be useful, maybe you should tell me why I am wrong

      Personally, I don't give a crap about being useful but I will be happy to tell everyone why you are wrong.

      Does the "real" Roomba emit a buzzing sound when someone comes too close, so that one will not trip over it.

      Pretty clear you don't have one and have never seen one work. Roombas aren't stealthy, they make noise the entire time they are running. You would have to be blind and deaf to trip over one.

      Does the "real" Roomba(TM) carefully trace around furniture legs.

      Yes, it does.

      it just bounces around until it is outta [power] and then homes in on the power.

      It wanders, yes, but not aimlessly. If you had ever watched one operate you would know that it uses a fairly sophisticated choreography to maximize its coverage. That you think it homes in on power is another indication you don't know what you are talking about - it doesn't have the slightest idea where power is.

      Roomba's are not "crap" or "toys" and ARE useful appliances. I turn mine on as I leave my apartment and when I get back it has been vacuumed, even under the bed. Now I call that useful.

      Another problem is that the unit has all the sucking power of a dustbuster.

      It has what it needs, and mine does a terrific job for the most part. It will pick coins off the floor, and that's effective enough for most people.

    13. Re:cost by ericspinder · · Score: 1
      The real irony here is that my original input into this thread was a "you must be new here" response to someone questioning the costs associated with a Roomba/ tablet combo, I quessed that the person had purchased each of them separtly and didn't find either of them sufficently useful for him. That post recieved (at least at this time) two responses from Roomba owners (interesting none from tablet owners), the first of the two was basicly an insult, I responed with a list of my concerns (which this poster is responing to). Now I find myself responing to someone who makes the same point by point argument as the poster directly above him in the thread. He could have saved himself 20 minutes of typing by simply saying "me too".

      I would respond to each of you points, but all of them were covered by a previous poster (which rightfully got a mod point). However, I will further extend on my comments to that post by saying; I some situations, perhaps many, and maybe even most, the Roomba could a useful helper. (in my opinion) It certainly can't (yet) completely replace a standard vacuum cleaner for anyone, just by the fact that a round unit will never clean a corner(unless you have a round room).

      Included the post you are responding to was a misconception; I later found out from my mother that the little box that plugs in is just a beam you need to use to keep it from falling down steps. (which also adds to my previous posts wish list).

      Sparks aside (not quite FLAMES, IMHO), you are somewhat correct, I have very limited experience with Roombas, and my only input has been from my mother. However I have found her to be a great judge on the usefullness of household appliances before. After speaking with her, I found that I was correct in that the Roomba was having problems with chairs, nit-knacks, and getting into "sitting areas" (groups of furniture in the middle of a large room). The funny thing is that it might work ok on the main floor of my townhouse, and under the beds (maybe I'll ask her for it), I'd still hang on to the old machine.

      --
      The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
  6. I for one... by ixplodestuff8 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one Welcome our new unstable likely to crash and overated tablet overlords

    1. Re:I for one... by Kierthos · · Score: 1

      Don't forget the likely to crash into things and viciously vacuum minions...

      Kierthos

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    2. Re:I for one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Moderators on Crack(tm) strike again!

  7. Function? by KingDaveRa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just wondering quite what it's meant to do? Its got a tablet PC stuck on top, with a webcam. So where's the story behind it?

    1. Re:Function? by moonbender · · Score: 5, Funny

      Function? It's a computer that can see and move. That is its function. If you need more than that, Slashdot might not be the best page to view. ;)

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    2. Re:Function? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Easy. Clippy says: It looks like you're trying to build a collection of home made porn. Would you like me to use my webcam to peek under skirts?

    3. Re:Function? by uncoveror · · Score: 1

      Here's the story behind it.

      --
      The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
  8. If anyone doubts the proliferation of robots... by bc90021 · · Score: 0

    ...then this should serve to counter those doubts. If they can be made of a tablet PC and a Roomba in the home, then surely it is only a matter of time before they proliferate.

    --
    libertarianswag.com
    1. Re:If anyone doubts the proliferation of robots... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't see how those 50 tablet PCs that were sold can help to proliferate anything..

  9. Infa-Red? by Ianoo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...IR commands from the pc to the Roomba...
    Doesn't the tablet have Wi-Fi? Why not use this as your communication medium instead? You wouldn't need to have a line of sight or even write special software (just ssh into the robot and type commands at the console ;)).

    Using a suitable video application (streaming server?) it would be possible to look through the webcam and steer around the house. The advantage of using a standard x86 tablet PC are that all of the things you need are already available, and there's very little to "work on".

    Very nice idea, though.
    1. Re:Infa-Red? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would he use a tablet PC on his robot (what advantage does that provide for a robot... will he be able to program the robot to take notes on it with a robotic arm doing the handwriting)? Why not a notebook or a spattering of mini-itx components built into the robot? (beyond the "because he can" contributions)

      If I'm not mistaken... for the processing power to price ratio you can do a LOT better than a tablet pc!

    2. Re:Infa-Red? by duffbeer703 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      He probally bought a tablet PC, figuring that he would organize his life and be able to run faster and jump higher.

      Then he found that he never used it. Plus, it's hard to run with a pocketpc in your pocket.

      Same thing with the roomba. Sure, it looks cool... but its just plain easier and quicker to use a real vacuum.

      --
      Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
    3. Re:Infa-Red? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think they might mean from the tablet to the Roomba, as the Roomba uses IR to tell where walls are and the like (at least thats what the brochure for it seems to say). Although from the pictures it looks like it doesn't have the top on and they might be controlling some of the internals directly.

    4. Re:Infa-Red? by rebelcool · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Using a suitable video application (streaming server?) it would be possible to look through the webcam and steer around the house

      For real autonomous steering you're going to need a couple of cams for stereoscopic vision, plus some badass software to handle it, of your own creation.

      stereoscopic navigation is still fairly new, even in the research world..i don't think there are any software packages out there you can go grab to work with. a quick google seems to support this since "stereoscopic robot navigation" returns mostly research papers..

      --

      -

    5. Re:Infa-Red? by koreth · · Score: 3, Insightful
      but its just plain easier and quicker to use a real vacuum.

      I suppose if you're doing your vacuuming on a tight schedule, but otherwise how is a real vacuum easier than "press a button, leave the room and go do something else"?

      Having a Roomba means my floor gets vacuumed every couple of days, rather than every few weeks (and that's when I was feeling especially motivated.) I usually start it going right before I leave for work, so I really don't care how long it takes to cover the entire room.

      The only extra work is having to pick stuff up off the floor first, but you have to do that with a regular vacuum too.

    6. Re:Infa-Red? by jspraul · · Score: 2, Insightful

      maybe because the actual roomba is the one receiving ir commands from the tablet pc? (not that i read the article either)

  10. good to know by BobTheLawyer · · Score: 5, Funny

    finally someone's discovered a use for a Tablet PC

    1. Re:good to know by Coulson · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm writing "ha, ha" on my tablet input area.

      No really, I am.

    2. Re:good to know by BobTheLawyer · · Score: 1

      presumably it took you 20 minutes?

  11. artical title looks like ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    1. Roomba
    2. Tablet PC
    3. ???
    4. Profit!

    1. Re:artical title looks like ... by AgentAce · · Score: 2, Funny

      1. ACs list things that end in profit
      2. stupid lists get old after the 5000th thread
      3. )(*&!@#)(*%&%^)*(
      4. STFU

    2. Re:artical title looks like ... by chewedtoothpick · · Score: 1

      That joke is soo old and overdone... Everywhere I look it is: 1. Eat 2. Sleep 3. ??? 4. Profit!

      --
      Erutangis ym si siht.
  12. Widescreen HDTV by Aliencow · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe with a wide 50inch plasma HDTV you could have it walk around with an animation of a human on it...kind of like in that crappy time travel movie with the guy in the library.. Then some porn company would probably buy you out..

  13. it's the long lost brother of... by caino59 · · Score: 4, Funny

    johnny dep!

    1. Re:it's the long lost brother of... by Micro$will · · Score: 2, Funny

      And he's always serious . That's so cool.

    2. Re:it's the long lost brother of... by Rolo+Tomasi · · Score: 2, Funny
      Ah, the touching tale of two brothers, one of which would become a famous movie star, while the other would go on to become a technophile pimp, building robots and surfing the web in his pimp outfit and purple hat. I would totally see that movie.

      Well, maybe not.

      --
      Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?
    3. Re:it's the long lost brother of... by evilmango · · Score: 2, Funny

      He also has some kind of a inverse homer simpson beard thing going on.

    4. Re:it's the long lost brother of... by breon.halling · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not Depp! Five!

      --
      "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
  14. What is significant about it? by xanthines-R-yummy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'll be the first to admit I'm not an engineer or know anything about robotics, but how is this a significant robot again? I used to build RC cars/trucks and those were controlled by simple electronics which I'm sure could easily be controlled by a computer like a Palm pilot. The tablet PC is pretty cool-looking, but beyond that it doesn't seem to actually do very much. Why does the robot need a big diplay itself? Since it's on a vacuum you'd have to bend over pretty far to see anything on the screen. Or at least I would, because I'm over 6ft tall (183cm)!

    Still, it has a pretty high geek-cool factor!

    1. Re:What is significant about it? by Kierthos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What I want to know is how is this so different from doing the same thing with Lego Mindstorms? I mean, for the price of the tablet PC and the Roomba, I can buy a lot of Mindstorms kits, and make a Lego-bot that can traverse a house... heck, Lego even had a cheap web cam with one of the kits...

      Oh wait, it can't vacuum. That must be it.

      Kierthos

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    2. Re:What is significant about it? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      In order to conveniently control RC servos, you need a dedicated microcontroller. They depend on control of pulse timing and/or width for control. There are kits and complete boards you can buy which provide servo control, it's easily done with a PIC for example.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:What is significant about it? by xanthines-R-yummy · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Yeah, I was referring to those actually (The speed control for the motor and the servo control all fit into a nice little package small than any MP3 player could be). I'm sure a competent engineer could modify that thing to accept command from a Palm/iPaq/tablet/whatever. In fact, they are all radio-controlled so someone really clever could probably find a way to use 802.11a/b/g operate the thing.

      If I knew anything about physics, engineering, science, or computers, I might have given it a try!

    4. Re:What is significant about it? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Radio controlled stuff uses assorted low-frequency (much, much lower than WiFi) AM or FM (or, lately, PCM) signals. In order to use WiFi you would have to have a little computer in there to speak to the ethernet interface.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:What is significant about it? by Spy+Hunter · · Score: 1

      Better yet, for about the price of a Roomba, you can get an ER1 with a camera and robotics-oriented software. An ER1 would make a much better platform for a tablet-PC based robot, since that's basically what it and its software are designed for.

      --
      main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
    6. Re:What is significant about it? by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      The key word is 'little' computer. Very little. Probably only an IC or two. They crammed a controller for various USB antennas into a Slimp3 (among other things) so I can't imagine this would be prohibitive for a Roomba sized device.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    7. Re:What is significant about it? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      It's not a matter of size, it's a matter of cost. It's quite doable. However you made it sound like you wouldn't need additional hardware, and that was my only complaint. Nonetheless unless it needs to be fully autonomous it may not be necessary to store the computer on the device.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  15. Roomba + Tablet PC = ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    A device that simultaneously sucks and blows.

  16. great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    i've always wanted to find a way to scare my cat, take pictures of it, and clean my room all at the same time.

    anybody else think he looks kind of like the killer boyfriend in scream 1?

    1. Re:great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      "anybody else think he looks kind of like the killer boyfriend in scream 1?"

      thanks for ruining the plot for me. how bout a spoiler warning next time??!

  17. Spare parts? by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    Ok, as soon as you mentioned tablet PC, that pretty much sums up spare parts.

    What's the cheapest tPC nowadays... $2000? Maybe $1999 after discount.

    1. Re:Spare parts? by JVert · · Score: 2, Informative

      The HP TC1000's can be found for around 1,000. Tigerdirect had them refurbished, ebay has them pretty consistantly.

    2. Re:Spare parts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fujitsu the 486s start at around $20 plus shipping.

    3. Re:Spare parts? by outofpaper · · Score: 1

      You can get one for 700 and somthing from elementcomputer and it's running debian (lycoris flavor) to boot.

  18. Home Security Roomba! by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just add this to it!

    --
    Hate me!
  19. I'm sorry Dave by Digitus1337 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Open the screen door HAL. HAL, do you read me HAL? Open the screen door.

  20. Go Back!!! by zenlessyank · · Score: 0, Troll

    Wouldn't it just be easier to hand vacuum the house, the old fashioned way. Technology is just another way to promote laziness and selfishness. Remember when we all knew how to do a variety of things!! Now we are lucky if we know ONE thing well enuff to get paid for it!!!

  21. Why a Tablet PC? by inteller · · Score: 1

    Can't you do this with a Pocket PC? Exactly what does this gain you?

    1. Re:Why a Tablet PC? by bc90021 · · Score: 1

      It gains you a robot that's more than three inches tall, with a "body" that can support its "head". ;)

      --
      libertarianswag.com
  22. Are you crazy ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    the sticker quite clearly says, its designed for Windows(TM) not floors !

  23. waste by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ptorrone has more money then he knows what to do with. Every PPC that comes out he usually gets. He's one of the few geeks that can actually afford to buy a Segway and he actually uses it. He comes up with stupid project after stupid project without coming up with anything that actually does something useful. He belongs as a professor in a electronics school.

  24. Great project for old Palm Pilot? by vjlen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I seem to remember a number of Palm robot projects out there. Add a Palm to a Roomba? Could be fun AND cheap.

    1. Re:Great project for old Palm Pilot? by mrseigen · · Score: 1

      Especially in this particular use: some Palms I've seen have infrared (for yelling at the Roomba), and the newer ones apparently have Wi-Fi (for being yelled at by the main PC). Can anyone confirm/deny that the new ones have IR too? I don't really care enough about having the next overrated gadget to look at a new Palm yet.

  25. Linux On TabletPCs by wehe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hey, just in case you are looking for Linux on TabletPCs to get your robot running with a free OS.

  26. For all those talking about price... by youknowmewell · · Score: 1

    Maybe he already had the Tablet PC sitting around the house and didn't want to waste a palm?

  27. Something similar by lxt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I tried something similar once for a student computer competition. It was basically a basterdised 486 laptop with the screen flipped 180, with web cam, set in acrylic with some servos linked to a serial port. The biggest problem was communication (it being a) when Wi-Fi was way too much, and b) this laptop not having a PC card), so in the end I ended up with a hack whereby the robot communicated with a wireless mouse :)

  28. magnetic fields? by NSash · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't know about this Roomba, but IIRC most vacuum cleaners generate a pretty powerful magnetic field. Might not be the best thing to strap a Tablet PC to...

  29. why waste money on a Tablet PC when u can use PPC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why waste money on a Tablet PC when u can use PocketPC or Palm, and get a CF camera or SD camera. most of them has builtin Wifi also.

  30. A faster way... by peterprior · · Score: 3, Informative

    Thinkgeek sell a motorised platform you can attach a laptop to called the ER1 Personal Robot System.
    See more details here

  31. Re:Frown :-( by vnguyen6 · · Score: 1

    LOL. Who cares if he smiles or not!

  32. I'm sorry, can't help it... by Eric_Cartman_South_P · · Score: 1, Funny
    I don't know about this Roomba, but IIRC most vacuum cleaners generate a pretty powerful magnetic field. Might not be the best thing to strap a Tablet PC to...

    That's a good, but disproven point. My box is sitting right next to where I keep the vacume and other odds and ends, and I have no problems. Even when I turn the vacume on, like right now, there is no interuPT3@$^@%ATH0H0++[NO CARRIER]

  33. Reading this on a tablet right now by Coulson · · Score: 2, Informative

    Turns out, I can jump higher now than I could when I first bought my TabletPC -- but for entirely unrelated reasons. However, it has been an excellent organizational tool. OneNote lets you mark lines on various documents as TODO, then you can work off of your one auto-conglomerated TODO list. For that alone I appreciate it.

  34. As someone who actually has a Roomba ... by phoxix · · Score: 3, Informative

    ..... I can say it sucks

    We have on in the office, to collect all the random bits of paper and whatnot thats on the carpet. We thought it would be a great idea too, but it really isn't.

    The problem with the Roomba is that the "dirt compartment" is soooo small. So when you do get around to sucking things up, in little to no time is it full. Additionally because there is no warning, it can go on for a while, just collection, and disposing dirt elsewhere. After a while the garbage on the carpet is worse than what it started out as. (Mind you we're pretty much you standard office)

    Great idea, but bad product design

    Sunny Dubey

    1. Re:As someone who actually has a Roomba ... by koreth · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have a Roomba too and I've noticed the same thing -- but only when I go a while between cleanings. If I use it every couple of days, after a week or so it gets rid of enough accumulated dirt that subsequent runs don't fill up the compartment any more. If for whatever reason you can't use it that frequently, then yeah, it's probably not the right vacuum for you. I fire it up when I leave for the day, so it's no big deal to use it nearly daily.

    2. Re:As someone who actually has a Roomba ... by jriskin · · Score: 1

      I suppose if you have a lot of big physical debris this could be a problem. I think most people just have dirt, dog hair, etc...

      The directions do say to empty the compartment every time you do a room. Its hard to imagine a room with so much debris that the compartment would fill in one session. Although, I admit I did fill it once like that when it got under the x-mas tree and started sucking up all the pine needles...

      I agree fundamentally that a bigger compartment would be nice, but on the other hand, it seems to work for most of the people most of the time. I don't think its a bad design.

    3. Re:As someone who actually has a Roomba ... by HoldmyCauls · · Score: 1

      Wait until Dyson comes out with their robot vacuum.

      --
      Emacs: for people who just never know when to :q!
    4. Re:As someone who actually has a Roomba ... by instarx · · Score: 1

      We have on in the office, to collect all the random bits of paper and whatnot thats on the carpet. We thought it would be a great idea too, but it really isn't.

      On a carpeted office floor it would not be a good choice, as you discovered. For a home it works fine. When I first used mine I thought the collection bin was way too small, but after the Roomba has cleaned a room once the amount of dirt drops way down (duh!). The more often you clean the less dirt there is to pick up so the bin never fills up any more - just run it every few days.

  35. Who Cares....Really??? Simpltons by liquidzero4 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    How does this junk make it onto slashdot. Big deal, I see nothing exciting or ground breaking. This is a project that just about anyone with any real C.S. or Engineering knowledge can accomplish.

    This is childsplay.

    1. Re:Who Cares....Really??? Simpltons by liquidzero4 · · Score: 1

      Please excuse the harshness of my post. After hitting the post button I realized this probably isn't an appropriate post.

    2. Re:Who Cares....Really??? Simpltons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well it's still pretty interesting, if you've done anything recently that would be worth posting about, I'll read that too =)

      and if I enraged you with this post, it wouldn't be the first time today, I'm getting used to it.

  36. Notice that it's running Windows? by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This shouldn't get posted until there are detailed instructions on how to build :)

    Yeah, a few thousand people build them.

    Then a few dozen virii are written which cause these infected machines to wander about the house taking photographs of everything, and send the pictures back to some Chechnyan e-mail address.

    A couple of days later, burglars are dispatched.

    Paranoid is just the smart way to be, since the whole world is out to get you.

    --
    Fire and Meat. Yummy.
  37. Re:I have been thinking about doing something simi by macdaddy357 · · Score: 1

    Why can't they make something cool like R2-D2 or C3PO?

    --
    How ya like dat?
  38. You can do it cheaper by Heathkit · · Score: 5, Informative

    A friend and I did the exact same thing a while ago, but using a hacked virgin webplayer. It's an internet appliance you can get for about $50 off of eBay. We just ran it off of NiMH batteries and woila, instant robot.

    The details are here. We wrote up all of our notes, including the pinout of the roomba board in case anyone else wants to do this.

    1. Re:You can do it cheaper by Heathkit · · Score: 1

      Also, I don't think he's actually controlling the Roomba here. There's only one control board and, judging from the pictures, there's no connection between the tablet pc and the roomba.

      We use our system as a cheap and convenient way to play with robotic vision projects. The idea is, we can create control programs, upload them to the roomba, then try them out. Better algorithms can be implemented on real embedded systems.

  39. Thunderdome anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it just me or does this look alot like a domestic version of master blaster?

  40. um, one is enough by way2trivial · · Score: 1
    merely owning a tablet, and roomba, and webcam to donate (what-1400 dollars at least?) indicates enough disposable cash that the mere existaence of the device is good enough.

    i.e. if you can ping the roomba tablet- you know it's worth entry. you don't need pictures.

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  41. The pics on the guy's site by colmore · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not enough info to tell if his robot is something special or not. But I can say this guy is trying waaaaay too hard to look like Johnny Depp. Nice hat.

    --
    In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
  42. thousands of hits from slashdot.org today... by textamerica · · Score: 1

    For anyone who wasn't already aware PT's awesome "roblog" is powered by http://textamerica.com

    Yes, I know, everyone was very aware of this already... but with the massive traffic jump from this thread, IT talked to CEO who talked to the founder who now has the COO making changes to our "required" links system... all of this on MY "lazy" Sunday afternoon! [yawn]

    --
    -- camera phone reviews and much more at http://www.textamerica.com
  43. Monkey + Tablet PC = ? by djupedal · · Score: 1

    A crappy TPC with legs and fleas.... get over it. I can put a PDA on a roller skate and do the same thing...big deal.

  44. You're a very serious-looking dude... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...you know that?

  45. How is this useful? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I mean, if there was something done here that improved the roomba's intelligence, using the cam as a secondary navigation input or something, then that might be interesting. Simply cobbling together a bunch of parts without making any of them work better doesn't seem to accomplish much, IMO.

    "Look, ma, I welded this porto-potty to my pickup truck...ain't it cool?!"

  46. Voice Recog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hook yourself up a mike and program yourself some voice recog software in. Once you train it for a bit (and add in some nice navigational software) you could get it to fetch you some beer or something...

    Or at leasts that what I'd do if I had $2000+ that I had nothing better to do with (but then again, I'm lucky to have more than $20 to spend on this stuff...)

    ASP

  47. Re:Don't need two cams by Bastian · · Score: 1

    You can do stereo vision using successive images from a single camera. Granted, this only works if the robot is working at the time, the change in camera position and orientation between images must be known. The Roomba probably doesn't have motion sensors, but there are ways to calculate view parameters using only the images - they're just very computationally complex and not necessarily deterministic. (Usually you get one reasonable set of matrices and a few ones that may not even be physically possible, but it's hard to write software that can figure out which one is correct.)

    There is software out there for doing the basic stereo work so you can figure out where obstructions are. Noting that is Free that I know of except for a few GP image processing libraries (Gandalf and TINA, for example), but it isn't too insanely hard to write software that can at least keep the robot from bumping into things on your own. Software that can do actual mapping and navigation with decision making is harder.

  48. slashdotting AGAIN? by MrNerdHair · · Score: 1

    Come now... Aiming a large caliber weapon at a WEBSITE's head and pulling the trigger is bad enough. You don't want to slashdot Radioshack, now do you?

    Might get us classed as terrorists :-)