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Small Electronic Logic Blocks - eBlocks
eBlocks writes "eBlocks are small low-cost electronic devices that can be easily interconnected for a wide variety of applications such as: detecting motion, light, water, sound or magnetic fields; triggering a buzzer, a light, an electronic relay or a lock. Devices can communicate wirelessly or can be controlled remotely via the internet or a telephone. The eBlocks technology has been developed by a professor at U.C. Riverside who is looking for inspiration on its best uses. Try out the simulator. Suggestions and comments welcome!"
I dont see how. Mindstorms are a microcontroller (big yellow&gray block) that attaches to sensors, motors, etc.. eblocks are not grounded in computers; they are pure electronics. Saying that Mindstorms and eblocks are the same is like saying a model steam engine is the same thing as a locomotive. or something. analogies escape me like, uh, oxygen or something.
When I was growing up around 1968 - 1969 Raython had a series of kits that you could build circuits with out wires by touching blocks together and the ground was a metal plate. Connections were metal contact with magnets behind that.
... it was called "Lectron". Still have it in a box somewhere around here.
I had one of those too
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Here's another solution, Phidgets:
http://www.phidgets.com/
They offer sensors, controllers, and more.
You mean battery life, right? I asked Dr. Vahid about it last quarter and he said they were working on other means of powering them, including a way to let blocks share power.
Years later, when I actually played with live components, could build my own cases, and could jack everything into a serial port did I truely fall in love with building things. (Forrest E. Mims, there is a spot in heaven for you.)
Hey, I'm the same guy who maxed out the capabilities on the lego mindstorms in 2 days. Come on are more than 3 inputs and outputs REALLY too much to ask for... The MIT handboard has 12 inputs, 4 outputs, and if you slave over a few pins from the LCD you can us it to generate a 16 bit parallel interface...
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
For the less-eblock-inclined, to create logic gates: Connect two buttons to a two way logic gate, and set it... For an AND Gate: 0001 For a OR Gate: 0111 For a NOR Gate: 1000 Now, all we need are NOT gates (1 input, 1 output, inverts input)... then you can build massive neat things.
anybody who's used the labview scientific test, measurement&recording and control software package can see how this will work just like LV in hardware; all you'll have to do will be pick your modules, wire them together and voila, a totally custom hardware solution. cool.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. - Aldous Huxley
I've seen water detecting devices, motion detectors, power controls, etc. that communicate wirelessly over the X10 protocol. SmartHome sells some such devices.
Neat. Reminds me of some lego-like logic blocks I've used in college in Switzerland. I wasn't even born when those were developped, but I had quite some (geek) fun with them later! :)
Cf. http://www.smaky.ch/en/lami/part3.php
No motion detectors and not many other cool sensors/actuators, but the whole set of logic functions from basic gates up to microcontrollers (added later) were provided.
These Logidules were too pricey for the general public, only a few schools/universities used them. Glad to see someone else coming with a somewhat similar idea, simpler but with some exiting extra goodies (wireless...)
Google turned up an implementation of IPv6, that um, led, to the other link..