Slashdot Mirror
Mark Tilden, Robosapiens Inventor Interviewed
An anonymous reader writes "You-Review.Net has an interview with Mark Tilden, the inventor of the Robosapiens line of products. In this interview, Mr Tilden reveals more information about the RSMedia bot, which will be the world's first walking, talking, MP3 playing, ARM9 powered programmable Linux computer (with a Subwoofer, just incase). No news yet on the GPL status of this beast."
This afternoon, I played some Magic: The Gathering for the first time in two years or so. Some of my college aged friends and I sat around, doing nothing but playing with our decks, fiddling, trading, remembering old favorites, checking to see about old rules, and making plans to go get our old decks from our parents houses and, more importantly, make new ones using sweet cards.
.or something. I'm in a pretty vulnerable place right now, and if buying shit will make me feel less geeky, gosh-darnit but I'll do it!
Then I realized what I massively pathetic dork I was. Then I went to "read a book" for five pages or so in order to make myself feel better. I pick an old favorite: M. Mitchell Waldrop's Complexity. [How is the ol' emerging science at the edge of order and chaos doing?]
Then, thoroughly flabbergasted, I came back to the safest place I can imagine visiting at 4:30 in the morning: slashdot. And I find an article about what a scientist from the Santa Fe Institute is doing: building toys. For geeks to play with. Geeks who also play with Magic cards.
I guess I'll go buy an expensive toy robot that I don't need. .
So how will this compare to stuff you can do with things like Mindstorms?
To me it looks like Mindstorms without the ability to change the form of the product, BUT WITH A SUBWOOFER!!11
What next? Will the Pea-Bot get mated with a Roomba and do something more useful than carry around cans of beer?
Yes, it will carry your beer and your chips to you and then it vacuums up mess you make. A drunkards dream if I ever did see one.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Will have a tweeter?
Moderation in All Things... Especially Moderation - gurutc
Okay, I know I'm not the only one. How many of you read "RSMedia Bot" as RMSedia Bot" and thought, "Oh no, some crazy bastard has done it. Some crazy bastard has made the Free Software Foundation an army of RMSedia Bots to stomp out the use of proprietary software the world over. They'll be unstoppable! Wait... Oh God no! It has a subwuffer! We'll be forced to listen to the Free Software Song as well? The humanity!"
What if the entire Universe were a chrooted environment with everything symlinked from the host?
>>I was hoping for something more thoughtful and substantial rather than flippant stream-of-consciousness.
Mark then revealed his new project: Bongbot. A walking waterpipe that plays Pink Floyd mp3s and dispenses Hostess cupcakes. He was just finishing up an all-night testing session.
Fortunately, he's a gentle giant: he's friendly, if a bit flippant and off the wall, and he's clever and inventive as well. Buy him a drink someday if you get the chance: odds are, you'll find it worth your while.
Good luck out there, Mark!