Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Do-It-Yourself Robotics

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the homemade-droids dept.

PreacherTom writes "Imagine Legos and Erector Sets on crack. The fruit of a collaboration between Lego and the MIT Media Lab, the Toronto-based startup Playful Invention Company is offering the PicoCricket, "a kit of parts that can be used to build an infinite variety of robotic inventions. The kit contains an assortment of pom poms, pipe cleaners, and other craft materials reminiscent of a summer camp art period. It also includes a collection of Lego bricks and electronics: the Cricket "brain" and a motor, colored lights and a soundbox, a digital display, and an infrared beamer that allows the Cricket to communicate with a PC on which kids write the programs that control their invention's behavior. Perhaps the most important parts in the Cricket kit are the four sensors, which detect light, sound, touch, and electrical resistance. "It was lots of fun making things and controlling their action," says Grover Venkatasubramaniam (age 10). "The most fun was programming the robots. It felt like giving life to lifeless bodies.""

90 comments

  1. Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by Avillia · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Grover Venkatasubramaniam. I really like to play with small toy robots in my basement. I call them the Venkatasubramaniamators, and they fight each other up the basement stairs, which I call the Venkatasubramalifters. I also like to make small, tasty pastries (I call them Venkatasubramanies) and make them talk to me, as I'm fairly lonely with a name like Grover Venkatasubramaniam.

    1. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by jlarocco · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      Grover Venkatasubramaniam. I really like to play with small toy robots in my basement. I call them the Venkatasubramaniamators, and they fight each other up the basement stairs, which I call the Venkatasubramalifters. I also like to make small, tasty pastries (I call them Venkatasubramanies) and make them talk to me, as I'm fairly lonely with a name like Grover Venkatasubramaniam.

      No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. It's not that hard: Grover Venkat-asub-raman-iam. Venkatasubramaniam.

      --
      Maybe not
    2. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

      . . .raman-i-am.

      I just call him "Noodle" for short.

      KFG

    3. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They're not used to polysyllabic surnames - the place is filled with Smiths and Joneses.

    4. Re: Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by TimJe · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Mein Bratwurst has a first name It's G R O V E R Mein Bratwurst has a second name its V e n k a t a s u b r a m a n i a m

    5. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by wall0159 · · Score: 1

      (offtopic)

      There was a thread a while ago where you mentioned traditional violin playing making use of microtones. I love traditional fiddle music (I play guitar, and have had a few violin lessons). Can you please recommend some recordings? You made mention of traditional Scottish and Briton music..

      I'm a member of emusic, and have found these recordings:
      The Beaton Family of Mabou: Cape Breton Fiddle and Piano Music (http://www.emusic.com/album/10864/10864323.html)
      Various Artists: Smithsonian Folkways: The Heart of Cape Breton (http://www.emusic.com/album/10864/10864412.html)

      do you know these?

      Any suggestions appreciated!

      Thanks..

    6. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by The+Cydonian · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, it isn't. Indic words can be broken down into conjunct-consonant groups that roughly correspond to a single syllable. The kid's name, therefore, is more correctly broken down as veM-ka-t'a-s'u-bra-ma-nyam; I really haven't anyone break such a name down to 'asub', which, if you know Sanskrit, would mean 'inauspicious' (and thus defeat the purpose of having two Gods names in yours)

      Might add here that the kid's real name is probably Siddharth (and not whatever they typed in the article)and that, quite possibly, he's carrying the surnames of both his parents; 'Grover' is probably his mom's surname, while Venkatasubramaniam is probably his Dad's name (and hence, he's bound to carry it as his surname according to Tamilian tradition). 'Venkatasubramaniam', as I was hinting earlier, is a conjunct word mixing the names 'Venkata' and 'Subramanyam', thus denoting a certain acceptance, and fusion, of the once competing twin traditions in Hindu theology, Shaivism and Vaishnavism. If the kid's dad was Irish, it's almost as if he was born into both Protestant and Catholic families and was named to reflect that.

      In short, the kid's name carries a lot more cultural meaning than you guys can ever imagine'; he apparently bridges not only quasi-religious divisions in south India, but also the ethnic divisions between India's North and its South.

      Don't let any of this stop you folks from cracking tasteless jokes on words you hardly understand though; not once is it irritating, exasperating, and plainly unfunny.

      --
      More than mere navel gazing.
    7. Re:Hi Mister Teacher, my name is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Er, Cydonian... parent was making a reference to Stephen Colbert's joke about problems pronouncing the name of Iran's president. It's forgivable that you missed the joke, even one so prevalant in popular culture, but to chuck a huge fit in the way you did is both pitiful and hilarious.

  2. What do you need those materials for. by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The kit contains an assortment of pom poms, pipe cleaners, and other craft materials reminiscent of a summer camp art period.

    This one time at summer camp, I built a cheerleader robot.

    --
    God spoke to me.
    1. Re:What do you need those materials for. by imikem · · Score: 4, Funny

      And it laughed at you, I presume. This being /. and all.

      --
      Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est.
    2. Re:What do you need those materials for. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
      It could be my font, maybe my mind, but did anyone else read that as...

      ... an assortment of porn porns,

    3. Re:What do you need those materials for. by rdoger6424 · · Score: 2, Funny

      it's probably your rnind going rnental. or your rnonitor could be rnalfunctioning. It could be rnicrosoft, rnaybe. You rnust rnake sure to wipe your rnonitor. That is rnost of rny rnessage. rnotherfick!

      --
      "Hello 911? I just tried to toast some bread, and the toaster grew an arm and stabbed me in the face!"
    4. Re:What do you need those materials for. by AnarkiNet · · Score: 1

      It's definately Microsoft's fault. I read it as "porn poms" as well, and I think it was due to ClearType.

    5. Re:What do you need those materials for. by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      Guilty as charged.

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    6. Re:What do you need those materials for. by legoburner · · Score: 1

      Hold CTRL and press + a few times. If it still says porn porns then you should probably google 'porn porns'.

      --
      Warhammer forums
    7. Re:What do you need those materials for. by rdoger6424 · · Score: 1

      I don't think it necessarily is rnicrosoft's fault, as it happens on rny rnac also.

      --
      "Hello 911? I just tried to toast some bread, and the toaster grew an arm and stabbed me in the face!"
  3. Philosophy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it possible to build a do it yourself self-help-therapist robot?

    1. Re:Philosophy by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 1
      Is it possible to build a do it yourself self-help-therapist robot?

      Wouldn't it be more efficient to build a robot that somehow solves the problem at the root? The situation that gives you the need for a therapist?

      Some suggestions, adjusted for the slashdot-crowd:
      • A Pornbot instead of a therapist telling you it's normal and you should overcome your social fear
      • A Fembot (no explination needed)
      • A Workbot, that earns money so you can move out of the basement and feel like you've accomplished something
      • A Replication-of-yourself-bot, to handle unpleasant situations
      • A Suckupbot, to give a greater selfesteem and sense of selfworth
      • A Selfinjurybot, for Jackass-like entertainment
      • A Studyhelpbot, to record lectures and process information so you can stay in bed and go out to party (lanparty, not the ones with real girls)
      • A SelfAwareBot, to get a nobel price and feel like all your suffering has been justified. Until the robots take over...
      --
      I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
  4. I wish by Eightyford · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wish I had this when I was a kid. Robotics is what got me interested in programming in the first place and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's one thing to see "hello world" on a computer screen, but programming a "light seeking" or other simple robot can really get the imagination going.

    --
    Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
    1. Re:I wish by pimpimpim · · Score: 1
      But did you see the pictures? They made this with their fathers, so I wonder how much the kid will get to play with it :)

      Actually I do wonder how easily programmable this is for a 10-year old, as it apparently can do quite fancy stuff (shoe with leds in them, where the colors of leds that light up depend on the speed with which you walk). I don't know any of the lego sets, so I have really no clue how child-friendly they are. Anyone can give me an update on this?

      --
      molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
    2. Re:I wish by phaggood · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > wish I had this as a kid

      Don't get me started on what I wish they had when *I* was a kid - cheap computers (the Atari 800 w/ magnetic storage was nearly $2000!!) cheap-assed web cams, cheap movie editing software (buddy and I were going to make our own stop-action "Aliens" with action figures - developing the b/w 8mm film was going to be about $200) high speed internet, big-assed hard drives (paid over $1000 for a 5MB HD in my 20's) cheap blank CDs and DVDs, cheap or free web development tools, free programming IDE's (The Atari ST came w/ NO programming tools; the C++ compiler was over $200!)

      God, the kids these days don't have ANY idea what kinds of production powerhouses they have sitting on their desks - and they waste it bootlegging songs and IM'ing each other (so whut u doin? nothin. what u doin? nothin. go ne nu music?)

      All that free time..... *sigh*

    3. Re:I wish by Dekker3D · · Score: 1

      actually, i'd like to object to that. i know quite a few kids (including myself, depending on your definition of "kid") who would use their computers for all kinds of creative stuff if given good reason to do so.

  5. Venkatasubramaniam... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ...calafagalisticexpialidocious

  6. I have GOT to get new glasses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could have sworn it said "porn porns" instead of "pom poms" in the OP. I was like "Where do I sign up?!"

    1. Re:I have GOT to get new glasses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm afraid to think what a do-it-yourself porn robot would do.

    2. Re:I have GOT to get new glasses by PreacherTom · · Score: 1

      That just sounds like a bad Star Trek episode.

    3. Re:I have GOT to get new glasses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is/was a good Star Trek episode?

      Sorry, I must have missed that one.

  7. What do they call your dad? Here's a hint! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Gay gay gay--gay gay gay, gay gay. Gay gay gay. Gay gay gay; gay gay, gay gay...gay gay gay gay...gay gay, gay gay gay gay. Gay...gay gay gay gay...gay gay. Gay gay gay; gay gay...gay gay gay gay gay gay...gay gay gay gay gay--gay gay gay; gay gay gay...gay gay; gay gay gay; gay gay . Gay gay; gay gay gay--gay gay gay, gay gay gay gay. Gay.

    1. Re:What do they call your dad? Here's a hint! by Dekker3D · · Score: 1

      it seems you have an obsession with gayness. this isn't the place to talk about that though, you might wanna go talk to a psychiatrist or a dance instructor about it.

  8. Damn by guardiangod · · Score: 0

    Instead of The kit contains an assortment of pom poms, pipe cleaners, and other craft materials reminiscent of a summer camp art period, I read The kit contains an assortment of porn porns, "pipe cleaners", and other craft materials reminiscent of a summer camp orgy period.

    I am sorry.

    1. Re:Damn by turthalion · · Score: 1

      And I thought I was the only one.

      --
      Michael Coyne
      http://turthalion.blogspot.com
    2. Re:Damn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you also sorry about your failure at psuedo HTML?

    3. Re:Damn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consider a trip to the optometrist.

  9. Mindstorms would be better by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you really want to do some programming of a robot, then Mindstorms is a lot better than this dopey toy. Mindstorms is easy to get going with, yet has significant depth and you can keep learning..... Hit the wall of the Mindstorms UI and you can add Lejos or similar and go to a whole new level of complexity.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:Mindstorms would be better by timeOday · · Score: 2, Informative

      Mindstorms are cool, but I was disappointed by the new version because it's still limited to a fixed, relatively small number of sensors and actuators per control module. I was really hoping for a bus-based architecture, where you could daisychain almost an arbitrary number of sensors and actuators, and address them individually in the code.

    2. Re:Mindstorms would be better by jlarocco · · Score: 3, Informative

      Mindstorms are pretty cool, but these are completely awesome. The only downside is they're a bit more expensive than Mindstorm.

      --
      Maybe not
    3. Re:Mindstorms would be better by rossifer · · Score: 1
      Mindstorms are cool, but I was disappointed by the new version because it's still limited to a fixed, relatively small number of sensors and actuators per control module.
      Actually, as described in the NXT HDK documentation (this link is a download), all sensor ports can act as I2C controllers and sensor port #4 also provides an RS485 bus. The I2C capability is currently utilized by the ultrasonic sensor as well as aftermarket sensors by HiTechnic and MindSensors. The RS485 capability is not currently used by any Lego or aftermarket products, but with Lego being so encouraging about third party extensions, I doubt that will last for long.

      On the three motor/servo limit, If you take a look at the MindSensors products, you may notice a four motor/servo driver module. I'm curious if that module lets you use the extra actuators in the same way you use the three native ports...

      Regards,
      Ross
    4. Re:Mindstorms would be better by timeOday · · Score: 1

      Interesting. Does that mean you can currently plug in and write software to access a large number of sensors? According to your first link, the RS485 hardware could do that, but it isn't supported by the firmware. I also hope there will soon be a java interpreter etc. for NXT. Then again, maybe it would be better just to use the bluetooth to send sensor readings and receive actuator commands, and put all the control logic on a laptop.

    5. Re:Mindstorms would be better by rossifer · · Score: 1

      I read it as direct communication with devices on the RS485 bus is currently supported, but P-Net (an application layer network protocol for RS485 and similar transport layers) is not.

      As for bluetooth, I don't want to rely on it too much. Someone starts making lunch with a microwave or using a mobile phone nearby and everything starts crapping out...

      Regards,
      Ross

  10. Perfect job for him! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The most fun was programming the robots. It felt like giving life to lifeless bodies.""

    Maybe he could get that job with Stephen Hawking...

    1. Re:Perfect job for him! by jm007 · · Score: 1

      That was good for an out-loud chuckle....
      ... worth the high karma price

    2. Re:Perfect job for him! by ColaMan · · Score: 1

      I hope that quote was lost in translation somewhere.

      When a 10 year old kid starts saying things like, "It felt like giving life to lifeless bodies." , it's time to take a step back. When he says something like that, it implies he gives life to lifeless bodies every day. ....ooooooh! Creepy....

      You know after he said that to the news guy, he's thinking to himself, "Yes, foolish interviewer, I will take your soul and animate your shattered corpse to join my army of the UNDEAD!!! Mwahahhahah!"

      --

      You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
      There is a lot of hype here.
  11. wow, pipe cleaners ! by dualmoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    we'll be able to clean up the internet and its tubes !

  12. This has been around for a while by The+Bungi · · Score: 4, Informative
    And it's really cool. Here's the description from the official website: http://www.picocricket.com/whatisit.html

    Flash-heavy site though.

  13. Robotics: Fact or Fiction --- Gay or Really Gay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Gay gay gay--gay gay gay, gay gay. Gay gay gay. Gay gay gay; gay gay, gay gay...gay gay gay gay...gay gay, gay gay gay gay. Gay...gay gay gay gay...gay gay. Gay gay gay; gay gay...gay gay gay gay gay gay...gay gay gay gay gay--gay gay gay; gay gay gay...gay gay; gay gay gay; gay gay . Gay gay; gay gay gay--gay gay gay, gay gay gay gay. Gay.

  14. Droids by EMeta · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just don't know... I still don't think these are the droids I'm looking for.

  15. Kit robotics by Kell+Bengal · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've always been skeptical of kit robotics. I'm a robotics post-grad student so perhaps I'm spoiled by some of the gear I get to play with, but I've always found that robot kits seem kinda wimpy and limited. I'm so tired of seeing line followers and edge follower robots. Lego mindstorms was a step in the right direction - giving you a platform that can be used to make some truly interesting applications, but I still bemoan the underpowered motors they provide. One day I'd like to make and sell a robot kit with simple optical vision (say 32x32 pixels), some serious motors (50 W or so) and a linux based embedded system, with an RC radio jack and all of the interfacing worked out and a nice development environment. That would be a kit worth having and it would have rocked as a kid.

    --
    Scientists point out problems, engineers fix them
    altslashdot.org: The future of slashdot.
  16. When do they start dreaming of electric sheep? by klenwell · · Score: 1

    The most fun was programming the robots. It felt like giving life to lifeless bodies.

    Thus spoke J.F. Sebastian. At least Blade Runner remains under budget and ahead of schedule.

    --
    Innovation makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old regime... -- Machiavelli
  17. Other Robot Kits by Bones3D_mac · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So far, the Radio Shack/FIRST VEX robotics kits seem to be the most interesting pre-fab robotics kits next to the older Lego MindStorms kits. There are numerous sites that carry add-on parts (sensors, timing gears, etc...) for the VEX kits, as well as the long awaited programming module.

    Of course, if you'd rather go the old-school route, you could go looking for Capsela sets and try hacking together a few custom bubble modules to give it some intelligence.

    --


    8==8 Bones 8==8
    1. Re:Other Robot Kits by ebolaZaireRules · · Score: 1

      Mechano...

      --
      The Bible: Historically verifiable fact from an observers point of view
    2. Re:Other Robot Kits by Sqwubbsy · · Score: 0, Troll

      Mechano...

      Dude (in a room full of geeks, no less), do you know how I know you're gay?

      --
      $30 Off All Plans: Use code TRIPLESAWBUCK
    3. Re:Other Robot Kits by Bones3D_mac · · Score: 1

      Oh, and for those who want the robot experience without getting their hands dirty, try checking out Mind Rover: The Europa Project for PC/Mac. It may be old, but it's still fun.

      --


      8==8 Bones 8==8
    4. Re:Other Robot Kits by Sqwubbsy · · Score: 1

      Obviously no 40 Year Old Virgin fans in the house.

      --
      $30 Off All Plans: Use code TRIPLESAWBUCK
  18. XBC Robot Starter Kit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The best lego kit for the money is the XBC Robot Starter Kit. Its a little rough around the edges, and the documentation could be *way* better, but the XBC is wicked :-)

  19. It's LEGO... by aussiedood · · Score: 1

    ...not "Legos"!

  20. Hard Sell? by zettabyte · · Score: 1

    I wonder if I can convince my wife that my 3 year old son needs this $250 toy to stay ahead of the curve... :-D

    1. Re:Hard Sell? by Rogue974 · · Score: 1

      Let me know how you accomplish this...I have been trying to convince my wife to let "my 6 year old" have a set of Mindstorm or something and she still isn't buying it. She says we need to focus on things like reading...come on already, reading isn't useful or anything, robotics is the wave of the future. Who needs reading when he can do robotics!

    2. Re:Hard Sell? by cwgmpls · · Score: 1

      I agree. I'm afraid at $250 a pop, this will only be available to rich kids. Which is fine as far as it goes, I'm just wondering what the other 90% of kids can have to play with. At least you can pick up LEGO mindstorms set pretty cheap at brinklink.

      I wonder what other options are out there for good, low-cost robotics toys?

  21. still can't get passed this part by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Erector Sets on crack ...I can see the spam now,... yes...

    -m10

  22. Educational toys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Johnny, "But Dad it's educational".

    Dad, "Yes but when we bought you the robot kit we didn't expect you to program it to kill your sister. Besides that cat got in the way last time it attacked her."

    Johnny, "Aw Dad, the vet said his fur'll grow back."

  23. DIY Artificial Intelligence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What good is a robot without an artificial mind?

    DIY AI is now out on the Web and freely available for Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY) and robot enthusiasts to adapt to their favorite pride-and-joy robots.

    The Singularity Is Near!

    True AI has arrived.

  24. Kit robotics is getting better by Animats · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's real progress in kit robotics, but you have to be willing to pay roughly the price of a PS3 for it. See Lynxmotion and Hitec Robotics.

    Among other things, you can finally get stock R/C type servos with a digital interface providing position and torque feedback. That's a huge step up - you're no longer stuck with blind position control; you can do force control and software-implemented compliance, like Brooks' insects from a decade ago. The actuator hardware is now available.

    Sensing is improving, but a 6DOF INS is still rare on kit robots. That's purely a volume problem; accelerometer and gyro chips are cheap, but the systems haven't come down enough yet. We're starting to see rate gyros in kit robots; adding a rate gyro to an R/C biped makes the thing much more stable.

    The software used to drive hobbyist robots tends to be way behind the state of the art, but that will get fixed as more people read the papers and write code. The next few years are going to be interesting.

    1. Re:Kit robotics is getting better by cool_arrow · · Score: 1

      In our household I think I can get that cool robotic arm from Lynxmotion approved for purchase. Should be a great learning experience for the kids. I can hear them now - "Dad can I try it now"?...

  25. VEX != Robot by NutMan · · Score: 1

    IMHO the VEX system is NOT a robotics kit. It is controlled via radio control, not by a programmed CPU or microcontroller. BIG difference

    1. Re:VEX != Robot by PresidentEnder · · Score: 1

      Really? 'cause my Vex robot has a programmable microcontroller on it. In fact, the box for the programming kit was right above the "starter set." Isn't that odd?

      --
      I used to carry a bottle of whiskey for snake bite. And two snakes. -Nefarious Wheel
  26. You too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was going to post the same thing. Glad I checked first.

    Turns out only old North Koreans need p0rn poms. Remember, in Soviet Russia, p0rn poms YOU!

  27. Can I Buld a Walking Eye? by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    I need a Walking Eye. I've got some walking eye stuff that needs to get done and currently nothing to do it. I was thinking about bulding a 1/6th scale walking eye and working my way up, so smaller actuators would be fine for this revision. A few hundred bucks would be a small price to pay for my very own walking eye! I just need to find a good supplier for the iris mounted lasers and the camera. Of course, the walking eye features a stealth design, making it perfect for reconnisance type operations!

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Can I Buld a Walking Eye? by Erectile+Dysfunction · · Score: 1

      Dr. Venture wants his unfunny joke back.

    2. Re:Can I Buld a Walking Eye? by Greyfox · · Score: 1

      It was hysterical and after I saw that I decided I just had to have a walking eye! That was like the best episode of the season, though I think Ghosts of Sungrasso is still the best overall episode.

      --

      I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  28. dirty mind or tired eyes by noneme · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I read "pom poms" as "porn porns". That'll makes for a serious double take when you hit "pipe cleaners".

  29. Personally I prefer by symbolset · · Score: 1

    http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=2882 3 and http://www.mini-box.com/VIA-NL-10000E-Nano-ITX-Mot herboard and http://gcc.gnu.org/.

    --
    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  30. sounds fun by newtotech · · Score: 1

    Interesting but hasn't this been done before. I forget what the kits were called, but it was basically the same thing - maybe a bit less rugged. Please join our new tech discussion forum at www.NewToTech.com our community is very small right now, help us grow

  31. Glad I never had one when I was little... by QuantumFTL · · Score: 1

    ...because if I did, I'd never have noticed girls! Robots are just that damn cool!

    1. Re:Glad I never had one when I was little... by ken95357 · · Score: 1

      Wisecrack alert...

      ...because if I did, I'd never have noticed girls! Robots are just that damn cool!

      Based on what I've seen from similar posts like this from other people, you're fibbing. Slashdotters never have anything to do with girls... that is unless they are girls.

      If this post offends you, feel free to do one (or more) of the following:
      1 - :1,$s/girls/{women|boys|men|opposite sex}
      2 - Start your own Ask Slashdot question about how this bothers you and how you had problems as a child.
      3 - Go out and {drink|eat|compute} until you pass out.
      4 - Hit *YOUR* computer with a hard object such as a baseball bat.

      Standard disclaimers apply.

  32. EP.!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    THINKING ABOUT IT. despite the

  33. For the last time... by owlnation · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...says Grover Venkatasubramaniam (age 10). "The most fun was programming the robots. It felt like giving life to lifeless bodies
    ....It's pronounced "Fronkensteen"
    1. Re:For the last time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was thinking Sesame Street,
        "Grover like robot..."

  34. I missed the point... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I saw the words "Lego" and "Erector", I just thought of the lego vibrator :)

  35. This is new??? by Urza9814 · · Score: 0

    Uh...I've had two Lego RCXs sitting in my closet for...about 6 years now. What's so new about this thing?
    http://mindstorms.lego.com/ it's been around for a while. Hell, my highschool has about 10 of 'em, and has been using them for 5 or 6 years at least.

  36. What!? by Aladrin · · Score: 0, Redundant

    "The kit contains an assortment of pom poms, pipe cleaners, and other craft materials reminiscent of a summer camp "

    Porn porns? What!? Ohh... POM POMs. Damn this Bitstream Vera font.

    --
    "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  37. Oh yes by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 1

    The pom poms are so that my death robot can cheer as it kills you.

  38. Mindstorm software.... by Nichole_knc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I once worked for a company that was using the mindstorm software to run a real live production bot stamping sheetmetal parts for cars... It never worked right.. lol What do you expect for "toy" software and a windows machine that skips a clock cycle on sync motors... I quit that job... Jack-legg ppl....

  39. Shameless self-promotion by hotarugari · · Score: 1

    This kit has nothing over Vex robotics unfortunately. I find it rather sad that a group of MIT kids came up with this one. It says nothing positive for the MIT crowd. If you need to make a cute looking robot, you should buy the decor you need at a craft shop instead of being given an inadequate robotics kit with some flowery design elements you can add to it.

  40. Crack, or steroids? by The_REAL_DZA · · Score: 1

    I thought the same thing; if it's "Legos and Erector Sets on crack", then do they lay around the house all day in a state of induced ehphoria (until they need their next "fix", at which time they rampage around looking for it)? Personally, I'd rather my Legos and Erector Sets look unnaturally "pumped" and be a little too "agressive" for most people's taste (though I can do without them having that "forehead bulge" and I'll pass on the liver damage...) *sigh* I guess everything has its tradeoffs...

    --


    This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
  41. LEGO Bricks... by Fhqwhgadss · · Score: 1

    Actually they're (not singular "it's") "LEGO bricks", not "LEGOs" or "LEGO." That doesn't keep me from calling them LEGOs, though. It's just that if your going to be a pedantic asshole, you might as well be a correct pedantic asshole.

    --
    How does a 7-person democracy cut a pie? Into 4 pieces.
  42. pom-poms? by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 1

    like these? What's it for? if you want to build your own terminator or something?

    --
    FGD 135
  43. That's "bricklink" by cwgmpls · · Score: 1

    bricklink

  44. Do-It-Yourself Robotics??? by ex-geek · · Score: 1

    Do-It-Yourself Robotics? Isn't the whole idea behind robots to have them do things for us?

    What's next? The backtalking robot? The unionized robot?

  45. Infrared.. by andrewdk · · Score: 1

    Infrared beamer? Don't they realize that has already been pretty well tested with LEGO Mindstorms 1.0-2.5 and it really stinks? Tell your robot to turn around away from the transmitter, whoops! no more signal!

    I much prefer using the Bluetooth of LEGO Mindstorms NXT. That's basically the most important element of the system which makes my web-controllable wireless robot ( http://turbogfx.homelinux.org/legocam ) possible.

    Which, by the way, after I spent $91 on 4 500mAh rechargeable 9V's + charger for the wireless camera, is now back online and ready for you pesky slashdotters.

  46. Mod Parent Up by WilliamSChips · · Score: 1

    for using the plural "Legos" of Lego.

    --
    Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.