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BUG - "The LEGO of Gadgets"
TheBrutalTruth writes "Bug Labs will soon be launching what Webware calls 'the LEGO of gadgets.' From their site: 'BUG is a collection of easy-to-use electronic modules that snap together to build any gadget you can imagine. Each BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (ex: a camera, a keyboard, a video output, etc). You decide which functions to include and BUG takes care of the rest, letting you try out different combinations quickly and easily. With BUG and the integrated programming environment/web community (BUGnet), anyone can build, program, and share innovative devices and applications. We don't define the final products — you do.'" Looks a bit vaporous, but conceptually interesting.
But worrying about it being vaporous...
it would be more interesting if the parts were a bit more low level. I would like to see something like this at just the board level (and maybe therefore cheaper) with maybe an option for a few case designs that would contain the base + x modules. Or leave the case design to you (which was my first thought).
-- Senior Software Engineer, Attorney appearance services, locallawyerapp.com.
I can't wait until someone releases the cube with the +5,+12V Analog IO. $299 for a networked (Ethernet AND Wireless) Serial ported, USB Programmable box doesn't seem too bad.
I dunno. Looking at the device on the website, I can't help but wonder if this isn't overhyped. It appears to only have 2 generic snap-in ports on top with the rest of the ports defining a more specific interface. What that means is not so much, "You define the final product", but more along the lines of, "You can use these attachements... or not."
:-)
It really doesn't seem all that different than your average embedded dev-kit + a USB hub. Certainly the comparison to LEGO does not hold. LEGOs are based on a key component of classical construction: The brick. Toys of its nature existed long before the LEGO was invented. The key innovation to the LEGO was the "snap-together" interface which gave the bricks a structural stability that their real-world counterpart lacked.
What you have here is not so much a key innovation on top of existing, generic components, but rather a repackaging of components that can be found in a variety of products. Of course, there's always the possibility that I'm underestimating this design. In which case I look forward to BUG proving me wrong.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
I hope it doesn't get smashed up with legislation and patent infringement shebangs and copyright infringements etc, etc...
Think of it, with millions of people out there building essentially whatever they want/need, the way things are going across the world someone is bound to infringe on someone else's IP or such.
Good idea, hope it changes the world for the better...
Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity
If you look on the right side of their product page, it lists a "Teleporter" for Q2 2008... Beam me up!
Available Q2 2008: Teleporter. Hmmm.
-Peter
Its called "Whitebox PC". Seriously... peripherals: camera, keyboard, mouse, trackball, gps, harddrives, infared, etc...
Seems like nothing more than the recreation of a PC with non-standard interconnects.
Comparing this to Lego is a bit of a stretch. When you can connect some moving parts to the base, and then more bases to those parts, with some sort of swarm networking kicking in, then it'll be cool. Otherwise this is not much more than an all-in-one gadget where you can take some pieces off.
This must be the real cause of the replicator problem in our galaxy. They started out as Plastic Lego's until they worked their way up in some strange Katamari fashion to Asgard alloy technology.
-- Thou hast strayed far from the path of the Avatar.
What is wrong with slashdot lately ? I've already seen this article a while ago ..
Same thing about Negroponte vs Intel
Seriously .. I think we need better articles
but with an LCD screen, a motion sensor, a GPS and a camera...how exactly do you come up with thousands of devices?
Neat idea, but definitely overhyped.
"Give someone a program, frustrate them for a day... Teach someone to program, frustrate them for a lifetime."
If you have to ask, then you're not the target audience =^)
This thing only has 4 ports? Is there some other add on that splits one of the ports in to 3 or 4 more ports? I also don't think an accelerometer is worthy of taking up one of those precious ports all to itself. I think this is a step in a nice direction, but I don't think it lives up to it's potential, or is valuable to the average non-geek consumer.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
for the simple fact that these modules can come together in any configuration to be anything you want it to be, with as many or as few features as you want, i would say that this would be better. unless of course there's a fully open and customizable single unit that has all of these features included at a lower cost.
...all cock-blockery aside...
if each component costs x dollars and the total cost is nx for n components, the fewer compoenents the cheaper it is and since you only add as many as you need, it may very well turn out to be cheaper for those who don't need the extra components.
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
why is this better than a gadget that has all that stuff already in it?
The same reason LEGO is better than a toy that's already made.
(If we have to explain it, you wouldn't get it.)
I thought this thru a while ago. I really wanted to do hobby electronics but products like this (BUG) were all very high level. The product I have come to love is the Parallax Javelin Stamp Developers Kit. Here's what you get: - Developer's Electonics Breadboard - JVM on a Chip - Every peripheral device under the sun that can talk via RS232 - Java IDE with realtime debugging - Ability to program and download java boot classes onto a SD chip - Completely "open source" Check it out: http://www.parallax.com/ProductInfo/JavelinStampGeneralInformation/tabid/255/Default.aspx
I remember about 30 years ago, there was this set with these little clear plastic cubes. Each cube contained a discrete component: a resistor, transistor, wire, whatever. You could fit the cubes together to make a circuit. I don't remember what that was, or whatever happened to it.
Maybe it was German. I remember my dad used to bring me home a lot of Philips electronics kits from his business trips to Europe.
--Rob
Towards the Singularity.
If you buy two GPS units, you can make plug them in and make a device that can determine its own orientation like a compass.
You can buy two camera units and make a stereoscopic camera. If you include the accelerometer, you'd get enough information to create 3D object files by swiping the camera across a scene.
I hope they make a module containing its own CPU that you could stack up on the base to arbitrary heights and build a massively parallel computer. This is like my plan to build a RAID controller out of the dozen 2GB USB sticks that I was going to get from Amazon for $2 each. (Unfortunately they realized their price was wrong and they canceled my order on me, in violation of federal law.)
How is this different from the many embedded boards you can buy or even a PDA/phone (e.g. openmoko) ? The only new feature is fancy packaging. It does not appear you can connect more these four modules or link bases together easily.
I wish they actually made something that let you do new things. For example, I would be delighted to shell out $299 for one of these:
I thought Lego Mindstorm was, you know, that Lego of gadgets.
Stupid sexy Flanders.
Now if it had an LED that i could read from a diatance in a lit room i would think about it. News, weater, e-mail ticker. LCDs are ok but you can't really read them unless you are stood right next to em or they are about 2 inches tall.
I have excellent Karma and I am not afraid to Troll it.
I don't see a motor control module listed. This might be cool for building robots. It already has the vision system and will soon have audio for saying "Death to all organics".
Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
If you buy two GPS units, you can make plug them in and make a device that can determine its own orientation like a compass.
Not a chance in hell of that. The accuracy of this type of GPS is on the order of 10m (at best). Even with high end equipment this technique is not used on smaller planes, because you can't get the antenna far enough apart (the wings are too short).
> You can buy two camera units and make a stereoscopic camera. If you include the accelerometer, you'd get enough
> information to create 3D object files by swiping the camera across a scene.
you make that sound so easy!
MP3 Search Engine
Sure I did, I just connected them all together into a megalith.
stuff |
I really hope the modules are waterproof, so that FINALLY I can have my fricken sharks with fricken laser beams on their heads!
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Maybe we really have got to the stage where a cool-sounding concept and a pretty website is an indicator of an imaginary product... But a little research before publically labelling a young company a vapor vendor might be nice.
Would this be an easier, more functional way to make the cheap android referenced in this story?
Apology to Ubuntu forum.
I used to play with lego bricks myself when I were young, and these .werkkzeug clone for Mac. Still alpha quality.
.werkkzeug is a team named farbrausch. .kkrieger a 96k FPS.
days 15 years later, I have returned to my roots, and is working on
a graphics program that uses this idea, but limited in 2 dimensions.
Its kind of a
http://toolboxapp.com/
The people that has made
They have made some incredible things, such as
This is a great tribute to lego bricks. From a programming view point
its some really challenging the stuff these guys are doing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.kkrieger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.werkkzeug
The lego brick idea are probably also used elsewhere in the software world?
Anyways, this thread is about hardware and the bricks in TFA are nice.
All i want is a generic LOW COST I/O board, with driver support for everything from a little Palm PDA to a Linux server. just hook it up to a USB port, or wherever, and read from certain 'registers' to know the voltage of a input-pin, or write to a register to open or close a opto-coupled relais, or even better to set a resistance (so that you could dim a light, or make a motor go slower). but it should be completely fool-proof, in the sense that i can hook up 220V or 1.5V to the ports, and nothing 'bad' happens. I think a device like that would open up a gigantic market for little hard-hacks, and my limited electronic knowledge doesn't see why this ould be so hard to design.
sure, some of this functionality is possible with an old parallel port, but most PCs now don't come with a parallel port, and i have yet to find documentation on how to use those USB Parallel adapters for this (any hints?)
So now people will have to think even less, and kiddies can think they're designers w/o having to do ANY work. This is the Microsoftification of hardware.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
The closest thing I can find on Google now is the modern version, which looks pretty darn close.
I can see the fnords!
Back in the 80's and early 90's McDonnell Douglas's Computer System Corporation manufactured a computer composed of individual pieces that latched together. Each piece provided a port and performed an unique function such as a floppy, a hard drive, etc.
So if you wanted a hard drive simply snap it on the end of what was called the "brick". latch on a floppy or an async port or video module etc.
The more devices attached then the longer the brick became.
It ran DOS and the other details about it are too hazy to recall right now.
Maybe some guys from Microdata or Novadyne remembers this better than I do.
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make
I think single board has a few advantages over interchangeable modules when it comes to gadgets. 1. Modules necessitate connectors which make the device larger. 2. Prices of components are low and falling, so there won't be much if any cost savings there when going interchangeable. 3. Design costs rise b/c you're creating multiple boards as opposed to one..one size fits all. I think consumers want an all in one device that serves their needs. I'd be impressed if something like this makes an impact...if it even gets to market.
yeah, I don't recall how it was spelled (I know I have a box of them here somewhere, but they're behind all kinds of other youth memory crap), and I don't know if they were the Philips equivalents - but they appear similar to the Denshi Block stuff and they were good fun (no corroded bits that I ever encountered).
Both, at least, allowed anybody to build simple to reasonably-complex electronic devices without the need for either A. soldering or B. pushing the components into little metal strips of a 'base board', leading to all kinds of problems, especially at younger ages.
The major down side that I ran into was that whatever you built - it ended up rather big. The blocks where maybe 2cm on each side for the simple components (a speaker would be 3x3x1 block in size, etc.).
This idea was actually around before the integrated circuit.
We got ICs because Jack Kilby invented the Integrated Circuit in response to a requirement to create modular electronics.
See here or here
They ARE out to get you simply because They are in it for themselves and they don't care about you.
Didn't we already do this one?
Error: password can't contain reverse spelling of ancient Chinese emperor
Some background: I've been to the BUG+NYC meetings, they bought me some drinks, I talked to the developers, and I've played around with the SDK, downloaded the high-level source....
As the article explains, its the concept of "hardware based mash-ups" thats really interesting. The initial modules themselves are pretty much standard across most high-even portable devices (e.g. my iPhone). However, instead of a more typical hobbyist approach of developing some hardware and letting low-level programmers fuss around with the firmware and driver code to create a new devices, BugLabs have created a standards based approach to export hardware as web services thereby making it easier to build higher level functionality (the "Lego" part).
If you wanted to build a custom device that had feature x, y and z you would have to integrate different device types in a non-standard or proprietary way, potentially write low-level driver and system code, and then build applications around it. BugLabs has created an environment where you can jump immediately to building YOUR application after picking x, y, and z components. That's pretty neat - hot-plug, start up, stop, the general runtime has been completely written for you. All you need to do is write the application piece.
Its also an open platform which allows you to rewrite everything if you really wanted to (and yes the hardware module design and snap-in mechanism is also open from what I understand).
The application piece of the BugLabs stack is based on the OSGi framework (in Java) with I believe some JNI libraries underneath talking to a Linux based OS. At the very least its a FANTASTIC prototyping platform and a pretty complete open-source middleware platform for consumer based devices.
For those that find this idea interesting, can program a bit & understand electronics, you might want to check out the following:
E-blocks : http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/abouteblocks-X.php?
mikroElektonika : http://www.mikroe.com/
Elektor Electronics [a Brit electronics mag] : http://www.elektor.com/ : They had a prebuilt FPGA module not so long ago, with a supporting course.
Not affilaited in any way with any of the above.
$400 for basic features....sounds kind of a outrageously expensive item...considering its built on open source.
From the FA:
"...build any gadget you can imagine."
"I don't know, I can imagine a lot."
- Han Solo
I don't even see that coming in Q2
In China, motorbike producers sat down together and set up a standard for motorbike components. The result was that manufacturers could mix and match, say an engine from company A with a rear suspension from B, and so on. End user prices went through the floor, while the products got somewhat better quality (though admittedly much less inventive). Same idea in gadgets would be great. The key here is that the component standards were all open-source. Until Bug encourages other opportunistic companies to create cheap and novel hardware modules they just have a 4-feature PDA that can disassemble. Nice idea, but not going to stick as long as that $600 gets you the same hardware as my celly.
Which figures...
I think that for general purpose gadget-making, an Arduino board (http://www.arduino.cc/) is more versatile. They're commonly used by artists for the straightforward input-output commands but I'm sure that someone clever enough could make some killer projects. Also, it's a helluva lot cheaper and fully open source.
So, Han, lemme ask you summin - you were there, who really shot first?
If only the error in GPS position were that small that you could distinguish two receivers on opposite ends of a 6" gizmo.
Patent litigation: A doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction... in which everyone seems willing to push the button
At first I was totally psyched, then upon further examination I decided that, really, I can accomplish much cooler and more interesting things, for now, with a Gumstix linux computer (or a cluster thereof) or a Parallax "stamp" or even something like this guy here. The problem is that none of my ideas require only an LCD screen, motion sensor, camera or speaker. They all require the ability to tie in other circuits in a way that this device doesn't appear to support (there's ethernet, for instance--also over wireless--but no analogue interfaces of a kind you could really do anything with). Simpler things like the gumstix computers are way more customizable in the long run if you're willing to get your hands dirty, and they're also way cheaper!
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/papers/Files/Towards%20Construction%20Kits%20for%20Virtual%20World%20Artifacts.pdf
Enjoy.
Anyone ever heard of PC/104(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC104)? You start with a SBC with a 104 pin female connector on top and a male connector on bottom for the bus, and add modules with similar connectors above and/or below it. Everything has connectors top and bottom, so you can stack as many as you want (within reason), not just 4 modules. They've been around for about 15 years. Yeah, they don't just snap together, you actually have to use standoffs and screws, and they don't have cool looking plastic housings. Oh yeah, and no teleporter. Keith
I'll have one of this! software development
I always thought that something like this would be ideal for a KVM. The idea is to mix and match various input and output blocks with whatever connector type or protocol is required for the device or machines you have to get the mix you actually need.
:(
There would be a backplane, then you'd chose a keyboard input block (USB, PS2 or DIN), a mouse input block (USB, PS2, DIN), and, perhaps a microphone (RCA, Phone, Mini, sub-mini) or Game input block (Joystick etc) to plug into one side of the backplane. Then add however many switch blocks you need to serve the number of computers you have. Each switch block would get a keyboard, mouse and microphone output block of the appropriate type and a video input block and audio input block plugged into them. Finally, add a video output block (VGA, DVI) and an audio mixer block on the far end of the backplane. Or maybe do away with the back plan and stack the inputs on the left, followed by the switches with inputs on one side of each switch and outputs on the other and follow the switches with the video and audio outputs on the end.
If this pipe dream ever came true, I could finally hook up my M-101 and TrackMan marble on one end, my Mac G4 and three legacy Linux boxen in the middle and my Cinema HD Monitor and a SINGLE set of speakers on the other. I'm not going to hold my breath on this one though...
Signatures are a waste of bandwi (buffering...)
this is the second time I've had to read this jack-fuck's spam.
This would be far more interesting if the add-ons could link to the base using some sort of wireless interface. I like the concept, though, and wish there were more things of this sort available. The concept of portable devices with add-on capabilities is a happy thought: multi-function devices tend to do a lot of things poorly. single-functions do one thing well, but won't share it or talk to anything else. If we can get the single-function devices talking to each other, we might be able to stop this silly nonsense of trying to pack all known useful features into one device and expecting it to have some sort of reasonable lifetime. The new and improved version complete with mind-reading is only a few months from release as it is. The pace of innovation will necessitate modularity in portable data/communication systems, IMO.
Thank you.
That sounds like something I would like to took into.
I've been using the picaxe system for the last 2 years.
they take regular Pic chips, but instead of the user programming in assembly, (which is hell for non-programmers) They add an interpreter to the chips, allowing me to program in BASIC (which is hell for programmers, but oh-so-lovable for amatures like me)
its good for beginners, the chips are very forgiving. they may say 5V, but they can take 12 and not explode or burn out. but they are very limiting....what can you possibly do with only 14 variables?
-I only code in BASIC.-
Not Heterosexual enough. Take your sweat fan-man-ism and drown in it, you jizzlover
and if you by an old soviet-era missile you could make a self homing nuke
I found them even in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denshi_block. Apparently the most popular model in the US was the Gakken EX-150, which was recently re-released and is available (in japanese only) from various resellers such as hlj.com; in fact I just went ahead and bought myself one plus the optical extension kit. The ones I used to have were the SR4A-DX and the ST100, if you want to go down memory lane check out http://www.denshiblock.co.jp/siryoindex.html .
Anyone read this as "Bug In Lego Gadgets"... Damn I read too much slashdot...