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A Hardware Mashup Device Running Linux

Posted by Soulskill on from the diversity-breeds-creativity dept.

jonniee writes "Mike Riley over at Dr. Dobb's takes a look at 'The BUG,' from Bug labs. It's a Linux-based, Java-programmable electronic base with I/O ports for connecting BUGmodules — individual modules that supply additional functionality to the BUGbase. Four BUGmodules currently exist: a color LCD screen, a combined motion detector/accelerometer, GPS, and a 2-megapixel color camera. You can think of it as 'electronic LEGOs' that let you build different devices depending on how you plug the modules together."

23 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Try Arduino, or build your own by schamberlin · · Score: 5, Informative

    The BUG looks pretty slick, but it's $350 just for the base module! Add on modules like an LCD or GPS are about $100 each. Ouch.

    For playing around with embedded electronics, try an open-source hardware Arduino board (http://www.arduino.cc), or just build your own using a PIC or AVR microcontroller. It's not as polished as the BUG and doesn't run Java, but it'll cost $40 instead of $400. Arduino has a decent set of software tools, and you can add modular "shields" for GPS, wireless, etc.

    1. Re:Try Arduino, or build your own by CaptainPatent · · Score: 4, Funny

      You can think of it as 'electronic LEGOs' that let you build different devices depending on how you plug the modules together.

      The BUG looks pretty slick, but it's $350 just for the base module! Add on modules like an LCD or GPS are about $100 each. Ouch.

      Wow, so they're CHEAP Legos!

      --
      Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
    2. Re:Try Arduino, or build your own by mr_da3m0n · · Score: 5, Informative

      I second the arduino. It uses a modified version of Wiring, which is a subset of C++ itself. It's actually pretty great to code for and work with, even for a total newbie on the topic like me.

      Arduinos are not only cheap, but you can build your own, for added geek points.
      http://www.freeduino.org/freeduino_open_designs.html

    3. Re:Try Arduino, or build your own by ghoti · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Absolutely! Arduino is a great little platform, and much more hackable. There's a shield with a little breadboard where you can build tons of interesting things to interface with. There's also one with an OLED display, and things like GPS modules are easy to connect. I'd take the "raw hardware" appeal of the Arduino over the polished, over-engineered flash of the BUG any day.

      --
      EagerEyes.org: Visualization and Visual Communication
    4. Re:Try Arduino, or build your own by wellingj · · Score: 4, Informative

      And if you need more than what the Arduino has to offer check out the Gumstix

      --
      Money is the root of all evil?
    5. Re:Try Arduino, or build your own by CAIMLAS · · Score: 4, Informative

      There are also a handful of different "sets" from Gumstix which are seemingly more similar to this BUGboard than the thing you posted (which has more similarity to a microPIC than anything usable and has a steep learning curve).

      Gumstix has been for a while. Their hardware is the basis of many devices out there, noteably the Amazon Kindle, Sony E-ink reader, and the E-ink development board.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  2. It's not news by Nursie · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's slashdot.org

    Read about this YEARS ago.

    Here's one from january, but I'm pretty sure I read about this, right here, long before then.

    1. Re:It's not news by Nursie · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hey, I found one from November too.

    2. Re:It's not news by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hey, I found one from august too.

  3. Fixed Positions by whoisrich · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Im really puzzled by the design and who they are going to sell this to. The connectors limit the number of modules and forces them into fixed positions. The motion sensor module is going to limited when tied the main unit. Real 'Lego' seems to offer a better system under the name NXT.

  4. The cost puts it well out of range... by pongo000 · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...of most educational institutions that operate on a restricted public budget (read: K-12 public schools). $600 is rather steep, especially when one considers the limited functionality that's less than equivalent to, say, a Handy Board that costs 1/2 as much, or even the Cricket for a sixth of the cost.

    1. Re:The cost puts it well out of range... by ozbird · · Score: 3, Informative

      Parallax make a variety of low-cost micro-controllers, with education kits available. Their Propeller micro-controller sounds intiguing - 8 cores running at 80MHz - but the venerable Basic Stamp series is probably more mature and easier to learn. (I haven't tried either, but I'm tempted to get a Propeller kit just to see what it is capable of.)

      Here is a Propeller being tortured at 190 deg. C - don't try this at home, kids. :D

  5. Ideas by moniker127 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Its a step in the right direction. I saw this dealio on a youtube video a while back. I think it would be better if they figured out how to shrink the modules, and the price, but aside from that, great product. Really, if you think about it, this isnt like a cell phone. You can use this thing as a streaming wireless web camera, you can use it as a high def picture camera that attached GPS tags... you can use it for all sorts of industrial and consumer applications. 350 is not a lot to pay for that.

  6. Been Done by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 4, Informative

    Nothing to see here. Gumstix has been around for quite a while, and their stuff is cheaper... and more useful.

    --

    "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
  7. How is this a mash-up? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Modular electronics have been around for ages. I recommend the Arudino to anyone interested. The Web 2.0 concept of a mash-up is to bring together data from various places on one site, so I don't see what it has to do with modular electronics.

    Sounds like it's just a Slashvertisement with a random buzzword in it...

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  8. Limited right now? by CyrusOmega · · Score: 3, Informative

    When looking at http://buglabs.net/products it would seem that there are only 4 modules right now and they aren't cheap (at least for what you *can* get then for). I can see where this might be good for a very simple classroom style project, but not much more.

    Also, hasn't this already be on Slashdot?

  9. Invented by Vernor Vinge before 2006 by StCredZero · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is the exact architecture described for DIY modular gadgets in Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End

  10. This was reviewed by glitch23 · · Score: 3, Informative

    in Linux Journal a couple issues ago. It's in the August issue but it is only available online to subscribers currently because it is still new content.

    --
    this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
  11. Slashvertisement. There are better options by Xamusk · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is just a Slashvertisement. Modular electronics kits are around for a while. For example, VirtualCogs are around for much longer.

    Also, there are much cheaper, less modular kits that usually are also much more useful.

  12. Modular electronic is the way to go by houbou · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I could be wrong, but to me, the Bug is the beginning of what could be true electronic modular assembly.

    The ability to hook up various parts and get them to function in a very specific way, is how, I hope things will become over time.

    Of course, hooking up the devices will also means a glue language, allowing these devices to interact, and that's where Java kicks ass.

    But as I saw it right now, this Bug has a lot of potential, but, it also has a long way to go.

    I might buy one of these, when they have more parts that can be hooked up, because right now, from what I saw, it doesn't do all that much, at least, not enough for me to be interested even as a hobby, but still, it's technology worth keeping an eye on, as far as I'm concerned :)

    1. Re:Modular electronic is the way to go by Xamusk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Maybe you should look forward to the many options around that feature PC104 connections, which has been an industry standard for a while.

      I remember seeing a vendor which used to provide Linux SBCs with this interface, and even accessories for it. I don't remember the site right now, but I think it still was cheaper than the BUG, though it didn't have a good-looking external shell like the BUG.

  13. How about and android phone? by NusEnFleur · · Score: 2, Informative

    GPS, LCD screen, motion sensor, java programmable. I'd rather wait for an android phone. For the same price, I'd also get a nice phone.

  14. Or just buy a Lego Mindstorms by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can read all the documentation and code. Open source alternate firmware available for Java http://lejos.sourceforge.net/, C, Lua and many other languages.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.