Not sure how long this will stay up, so...
on
GUIs for Robots
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· Score: 2, Informative
GUI Development
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed to enable the operation of multiple complex field robots. The interaction mechanism was inspired by interface techniques refined in the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre of video games that includes the popular titles Starcraft, Command & Conquer, and Strifeshadow. This mechanism follows three basic steps: The operator selects which robots to use The operator selects which objects to be acted on The operator selects a task to perform However, the nature of field robotics requires some significant differences in the implementation of the RTS interface method. For instance, there is no single source of accurate global information -- each robot can only provide relative data that has to be fused together. In addition, the tasks that each robot can perform change dynamically and this information must be reflected in the choices presented by the GUI to the operator.
The GUI utilizes OpenGL to display the robot world in three dimensions. Development was significantly aided by Glt (by Nigel Stewart) and GLUI (by Paul Rademacher). Using Glt, which includes GLUI, is highly recommended, especially for C++ programmers new to OpenGL. The OpenGL picking mechanism was used in conjunction with GLUI dialog boxes to provide a direct manipulation interface for robot operation. Additional screenshots and system architecture diagrams are also available.
In the background, real-time data is being handled by NDDS from RTI. The determination of robot capabilities, which change from moment to moment depending on robot capabilities and object characteristics, is performed by the Java Theorem Prover (JTP) developed at Stanford by Gleb Frank. Communication between the GUI and JTP is carried out by the Open Agent Architecture (OAA) from SRI.
SWAT Observations
To gain insight into how humans already manage distributed teams, this research observed field exercises of a police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The Palo Alto / Mountain View (California) Regional SWAT team provided access to its training exercises. The researchers were given free movement throughout the exercise area so that the activities of the commanders, the field units, the snipers, and the hostages and suspects could all be monitored. The tactical commander and field units play roles analgous to the robot operator and the field robots, respectively. The key observations made were:
-The role of the leader (commander or operator) has two primary components *Cultivating common ground *Coordinating action
-A natural and efficient interaction can be based on physical objects in the remote agents' (field units or robots) environment, just as with the RTS games
Why does it have to be a game released this year? It's an independent award for the best game shown at E3. What happens if the game they give it to is delayed? Do they change the award after the fact? Why make such a big deal of this?
This award is given for the best game *preview*. Every game was previewed - that's the point of a trade show like this one. What do you want them to do, give an award for a game that's already been released, and as such wouldn't have had a presence at the show?
Interesting point - unless you've actually tried to use the Dreamcast DivX player. It's a disater - films need to be encoded at very low resolutions, and don't work half the time anyway. A Dreamcast is a great machine to have - great games and very cheap prices, and the afformentioned emulators (especially the NES ones) make it a good investment. But DivX is definitely *not* its forte.
I am by no means a gamer. In fact, I rarely play computer games
While I'm not trying to attack your comment, as it is a valid point, wouldn't the above statement mean that you shouldn't be the one to judge computer game interfaces? If you're not a gamer and don't enjoy playing games, are you really the type of user that a game interface should cater to?
This is a blanket statement about all people that is just patently false. Many people prefer to work in isolation, because they don't trust anyone BUT themselves. To say no one works alone is just silly. Some people work alone, others don't.
Good point, but that's not the whole effect. Amphetamines increase concentration and focus. I have recordings of my guitar playing when I was high, and it was noticably better.
Uppers defintiely are performance enhacnign when it comes to some things.
Speed and other amphetamines can greatly increase focus and concentration for long periods of time. In my younger, more exuberant days, I remember being amped up on speed and being able to play guitar better than I ever had.
I think where we should look, however, is to the current governing bodies of chess. Is drug use prevalent in any way in competetive chess? I have no idea whatsoever..
This part really gets me suspicious: Podkletnov claims that the results directly contradict general relativity. General relativity is pretty "solid" these days. To find a direct contradiction in it these days would be a huge suprise and is very unlikely.
This part really gets me suspicious: Columbus claims that the results directly contradict the Earth being flat. The Earth being flat is pretty "solid" these days. To find a direct contradiction in it these days would be a huge suprise and is very unlikely.
You make a snide comment about a paper which you are not in any qualified to analyze - or are/. editors suddenly nuclear physicists on top of being astute social historials and technological gurus?
Popular media will cover the things that will get the most attention. Few are reporting on this because, quite frankly, the majority of American people don't really care.
News is newsworthy if someone's willing to buy advertising on the medium that reports it.
Maybe it's time to register Sucksdotcomsucks.com. I suppose if that was turned in to a viable product someone would have to worry abotu sucksdotcomsucksdotcomsucks.com.
The currnt system of domain ownership needs to be overhauled at some point. While I disagree with large corporations forcing domains out of the little guy, domain squatting and typosquatting and the like need to be controlled somehow in the new economy. An internet domain is a valid trademark, and should be protectd somehow.
The dvds you refer to are most likely dubs of the Asian LD, VCD, or US VHS transfers. I'd be willing to bet that every aspect of this transfer will be far superior, irregardless of any extras.
Well, first people whine that Lucas waits until all the movies are out before releasing them on DVD. "Release them now," we cry. Then he decided to release one of them and now you say, "Wait until they're all out!"
You can't have it both ways. I'm glad they're releasing anything, and it looks to be a package well worth the purchase as well.
I've been an iPaq user for a few months ever since I had a Palm V get stolen.
There are a few issues which have been discussed above (the multiple button press one is the biggie for me), but all in all I think it's a great machine.
However, I think it's important to focus on what you'll be using it for. A long and robust feature list is great, but in reality most people use these things for little more than PIM functions. I was wowed by the iPaq like everyone else, and I don't regret buying one. I do think that most of what I've ended up using it for could have been accomplished jsut fine by just getting a new Palm - and I would have saved a few hundered dollars.
The important thing is to think hard about exactly what you'll use it for - especially if you can't afford to make a mistake on what's a pretty significant purchase for most.
I agree that installing unauthorized software on a computer is a risk - but why single out SETI@Home? It sounds to me like they're just trying to grab headlines by marking one particular piece of software. When was the last time Slashdot reported that "Company X has decided to limit users' ability to install software on there system." Or even, "Company X realizes unauthorized software can pose a security risk!" So why is this noteworthy other than that the newsmakers decided to mention SETI@Home when describing their inadequacy as sysadmins?
Isn't SETI just as insecure as any internet application? What they're really saying is that "a computer being connected to the internet is a security threat."
Slashdot Mirror
GUI Development
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed to enable the operation of multiple complex field robots. The interaction mechanism was inspired by interface techniques refined in the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre of video games that includes the popular titles Starcraft, Command & Conquer, and Strifeshadow. This mechanism follows three basic steps:
The operator selects which robots to use
The operator selects which objects to be acted on
The operator selects a task to perform
However, the nature of field robotics requires some significant differences in the implementation of the RTS interface method. For instance, there is no single source of accurate global information -- each robot can only provide relative data that has to be fused together. In addition, the tasks that each robot can perform change dynamically and this information must be reflected in the choices presented by the GUI to the operator.
The GUI utilizes OpenGL to display the robot world in three dimensions. Development was significantly aided by Glt (by Nigel Stewart) and GLUI (by Paul Rademacher). Using Glt, which includes GLUI, is highly recommended, especially for C++ programmers new to OpenGL. The OpenGL picking mechanism was used in conjunction with GLUI dialog boxes to provide a direct manipulation interface for robot operation. Additional screenshots and system architecture diagrams are also available.
In the background, real-time data is being handled by NDDS from RTI. The determination of robot capabilities, which change from moment to moment depending on robot capabilities and object characteristics, is performed by the Java Theorem Prover (JTP) developed at Stanford by Gleb Frank. Communication between the GUI and JTP is carried out by the Open Agent Architecture (OAA) from SRI.
SWAT Observations
To gain insight into how humans already manage distributed teams, this research observed field exercises of a police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The Palo Alto / Mountain View (California) Regional SWAT team provided access to its training exercises. The researchers were given free movement throughout the exercise area so that the activities of the commanders, the field units, the snipers, and the hostages and suspects could all be monitored. The tactical commander and field units play roles analgous to the robot operator and the field robots, respectively. The key observations made were:
-The role of the leader (commander or operator) has two primary components
*Cultivating common ground
*Coordinating action
-A natural and efficient interaction can be based on physical objects in the remote agents' (field units or robots) environment, just as with the RTS games
Why does it have to be a game released this year? It's an independent award for the best game shown at E3. What happens if the game they give it to is delayed? Do they change the award after the fact? Why make such a big deal of this?
This award is given for the best game *preview*. Every game was previewed - that's the point of a trade show like this one. What do you want them to do, give an award for a game that's already been released, and as such wouldn't have had a presence at the show?
Lighten up.
Really? When I was in high school (graduated in 1996) we were *required* to have a TI-82 or 89 for 4 years of math.
Interesting point - unless you've actually tried to use the Dreamcast DivX player. It's a disater - films need to be encoded at very low resolutions, and don't work half the time anyway. A Dreamcast is a great machine to have - great games and very cheap prices, and the afformentioned emulators (especially the NES ones) make it a good investment. But DivX is definitely *not* its forte.
I am by no means a gamer. In fact, I rarely play computer games
While I'm not trying to attack your comment, as it is a valid point, wouldn't the above statement mean that you shouldn't be the one to judge computer game interfaces? If you're not a gamer and don't enjoy playing games, are you really the type of user that a game interface should cater to?
This is a blanket statement about all people that is just patently false. Many people prefer to work in isolation, because they don't trust anyone BUT themselves. To say no one works alone is just silly. Some people work alone, others don't.
It's worth noting that the new reference list for Lavasoft's Ad-Aware identifies this.
Here it is:
Google Cache
Bush is invoking executive privledge, which is his right as chief executive.
Good point, but that's not the whole effect. Amphetamines increase concentration and focus. I have recordings of my guitar playing when I was high, and it was noticably better.
Uppers defintiely are performance enhacnign when it comes to some things.
Speed and other amphetamines can greatly increase focus and concentration for long periods of time. In my younger, more exuberant days, I remember being amped up on speed and being able to play guitar better than I ever had. I think where we should look, however, is to the current governing bodies of chess. Is drug use prevalent in any way in competetive chess? I have no idea whatsoever..
This part really gets me suspicious: Podkletnov claims that the results directly contradict general relativity. General relativity is pretty "solid" these days. To find a direct contradiction in it these days would be a huge suprise and is very unlikely.
This part really gets me suspicious: Columbus claims that the results directly contradict the Earth being flat. The Earth being flat is pretty "solid" these days. To find a direct contradiction in it these days would be a huge suprise and is very unlikely.
"Let's see if I can summarize"
/. editors suddenly nuclear physicists on top of being astute social historials and technological gurus?
You make a snide comment about a paper which you are not in any qualified to analyze - or are
Popular media will cover the things that will get the most attention. Few are reporting on this because, quite frankly, the majority of American people don't really care. News is newsworthy if someone's willing to buy advertising on the medium that reports it.
Maybe it's time to register Sucksdotcomsucks.com. I suppose if that was turned in to a viable product someone would have to worry abotu sucksdotcomsucksdotcomsucks.com.
The currnt system of domain ownership needs to be overhauled at some point. While I disagree with large corporations forcing domains out of the little guy, domain squatting and typosquatting and the like need to be controlled somehow in the new economy. An internet domain is a valid trademark, and should be protectd somehow.
The dvds you refer to are most likely dubs of the Asian LD, VCD, or US VHS transfers. I'd be willing to bet that every aspect of this transfer will be far superior, irregardless of any extras.
Well, first people whine that Lucas waits until all the movies are out before releasing them on DVD. "Release them now," we cry. Then he decided to release one of them and now you say, "Wait until they're all out!"
You can't have it both ways. I'm glad they're releasing anything, and it looks to be a package well worth the purchase as well.
I've been an iPaq user for a few months ever since I had a Palm V get stolen. There are a few issues which have been discussed above (the multiple button press one is the biggie for me), but all in all I think it's a great machine. However, I think it's important to focus on what you'll be using it for. A long and robust feature list is great, but in reality most people use these things for little more than PIM functions. I was wowed by the iPaq like everyone else, and I don't regret buying one. I do think that most of what I've ended up using it for could have been accomplished jsut fine by just getting a new Palm - and I would have saved a few hundered dollars. The important thing is to think hard about exactly what you'll use it for - especially if you can't afford to make a mistake on what's a pretty significant purchase for most.
I agree that installing unauthorized software on a computer is a risk - but why single out SETI@Home? It sounds to me like they're just trying to grab headlines by marking one particular piece of software. When was the last time Slashdot reported that "Company X has decided to limit users' ability to install software on there system." Or even, "Company X realizes unauthorized software can pose a security risk!" So why is this noteworthy other than that the newsmakers decided to mention SETI@Home when describing their inadequacy as sysadmins?
Isn't SETI just as insecure as any internet application? What they're really saying is that "a computer being connected to the internet is a security threat."