I've been using the Charmed Labs Qwerk for over a month now and it is a very neat system which brings together in a single device many of the things which traditionally are separate, such as computers, digital analog I/O boards, vision systems, Servo control, etc. Integrating these diverse aspects of a robotics system is usually a major headache. The cost of the Qwerks is also low enough for hobbyists or anyone mildly interested in robotics. Another advantage is the low power consumption, making it a realistic prospect that a system could run all day without recharging.
See www.charmedlabs.com and www.terk.ri.cmu.edu for details. A couple of images of the robot which I'm developing, which uses the Qwerk. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/459084802_33a784930e_b.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/461423164_1d7176c14a_b.jpg
From an AGI perspective robots such as these might be useful in that the
internet aspect provides a level of abstraction, such that the person or program using the robot need not know a great deal about how it works. It might be possible to use robots such as these for "baby AGI" experiments in real environments. An internet based intelligence might be able to learn from examples of human tele-operation, and could potentially control more than one robot in a coordinated way, perhaps also making use of fixed IP cameras to provide a high degree of overall awareness (a sort of collective embodiment). On 26/04/07, Benjamin Goertzel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Cool stuff indeed ... commentary from those w/ robotics expertise would be appreciated... http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/cmu-cmu042407.php Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new series of robots that are simple enough for almost anyone to build with off-the-shelf parts, but are sophisticated machines that wirelessly connect to the Internet. The robots can take many forms, from a three-wheeled model with a mounted camera to a flower loaded with infrared sensors. They can be easily customized and their ability to wirelessly link to the Internet allows users to control and monitor their robots' actions from any Internet-connected computer in the world. ... ------------------------------ This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?&;
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