Controlling Real Objects was: Digest, Vol 5, Issue 123

[xbury.cs at clearstream.com]

Ian,

The fisherteknick system seems a lot more complete. Like the lego
it has a long experience in building all kinds of machines (much more 
than lego IMOHO) and they provide also a visual programming system
plus the usual other languages and even IR remote control...

http://www.fischertechnik.de - click on products and then computing.
Check out the other products for all their modules (all the mechanics 
including gear boxes and differentials, robots, optic-electronic-digital 
relays and controls, you name it... What's nice about it too is that they 
have
lots of nice building infrastructure kits for different purposes...

there's a little english flag on the top right corner for us 
anglophones...

I didn't get the lego tecknik when I was a kid, but FT got me into all the 

good stuff... The kits built with FT are also sturdier and more flexible 
than legos!

cheers
Xavier

On 13/02/2004 04:25:20 PM use-revolution-bounces wrote:
>It might also be worth looking at the Teleo system from
>www.makingthings.com.  This is a system of electronic modules connected
>to the computer via USB, with servo controllers, stepper drivers,
>digital & analogue I/O, the works.
>
>They are controlled using generic C, with SDKs for the system as a
>whole and for individual modules.  There are also externals for
>Cycling74's MAX/MSP, which allows you to visually build control
>flowcharts (and a few other things as well).
>
>If anyone wants to build a Rev external for Mac OS, they will get some
>of my money...
>
>Ian
>
>
>On 13 Feb 2004, at 15:02, Thomas McGrath III wrote:
>
>> Xa,
>>
>> The MacBrick is a cross platform piece of hardware (like the RCX that
>> comes with Lego's Mindstorm). It is an I/O board. But the guy who is
>> building them has taken an early retirement and there is no one to
>> pick up the business.
>>
>> He may still have a few left. I have been trying to figure a way to
>> buy the business from him, but so far no luck/money on my side.
>> It uses serial commands.
>> The site is under a little construction but here it is.
>> http://www.macbrick.com/
>> http://www.macbrick.com/projects.html
>>
>> Another idea I had was to take a part the radio controller for a car
>> or helicopter and control the switches from my Computer via REV. Then
>> I can record movements and replay them to the controller
>> automatically. Imagine (very dangerous) having a helicopter take off,
>> go up 75 feet, turn to the right for 20 seconds, turn left for 10,
>> turn left for 10, turn left for 10, turn right for 10 and land in the
>> same spot (or near it due to wind etc.)
>> Then attach my camera to the bottom/front of the helicopter and set it
>> all up to a motion detector. This way when someone walks by it, it
>> then takes off and the camera is set to the VCR for auto
>> recording(very doable). This would be a 'floating' anti theft device
>> that will record pictures from above.
>>
>> Weird-Ideas-R-Us
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>> On Feb 13, 2004, at 9:32 AM, xbury.cs at clearstream.com wrote:
>>
>>> Tom,
>>>
>>> that's totally cool... I had a Fisher Technik that did the same kind
>>> of
>>> stuff
>>> when I was a kid... No brick, or tv control then... But I had it
>>> hooked up
>>> to
>>> my scalextrix (a track car racing thing) to raise bridges, count
>>> laps, and
>>> do the photo-finish (via light control - no photo)...
>>>
>>> The macBrick is mac only?
>>>
>>> http://www.fischertechnik.de seem to still kick ass... I'll have some
>>> reading to do ;)
>>>
>>> Xa
>>>
>
><snip>
>
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