robots?

From: Bill Richman <bill_r_at_inetnebr.com>
Date: Wed Sep 9 16:11:47 1998

>> On Tue, 8 Sep 1998, Uncle Roger wrote:
>>
>> > Similarly, does anyone remember a truck-like thing (big trax?) that you
>> > could program sorta like LOGO? I remember the commercials showed it
>> > bringing a soda (or beer?) to one lucky owner. Unfortunately, my family's
>> > gift budgets never would have covered such a nifty gadget... 8^(
>>
>> My oldest brother got one of those for Christmas in maybe '78. Those were
>> cool! I hope I run into one of them one of these days. Weren't they made
>
>When I was in 4th grade a classmate had one. We were all jealous of course.
>I think he said it went for $80.
>
>Seems like maybe it picked itself up on a turntable in order to make
>turns in-place. I'm pretty sure the wheels didn't steer.
>
I believe you're talking about the Mattel "Big Trak"? My nephews had one of
those many years ago. I believe it used tank-type steering; six wheels, and
it could either lock one set and pivot using the others, or reverse one
side. I've got some surplus gearboxes and motors from the Big Trak that I
purchased several years ago. They're kind of neat; they have two motors and
gear trains, linked together with a couple of big magnets. If you run both
in the same direction, the magnets are strong enough to force both motors to
turn at the same speed. If you reverse one of the motors, the magnets
alternately repel and attract. This either forces the machine to drive in a
straight line, or to pivot about its center, respectively. They also have
an optical interrupter on one gear so the CPU can tell how far the motors
have turned. It had a hookup to dump the trailer, and I think some other
options that never were released. It was a pretty cool toy.

A quick web search found this:

BigTrak User's Guide:
http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/courses/year3/358/cwk/brown/BT_UG/

BigTrak Simulator Project:
http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/courses/year3/358/cwk/corke/

BigTrak Repair Service:
http://www.lavalamp.demon.co.uk/bigtrak/bigtrak.htm

                                        Bill Richman
                                        incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
                                        (Home of the COSMAC Elf
                                         microcomputer simulator!)
Received on Wed Sep 09 1998 - 16:11:47 BST

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