But what about the metal parts? Those aren't any cheaper...but you're
giving me ideas. I saw a show once on CNN about a guy at Lawrence
Livermore who is building robot bugs out of computer parts. They are
powered by neural networks. He can even pull off a couple of legs
and they'll still work. BTW, where do all of those researchers get
neural network chips?
>
>I remember when I was a kid I was dreaming about building robots and
using
>computers to control them, but all the parts and expecially the
computers
>were too expensive. I had one design based on a //c, but this was
around
>1986 when the //c was still relatively new.
>
>Today, a kid could go to a thrift store and buy all manner of
salvageable
>computer parts, including printers (to get the steppers and gears out
of),
>disk drives (for the motors and gear shafts) and of course the
computers
>to control their projects with easy to use languages built in, all for
>just a few bucks.
>
>An entire robot could be built for under $100 with thrift store and
flea
>market parts. It could include a fairly powerful and easy to program
>"brain" in the form of a Commodore 64, a Tandy CoCo, even an Apple ][
>board. This stuff is everywhere and extremely simple to hack.
>
>Man, I wish I was a kid again!
>
>Sam Alternate e-mail:
dastar_at_siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ever onward.
>
> September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
> See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
> [Last web site update: 09/12/98]
>
>
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Received on Fri Sep 18 1998 - 18:57:13 BST