[getting off topic, sort of] Re: Kids these days

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_freegate.com>
Date: Fri Sep 18 19:16:44 1998

Max Eskin wrote:
> But what about the metal parts? Those aren't any cheaper...but you're
> giving me ideas.

There is an incomplete description about how to build a robot out of a
3.5" floppy drive. To qualify as a "classic" computer I'm guessing that
one should use at least a 5.25" floppy and perhaps a 8" floppy. The
"metal" in that case is the drive structure itself.

> I saw a show once on CNN about a guy at Lawrence
> Livermore who is building robot bugs out of computer parts.

Actually that is Mark Tilden and he is working at Sandia National
Laboratory.

> They are
> powered by neural networks. He can even pull off a couple of legs
> and they'll still work.

Actually, Mark call's them 'Nervous Nets' and they are something he
invented. They use about $0.50 in parts.

> BTW, where do all of those researchers get
> neural network chips?

You presume complexity, they are nothing but a couple of op-amps biased
into a non-linear feedback loop. Stop thinking digital, think analog,
its cheaper.

--Chuck
Received on Fri Sep 18 1998 - 19:16:44 BST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Fri Oct 10 2014 - 23:31:34 BST