[Glug-nith-discuss] Robotics Community

[vijay.kumarmateti]

Hi Everyone,

Recently I came across a project called SunSPOT from Sun Microsystems.
This project is the best solution for all the problems we have faced in
our robotic project.

Like many of us, I was very fascinated with robotic science and wanted
to build a working robot. It took lot of pain for making our own
controller to actuate a simple stepper motor (conditions apply: I'm a
mechanical engineer). Though there are many such prebuilt reprogrammable
controllers available in the market, it was hard to break the ice and
make them work for your project. In this very process the real idea of
building a robot is lost and we get stuck with low level stuff like
hardware, low level programming and all.

If you have an idea of making a industrial robot or automated guided
vehicle or moon rover for ISRO or it could be a hobby robot that make
you coffee or any pet you like to have. The hardware and software behind
your idea should take your idea from whiteboard to reality. But in
reality these are the major hurdle that one has to pass through in
giving a initial shape to your project. Forget about implementing
enhancements and addons to your project. It ate away my four years in
building a mere prototype. Some of us may not agree with me in using
prebuild robost controllers as they feel its more geek stuff to wire
some circuits and ic's and do low level program in C and burn the thing
over EPROM and make your robot make its first move. I totally agree with
you and that what happened with me and I tell you there is no great
thing in reinventing the wheel and starting over things which were
accomplished way back in 80's and 90's. This takes away valuable time.
Instead you can use the knowledge passed on and advance into new era of
robotics. This project SunSPOT has every thing you can ever imagine.
Good news is that they recently released everything from hardware,
operating system and api's to open source. The controllers are wireless
enabled and best thing is they are providing a well documented set of
API's and whole framework that abstracts the hardware. It is powered by
endless features of real world object oriented language Java. In the
embedded space java is catching up a lot. If you see the mobile and
embedded market its JavaME everywhere. They have special program for
educational institution where they offer these controllers and the kit
for discount pricing.

If you can form a Robotic group as a sister group to our GLUG with guys
from all the engineering sciences they can do wonders with expertise in
their sciences. All you have to do is gather some interesting fellas and
organize a weekend informal gathering where you invite some you teaching
staff from every department and launch a website for projecting your
ideas. Rishi/Arjun/Manu/Rakesh/Vivek/Anyone share in your thoughts on
this.

Its time to take GLUG to next level by brining more and more
participation from your side.

For those who are interested to know more about SunSpot you can find
very good resources out here.

--
http://sessions.sun.com/learning/javaoneonline/sessions/2007/TS-1519/ind
ex.html (Registration need to watch the presentation)
-- http://www.sunspotworld.com/about/vision.php



Thanks
Vijay

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SunSpotOpenGrantPgrm01-29-08.pdf
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