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John,<br>
<br>
I have a TYCO toy hovercraft: <br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.geology.smu.edu/dpa-www/robo/firefight/hovercraft.gif">http://www.geology.smu.edu/dpa-www/robo/firefight/hovercraft.gif</a><br>
<br>
Or rather had one. I took it apart to use one of the blowers to
extinguish a candle for the Trinity Firefighting Contest, from the
before time. Just an observation: They are very hard to control. <br>
<br>
As to Steve's 3 questions, you don't fit the criteria because you
don't hold yourself out as an expert on robot building. ( More a
devil's advocate, if I may be so bold. :)<br>
<br>
Quite the contrary, you know what you know. Which is a trait much
to be envied. Plato would be proud.<br>
<br>
cheers!<br>
dpa<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/07/2016 10:18 PM, John Swindle
wrote:<br>
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<div>Guys and gals,<br>
<br>
Just to let you know I figured out my mistake:</div>
<div> <br>
I wondered whether twin-rotor caged "drones" (what a terribly
mis-used term) and Batmobile-inspired quad-rotor wheeled
gadgets, that reduce battery drain by rolling most of the
time, would be appropriate RoboColumbus platforms.<br>
<br>
Then I realized that my concern was marsh and high grass, and
a simpler solution already exists: a hovercraft.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I can't carry much stuff on a hovercraft, and hovercrafts
expend energy all the time. But a hovercraft meets Dave's
definition of a robot that is be able to rotate about its
center (if it is so designed).<br>
<br>
I don't want to build any mechanical stuff anyway, so I don't
know why I think about this stuff.<br>
<br>
If I can map the trees in the arena in one or two failed
passes, along with the allowed walk-around with instruments
before the contest runs, and then have a race to the cones on
a third pass, using omni sonar, then that would be interesting
to me.<br>
<br>
Mapping with sonar at 450 feet is almost impossible at high
frequencies due to massive losses in the atmosphere. But
mapping at, say, 100 feet may be enough to map the outdoor
arena, and stitch the map together. Wobbling the mics three
feet one way, and three feet the other way, staying within a
four-foot envelope, would work, at least in simulation.<br>
<br>
I am not sitting at an armchair right now, but I nevertheless
fail ALL THREE of Steve's questions!<br>
<br>
But one of the Neatos just jabbed me. So it's time for me to
move out of the room. (It's fun to watch two of them jousting
for position.)<br>
<br>
Later,<br>
John Swindle<br>
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