tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56025148878243924622024-03-13T12:58:07.955+10:00Astromech DiaryAegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-5207940314089642932014-02-15T16:41:00.000+10:002014-02-15T16:42:41.917+10:00Interesting technologies...Anyone fancy buying me a neural processor board designed for experimenters?
Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-19134994356589221782013-01-05T11:42:00.001+10:002013-01-05T11:42:19.793+10:00An updateWell, I haven't posted much in ages, so a quick summary...
Over the past 15 months, I've been working on pretty much the equivalent of a Computer Science degree, unaccredited and online... So, my (frame) building has taken a back step.
I'm still counting this as progress towards building though, as I'm doing these courses to help on the "autonomous" idea. Seriously, when some big names and big Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-53683161836426980622012-06-02T10:09:00.001+10:002012-06-02T10:09:49.381+10:00Still around, still experimenting...It's just that I haven't had time or inclination to write.
Slowly getting electronics played with... I've come across OpenKinect and OpenNI, which might prove easier to port to other platforms that the Microsoft Kinect SDK. Primarily because I've ordered my Raspberry PI, and want to use that for such processing...
Anyone who wants to buy me $2,000 worth of Neural Network Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-64531998947994953942011-12-17T10:19:00.000+10:002011-12-17T10:19:47.165+10:00Down the track...I've got photos to post, just haven't had the time...
Well, I've completed the final exam for Stanford's open AI course, I have to finish off some stuff for the Machine Learning one... Not really happy with the ML - massive troubles getting the videos to work.
Am getting the legs together, although I've found I needed to go back over the seams with JB-Weld. I'm still going to put carbon fibre Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-92089895202211204232011-10-15T16:35:00.000+10:002011-10-15T16:35:36.761+10:00Back in to the swing of things...Well, after an interim, here's what's been happening...
Firstly, I've inspired a friend to be into robotics - which means that I'm having to improve my gain actually going things.... which is very, very good. I've actually gotten around to getting my mosfet based h-bridge to work. I'm going with a complementary pair system, rather than using just n-channel ones... I'll go into my reasons why Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-4181594244544611342011-09-16T10:19:00.000+10:002011-09-16T10:19:51.793+10:00After an interim...Short post, covering a few topics...
Let's see... Am going to list a couple of more projects that I'm working on...
1. Speakjet based text-to-speech reader. I'm using a Etherten Arduino board, primarily because it has a micro-SD slot, which will go into the Speakjet via the matching dictionary chip. The idea being to be able to download text files from, for example, Project Gutenburg, and have Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-86633021593069049222011-03-04T20:46:00.000+10:002011-03-04T20:46:34.387+10:00Toward a Theory of Mind, The Precis.Tacto, ergo Sum. I touch, therefore I am.
I was trying to mentally compose this post earlier today, but find myself lost for words. Basically what it comes down to is that intelligence seems to depend a lot on being able to detect the environment around one's self, as it does sheer processing power.
A robot requires sensors, both proprioceptive and exteroperceptive - it needs to Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-64397343598181174132011-02-16T21:08:00.000+10:002011-02-16T21:08:25.170+10:00Turning fiction into reality...Ages ago, having settled on wanting to just go beyond a static display, basically a non-functional but full-size model, or a radio controlled toy, but actually wanting to create a proper robot, a strange idea settled on my mind.
Why not give the robot some of the functions that astromechs, within the Star Wars Universe, have - or, at least, real-world variations. Fire extinguisher - easy... if Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-74999138331557683672011-02-12T13:36:00.001+10:002011-02-12T13:37:42.276+10:00In a mind to...The more I've been thinking about it, the more I like the Beagleboard - lots of processing power, small size, lowe power consumption, plus a growing community of developers. I will, however, still have quite a few AVRs sitting in there, doing control.
Essentially, the AVRs will be working as the nervous system, the Beagleboard(s) the higher brain functions. Higher functions, such as OpenCV, JavaAegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-3714629838101260522011-02-05T15:45:00.000+10:002011-02-05T15:45:44.981+10:00Body building...Woot! Frame arrived yesterday, and I've put it together in a couple of hours.
It looks good, feels solid - great work from James. Of course, I still need legs, ankles, feet... head, skins... But - a good marker... And a first step into a larger world...Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-24487756003699725112011-01-30T18:57:00.000+10:002011-01-30T18:57:19.168+10:00Eye for an eye... and a slightly smoky thought...As part of my thoughts on the internals of my droid, I've come across two very interesting things. Firstly, a few people have ported OpenCV, an open-source computer vision project, to the Beagle Board-xM board, running under Linux. Very nice, 1GHz processor, very low power consumption, quite powerful really... Vision would be handy to have but, of course, but is dependent on the power Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-72333722163552577632011-01-20T22:17:00.000+10:002011-01-20T22:17:18.778+10:00Pro-tip: when ordering parts, make sure you get everything...I get most of my electronics parts from two sources... One is local, the other international... The local source is more expensive, the non-local takes a lot more time. There can be a difference in what is available, but anything that both have I decide on is based on a speed vs cost question - do I want it quickly, or cheaply? For a lot of things at the moment, I go the cheap option, and just Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-7066740071911451112011-01-13T22:35:00.001+10:002011-01-13T22:48:09.771+10:00A Change Of Heart... Or A Replacement MotivatorIt has been a little while since my last entry. Nothing serious, just life getting in the way. Like earning the money to get the bits to build my droid...
I've been thinking... Perhaps I should be willing to make astromechs for people.
The question is: would people be willing to pay a couple of thousand for labour? Note that I wouldn't be selling droids, you would be paying for the cost of Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-60680671928105375702010-10-13T18:36:00.000+10:002010-10-13T18:36:38.573+10:00The Work Continues...Well, yesterday saw my first step into a larger world - I etched my first PCB(s). Normally, I'd just use experimenter/vero/whatever-board - when you're trying experimental stuff, it's easy enough to use. The problem with that stuff, though, is it's only for relatively low amperage. For driving motors, you need to be able to control reasonable currents... Assuming around 4-6 amps, I decided it wasAegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-68636335893981966702010-10-06T09:00:00.000+10:002010-10-06T09:00:59.384+10:00Droid with a good motivator...My new motors arrived from Oatley Electronics on Friday... They're a bit heavier than they look - but hardly surprising when you think about it, really. Brushed motors, which means that they're not as efficient and won't last as long as would be ideal - but so much easier to drive than any other type, such as brushless.
They're 100W at 24V, so they'll put out a bit of power, while not needing Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-64900332915387342662010-09-29T13:13:00.000+10:002010-09-29T13:13:09.058+10:00Now underway!I've started building the dome - ie the head part. I'm building an initial full-size model out of paper, on the grounds that it's cheaper. Much, much cheaper. So, an hour or so spent with scalpel and rotary cutter have meant I have the beginnings of a dome.
It's not going to be the final version, but it's worth doing - if I end up going to a local plastic cutter to get the sheet styrene cut, ifAegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-71284999753932481682010-09-23T12:53:00.000+10:002010-09-23T12:53:23.213+10:00What is an R6 astromech?We shall start off defining our problem... What is an R6 unit? Well, in the SW Expanded Universe (all the stuff outside of the movies and series), a lot like R2 - a bit more capable, the biggest difference is a different shaped head.
R6-D14, current colour scheme
The advantage with the head shape is that it's much easier to scratch build than is a hemispherical(ish) dome. And I find it a bit Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602514887824392462.post-39845891214933742762010-09-19T17:35:00.000+10:002010-09-19T17:58:24.298+10:00In The Beginning...So... after many... well, I have to admit years of wanting one, I am going to actually start making my own Astromech.Firstly, the legal: The design is owned (as far as I know) by Lucasfilm... or whoever. It's not mine, is the main thing. The look of the Star Wars astromechs is copyright.Secondly: Don't ask me to make one for you. For starters, I don't have the time. Additionally, you don't have Aegishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10449955455457018405noreply@blogger.com0