MESSAGE
| DATE | 2014-02-06 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
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| SUBJECT | Re: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] ironman linux
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also
https://www.linux.com/news/software/applications/688254-hackable-lego-robot-runs-linux
A hackable new Linux robot will be ready to roll late this summer, not
to mention walk, crawl, and slither. The Lego Mindstorms EV3 is the
first major revamp of the Lego Group's programmable robot kit since
2006, and the first to run embedded Linux.
Unveiled at the CES Show in Las Vegas yesterday, with the first public
demos starting today at the Kids Play Summit at the Venetian Hotel, the
$350 robot is built around an upgraded "Intelligent Brick" computer.
Lego swapped out the previous microcontroller for a 300MHz ARM9
processor capable of running new Linux-based firmware. As a result, the
kids-oriented Mindstorms EV3 offers far more programmability than the
NXT series, which was last updated in 2009, says Lego.
lego-ev3
Users can string together up to four bricks, each with the faster CPU,
more RAM (64MB) and internal flash memory (16MB), and a new 32GB-ready
SD slot for loading programming code. One key enhancement is a USB port
supporting WiFi dongles and other peripherals.
In addition, each brick adds "full" Android and iOS compatibility for
remote control via Bluetooth 2.1. Some earlier Mindstorms models had
been hacked for limited Android control, but now the capability is built
in.
The major new robotics feature is a set of infrared sensor "eyes" that
let the robot detect objects up to six feet away. This lets the robot
more effectively respond to events, for example, following users or
shooting balls at detected motion. There's also a gyro and an improved
color sensor. Features that have been continued from the earlier NXT
design include multiple servo motors, a speaker, an ultrasonic sensor,
and two touch sensors. The kit ships with 594 Lego-style Technic parts.
Linux and Onscreen Interface Enable Direct Hacks
Lego will provide building instructions for 17 robots, ranging from
treadmill-based bots to walking humanoids to robotic spiders, scorpions,
and snakes. With the new Linux firmware and I/O options, many more robot
designs and capabilities are possible, says the Lego Group. The company
is encouraging users to share their programs and designs on the
Mindstorms community website.
The hackability is enhanced with expanded controls available on the
brick's button-controlled, 178 x 128-pixel LCD interface. Users can now
program many functions directly, in addition to the previous ability to
download programs from a desktop computer.
This more direct access is said to fulfill a major request from users,
especially educators: the capability to build robots quickly and
experiment directly. Lego claims a simple robot can now be built in 20
minutes, all without plugging into a PC. The more direct access should
not only grab the attention of kids, but also ease trial and error
iteration, letting users debug and experiment on the fly.
To ease the learning curve, Lego has added an Autodesk-based 3D building
application offering step-by-step instructions for different designs.
(It's initially available only on the iPad.) Lego is also touting the
kit's greater multi-language support.
The upgraded desktop development software is backward compatible to
earlier NXT bricks, offering object-oriented programming tools and
extensions to major robotics languages. It's unclear, however, whether
desktop Linux will be added to the earlier Windows and Mac support.
An expanded educational version of the kit will offer more customizable
curriculum and other tools aligned with Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition guidelines.
Since it launched in 1998, Mindstorms has been popular among
constructivist educators looking for hands-on STEM learning tools. The
Mindstorms software is based loosely on Logo Lego, a version of Seymour
Papert's object-oriented Logo programming language developed in the
1980's in a collaboration between Lego and MIT Media Lab. (For more on
the education version[1], see this Wired report [2].)
Lego Mindstorms is not the only Linux-based robot kit around -- and it's
certainly not the most advanced -- but with its installed base and name
recognition, it's likely to quickly take the lead. For some other cool
Linux robots, including several open source, educationally focused
options like Qbo and DARwin-OP, see our recent Linux robot slide show
[3].
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