Christmas Robots!

Community General Discussions
1

Yes! Finally, someone to whom you can make a robot for Christmas, someone who will love to get it.


Yes! Finally, someone who will give you a homemade robot for Christmas.


Yes! Finally you can get to actually see and try someone else's robot .. and keep it.

 

 

This is how I would like to start a page on LMR; A whole (little) section with one purpose:

 

Let's make robots to each other for Christmas!

Sounds mad? Personally I would love to participate, would you?

My only rule would be that this should NOT get out of hands in rules and suspicion, there is a risk of someone not being a good sport, of course, but no pain, no gain.. and we keep quite a good tone of friendliness in here, I think, no?

OK.. Enough boring, the idea:

At first of October everyone who want to participate should start building a robot that they mark "Christmas-robot" (we will make a special check mark), and show progress online.. so that everyone can see what robots are being build for Christmas.

Then..

At November 30, everyone should send a mail to an e-mail address we make for the purpose.

At first of December we show a screen dump of all incoming mails, and first on the list should send he's Christmas-robot to next on the list (last sends to the top).

This way you will get a homemade robot, possibly from a friend from the other side of the globe.. for Christmas!

 

Am I the only one who would want to participate?

 

 

2

That sounds like an awesome

That sounds like an awesome idea, and I’d definitely participate. And since I’m a programmer, I could actually whip up a quick webpage to handle the whole exchange thing without having to post people’s email addresses on the website. The software could take care of matching people up automatically and sending everybody an email with the name and address of the person they should send their robot to. That way it could even be a surprise, and you wouldn’t know which robot you were getting until it showed up in the mail. But I’m definitely up for the idea, whatever way we do it.

Dan

3

I would be willing to

I would be willing to participate, but I don’t want to send out a drum robot and happen to get a little herbie bot :stuck_out_tongue:

 

We should rank the robots in a few catagories, such as basic, intermediate and advanced, and trade basic’s with basics, etc.

4

Yeah, I was considering

Yeah, I was considering something like that, but I think that would add too much complexity to it. I think it should just be about getting a little robot from some stranger in some other part of the world, without worrying too much about fairness or dollar value or anything. Besides, personally, I probably wouldn’t spend $150+ and a month’s worth of work on a robot I’m giving away – I’d stick to something simpler, and I imagine most other people would too. So I’m not sure it’d realy be that much of a problem.

Or, if I did decide to build something more complicated and expensive, I’d just accept that I probably wasn’t going to get something so big in return, and be OK with that. I think that even getting a Herbie from a stranger would be cool and interesting. Even when it’s a robot that you’ve built too, it’d be cool to see how someone else approaches the same problem, and having it on your shelf and telling friends, “That was sent to me from a guy in Switzerland” would be fun :slight_smile:

5

This also brings up a

This also brings up a subject I hadn’t considered until now – designing a robot that is going to be owned by someone else. You’d need to design it in ways that you might not bother with if it’s just going to be yours, like for example changing the batteries. In my Harry The Discbot robot, it’s kind of a pain in the ass to change the batteries, but since I’m the only one that has to do it, I figure, hey, no problem, I’m willing to put up with that. But if it’s a robot you’re going to be giving to someone else, you need to remember that they didn’t build it so they won’t be aware of all the little quirks you figured you’d “just put up with.” It’s interesting to consider what changes would need to be made for a situation like that.

Dan

6

Again!
hohoho…in AUGUST! would be nice to get a jump start on it…

7

**or you could **
have a price range for the gift? or everyone uses the same parts

8

hey, i love the idea, it is

hey, i love the idea, it is so cool!

I just think it would be fun to make a robot that somone else would want, reguardless of what sort i got in return.

just to let you all know i would make it on the cheap (don’t take it personally) I hardly spend anything on christmas presents even for my family :stuck_out_tongue:

I reckon if your worried about what sort of present you’ll get in return you may be best no to get involved,

cause being picky about presents is not really in the christmas spirit is it :frowning:

9

okay, i may do this…if i can get together adequate funding…
i have an idea about a wii-mote controlled robot arm…

10

I really think this is a
I really think this is a good idea. Though I design projects more than I build, I would love to put something together for someone else to own! I’m so excited and hope everything works out.

11

worst case scenario…
we all swap robot ideas…or components, instead of full robots…thx for helping me get frits’s overlooked idea active again!

12

that would be a good idea.

that would be a good idea. but i also think we should all use the same parts so you give out a 150 dollar one and you get a 50 dolalr one. then you could just see other peoples designs. but you have to have red and green LEDs!!

13

I will participate!! A price
I will participate!! A price maximum or more info would be appreciated before i start building!

14

**Okay, if we are gonna pull this off, **

a few ground rules are in order. robots will be classed in 3 categories, small ($1 to $50), medium (50-150) and large (150+)

you can pick any one from your category or below, so smalls can only get smalls, mediums can get meduims and smalls, etc. if two or more people want a robot, its up to the robot’s creator to decide…

all robots will be tagged with Christmas robot, so people can see what there is.

all robots have to have a cd with their code on it as well, so the reciever can mod it or tweak it as nessecary…

components can also be traded, with no regulations. please bring all questions or disputes to me, i will be the coordinator of this…if thats okay with everyone…

alll entries have to be ready to mail by dec. 15.

 

15

Funny, this post was from last year

I think a spammer wound up posting to this forum topic, and now the idea is revived. I guess spammer are good for something.

The biggest challenge I see with this is that shipping costs can be pretty pricey.

16

haha well you certainly just
haha well you certainly just took control, eh benbo? fritsl’s idea was to have emails randomly placed on a list and first person gave to second, third to fourth, etc… i don’t think people should be able to choose which robot they want. it sort of defeats the purpose. also a point to bring up. if we divide it up into how much it cost then thats no a fair system either. some beginner’s or those in isolated countries may not have access to cheap parts or know where to shop to get cheaper items. so we could someone who just makes a little obstacle avoider for 150 dollars like the start here… and someone who could make the same bot for only 85 dollars… just something to think about…

17

**All good points. Id say the**<br><p>All good points. Id say the fairest way is to keep the price including those for parts you had laying around totalling between $15 - $30 or so. Nothing wrong with getting some flashy spinny BEAM doohickey if thats all that you sent out anyway.

I think the point was the surprise factor and getting LMRians bonding.

18

Maybe we could take it to 50
Maybe we could take it to 50 but i quite honestly don’t want to spend 100-150 dollars on a robot im giving away… thats just me.

19

**Okay, so the surprise factor is good, **

maybe everyone could post their 'bot and have the other participating members class it as they see fit.

i would be happy to fill an email box with your emails if tou wanna do it fritsl’s way…

and you are right. we should keep it as cheap as possible…and not rank by $

Important question: should we send out a pickaxe controlled robot to an arduino builder? how will we keep the operating system the same, or is that all part of the fun?

20

I think if this is worth

I think if this is worth doing, nobody should care about what they get. I would be fine receiving a Start Here Robot even if I built a 4WD 5-axis arm robot with machine vision. I don’t think this should have anything to do with money, I think it’s the thought that counts, and if someone doesn’t believe that, then I don’t think they should participate.

So what if you lose money sending an expensive robot for a cheap one…you have to pay for a gift for Christmas and you may or may not receive gifts of equal or more value.

The price of the gift should mean nothing. Neither should the functionality. You could potentially receive a robot from someone on the other side of the world from you! I say that’s a gift in itself: A robot community supporting and sharing.

And unless Frits comes back to this thread so he can share his original thoughts, I think this is rather sketchy and weird.

I want to participate, but I don’t think it should be all structured and regulated.