Inspired by the 2 years anniversary text on the LMR front page, I got to wondering
What do we require to make a successful LMR meet-up in real life?
Yes I know we're spread all over the world, and anything higher than a 2% show-up rate would be a unbelievable. But what kind of physical preparations would one need? A large conference room with enough electrical outlets, loads of tables, PA-system and presentation equipment, and short distance to a bar and a cheap-ish hotel.
What else?
It would be fun to meet some of this great community in real life (or maybe it would be a great disappointment, who knows). But simply saying "I've got a big room, come over next friday" probably wont be enough. what kind of program would be tempting to attend?
I dont know. As I write this text I seem to realize more and more what a lost idea this is. But I'd still love to hear what would make YOU plan a vacation with all your home made robotics in your suitcase just to hang around fellow robot builders...
Oh, and wouldn't it be cool to have it simultaneously in several locations, with live video links and stuff?
Now that last idea gets me excited. Even if only two or three people would meet at the same location, they could still participate in the global main event.
Expanding (?) on that thought, how about a trial run with one person per location only? Yes it sounds pretty much like today, where everyone is at home, by himself. But add some sort of live feed, text, audio, video, all, and you’d have some sort of “event” going on.
Or “happening” as my parents’ generation called it.
Only, there could only be 7 on the line at any time. And timezones menat that some had to get up in the early morning etc.
I tink what would / could be realistic would be like “northern eyropa” or “Californian LMRians” meeetups.
Could be fun too! Because it wouldnt matter that it was dissapointing - it’s always fun to see other peoples robots and talk about them… competition… could never be dull, never!
i woule go say… up to 1.000 kilometers, that covers northern europa, I think.
thats a good idea, who knows thats a good idea, who knows have some sort of robot competition, mini sumos or something, and have other people to come watch and donate $$$/€€€/£££ if they want
We could convince Oddbot and Claudia to come to Norway, They’ll bring along 6 of the new 6wd tumbler. All the participants bring along all the sensors and controllers and actuators and stuff they think they think they might need.Then everybody who shows up get divided into 6 teams and then it’s a simple Who-Can-Build-The-Awesomest-Robot-Before-A-Deadline Contest. Then at the end everybody votes for the winner and the winning team gets to keep the six vehicles. Everybody brings along cams to make sure that we get lots of youtube hits.
They have a 6WD Tumbler? Which by definition is A flat-bottomed drinking glass made of plastic, glass, or metal. They managed to make this drinking container 6WD? An All-Terrain Cup! DAGU is surely ahead of the rest. First in Robotics and now in Drinkware…
A) Find any robot (related) shop or organisation that wants to hold some form of conference.
B) Tell them that you can boost their number of visitors, if they agree to make it an official LMR-thing.
But could it work? I am not sure. It seems like we are only 50 members in here, and maby 50 more… the rest are more like passive readers. And I am not sure they’d go!
Time for a vote; Next summer, in Odense, Denmark, I may go to RoboDays 2010 - a 3 day event. If I managed to convince the people behind it that they should provide an LMR-camp, how many would (seriously) consider going?
I agree frits, they are only I agree frits, they are only a few people who are active on this website and those would be the only ones who would consider such a thing. A weekly or bi weekly skype would do wonders and be very fun. A place filled with lmr members would be awesome but i do not see it happening.
My wife is a good sport, but My wife is a good sport, but I don’t think she’d see this as the ideal European vacation. I’d tune in for a live feed or wait for the video.
Aparently my wife is a better sport than I gave her credit for. I mentioned this discussion in passing and she said she thought it would be fun, as long as we could spend a few days doing other stuff in the area too.
This week starts the Toy Fair 2010 in Nürnberg (Germany). Oddbot will be there, as he wrote in his China blog. I will be there too on Saturday, 6. Februar (if the winter weather will allow it). So maybe this will become the first ‘real’ LMR members meeting.
Odense in September is an option for me too. It is nearly the same distance as from Berlin to Nürnberg.
