Here is the uber project, though not likely to be completed by just me as it would be to large…but this would be an amazing project to get started!
GPGP = Great pacific garbage patch. If you don’t know what this is, google it…it’s scary and we need to do something about it.
The idea behind this is create a small feet of automated craft that would assist in the clearnup of this giant collection of plastic garbage. It would include skimmers which essentually do the cleanup of the surface water, motherships for the day to day task managment, the garbage craft that would contain the collected polutants, and airi craft that would assist in the managment and progress tracking of the whole fleet.
Since we have technologes that can keep these skimmers localized to specific areas, this would be ideal for multiple swarms to start cleanup in an area, while smaller swarms can keep the already cleaned area from getting repoluted(wishful thinking).
GPGP-skimmer-01
These are simple bots that have preset patterns based on the area type that they will be cleaning. The would be modular so as to be multi role systems . The would have location beacons in case of a system failure or getting caught in something like a drift net or other such gargage.
GPGP-mother-01
This would be a larger craft that would maintain a location near several swarms and the garbage collector. This would have to be manned as it would be where maintance and other mission critical actions would be conducted.
GPGP-collector-01
Collector craft that would be able to lift the skimmers with garbage sifters when they have completed one of their preset skims
GPGP-skylink-01
This would be a multi-role device that would help in locating lost skimmers, monitor progress, and do whatever else could be useful from an up high vantage point.
So yeah…um, I’d need lets see 20k xmos setups for all of the prototypes that I would need to built…!!!
Slightly confused… Just to clarify - are you saying you want to make something like the games workshop/warhammer stuff whereby the XMOS dev kit moves its players around the board?
I mentioned it earleir but I would like to make tutorials for at least 3 chips (picaxe, arduino and possibly xmos). All chips would have the same tutorials that start with blinking LED and work up to a robot (one that avoids hitting walls, line follower or something). That way if someone is trying to decide which chip to get they can see how they compare code wise. Also help someone learn a new chip.
To be completely transparent it likely wont get going for a few months. I close on a house Friday and start back to school today for yet another degree… I’m trying to wallpaper the bathroom with them.
Thanks for explaining, this could actually be quite useful for everyone, and to have a few standard projects that you feel are useful to understand how to use all of these chips. Good idea!
Good luck wallpapering your bathroom with your degree certificates! What is your next one in?
I need one of these. I write embedded control code for jet aircraft for a living and am an engine control nut.
My project would be a rover which autonomously roves around the streets, following the kerb / sidewalk, searching for open WiFi connections, connecting through them and emailing me back photos of where it is.
In the first instance, this would only require one kit, but when there are several of these bots, it would be interesting to program them to stay as far away (geographically) from one another as possible (as there’s no point in having lots of photos of the same place) and not cover territory already covered by others. If one of them detected a problem with itself, it could call on the nearest one to come and photograph it, so I could diagnose it (eg, flat tyre, etc.)
Sounds like a fun project! People who are chosen for the XMOS challenge will be announced around the beginning of September. Once we have everyones addresses etc we will send all the kits out to the chosen people.
Nice, I have this idea. Project Title: ABE (Acuatic Bot Explorer) Description:
This bot will be used to explore lakes and reefs. It will use a stereo system to obtain 3D map of the area and identify objects or fishes. (Possible use of Fuzzy Logic, AI, 2D and 3D Image processing in real time) Also as aditional information will obtain: pressure, salinity, temperature and GPS position.
Very cool!