Open Source Spybotics
For Christmas about five years ago, my parents got me a lego spybotic. I don't know if anyone remembers them, or has seen one before, but in my opinion they were ahead of their time. I was almost too young when they got it for me, and could hardly get it to do anything. Yesterday I was cleaning out our utility building and came across it. I had just about forgotten about it.
It came with some "kiddie" software where you could hook it to your computer and "design missions" where it would maneuver around obsticles, find it's way to a light source, go towards a sound etc. I got to thinking about how cool this thing would be if you had complete control over programming it. Then you could use the full potential of it's sensors, and it would be fun practice for a career in artificial intelligence.
Just for the fun, I googled "Open Source Spybotics" and came across an open source IDE called Bricx Command Center. Believe it or not, a university had thought the same thing as me, that spybotics had a lot of potential if there was a way to have complete control over them, with out using the given software. So they built an open source IDE to do just that. I've been having alot of fun with it!
I guess this story has two lessons, there really is an open source peice of software for literally any need you can think of. Open Source keeps on amazing me. Also, just when you think you're too old for something, you can come up with a neat use for it :P
It came with some "kiddie" software where you could hook it to your computer and "design missions" where it would maneuver around obsticles, find it's way to a light source, go towards a sound etc. I got to thinking about how cool this thing would be if you had complete control over programming it. Then you could use the full potential of it's sensors, and it would be fun practice for a career in artificial intelligence.
Just for the fun, I googled "Open Source Spybotics" and came across an open source IDE called Bricx Command Center. Believe it or not, a university had thought the same thing as me, that spybotics had a lot of potential if there was a way to have complete control over them, with out using the given software. So they built an open source IDE to do just that. I've been having alot of fun with it!
I guess this story has two lessons, there really is an open source peice of software for literally any need you can think of. Open Source keeps on amazing me. Also, just when you think you're too old for something, you can come up with a neat use for it :P
posted by Matt Vaughn at
10:53 AM
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