[XCSSA] how to build a decent robot for $50

[xcssa@xcssa.org]

Quoting http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/robot.txt

"   The robot will have the following features and capabilities:

    - $50 base budget

    - sight: grayscale, roughly 64x256 in 256 shades of gray;
      adaptive sensitivity to accommodate low-light and daylight conditions.

    - hearing: stereo, directional, high sensitivity - should be able to pick
      up whispering in the same room - up to around (16 kHz+)

    - speech: one-channel voice and sound output (16 kHz+)

    - distance sensing: precise obstacle detection with 2D radar
      (horizontal plane imaging) capabilities

    - motion: powerful motor, high ground clearance

    - traction control: navigation aid, pitfall and obstacle detection

    - extensive programming, debugging and control capabilities

    - some amusement features, like LEDs

    - highly expandable digital output and analog / digital input channels;
      dozens of new I/O devices can be attached with no problems."

Note: this is a computer-controlled robot, and so is a fairly good
introduction to "interfacing with a computer using only standard
hardware" (in this case, the parallel port).

For similar interfacing projects, read about openeeg:
http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/

PS: If any of you want to learn more about electronics, I recommend
"The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill.  However, at ~1300
pages, it may take a while to read.
-- 
http://www.lightconsulting.com/~travis/
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