What if you could explore a deep forest at work? Or between classes? Would you draw what you see? Do battle with squirrels? What if multiple people could explore the woods together, via their own separate robots? Would you form expedition parties? Pester racoons? Challenge bears? The potential here is pretty obvious, I think.
True to my word, I completed Hampture with your generous support. I did the research, assembled the components and the end result was everything we all hoped it would be. If you support this project, rather than simply witnessing the fruits of your contributions, you'll be able to directly interact. Everyone involved will be able to log into one of several robots and go on grand adventures in the great outdoors.
So let's get started, shall we?
this could in fact be profitable. what about if it goes too far into the woods and doesn't have enough power to make it back?
ReplyDeleteHeck Yes.
ReplyDeleteTheo: Then I retrieve it. I'm planning on affixing GPS trackers. They're relatively secure so I needn't worry about others locating the robots and it'll allow me to keep tabs on where each one is at all times.
ReplyDeleteEach one is $150, but that's a reasonable price for what it does.
Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting the feeling some douche is gonna drive it into a tree or lake.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think there will be an epic robot battle at some point.
ReplyDeleteWhat if you expanded the idea into other environments? It would be amazing to have several miniature submarines in a pool or lake controlled from across the internet.
ReplyDeleteIf you're using a GPS, perhaps devise a system that forcibly prevents the robot from going too far near certain co-ordinates, such as lakes or cliffs.
ReplyDeleteKaizo and camydoger have the right idea. This is the internet. It is full of assholes. Someone is going to find this robot and drive it into a lake or off a cliff or onto a nearby road or home. Someone might be able to access the robots GPS and steal that mofo aswell as some random hiker finding the station and/or robot and doing something counter productive.
ReplyDeleteThese are the same fears I had for a long term Hampture project with a lake side support station. There is one universal truth: people are cock monglers and will ruin things without question.
Clearbrook: Telepresence ROVs would be awesome but costly. No such system is available off the shelf that I know of. With the experience I gain on this project I could consider buying a nice radio controlled submarine with a camera in the nose, and modifying that to be controlled over the internet. For charging, a water proof induction coil makes a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteBut let's not get ahead of ourselves. Robots must first conquer the land.
Why not scrap the mifi and camera and gps and just use a mobile phone instead? As a bonus you get bluetooth and apps and whatnot a phone can have nowdays, it could also roam further than mifi range, say between two distant charging stations.
ReplyDeleteOr do the bot have problems with mobile phone wifi?