Squeak communicating with Linux robots

I just read an article in Linux Magazine about Linux robots
(http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/65 and
http://www.linuxrobots.org).  The robot is connected to a network via
an onboard WLAN card.  You SSH into the computer on the robot, execute
some C code (which hooks into the robot's libraries called
'librobot'), and botta-boom-botta-bing -- the robot moves.

I thought it would be neat to write a layer that would translate E-Toy
scripts into C in order to enable kids to control a robot from Squeak.
 However, I have no clue how to "export" E-Toys scripts.  Maybe that
is the wrong tack altogether.  Perhaps all I need is a plugin or FFI
that would interface with the librobot C code.  Am I on the right
path, or is it more complicated than that?

--
Jason Rogers

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
    Proverbs 29:18

Jason Rogers wrote:
I think the player/stage project is much more suitable for this
implementation. There were already
some implementation for robot control via DEVS models at our university.

Elod

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 07:51:51 -0500, "Jason Rogers" <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> I just read an article in Linux Magazine about Linux robots
> (http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/65 and
> http://www.linuxrobots.org).  The robot is connected to a network via
> an onboard WLAN card.  You SSH into the computer on the robot, execute
> some C code (which hooks into the robot's libraries called
> 'librobot'), and botta-boom-botta-bing -- the robot moves.

I SSH to my linux robot (over a bluetooth wireless connection) and execute
Squeak code running on a gumstix, which makes the robot move...

http://www.huv.com/roboMagellan

Later,
Jon
--------------------------------------------------------------
   Jon Hylands      [hidden email]      http://www.huv.com/jon

  Project: Micro Seeker (Micro Autonomous Underwater Vehicle)
           http://www.huv.com

Wow!  Do you mind if I submit a link to your site on the LinuxRobot Wiki?

Do you have a rough estimate of how much this think costs to build?
Is your software available for download?  My goal is to take a working
robot into a homeschool classroom (of about 5 or 6 kids, 7 and 8 years
of age) and have them "plan the missions" as you say.  I would like
them to use E-Toys to script the robot's movements.

On 3/1/06, Jon Hylands <[hidden email]> wrote:

--
Jason Rogers

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
    Proverbs 29:18

On Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:25:30 -0500, "Jason Rogers" <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> Wow!  Do you mind if I submit a link to your site on the LinuxRobot Wiki?

I'm already listed on http://www.linuxrobots.org/wiki/Hobbyists

> Do you have a rough estimate of how much this think costs to build?

Well, it didn't cost me very much, but I already had most of the parts,
including the rather expensive 3-axis digital compass, and the
lathe/milling machine to shape the metal and plastic parts.

> Is your software available for download?  

No, not at this time. I'm still not sure where I'm going to go with it, so
I don't want to release it quite yet.

> My goal is to take a working
> robot into a homeschool classroom (of about 5 or 6 kids, 7 and 8 years
> of age) and have them "plan the missions" as you say.  I would like
> them to use E-Toys to script the robot's movements.

You could build a much simpler robot than I have - mine is intended more
for outside use, and is fairly rugged, and was designed from the outset
with a bunch of components I already had. A very simple, somewhat smaller
robot would be quite possible, based on one of the cheap robot bases that
are available.

Check out http://www.budgetrobotics.com for a few cheap and simple robot
bases designed more along the lines of what you're after. Scooterbot looks
like a good example of a simple "putter around the floor" robot for
educational use.

Use a controller like this:  http://www.bdmicro.com/mavric-iib/ to handle
the hardware interfacing, add in a gumstix connext with a CF-stix for Wifi
access, and you're ready to have some serious fun.

Later,
Jon
--------------------------------------------------------------
   Jon Hylands      [hidden email]      http://www.huv.com/jon

  Project: Micro Seeker (Micro Autonomous Underwater Vehicle)
           http://www.huv.com

Hi Jason,

You might be interested by the squeakbot project, which allows
children to script a robot through E-toys script. The robot are made
by children themselves thanks to simple low-cost I2C electronic
modules interfacing the computer with the mechanical and electrical
parts of the robots. The pcb (electronic schema) of the modules are
available too, so you can start from this schema or buy one (contact
us).

For a more precise description, see here :
http://www.iutc3.unicaen.fr/serge/SqueakBot

An overview of the project is currently available (Serge, could you
publish the article on the website ?)

This platform has been already tested during a summer camp, and youngs
seem to like it, we plan to release the complete platform soon
(probably after this summer, since we would like to test the new beta
version of squeakbot during a summer camp).

Regards,
Samir

"Jason Rogers" <[hidden email]> writes:

> Wow!  Do you mind if I submit a link to your site on the LinuxRobot Wiki?
>
> Do you have a rough estimate of how much this think costs to build?
> Is your software available for download?  My goal is to take a working
> robot into a homeschool classroom (of about 5 or 6 kids, 7 and 8 years
> of age) and have them "plan the missions" as you say.  I would like
> them to use E-Toys to script the robot's movements.

Thanks John and Samir.  I will look into your suggestions.  My target
is for the Fall Semester.  So, I should be able to give updates the
closer to September that we get.

On 3/4/06, Samir Saidani <[hidden email]> wrote:

--
Jason Rogers

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
    Proverbs 29:18