[Edu-sig] The Educational Robotics Platform

[Jonathan Pennington]

* Arthinator@aol.com <Arthinator@aol.com> [010318 10:16]:
> Python-centric educational robotics, in process
> http://eggo.sourceforge.net/
> Aimed at middle school.  Site has a lot  
> of documentation on the project's intentions.
> Quite interesting.

Thank you! That's quite a complement coming from this list!

And, of course, questions (and more importantly: suggestions) can be
made to me directly. I'm hoping to get a beta version by summer's
end. Including the code and documentation on controlling a number of
servo & motor controllers, sensors and other outputs. After the beta
and standard docs will be a lab-based manual.

The EGg0 (that's a zero) system as a whole is currently being
developed around a PC/104 board, but all software development is on my
Linux system with communication through a serial port and is being
"ported" to the embedded platform. Primary consideration is the use
of the software for all on desktop systems. I am developing an
entire platform with computer and controllers, however, so that it can
be used at all levels of education from K-12 (with the software and
maybe Lego sets) through college and into industry (with the full
PC/104 board, GPL'd Real Time OS, and system software).

The hard part is developing it so that the good people on this list
and beyond will still find the software useful, even if they
can't/don't get all of the hardware. GPL'd source is no good if I only
program it for certain hardware. I'm trying to hit every major servo
controller and DC motor controller used in hobby robotics (Honestly,
not as hard as I'd thought, since similarities abound). The software
is a package of modules, with a seperate module for each discrete
controller, and a (hard|medium|easy) way to use them, so that all
levels of programming can be taught.

I'll also be working up (relatively) inexpensive circuits and selling
kits (near cost) as well as posting the full parts lists and
schematics/diagrams. Hopefully, I can get cost down so that it's
available to all. Goal is that at the low end someone can spend $20 or
less on supplies from Rat Shack, stick them all into a bread board,
connect them to a serial port, and control a couple servos while
learning to program with the software. At the high end, use the
complete platform and software suite (maybe the graphical Control
Station) to allow non-programmers to control an industrial robot.

Always with an emphasis on the educatioal aspects. Wish me luck.

-J

-- 
Jonathan Pennington	|	john@coastalgeology.org

	 "A computer without windows is like a dog
	    without bricks tied to its head."