Open Design for ~$800 Swarm Robots 106
An anonymous reader writes "There are lots of multi-robot designs out there. Most are either research platforms well over $2K (often $10K or more), or are hobbyist bots under $400 with tiny brains and few sensors. But George Mason University's new FlockBots wiki is interesting. They're trying to pack as much functionality as possible into a roughly $800, 7" mobile swarmbot, and publish the design and software as a free and open spec. So far their design includes a wireless 200MHz Gumstix Linux computer, a camera, range and bump sensors, wheel encoders, a can gripper, and lots more. It's a great-looking design and I think the cost could drop to $500 with vendors doing consolidation."
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Comment removed (Score:2, Funny)
Like some anonymous coward said... (Score:3, Funny)
WTF?! (Score:2, Funny)
Not a single Skynet reference?
Where the hell AM I?!
Re:Military applications? (Score:5, Funny)
This is a great thought. By forbidding using open source software in killing devices we will cause great numbers of lawyers to approach the fighters to serve notice of the lawsuits. The fighters, of course, are already killing people and killing a few lawyers that get in their way won't bother them.
Killers use up their inventory of killing robots.
Software developers feel good about being on the moral high-road.
Lawyers die.
It's a win-win situation.
Before they're loose... (Score:2, Funny)
Can gripper? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Before they're loose... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Military applications? (Score:3, Funny)