But I wouldn't even know where to begin.
My eeePC already has a custom assistant software package I wrote; I'd love for it to be able to roll around and follow me or something. 
Sarah, I keep changing your topic titles to be more descriptive; please take the hint.
Sarah, I keep changing your topic titles to be more descriptive; please take the hint. 
KermMartian wrote:
My eeePC already has a custom assistant software package I wrote; I'd love for it to be able to roll around and follow me or something. Sarah, I keep changing your topic titles to be more descriptive; please take the hint.
Sarah, I keep changing your topic titles to be more descriptive; please take the hint.Then I get yelled at for making ones that are too descriptive. MAKE UP YOUR MIND *bops on the head with a calculator*
You could use some basic servo's connected to pcb. Use some basic stamp editing to set the servo runtime. You could have one servo for each axis, X Y and Z. 
Servo = Servo motor. A servo motor is an automatic device that uses error-sensing feedback to correct the performance of a mechanism. Definition pulled from google
Very neat, you'd need to tweak the design though. The web cam won't stay on very easily and once it's knocked off, it's SOL. I suggest modding the hamster ball to have three parts: the two sides will spin and the middle will be free-floating and contain the camera. This will also enable the ball to turn.
I do dig the use of the AIRTRAX wheels though.
I do dig the use of the AIRTRAX wheels though.
There are two types of people in the world: those who can extrapolate data from incomplete data
allynfolksjr wrote:
XKCD sucks. Let's stop discussing it.
I finally started reading it and it's amazing.
Sarah wrote:
allynfolksjr wrote:
XKCD sucks. Let's stop discussing it.
I finally started reading it and it's amazing.
Comic: The two halves suggestion is a good one, and you could even still have the computer bridging both halves without any major problems. I don't really see why the camera has to be outside in the first place, come to think of it.
Agreed. The free-floating center would allow the camera to be internal.
The only downside is that the center would be the only part on the ground, which is where the XKCD design prevails. If the hamster ball was clear, I could see the web cam being inside the hamster ball.
The only downside is that the center would be the only part on the ground, which is where the XKCD design prevails. If the hamster ball was clear, I could see the web cam being inside the hamster ball.
There are two types of people in the world: those who can extrapolate data from incomplete data
Yeah, agreed. I'm actually fairly surprised that no one put this project together already somewhere on the internet.
I don't see why you'd need a separate webcam. The EeePC has one of the best internal webcams I've ever seen.
DShiznit wrote:
I don't see why you'd need a separate webcam. The EeePC has one of the best internal webcams I've ever seen.
A very solid point indeed, sir. I'm surprised none of the rest of us thought of that. You'd need a good way to hold the screen in position inside the hamster ball, then, although I can't imagine that would be too big of a deal. 
What if a Kinect was used? With a bit of coding and a Kinect, it could act like its friend (the Roomba) and be able to navigate around obstacles. The Roomba did do that, didn't it? It would also be able to accept specific motions as commands, though I personally think vocal commands would be better, so long as they aren't phrases used commonly.
technomonkey76 wrote:
What if a Kinect was used? With a bit of coding and a Kinect, it could act like its friend (the Roomba) and be able to navigate around obstacles. The Roomba did do that, didn't it? It would also be able to accept specific motions as commands, though I personally think vocal commands would be better, so long as they aren't phrases used commonly.
The Roomba didn't/doesn't have the cameras a Kinect has. It instead remembered the layout of a room through touch. It would calculate how far it traveled from it's dock and put each point of contact as a "waypoint" Eventually it would learn walls/tables.
A Kinect is also massively huge. It wouldn't fit in a hamster ball nor would you be able to supply enough power to it from something the size of a hamster ball.
There are two types of people in the world: those who can extrapolate data from incomplete data
comicIDIOT wrote:
technomonkey76 wrote:
What if a Kinect was used? With a bit of coding and a Kinect, it could act like its friend (the Roomba) and be able to navigate around obstacles. The Roomba did do that, didn't it? It would also be able to accept specific motions as commands, though I personally think vocal commands would be better, so long as they aren't phrases used commonly.
The Roomba didn't/doesn't have the cameras a Kinect has. It instead remembered the layout of a room through touch. It would calculate how far it traveled from it's dock and put each point of contact as a "waypoint" Eventually it would learn walls/tables.
A Kinect is also massively huge. It wouldn't fit in a hamster ball nor would you be able to supply enough power to it from something the size of a hamster ball.
In addition, most kinect API functionality deals with catching the movement of things, and the shape of humans, not as much detecting the rest of the world around. Unless, of course, you want to write routines like that yourself!
I just want to point out that with the Roombas I have worked with, they use rudimentary wall-following and obstacle avoidance and detection, but do not make a map of the space in which they're moving.
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