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Good computer languages for use with robotics. — Parallax Forums

Good computer languages for use with robotics.

SB316SB316 Posts: 33
edited 2010-03-19 21:37 in Robotics
Hey! I am relatively new to robotics (relative, in the sense that I have been reading Robot magazine for a while but have never actually built a robot), and I have been reading a lot about telepresence robots that communicate via RF or Bluetooth with a computer. I have been wondering what languages would be good to use on the computer end of things. I know that there is a java API that works with bluetooth and such, but I am not sure how to install it on my linux machine and it doesn't work on macs. I am a huge mac person and love them with all of my heartblush.gif so whatever languages there are will have to be cross-platform compatible.

Thanks!

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SB 3:16

Comments

  • iDaveiDave Posts: 252
    edited 2010-03-19 00:33
    Well I was gonna pitch out the visual studio basic,c# or c++ stuff to you(many use it around hear it seems) until u mentioned use of linux and mac. A very good cross platform one that I hear good things about is RobotBASIC(despite the name it's supposed to be quite flexible & powerful). There are several threads on it here I believe...some by one of the inventors of it SamMishal. Search for it if u wish. Good luck!

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    "A complex design is the sign of an inferior designer."
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2010-03-19 00:48
    Java and C# are similar languages, so syntactically it's easy to switch between them. The hardest part of learning a new language is not the language syntax, but the semantics of the libraries needed to get work done. That's the part of the investment that is time consuming and you don't want to do to often.

    Java is cross platform while C# is in theory, but often API's are missing on non-MS platforms. So I would look at the platform first, the API's available on that platform, and pick on that meets your needs.

    The other consideration is the availability of sample code for your desired application. One thing I find handy with the basic stamp is that there's code samples for nearly everything, so I can cut and paste programs together without much work.
  • icepuckicepuck Posts: 466
    edited 2010-03-19 01:26
    Here's some links on cross-platform .Net and VB that are worth reading.
    www.mono-project.com/Main_Page
    gambas.sourceforge.net/en/main.html
    -dan

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    Arguing with myself--sometimes me, myself, and I don't always agree.
    (Former) Caterpillar product support technician
  • SB316SB316 Posts: 33
    edited 2010-03-19 21:37
    Thanks so much. I will be sure to look into all of what you have posted.

    P.S. iDave, Check out the human eye for one of the best designed complex systems out there!

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    SB 3:16
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