$99 FINCH Robot

erco

http://www.roboticstrends.com/consumer_education/article/robot_engages_novice_computer_scientists


http://www.finchrobot.com



IMHO, an S2 would be a much better classroom robot!

schill

It's kind of interesting, but they made what seem to be some odd choices.

1) From the correct view, it looks kind of cool. But when you flip it over or see it from the side, it looks kind of boring.

2) It's tethered. It uses a 15 foot USB cable. All programs are on the computer. I didn't look at the command protocol, but it looks like an HID device to the program. I guess you send "move" commands (for example) and "sensor query" commands.

Maybe there is some way to download programs (obviously it's got some processor in there - I just checked, it's an Atmel Atmega). Everything I saw talks about the different languages you can use on the PC.

Power comes in through the tether as well.

3) You can attach a pen or pencil to it by taping it to its rear end - there's a notch for it. That's fine for tracing a path to show where it has been but makes it much, much harder to draw figures - turning in place will draw a large arc. It will be impossible to draw a sharp corner.


The biggest drawback I see is that it is tethered.

I do like the fact that they have the schematic available from the web site so it's reasonably open in that respect. And, any schematic with a comment like "Note instructions on layout of wires coming off of this puppy" can't be all bad, can it? Although it might be confusing to non-native English speakers.

[edit follows]
The command protocol is given here: http://www.finchrobot.com/usb-protocol

If somebody wanted to, it should be pretty easy to write a program for the S2 to make it simulate this. Add a wireless connection (e.g., xbees) and it wouldn't be too hard to have both devices in the same lab running almost identical programs (on the PC).

GordonMcComb

I think the Finch is designed more as an aid to learning programming and general computer science rather than exploring robots. The typical curriculum for entry-level CS is the ever so boring (and textual) Hello World program, followed by even more examples that interact only on screen. From what I can see, the Finch teaches the same fundamentals of programming but offers a richer personal experience.

For $99 it's not bad, and obviously it has some limitations as a *robot*. But I don't think it was really designed to compete with the various robot platforms.

In my mind (and maybe only there :thumb:) the S2 bridges between entry-level logic solving, and as a robot platform. Clearly it could perform the same tasks, and I'm sure in many schools it is.

(I'm hoping the S2-1/2 will have a die-cut hole that can be removed on the top so that I don't have to drill a hole through the casing to reach the expansion pins inside. Somehow I feel the same way about drilling holes in it as when they senselessly wrecked an E-Type Jag in the original Italian Job movie. I still have nightmares about that!)

-- Gordon

erco

@GM: I was behind a beautiful black E-type in traffic just last night marvelling at its sleek lines. Still a great design that holds up today.

GordonMcComb

Supposidly the red Jag they crushed was fully restored, and is said to still be on the road. That's not bad for a Series 1, which is now almost 50 years old. Jags don't often last 15 years, let alone 50!

Now, how's that for thread drift!

erco

This barely qualifies as thread drift, IMHO. Jags have electrical systems by Lucas, AKA the "Prince of Darkness". This whole forum is about how to rise above such electrical/electronic problems, so I maintain that this topic is "spot on" for Jags!

GordonMcComb

And those Jags have positive ground. Makes it real fun to find 8-Track tape players for them.

-- Gordon