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Arlo Robot - will it eventually replace Eddie? — Parallax Forums

Arlo Robot - will it eventually replace Eddie?

bomberbomber Posts: 297
edited 2013-10-14 11:35 in Robotics
I was wondering if the Arlo robot is designed as a replacement for the Eddie system or as a just new robot base. I am planning on ordering an Eddie sometime in the near future and am wondering if the Eddie will be discontinued and replaced with the Arlo system?

Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-09 13:20
    Excellent question, bomber! I had not seen anything about Arlo before your post, but there it is: http://www.parallax.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=arlo

    MadeUSA, Eddie, Arlo... what's the diff?
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-10-09 13:27
    I couldn't find any MadeUSA info on the new web site. Has it been retired? Has Arlo come along as the new kid in town? Is Arlo more cost effective? It looks more affordable to the end user. More options for Arlo? Less kitting for Parallax? More flexible inventory?....

    Stay tuned to "The Days of Our Robots" for answers to these and other pressing questions........
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2013-10-09 14:15
    Fear not :smile:

    -MattG
  • bomberbomber Posts: 297
    edited 2013-10-09 14:28
    I guess I jumped the gun on my questioning...I am too fast for my own good!
  • Jessica UelmenJessica Uelmen Posts: 490
    edited 2013-10-09 15:00
    Hey bomber,

    The Arlo robot will actually be the successor for the Eddie Robot platform. Actually, the Eddies we have in stock are the last build. Once those are gone, that's it.

    I'm sure the next reaction is, "What?! But why?!" Please allow me to elaborate.

    Essentially, we ran out of motors used on the Eddie platform, and Matt so excellently selected a replacement. While these motors are far superior (as referenced in Matt's post above), they did require slight modifications to the robot base. As a result, rather than updating all documentation and build instructions for the Eddie platform, it seemed best to start afresh with the Arlo platform. Same idea can be applied to the MadeUSA.

    Should you want to keep compatibility with RDS 4, Arlo will provide all of the pieces needed to do so; however, they will be sold separately and some firmware tweaking may be required.

    Like sands through the hourglass, so are the robots of our lives...
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2013-10-09 17:31
    How many of the original style motors and base are available? I had a custom robot based on these and am concerned that the new ones may not work. Are the wheels any further out from the center of the base plate? If so then that would be an issue for my robots since they just fit as they are. How can we order a a set of the new motors and the new base plastic panel? I don't need the castors or any other bits.

    Robert
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2013-10-09 19:02
    What is the story on the name? The only Arlo I know is Guthrie.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2013-10-09 20:06
    Same question as Whit. (Dude, you beat me to it!)

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-10 07:26
    +1. Arlo?

    Especially after all the fuss (and the contest Whit won) to name MadeUSA, kind of sad to see that name slip away.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,387
    edited 2013-10-10 07:50
    Whit wrote: »
    What is the story on the name? The only Arlo I know is Guthrie.

    I'll take this one!

    Eddie will eventually be retired, so that name shall also be laid to rest. And the changes to MadeUSA were so significant that this name also wouldn't be fitting for a new design. Both names would've lent confusion. I wasn't really attached to either name to be honest - MadeUSA caused me to envision snakes coming off the robot's top deck and Eddie seemed a bit sinister. Whit still had the best name, but the snake thing...nevermind.

    An executive order was issued to break the stalemate. And therefore this robot class was immediately named Arlo! It's simply a fitting name: seems friendly, easy to pronounce, and whoever was standing around wasn't willing to argue with me.
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-10-10 08:02
    I thought it was for Advanced Robotics Learning Oppotunies

    (I was going to say Orphan since mom and dad are going away but that seemed rather cold)
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,387
    edited 2013-10-10 08:30
    mindrobots wrote: »
    I thought it was for Advanced Robotics Learning Oppotunies

    (I was going to say Orphan since mom and dad are going away but that seemed rather cold)

    Rick, you're really funny! We can see from a distance that you write for a living, don't you?
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-10-10 08:48
    Thanks, Ken!

    I'm supposed to be writing code for a living....nobody laughs during my code reviews. Maybe it just doesn't come across well in Java.

    So little in the workplace is funny now days, so many serious people. I do what I can to help counteract that. You can still have fun and be serious/professional.

    (I just like making acronyms too!)
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2013-10-10 09:09
    Since "Arlo" begins with "A", could this be the beginning of a sequence in the same way that hurricanes are named? Perhaps Alo's successor can be named "Beatrice" or "Bonnie", then maybe "Clyde" or "Charlie".

    -Phil
  • photomankcphotomankc Posts: 943
    edited 2013-10-10 09:45
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    Since "Arlo" begins with "A", could this be the beginning of a sequence in the same way that hurricanes are named? .... maybe "Clyde" or "Charlie".

    -Phil

    No way man, starting from Arlo you need Cletus for the "C" name!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-10 09:49
    Too bad PaRo (for Parallax Robot) was already taken.
    paro-robot-seal3.jpg
    950 x 706 - 176K
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2013-10-10 11:53
    A Real Likeable One (ARLO) or A Robot Lives On !!!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-10 14:15
    photomankc wrote: »
    No way man, starting from Arlo you need Cletus for the "C" name!

    Not so sure about the name Cletus. IMHO it would be pretty sweet to have a voice-controlled robot that would respond to "Right turn, Clyde".
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2013-10-10 18:32
    I like Arlo - thanks for the info Ken. Long live Arlo!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-10 20:40
    If my main man Whit+ (who won the original MadeUSA naming contest, BTW) likes "Arlo", then it's good by me!
  • photomankcphotomankc Posts: 943
    edited 2013-10-10 21:06
    erco wrote: »
    Not so sure about the name Cletus. IMHO it would be pretty sweet to have a voice-controlled robot that would respond to "Right turn, Clyde".

    "Cletus, bring your pa some beer" has a nice ring to it. ;)


    I kid. I actually like several of the acronyms for Arlo (A robot lives on being my favorite).
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,255
    edited 2013-10-10 21:26
    Clyde? C_y_e.

    The name "Cye" was taken last millennium, and remains a great dead reckoning robot.

    http://onrobo.tripod.com/reviews/At_Home/Personal/on00cyesr1hrprb/index.htm
    chromecyesr.jpg
    419 x 335 - 23K
  • ajwardajward Posts: 1,129
    edited 2013-10-11 12:58
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    Since "Arlo" begins with "A", could this be the beginning of a sequence in the same way that hurricanes are named? Perhaps Alo's successor can be named "Beatrice" or "Bonnie", then maybe "Clyde" or "Charlie".

    -Phil

    Sorry Phil... for the letter "B", I have to vote for "Bob"! ;-)
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,514
    edited 2013-10-12 12:00
    ajward wrote: »
    Sorry Phil... for the letter "B", I have to vote for "Bob"! ;-)
    I have a programming language called "Bob" that I created for a Dr. Dobbs Journal article ages ago. Maybe it could be the official programming language for the Parallax Bob Robot! :-)
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2013-10-12 17:09
    Didn't Microsoft try Bob once? Huge flop IIRC.
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,514
    edited 2013-10-12 19:42
    NWCCTV wrote: »
    Didn't Microsoft try Bob once? Huge flop IIRC.
    Yes, Microsoft had a program called Bob at one point. When they announced it, the editor of Dr Dobbs Journal called me and suggested that I sue them for using my name and offer to sell it to them for $1M. :-)

    Of course, he was kidding. I think my Bob language may have been more successful than Microsoft's Bob product anyway!
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-10-14 11:35
    I'd a thought Erco would like the name Arlo, being MadeUSA's prototype was plywood, and therefore Woody. Seems fitting, and goes along with Ken's counter-culture hippie folk-singing long haired nature. Don't let the Photoshopped pics of Ken in his oxford shirts fool ya!
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