Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Pretty Quiet Here Lately! — Parallax Forums

Pretty Quiet Here Lately!

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2015-04-25 20:04 in General Discussion
Where is everyone? For once, there's more activity in the Robotics forum than General Discussion.

You guys must all be busy on some hush-hush, soon-to-be-revealed killer projects. Can't wait!

Comments

  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2015-04-21 19:06
    ...busy? Yup, just not with Parallax products (the day job learning a new user interface for integrated device testing). And, not much to say anywho.
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2015-04-21 19:09
    The forum really is quiet lately. Is it a consequence of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere?

    In my secret laboratory in a remote part of the Rocky Mountains there is indeed something cooking. Spent all day yesterday writing Propeller code for it. When will it be revealed? Likely never. It's too oddball, too far from mainstream interests. Too difficult to explain even the reason for building it.
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2015-04-21 19:26
    THOUGHT SINCE IT WAS SO QUIET... I'D YELL A LITTLE!

    ;-)
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2015-04-21 19:56
    Oh yeah?

    BOOM!

    Nuclear-Explosion-001.jpg
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-04-21 20:47
    XLNT. All the cool kidz are checkin' in here...

    MATT, MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER CONTEST!
  • wmosscropwmosscrop Posts: 409
    edited 2015-04-22 06:41
    erco wrote: »
    You guys must all be busy on some hush-hush, soon-to-be-revealed killer projects.

    I killed a propeller chip the other day. Does that qualify as a killer project? :)

    I've been spending a lot of time in the yard and replacing the kitchen backsplash (it finally happened after years and years of discussion).

    I really want to get back to my robot project... someday.

    Walter
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2015-04-22 07:30
    To quote Governor William J. Lepetomane, "Work, work,work, work....." :D

    I'm glad I have a deep stack, I'm recursively processing squirrels as they run across my short attention span!
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2015-04-22 07:40
    User Name wrote: »
    The forum really is quiet lately. Is it a consequence of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere?

    In my secret laboratory in a remote part of the Rocky Mountains there is indeed something cooking. Spent all day yesterday writing Propeller code for it. When will it be revealed? Likely never. It's too oddball, too far from mainstream interests. Too difficult to explain even the reason for building it.
    Don't you know that these forums thrive on discussing oddball projects? Tell us what you're up to? Some of us might be as off the mainstream as you are! :-)
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2015-04-22 07:49
    On the up side, it's easier for the Moderators to scan for malicious posts. :)
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2015-04-22 08:40
    David Betz wrote: »
    Don't you know that these forums thrive on discussing oddball projects? Tell us what you're up to? Some of us might be as off the mainstream as you are! :-)

    What you say is true. I can appreciate that.

    When Joshua Slocum was refitting the Spray in a field in Massachusetts prior to his solo circumnavagation people naturally asked him what he was doing. In response to his explanation, they would look concerned and ask, "But will it pay?"

    This forum has its own form of that. Highly knowledgeable and very well-intended individuals will offer all manner of advice, criticism, improvements etc. It's actually a wonderful thing.

    The difference between a job and a hobby, though, is that with the latter you get to do whatever you want want and however you want to do it. At least 50% of the appeal of this latest project revolves around how it is accomplished and not just what it does.

    When we see a video of a mechanical adding machine executed in wood, we recognize automatically that its creator wasn't trying to one-up a microprocessor. Alas, it is likely no one would recognize or appreciate the retro nature of my current project. I just might be deluged with suggestions and ideas of how to improve it. Wouldn't want that. ;-)

    As an example, the thing uses a lot of optocouplers and power Darlingtons. It also uses old-fashioned off-the-shelf magnetics. And its output is far from showy. In fact, if you see anything dramatic happen you can be sure something has gone horribly wrong. :-o
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2015-04-22 08:42
    I need to get to the dollar store for a gripper. Held up by an off the shelf part, with many times the needed budget in my car's change tray. Embarrassing... I will get through this. I will get through this...
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-04-22 10:47
    xanadu wrote: »
    I need to get to the dollar store for a gripper. Held up by an off the shelf part, with many times the needed budget in my car's change tray. Embarrassing... I will get through this. I will get through this...

    Don't make me BIKE one down to you...
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2015-04-22 16:08
    Just busy. Got a full plate, and the weather is good.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2015-04-22 17:12
    erco wrote: »

    MATT, MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER CONTEST!
    I don't think he's listening!!!!
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2015-04-22 19:20
    I think we're still here.. :)

    I do a lot of lurking these days with my time now being split more ways these days..

    Still hoping to see P2
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2015-04-22 19:31
    Well, Chip is making progress. Popped up a while back to indicate he's on the pipelined CORDIC for P2. :)
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    edited 2015-04-22 23:11
    I am lucky to have time to read the forums, let alone time to actually do a project and post about it. Yes, I hate it. I have 3 projects in my queue and all 3 are taking way longer than they should. Especially since 2 of them are headed to Kickstarter, one Propeller based, the other for . I really need my day job to stop taking so much of my time. I do have a completed project from Christmas before last mostly typed up, I'll try to get it posted if it helps...................


    RE: Contest......

    Here's a challenge: Replicate this as Propeller based: http://shop.soloshot.com/ should be rather easy actually
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-04-24 22:32
    Has it been quite around here?

    I have hardly had time to check the action let alone post. Been travelling for a week, Helsinki, Dublin, Birmingham, London. Back now and totally bushed.

    One of the most interesting things I saw on my travels is this: Turns out a fire optic cable changes it's refractive index, or whatever, it response to strain. That means stain on some part of the fibre causes reflections of the light. The timing of the reflections tells you where along the cable the strain is applied. Turns out this can be used to measure vibration of the cable along it's length.

    One company was trying to use this to detect when anyone is stealing your copper cable. Run a fibre along it's length and if any one disturbs it the vibrations will raise the alarm and tell you exactly where. This did not work out as there was so much noise received. Turns out the cable was along a free way and all the vibration from vehicle traffic caused noise that drowned out any chance of using it as an alarm system

    Until some one realized, that's not noise. That is vehicle traffic flow information. They can actually track the motion of individual vehicles, from the vibration they cause in the fibre down a free way. Hundreds of them at the same time over 10's of kilometers. Amazing!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2015-04-25 18:39
    Heater. wrote: »
    Until some one realized, that's not noise. That is vehicle traffic flow information. ... Amazing!

    Too cool, Heater!

    BTW, it's FREE SHIPPING WEEKEND! http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/160884-It-s-a-Free-Shipping-Weekend!?p=1327691#post1327691 Courtney Jacobs got my $130 this morning!

    Maybe that will put the bee in everyone's bonnet to order some Parallax gear and get back to posting some dynamite projects! Make some noise, people!

    attachment.php?attachmentid=113996&d=1429898464
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2015-04-25 20:04
    My job has been pretty crazy lately, but I am working on a new robot project. Although I won't finish it this weekend.
Sign In or Register to comment.