What ever happened with the Parallax Penguin Idea?

SN96

I have been away for a while so I don't know any of the drama about this product. Last time I checked, it was scheduled to become a new Parallax product for a limited time. I forgot how many were to be made, but I have not heard or seenanything about it for a while now. What's up with this product?

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Mike



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Chris Savage

The Penguin is still under development...We've just been busy with the Propeller.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com

LoopyByteloose

From what Ken said, the Penguin's battery pack was upsetting the compass and they didn't want to release it until they resolved the problem. This is one of those nasty little developmental unknowns as·steel is used in·battery cases and Nickel is magnetic too·- like iron.

In Toddler like robots, I suspect that the batteries are best place on the bottoms of the feet. They add mass for ballast and won't interfer as much with navigation.

Another option is to position the compass in the center of a magnetically balanced field, but that can be a lot of trial and error. Also, you may have to develop an algorhythm to adjust for a remaining stronger axis and weaker axis to get true values.

I love the Penguin and hope that the compass is not really so important that it delays the product indefinitely.

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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

Post Edited (Kramer) : 5/30/2006 8:23:27 AM GMT