HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: abrown@hpcvcec.cv.hp.com (Allen Brown)
Subject: Re: Table top Hovercraft know how wanted.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 20:23:10 GMT

yee@edison.seas.ucla.edu (John Yee) writes:
> Hello robot builders, have you any experience making small, say 6" diameter
> maximum, hovercraft?  If so, please post/email your experiences.
>	jy, yee@seas.ucla.edu - "The man with no .sig"

When we were in highschool a friend made the most incredible
hovercraft.  It consisted of four parts: an 0.049 engine with a
conventional model propeller, a shoebox lid, a small piece of wood
joining the former two parts, and a rudder.

A flap was cut out of the shoebox to capture some of the wind from the
prop.  The engine was mounted to the wood so that it blew wind up
about 30 degrees up from horizontal.  There was no attempt to divide
the skirt into chambers.

This hovercraft went like a bat out of hell.  There was a curve to its
path.  The rudder was never quite successful in straigtening it out.
Perhaps if it had had RC that could have been solved.  But considering
how fast it went, few people would have been willing to risk their
expensive RC devices.  (This was years ago when none of us could
afford RC.)  One of the difficulties with this hovercraft was finding
a suitable place to run it.  It flew about 0.5 inch off the ground, so
the surface had to be smooth.  Grass is out of the question.  And it
traveled so fast that it needed a very large space to work in.  We ran
it on the asphalt playground of the nearby gradeshool.  But it could
only run for a few seconds before its path took it onto the grass.  It
would hit the grass and then go flipping thru the air about 10 feet.
We then bent all the parts back into shape as best we could and tried
it again.

                     \-
               \      \ motor              \
                \      \ here                 \
                 \ wood \-                       \ flap
                  \      \                          \
                   \      \                            \
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|                 shoebox lid                                      |
|                                                                  |
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This picture is only approximate.  This was about twenty years ago so
I may have forgotten some of the dimensions.  I am not good enough
with ASCII graphics to draw a motor and prop.  But the angle of the
motor is determined by the wood.  As shown the flap would catch about
1/3 of the prop wash.  The craft travels to the left.  The prop wash
is to the right and up.

I have never gotten around to building another of these.  But judging
by how well the original worked, I would guess that the design is not
very sensitive to the exact position of components.  Enjoy!
--
  Allen C. Brown  abrown@cv.hp.com or hplabs!hpcvca!abrown or "Hey you!"
    Q: What did the Zen Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?
    A: Make me one with everything.
From: klambrec@gmuvax.gmu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: 6811 Supply in January
Date: 12 Nov 92 18:01:53 -0500
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

A while ago I placed an order for 46 MC68HC811E2FN Chips from Active (Arrow?
I forget.) Electronics.  They will arrive sometime in January unless I 
cancel or change the order before then.

The reason I did this was because every time I called, the delivery date
moved back a month, and I figured that by January, I would have found 
another supplier or be REALLY desperate.

If anyone wants chips in January, let me know.  No rush, take your time.
If there are enough people interested by December 15th,  I won't cancel the 
order.  Orders will be processed in the order they are received, with the
exception that the people who responded last time I posted (thinking I could
get chips immediatly) have priority.

THe chips are going to cost me $14.25 U.S. each.  Add a little bit for shipping
and a very little bit for my time, and I'll probably charge $15.50 each.
(Presuming shipping is less than $1.25 - I'll check and let you know by 12/1)

Mail should be sent to 
Jim Malloy
C/O the address at the top of this post.

Please put "Jim" somewhere in the subject line, it makes it easier to
figure out which mail is mine.

Jim
From: yee@edison.seas.ucla.edu (John Yee)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Table top Hovercraft know how wanted.
Date: 22 Nov 92 11:43:40 GMT
Organization: SEASnet, University of California, Los Angeles

Hello robot builders, have you any experience making small, say 6" diameter
maximum, hovercraft?  If so, please post/email your experiences.

I wish to do just this, but my first prototype consisting of a surplus
cooling fan mounted over a hole in a plastic base does not even get off
the ground, and so I am looking to order more powerful fans.  However, some
of the fans are listed with pressure differentials in mmHg, (another maker
lists "static pressure in H2O"), and also they list CFM (cubic feet of air
per minute) up to say about 77 for the small size (max 3" dia) I am looking for.
So, should I go for highest pressure differential, or highest CFM.
The confounding thing is that not all makers list both CFM and pressure, 
sometimes it is one or the other, making comparisons difficult.

Thanks for your help,

-- 
jy, yee@seas.ucla.edu - "The man with no .sig"
From: andy@federation.gatech.edu (Andy Register)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: robotics in medicine
Keywords: robotics, prosthetics, biomechanics
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:58:23 GMT
Organization: CERL-EE, Georgia Institue of Technology


please summarize and post the info you recieved?

Toodles
Andy
From: josh@planchet.rutgers.edu (J Storrs Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Table top Hovercraft know how wanted.
Date: 23 Nov 92 17:43:58 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


 yee@edison.seas.ucla.edu (John Yee) writes:
|> Hello robot builders, have you any experience making small, say 6" diameter
|> maximum, hovercraft?  If so, please post/email your experiences.

Over the years I've had fairly good success building hovercraft with
just about any kind of junkbin motor.  But the best results will be
with the opposite of a cooling fan, which is designed for low noise,
long life, and high energy efficiency.  Take instead a motor designed
for a hand tool or RC model, slap a model airplane propellor on it,
and run it at 120% the design voltage (it won't last forever, of course).

(A grinding tool (e.g. Dremel) motor with a 12-inch prop can hover in 
midair like a helicopter.  It can also cost you a few fingers if 
you don't use common sense!)

Have several (4 is a good number) plenum chambers, and divide the 
airstream as close to the fan as possible.  Otherwise the hovercraft 
will be unstable, generally sitting on one side and slewing around
in circles.  It's easy to make simple skirts out of garbage bags
and attach them with a hot glue gun.  The skirted area must be divided
as well or again it'll be unstable.  

Remember that the power needed goes as the perimeter of the hovercraft,
and the payload goes as the area;  the smaller the craft, the less
efficient.  I would hesitate to build a 6" model for that reason
(my smallest model that worked well was 1'6").

--JoSH
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: gratclif@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gregory W Ratcliff)
Subject: MiniBoards 2.0 batch TWO
Keywords: Miniboards Controller pcb boards
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 01:55:47 GMT

Gang!  The Second run of miniboards is gone.  The following peoples
boards were shipped out Saturday or Monday( Nov. 14,16).  If you name
is not below two things could have happened: 1. I didn't get your check
in time for this run or 2. I screwed up.

There are now enough orders for the 3rd Run.... to ship in Mid December
sometime.  Cost will be the same. $6.00 each inside the US. shipping
included.

greg


Name:

Tom Saksa
Dennis Venable
Alan Fryer
David Ransier
Chris Beesley
Krzysztof 
Adamski
Larry Ray
Mark Martin
Randy Just
Paul Davis
Harley Myler
James 
Harrision
Dr. Fernado J. 
Pineda
F.C. Cheong
James Disbrow
Eric Keller
Charles Floyd
Wendy Taylor
Brian cox
Dennis Venable
Keith Wilkins
M Tilden
Dale  
Deutscher
Robert E. Irie
Lance Haines
Fred Martin
Don Jacob
Jerry Jeremiah
Frank 
Autenreith
Steven 
Valentine
Lee Hounshell


Gregory W. Ratcliff
1763 Hess Blvd.
Columbus, Ohio 43212

-- 
Gregory W. Ratcliff  Ratcliff.8@osu.edu  on the internet   
Columbus, Ohio     ICBM
nz8r@w8cqk 	 on the air
N1697X     	 in the air
From: klambrec@gmuvax.gmu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: 6811 supply in January
Date: 20 Nov 92 21:23:19 -0500
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Wow!

It looks like a lot of people want 6811s.  I am NOT cancelling this order
for lack of interest.  On the contrary,  I'm going to call and see if I 
can change the order from 46 to 69 of these things.  I still haven't 
checked out postage and packing costs.  For small orders,  I'll probably
ship these things if padded envelopes.  I have no problem shipping to 
Canada, England, etc. I'll figure out postage for that too.  

Does anybody have any suggestions about insuring these things, or at least
registering them to verify they arrived?  I don't particularly want to
increase the cost of shipping, but I also don't want to get stuck if
someone claims their chip didn't arrive.  Maybe I'll make Insurance an option.

Here's a list of the people who have replied.  If I mmissed you, let me know.
I have all of the mail,  I'll check.

Name			Qty		Running Total
Me			2		2
Aleks Zivanovic		5 		7
Chris Roehrig		6		13
Mike Hollenbach		4		17
Mark Langston		2		19
Robert Irie		3		22
Fred Martin		6		28
David Ence		3		31
Tommy (Last Name??)	8		39
M Pearce		1		40
Roy Feague		2		42
Kai Bidstrup		4		46
Charles Floyd		5		51
Khalid Shah		2		53
David Ercegovic		4		57
Pat Teller		10		67


For those of you at the bottom of the list:  DON"T DESPAIR !!
I may be able to change the qty ordered, and there are always a few deadbeats
who say they want something, but don't really want to put any money in.

I'll re-post Monday or Tuesday with any corrections or additions to the list,
as well as more precise cost, payment, and shipping data.


Oh yeah,
Please put "JIM" somewhere in the subject line of mail to me.  It makes it
easier for Kurt to sort mine out.

Thanks,
Jim Malloy

Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: somesh@watson.ibm.com ()
Subject: Re: Thanks, Miniboard folks.(Sorry Alan)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 19:27:18 GMT
Reply-To: somesh@watson.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM, T. J. Watson Research Center
Keywords: Minboard

I forgot Alan Killian from the list  I just put up. Sorry Alan.
Please add the following to my previous post

	d) ALAN KILIAN
	   Who got us the processors.

-- 
Somesh Rao                               
Experimental Systems Development Center  914-784-6965 [T/L 863-6965]
T.J Watson Research Center               External:somesh@watson.ibm.com
P.O Box 704, (H0-B27)                    Internal: somesh@shakti.watson.ibm.com
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598               vnet    : somesh at yktvmh

#include <std_disclaimer.h>
The views represented here are mine and not those of my employer.
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: roy@engin.umich.edu (Roy William Feague)
Subject: Need to locate Nitinol
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 09:22:44 EST
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Keywords: Nitinol

Can anyone send me any information whatsoever on how to track down
some Nitinol?  I know it is available in Stiquito kits, but
I can't get in touch with the folks putting those together.  There
are also supposed to be two companies, Dynalloy and Megatronics,
manufacturing the stuff.  Does anyone have any addresses or phone
numbers?  This is my third post on this... ANY response would be
helpful.  Thanks in advance,
-Roy
From: markey@flash.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Tim Markey)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Need some direction
Summary: Look up Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar Books, there is an article on
	 turning the Big Trak into a rover. (I think it's either 1,2or3).
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:18:06 GMT

In article <By1E69.D52@andy.bgsu.edu>, rlee@bgsu.edu (Bob Lee) writes:
> OK guys! I've got an idea for a project.
> 
> I'm going to tear apart my old Big Trak (remember that old toy) and turn
> it into a rover vehicle that will search out and find a particular object,
> find being that it will park next to it and then terminate all activity
> until told otherwise.
> 
...
> Thanks!
> 
> -BOB
From: langston@memstvx1.memst.edu (Mark C. Langston)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Cases for miniboard?
Date: 19 Nov 92 01:47:15 -0600
Distribution: world
Organization: Memphis State University


   I was wondering if anyone out there has come up with a good functional,
modular-type casing for the miniboard that could be made from household
products.  I was gonna use a cassettetape case, and still might, but
the rj11 jacs as well as the perihrial ports extend just a bit too far
to actually fit inside the case, so a lot of cutting is necessary.  Besides,
since the board is so small, it needs a bit of padding inside the case.

  What I'd really be interested in is a form of casing that would provide
a stable mount for the board, allow access to all the ports, and still be
seamless enough to act as a nice, pocket-sized 'modular' control unit for
porting among various operational platforms.  (e.g., I can slide it out of
a robot chassis, pop it into a desktop-cpu tethered sensor array, or into
a 3-degree of freedom arm, and vise versa, with my bigest handling worries
being (un)plugging everything.  The cassette case is still a viable idea, I
just don't like having to saw all those holes :-).  Isn't there any other
kind of readily accessable casing, a little smaller and a littler higher
(like only 1/ to 1/4" higher...and I refuse to mount it in one of those
ugly blue project boxes from Radio Schlock...)?

Now that I think of it, perhaps one of those travel soap dish/cases may work
....but, aargh!  Those tacky pastel colors!

Just curious,

-- 
+--------8<------Cut Here------8<------Cut Here------8<------Cut Here---------+
  Mark C. Langston   |  "Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny."                 
  Psychology Dept.   |  "Always listen to experts.  They'll tell you what can't
  Memphis State U.   |     be done, and why.  Then do it."                      
      "Pftph!"       |           -From the notebooks of Lazarus Long
From: cmcmanis@pepper.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Thanks, Miniboard folks.
Date: 24 Nov 1992 04:36:25 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: pepper
Keywords: Minboard

Good for you, as long as you don't happen to be one of the people who
ordered stuff and got put onto "back order" lists. Given the traffic
I'd guess about 14 out of the hundred or so people actually have a
chance of building a miniboard by the end of the year. Kudos to Greg
Ratcliff though, I do have 4 very nice printed circuit boards.

There has got to be a better way :-(
--Chuck

--
--Chuck McManis						    Sun Microsystems
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: <none>   Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM
NIS+ Architect
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: epaddock@llano.jsc.nasa.gov (e. paddock 283-4343)
Subject: This is a test
Organization: MDSSC
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:47:50 GMT


test
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: rwmurphr@wildcat.ecn.uoknor.edu (Robert W Murphree)
Subject: Re: Modeling Slip, Mobile Robotics, Kinematics, Simulation
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 05:32:20 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

connolly@rabbit.cs.umass.edu (Christopher Ian Connolly) writes:

>In article <1992Nov17.144824.26839@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> graves@drseus.jsc.nasa.gov (Philip Graves) writes:
>>In general, you can only get a qualitative idea of what might happen
>>from any model of this type. It is impossible to find the perfect model
>>because the friction depends on a plethora of factors, including 
>>everything from temperature to how long it has been since the floor 
>>was mopped and waxed.

>We use Denning robots and are faced with a similar nightmare.  One of
>the things we're working on at the moment involves using visual homing
>techniques to essentially recalibrate the robot at various points in
>the environment, and coupling that with motion planning.  I'd have to
>agree with the other posters in that the best we can hope for (at
>least in the case of the Denning) is some bound on the slippage, and
>to take advantage of that bound when we can.

Doesn't slip occur more often at times of high acceleration and
fast turning? Could you have one braket for low acceleration and
slow turning and another bracket for high acceleration and fast
turning?  I guess, realistically, it varies so much with the surface
that its not worth doing.  Plus, what if you run over a grease spot
or some spilled liquid?
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: rwmurphr@wildcat.ecn.uoknor.edu (Robert W Murphree)
Subject: Re: Modeling Slip, Mobile Robotics, Kinematics, Simulation
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 05:27:47 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

I think odometry people are used to dealing with different size wheels, 
lopsided wheels.  There's some corrections you make to odometry for
different sized wheels.  Some guys at Georgia tech in the mechanical
engineering department have done some thesis work involving odometry.

Some of the work involves adaptive algorithyms to accomodate errors 
in measuring vehicle dimensions. 
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: wallace@zeus.franklin.edu (Steve Wallace)
Subject: MiniBoard Kits
Organization: Franklin University
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:47:04 GMT

I've finaly got everything straightend out with my suppliers and to my
suprise found out that the kit contains not just the parts with parts
#'s eg R1... but everything that is on the parts list. 

Btw If you havent sent me your check please send me your chesk as soon
as possible.

If your interested in buying a kit please E mail me at
Wallace@zeus.franklin.edu

//Steve Wallace\\
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: klambrec@gmuvax.gmu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Miniboard debug questions (HELP !!!)
Date: 20 Nov 92 21:39:18 -0500
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Help!

I finally got my first board, cable, and software for the 6811 together, and I
have a number of questions for those of you who are wiser and more experienced
than I.

First,  Sometimes, when I'm downloading to the miniboard, the transmission just
stops.  The bootloader code goes just fine, but in the middle of downloading
My code (hexmon40.s19),  I get a few . . ., and it just hangs.

   I have the Download Switch set to the right (away from the 6811), and I 
   Do hit the reset switch before I download.

   Why does this happen?

Second.  After I have successfully downloaded the code,  I don't know how
to run it.  The board is left running EEBOOT, and if I run Procomm, I can
talk to the board.  All I can do is tell it to reset by sending "S", because
the rest of the commands require binary data and I don't know hos to send
non-asciii from procomm, but the board DOES respond.
   I've tried every combination of download switch, IRQ, and RESET possible,
but I can't seem to get hexmon to run.  What an I doing wrong?  I'm taking a 
great leap of faith and presuming the board and chip are both working properly
and the problem is operator error.

Third.  I tried to compile HEXMON40.C using Microsoft QuickC, and found that
I don't have Comm.h.  I checked the master diskettes, and the file isn't
there.  Am I missing a file?  if not, what is the work-around to this problem?
I'm marginally capable of programming in C, but just barely.  any help  would
be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance for the help.

Please put "Jim" somewhere in the subject line of any replies, it
makes it easier for kurt to sort my mail out.

-- Jim Malloy
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: andy@skyhawk.jsc.nasa.gov (Dr. Andy)
Subject: robotics in medicine
Keywords: robotics
Organization: MDSSC
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 19:19:22 GMT


i am looking for information about schools and industries doing research in robotics as applied to field of medicine (eg. prosthetics, surgical procedures).
is there a specific magazine, or journal geared to this area.
please reply to
                 andy@skyhawk.jsc.nasa.gov

thank you
From: reeder@reed.edu (P. Douglas Reeder)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: nitinol kits: where?
Keywords: nitinol
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:03:47 GMT
Organization: Div, Grad & Curl

In article <monte.721678933@joplin.wri.com> monte@joplin.wri.com (Monte Seyer) writes:
:Could someone please post or email me the information on
:the Nitinol kits someone had posted a couple of weeks ago.

You might also try to locate the Toki Corporation, which marketed nitinol
under the trademark Biometal a few year ago.



-- 
Doug Reeder                              Internet: reeder@reed.EDU
Div, Grad & Curl                         USENET:   ...!tektronix!reed!reeder
programming & derivative work            BITNET:   reeder@reed.BITNET
I am actively seeking scientific programming contracts.
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: andy@skyhawk.jsc.nasa.gov (Dr. Andy)
Subject: robotics in medicine
Keywords: robotics in surgery
Organization: MDSSC
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:36:50 GMT


i came to know that IBM Watson research center does work on robotics in surgical planning and surgery. can any one point me to a contact person at IBM Watson. i am interested in getting information on the type of research done therel.

andy
From: smuench@i61s4.ira.uka.de (Stefan Muench)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Conference in Germany in '93?
Date: 23 Nov 1992 14:08:59 GMT
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, Institute for Real-time Computer Systems and Robotics (IPR), Germany
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: i61s4.ira.uka.de

Deutsch:

Hallo,

weiss jemand, ob im Fruehjahr 1993 (Maerz oder April) in Deutschland
eine Tagung, Konferenz oder aehnliches zum Thema "Robotik" oder "Autonome
Systeme" stattfindet? Falls ja, haette ich gerne folgende Daten:

- Name
- Ort
- Datum, Uhrzeit
- Veranstalter
- Ansprechpartner (Telefonnummer)

Antwort bitte per email an: smuench@ira.uka.de

Vielen Dank im voraus!

==========================================================================

English:

Hello,

does anybody know whether there is a conference or meeting or something similar
to be held in spring 1993 (march or april) in Germany that has something to do 
with "Robotics" or "Autonomous Systems"? If you know the answer, please send me:

- Name
- Location
- Date, Time
- Organisation
- Contact person (telephone number)

Please answer via email to: smuench@ira.uka.de

Thanks in advance!

************************************************************

  Dipl.-Inform. Stefan Muench  
  
  University of Karlsruhe (TH)       
  Institute for Real-time Computer Systems and Robotics (IPR)

  Postfach 69 80		Phone : +49 721 608-4261
  Kaiserstrasse 12		Fax   : +49 721 60 67 40
  7500 Karlsruhe 1		e-mail: smuench@ira.uka.de
  Germany

************************************************************
Newsgroups: comp.robotics