RoboChamps & Boe-Bots

RoboChamps is a new robotics programming league designed to encourage beginning robotics enthusiasts in their quest to learn all things robotic.  If you’re looking to learn a little bit more about the RoboChamps program – scope out their website – http://www.robochamps.com/.  You can also hear Marc Mercuri (kinda sounds like a robot name, dunnit?) discuss the program on .NET Rocks episode #336.  There’s a big emphasis on the virtualization technologies that Robotics Studio is adding to the mix and I like the concept – do all of your programming and testing of your "robot" in a virtual realm first so you can work out the kinks without kinking up the works (ie: breaking your ‘bot) as you learn what’s what.  Eventually, you’ll want to bring things back into the physical world and Marc talked about several robotics companies that provide Robotics Studio compatible gear.

Marc referenced several robot companies in his interview on DNR, but he missed one of my favorite suppliers of robots and robotic controllers and components – Parallax Inc. – makers of the Boe-Bot Kit for Microsoft Robotics Studio.  I bought one recently to allow my son and I to spend some quality time geeking out upstairs and building "stuff".  The "BOE" stands for "Board Of Education" – a circuit board that’s designed to hold the Parallax BASIC Stamp 2 module (the programmable brain of the mix) as well as a breadboard, pluggable wires, and other accessories designed to make it easy to build a multitude of projects with the same processor core.  Parallax sells a USB-only Boe-Bot kit, but the "Microsoft Robotics Studio" sku adds an eb500 bluetooth module to the mix, which, obviously enough, expands your communications offerings beyond USB and serial communications to the bluetooth realm.  Great for using your laptop/mobile phone/smart phone as a controller for the robot.  We also purchased the "Boe-Bot Tank Tread kit" and the PING Ultrasonic Sensor (and the PING Sensor mounting bracket, don’t forget the mounting bracket).  I’ll post video online as we get things spun up on this.  Right now we’re learning the basics on the sensors and then we’ll be tackling some C#.

Word on the street is that there will be a RoboChamps learning event on June 7 & 8, in-between Tech-Ed sessions – super-secret info on the events is amassing here: (www.floridatweener.com).  I can’t swing the dough to cover entry to the Tech-Ed Dev week (I spent my allowance on robot parts), but I might be able to talk wifey into letting me do a weekend trip down to Orlando for the Florida Tweener happenings.  (Please honey…pretty please…)

I’m pretty stoked about the whole Robotics lovin’ that we’re getting as it really helps excite my son and his friends when it comes to learning technology.  Without their even knowing it, they’re (we’re) learning programming, geometry, cinematography, electronics and physics.  That’s the secret – sneak in the knowledge while they’re not looking…

Doug White