🚀 go-pugleaf

The Erebus project was probably the single most ambitious robotic
undertaking ever attempted.  To have accomplished what the Erebus team
did was a minor miracle itself.  The failure of the Erebus project
says little to nothing about the one big robot versus multiple robot
scenario.  Had the project been less ambitious, i.e., had there been
more time available, the problems that beset the mission would never
have occured.  It's well and good for people sitting in their snug
offices running robotic simulations to make snide comments, but they
should actually try to develop a real system and see what happens.

Although I do not agree with all of the design decisions made by the
Erebus team, they achieved a goal that mo other organization in the
world would even dream of, and I am damned proud to be a part of this
organization.  This mission has brought robotics into the homes of
people around the world and has shown what robotic technologies are
capable of.  Even though this project did not achieve its stated
scientific goals, the mere fact that a viable, working system was
delivered, basically on time and within budget, will help future
generations of robotic researchers by providing a bench mark of what
can be done within our field.

--
Gerry Roston (gerry@cmu.edu)    | It would be almost unbelievable, if history
Field Robotics Center,          | did not record the tragic fact, that men have
Carnegie Mellon University      | gone to war and cut each other's throats
Pittsburgh, PA, 15213           | because they could not agree as to what was to
(412) 268-3856                  | become of them after their throats were cut...
                                | For some reason, too deep to fathom, men
The opinions expressed are mine | contend more furiously over the road to
and do not reflect the official | heaven, which they cannot see, than over their
position of CMU, FRC, RedZone,  | visible walks on earth.  Walter Stacey
or any other organization.      |