Article View: comp.robotics
Article #474Re: Cotton Dockers
From: John Nagle
Date: Fri, 25 May 1990 06:21
Date: Fri, 25 May 1990 06:21
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In article <1686@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> toms@fcs260c2.UUCP (Tom Schneider) writes:
>In article <1618@dinl.mmc.UUCP> mcdonley@dinl.UUCP () writes:
>>Is there a standard developing for power docking adapters?
>
>How about a standard wall plug? They are everywhere, they have a distinctive
>shape which should be easy to figure out by a pattern recognition program, and
>they are safe for kids.
>
>Has anyone built a robot that goes around using plugs when it can? ...
Yes. The "Hopkins Beast", built in the 1960s, did exactly that.
It wandered around the halls of a large building, plugging itself in when
it needed a recharge. It used ultrasonics to keep its distance from the
walls, and a simple template matching vision system to recognize wall outlets.
Unfortunately, we no longer seem to have the technology to build things
like that.
The original Hopkins Beast can be seen at the Computer Museum, Boston.
John Nagle
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!well!nagle From: nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) Newsgroups: comp.robotics Subject: Re: Cotton Dockers Keywords: plugs Message-ID: <18151@well.sf.ca.us> Date: 25 May 90 06:21:43 GMT References: <1618@dinl.mmc.UUCP> <1686@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> Reply-To: nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) Distribution: na Lines: 21