Re: self-propagating RCX program

In lugnet.robotics, danny staple <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> On 08/09/05, Claude Baumann <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Hi guys,
>>
>> Anyone interested in an experiment of a self-reproducing RCX program? Then
>> have
>> a look at :
>>
>> http://www.convict.lu/Jeunes/tiny_mini_worm/tiny_mini_worm.htm
>>
>> Enjoy !
>
>
> That is very cool, but a little scary. The dawn of an RCX virus. If
> you could then write it so it was also compatible with the other
> P-Bricks (like the spybotix) that would furtahr enhance it. Very, very
> nice.
>
> Question - if a "victim" RCX is already running the firmware, would it
> just be wiped and overwritten? Could you add some kind of "ID" packet
> to say "I am already running the firmware"?
>
> OrionRobots

This is just an experiment while we were thinking about micro-controller
structures. The H8 is based on a Von Neumann architecture which allows mixtures
of data and program code. It seems that only that kind of architecture can be
used for self-propagating or replicating programs -at least easily. The central
program idea is that program-code is changed to transmittable data and
vice-versa. Other microcontrollers that are based on the Harvard architecture
cannot be programmed like that.

Now to bring all this to have a self-replicating robot could be the ultimate
challenge for the whole advanced Mindstorms community. Are there interested
people out there to help working on that project? We'd need LEGO mechanical
engineering and RCX programming gurus.

As to your suggestion to extend the program to other bricks. That's not what I
intended to do. This should only be part of the ambitiuous self-replicating LEGO
robot project.

... No, if an RCX is running this program, it won't be deleted a next time. The
opcode handler simply doesn't react anymore on the opcodes that participate in
the firmware downloading process. However, to prevent garbage on the IR channel,
the touched RCXs send out a message to check if a colleague is already sending
out.

-Claude