Feasibiltiy study, and challenge to robotics people. (not a contest)

There are people who say it'd be a bit complex for a LEGO robot to assemble 
and build another robot.  Let's see who are the thinkers, and who are the 
doers.  ;)

I reckon the first obstacle for anyone interested in doing so would be 
tackling is how to design a handling mechanism for the various types of 
parts so that they can be pushed, aligned, and stacked together properly.

Objective:  design a robot that can push a series of 2L friction pins into a 
1x10 technic beam (or the nearest studless length greater than that) while 
demonstrating that it can copy and replicate a beam which represents the pin 
arrangement it must make.

It must be capable of handling the pins in such a matter that there is a 
minimum of misalignment and no excessive force can be applied - such as a 
force that would cause the pins to be twisted out of their normal shape.

It should preferably be capable of handling the 2L pins and beams fed to it 
from a hopper or rack assembly of some kind which allows easy loading of 
parts into it.  Any valid LEGO piece that is relatively common (preferably, 
it should currently be purchaseable through bricklink) will qualify for the 
model.  Modified bricks and sensors will not.

This is an exceedingly simple task for a human to do, although I think it 
will be a lot more complex for a robot to handle.  I'm not sure what sort of 
prize to put up, as I've got relatively little stock left in my store, Far 
North Bricks, therefore, if someone is interested in donating a prize please 
step up and announce it, if not, this is not *officially* a contest of any 
kind.

Since there's the Lugnet changeover coming up, I'll wait and see if anyone 
comes up with a winning model by then - I don't know how long the changeover 
will take, or what form it'll be in.  Prizes might be announced at a later 
date if someone comes forward with one.

I look forward to your models which should be submitted by posting your 
folder or webpage link containing reasonably clear photos of the model to 
this thread.

-- 
Cheers ...

Geoffrey Hyde