Re: Image processing with RCX

"Chris Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message 
news:[email protected]...
> The LEGO camera is actually a Logitech USB camera, and cannot be 
> interfaced
> directly with the RCX.  It needs to be connected to a PC (or some other 
> USB Host
> device) in order to operate.  This restriction means that you probably 
> need a PC
> somewhere in the loop.

I wonder how much more viable this camera would be if TLG looked into the 
possibility of outfitting it with something similar to BlueTooth?  While the 
data transmission rate would be low, I'd imagine they could get it to send 
some sort of picture back if they adapted a radio frequency to carrying it. 
I'm not sure that BlueTooth itself would be viable, being that they've 
already got the NXT communication with that, it'd probably be messing the 
communication channels up with picture data.

> The RCX only has 32K of RAM total, so it doesn't have much space to store 
> an
> image for processing, let alone the space for any code to do so.  It is 
> possible
> to run image processing software on a PC and then use the MindStorms 
> infrared
> tower to control the RCX and tell it what to do.  That is probably the 
> most
> viable way to approach your project.

I sometimes wonder if TLG underdeveloped the camera they bought out, I 
reckon some on-the-ball development staff could make a new one considerably 
better than the original.

> Of course, I've been surprised on many occasions by some of the 
> applications
> people have written for the RCX, so you should always keep an open mind 
> even
> when someone like me tells you that something can't be done.  :)

So should TLG - if someone says a new camera can't be done, maybe they 
should look around for a camera manufacturer looking for something to put 
their camera into and see if they can't pair up some decent camera 
technology for NXT.


Cheers ...

Geoffrey Hyde