Re: RE: New subscriber to List

On Thu, 15 Aug 2002 [email protected] wrote:

> Just joined this list and didn't see much happening yet.  Is
> everyone on summer vacation?

Not everybody :-)

> I have an interest in helping to develop GPL'd software for
> robotics.  For a few years now, I have had an idea for a new
> protocol.  I call it RIMCP (Robotics Inter Module Control Protocol)
> and it would be similar "in principle" to http.

Orocos is building infrastructure from the bottom up, which is a
tedious job. Currently, most emphasis is on the real-time control
part, and basic sequencing and communication. The ``http level'' has
not yet been reached :-( 

> This new protocol would allow robot limbs from different
> manufacturers to learn from each other and eventually function
> normally without having to rewrite ANY software.  

That would be revolutionary :-) At this moment, robot manufacturers
are completely incompatible, and getting data out of their controllers
is most of the time very difficult, to say the least... And forget
about _setting_ the parameters that you have learned.

But maybe I misunderstood your idea...

> Each limb would contain its own CPU, memory, and I/O chips.
> Communication would be done via either a 10/100BaseT connection or a
> fiber optic connection, dependin g on the data needs.  For example,
> a 3D vision system might require a fiber optic connection with the
> "master CPU".

I see that you are talking about future robotic devices. Then I agree
with you :-)

> There would of course be a need for mfgs of robotics parts (or
> limbs) to standardize the mechanical fittings where the limbs attach
> to the main "torso" of the robot.  I believe that this type of
> development is the key to future practical robotics development.

Of course that's the key! But robot manufacturers have no incentive to
standardize anything. They will have to be forced.

> After sharing this idea with another robotics enthusiast, he pointed
> me to this website and list.  I hope you have much success in your
> efforts and am willing to help in any way I can.

Fine! You could start with writing down your wishlist, so that we can
see whether the current work is addressing these needs.

Herman

-- 
  K.U.Leuven, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Research Group
<http://people.mech.kuleuven.ac.be/~bruyninc> Tel: +32 16 322480