Page 18 - PDA Robotics Using Your Personal Digital Assistant to Control Your Robot

PDA 00 5/28/03 8:19 AM Page xvii
Introduction
Enabling the machine with a sense of sight is another topic that will
be explored and explained. PDA Robot can “see” through the use of an
infrared range finder and wireless video camera. The machine vision
algorithms used in this project interpret the surroundings and send
feedback to the robot. The ability to send video data into the wireless
network through a video capture card open the “window” to a virtual
presence. Amazing things are being done today with this technology.
Doctors can perform surgery from any point on earth to another; we
can be there from here!

One interesting point about the IR range detector is the fact that the
pulsed beam of IR light is highly visible to a modern IR target locking
system deployed by most modern military equipment. This could be
an advantage or a drawback. The invisible infrared beam can provide
a good source for a night vision video camera, in fact most low cost
video cameras will be able to detect the beam from the front. If you
have a video camera give it a try! I will discuss other methods of data
transmission (visible light) and range finding (invisible). If we tap into
the this range finder and pulse the light beam and use a telescope, we
can create a very long range point-to-point communication device
ideal for ground to air operations. Something I will leave you to exper-
iment with.

Once PDA Robot is on the network it is essentially an internet appli-
ance.

My hope is that this project will give you the knowledge and experi-
ence to create any electronic device that you can dream up. All the
information is out there—just follow the links from a good search
engine. Automation, ordering over the Web, and courier service allows
everything in this project to be delivered to your door. Please experi-
ment with the design—I’ve designed an amphibious and airborne
body that the circuitry can be “snapped” into. I hope you evolve this
design once you become familiar with it.

If this technology is applied in the same spirit as the space program
and with the ethics of modern medicine, then I can see great things
evolving from it

For online updates, source code, and other useful files that will aid
you in completing PDA Robot, please visit www.pda-robotics.com.

Douglas Williams

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