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From: smith@sndpit.enet.dec.com (Willie Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics,sci.space
Subject: Re: Request for Feedback on Proposed Lunar Analog Robotics Contest
Message-ID: <756@sousa.enet.dec.com>
Date: 29 Jan 91 01:34:25 GMT
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In article <9972@orca.wv.tek.com>, doughe@bamboo.WV.TEK.COM (Douglas E Helbling) writes...
> 
>	I am working toward putting together a robotic competition for small
>	rover-like vehicles.  The contest would take place on the Oregon
>	desert at the Oregon Moonbase, an earth analog of a lunar lavatube.  
>	The Oregon Moonbase is a project of The Oregon L-5 Society, Inc., a
>	chapter of the National Space Society.  The robotics competition,
>	if it comes to reality, will probably take place in late 1992 or 
>	early 1993.

The Sunswick Engineering team will be there with the Tycho and Waldo 
vehicles if this happens.  Just what we've been looking for!

>	   b) Size - the current limit on physical size for the "unextended unit"
>	      is two feet square.  (Must fit in a box two by two by two feet.)
>	      The notion that a robot could "expand" out of its shipping crate 
>	      after delivery (particularly for units basing their design on 
>	      insect models from the natural world) is acceptable.

Aw, c'mon, make it a three-foot cube, so we can bring Waldo (the real thing)
, instead of just Tycho (the toy).


A few more things I'd like to see thrown in for good measure:

1)	All teleoperated vehicles should properly emulate the 3-second
	speed-of-light communications delay.

2)	Make the contest a little more useful, and ask that some useful
	work be performed.  F'rinstance, clearing a landing field, digging
	habitat foundations, covering habitat modules, etc.

Sounds like a blast, we'll be there!

Willie Smith
smith@sndpit.enet.dec.com
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