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From: rlk@telesoft.com (Bob Kitzberger @sation)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: X-Y detection of moving metal ball?
Message-ID: <1228@telesoft.com>
Date: 5 Apr 91 08:14:49 GMT
References: <1225@telesoft.com> <2642@sun13.scri.fsu.edu> <23982@well.sf.ca.us>
Organization: TeleSoft, San Diego, CA.
Lines: 29

nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) writes:
> 
>      Now tell us what you're building.

Remember those 'labyrinth' games of your/my/our childhood?  One knob to
control the tilt along one axis, another knob for the other.  One metal
ball rolling through this tilting maze, falling into holes and causing 
much grief.  

Replace the knobs with stepper motors, replace your visual system with 
LEDs and phototranistors, a device to pick up the ball and place it at the 
beginning of the maze, and write some magic software to control it 
all ;-)  The system starts out without any knowledge of the holes or 
walls, and learns over time what the layout is.  Step one is getting the
hardware hooked up and controllable by a parallel port, all the while
keeping step 2 in the back of my mind.  Step two is, um, a 'rather 
ambitious' software task, I'm afraid.

Thankfully, this doesn't really _have_ to work.  It's for 'fun'  ;-)

Thanks for your help & addresses/part numbers,

	.Bob.
-- 
Bob Kitzberger               Internet : rlk@telesoft.com
TeleSoft                     uucp     : ...!ucsd.ucsd.edu!telesoft!rlk
5959 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA  92121-9891  (619) 457-2700 x163
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