UPDATE: Speaking of Robots, also check out what Ashish is doing with a Laser Pointer and Remote Controlled Car - he's created an autonomous robot!
I finally got around to creating Part 2 of my article on controlling a Microbric Viper Robot with an Iguanaworks IR Serial Port. This time I used Lee Holmes (with permission) LOGO in PowerShell sample and extended it to control the robot. A video is at left hosted on SoapBox and also hosted at Channel9.
Purchasing these Parts
The Microbric Viper can be ordered online in North America, check out www.microbric.com for North American distributors. It's only US$89 at Saelig and CAD$99 at RobotShop. They have a number of educational robots that can be assembled by kids of all ages and skill levels. They're great for the classroom, and include projects like Sumo Robots, and a line-following bot, as well as a Spiderbot that climbs rope - all from the same kit.
You can order the IR Transmitter/Receiver from IguanaWorks. The serial version works on Windows or Linux, and there's a Linux USB version. It's not just a Transmitter, but also a learning receiver that works with WinLIRC and turns your computer into a learning remote control and can be used for nearly any project that utilizes IR
Robotics Studio
A number of folks asked why I didn't use the Microsoft Robotics Studio to do this project. Well, here's my reasoning:
If anyone thinks that this project and the Microbric Robot could really benefit from the Robotics Studio - or even if you're on the Studio team - do contact me and educate me. I'd love to do a podcast on the Studio, but I don't want to talk about a topic I know so little about. School me!
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. I am a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.