[Embedlets-developer] Re: RCX - Advanced alternatives: JCX, Embedlets

[Bruce B. <bb...@sy...>]

At 03:33 AM 1/31/2003 -0800, Ted Kosan wrote:
>Bruce,
>
> > There is also a new 'Embedlet' SourceForge project:
> > http://sourceforge.net/projects/embedlets/
> > which touches on the issue of creating firmware and hardware modules which
> > could easily plug together for variety of applications including robotics.
> > It's all Java and open standards based, and there is a very active mail
> > list. And - it's Open Source. (I'm blind copying the embedlets list with
> > this message). There are some university-level educators active in this
> > project, too.
> >
> > So I am very optimistic about the future of Lego robotics! By this summer
> > there should be a whole raft of interesting new technology available.
>
>As I thought about your post it occurred to me that JCX driven lego mindstorm
>mechanisms would be an excellent way to develop, test and prove the visual
>component assembly aspect of Embedlets.  In fact, the Wiring Tool view of
>Embedlets is similar to a very advanced and generalized version of the current
>graphical RCX programming language.

YES!!! I haven't had a chance to play with your tool yet. Mindstorms has a 
similar visual editor.

>The ideas are similar because Embedlets are configured and snapped together
>just like the various components in the visual RCX language are.  Embedlets,
>however, go on to add the capability to work with any peripheral conceivable,
>run on any platform, and encapsulate a full spectrum of logic from very simple
>up through as sophisticated as Java is capable of producing.
>
>I suppose that if the graphical wiring aspect of Embedlets were done right
>(which is an extremely high priority item on my personal goals list) then 
>it is
>conceivable that Embedlets might prove to be a good candidate for the next
>generation of Lego Mindstorms programming technology.

Yes yes yes!

>Bruce, you are a genious!  I bet that the Lego Mindstorms community has more
>experience than any other group on the planet with 100% graphical 
>snap-together
>programming enviornments based on software components.  These people probably
>know exactly what they would like to see in an Embedlets wiring tool based on
>years of experience with the RCX programming language.

All the advanced Lego users are using BrickOS or LeJos, or NQC, so they are 
bypassing the graphical tool because it is far too limited.

I think they would welcome a powerful Java tool which gave them full blown 
Java code but also a simple visual too for the 10-year olds who want more 
than RCX but aren't ready to write Java from scratch.

>Beyond this, a whole generation of software component application assemblers
>has already been produced by the Mindstorms phenomenon and I bet this group
>will be extremely receptive to being able to leverage this paradigm across the
>whole spectrum of computing as they move into industry.

Yes, for example TCP/IP from JStik, with a browser interface. This is 
pretty much impossible now with the current Lego architecture.

>When work begins on the graphical wiring aspect of Embedlets, I wonder if a
>number of people from the Lego community would be interested in helping us to
>design what the wiring tool should look like and how it should operate?

Yes, when the time is right we can help set that up. For one thing, we need 
the production JCX hardware.

There are some *very* interesting people who have contacted me privately 
and don't want to - or can't - publicly participate on the lists. Some of 
them would make excellent test sites.

Bruce


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