[vcf-midatlantic] My HOPE project - update

[Jeffrey Brace]

OK. I was able to get a large lot from eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/capsela-mixed-lot-/262492861735?. Lots of parts.
The most important part is getting the two motors. Now I have to experiment
and decide on which project to do.

On Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 6:39 PM, Jeffrey Brace <ark72axow at gmail.com> wrote:

> My robotics kit with the Commodore 64 is going well. Hardware and software
> works. Gonna make disk images of software for safety. But the problem is
> missing parts. Two motors are missing and worm drives. With one motor the
> projects are limited. I will post videos of the two projects that I did
> today. There are more I can try, but ran out of time. Anyone have any
> Capsela motors and worm drives we can borrow?
>
>
> On Sunday, June 26, 2016, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic <
> vcf-midatlantic at lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
>
>> Here's an update on my project for our HOPE exhibit next month.
>>
>> Ben G. loaned us his mid-1980s Lego robotics/Logo kit. I'm saving the
>> Logo part (paired with an Apple II) for World Maker Faire in September. I
>> am using the bare robot components (motors, light sensors) with the IBM PC
>> card for HOPE.
>>
>> I started experimenting with this at our repair workshop a couple of
>> weekends ago. Jon C. loaned me a Compaq (386, I think) lunchbox-style
>> computer, since I'm stuck home while recovering from leg surgery. I set up
>> a big table in my living room because I can't sit comfortably at my
>> workbench.
>>
>> What I'm building, tailored for the HOPE audience, is a Lego game called
>> that I'm calling "Smush the 'Softie". The premise: Microsoft employees are
>> invading HOPE to install Windows 10 on your computer! Thus you must run
>> them over with a New York City taxi cab before then enter the hotel. :)
>>
>> A cab (Lego car) is in a garage. You press a key in the software to aim
>> the driveway side-to-side. Then press another key to release the car.
>>
>> The car travels down a track. There are two Microsoft employees crossing
>> the road. The employees (Lego figures, of course) have holes in the ground
>> behind them. If you hit one, then s/he falls into the hole, which blocks
>> the light sensor, which increases the score by 1. One employee is closer
>> and one is farther away. Hitting the second employee gives you two points.
>>
>> You get five cars. If you reach eight points then you win. The score will
>> be displayed on a binary counter of Lego lights. If you lose the lights
>> will all flash, a beeper will go crazy, and the compurer screen changes to
>> resemble a Windows 10 logo.
>>
>> The game isn't finished but I am making good progress. Programmed in
>> simple BASIC, just as it was meant to be 30 years ago. I am not using any
>> non-Lego parts (but I did take two non-valuable pieces from my childhood
>> huge box of Legos and drill holes in them because I needed a part that
>> doesn't exist!)
>>
>> The game won't be hard. Its point is to demonstrate what could be done
>> back then.
>>
>> Thinking ahead to Maker Faire: I'm going to make a robot arm that you use
>> to pick up a ping-pong ball, drop it into a hole, and out pops a
>> (previously hidden) Wiffle ball. I will tell children it's a ping-pong ball
>> enlarging machine. :)
>>
>> Jeff B., how goes your own mad science experimenting with the C-64
>> robotics kit?
>>
>