SLI Practical Group B Tail-Wag

Project Selection

As a group we came up with different ideas on what kind of application we could produce. Our initial requirements were that the application should include the following technology in its prototype implementation:

  • a Bluetooth connection (simulated in VCC)

  • a Web based interface

  • a Lego Mindstorm robot

As a result we set about thinking of applications that require remoteness an a desirable feature. We came up with a list that included the following:

  • Security Guard

  • Bomb-disposal robot

  • Medical treatment aid

  • Child Minder

After some time we began talking about the fun of playing with lego and this led to a discussion of robot toys. This led to the serious suggestion of a robot pet application. The most general description was a combination of the Aibo robot dog developed by Sony and the tamagotchi toys.

The Aibo robot dog is a robot that behaves like a dog and interacts in the real world with its user. The tamagotchi is a small toy that acts like a pet and requires feeding and attention to maintain a good 'mood'. The group decided that a robot pet that can be interacted with and maintained via a web interface to a simulated bluetooth link.

Dave Harding.