1.  WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT DO?

1.1 >  I think the bigger question is what should it not do.  We should
really look into what other similar projects have created.  If we're going to
make a world wide impact with this, it should be something innovative &
unique.

1.2 >  I would like to see it work.  I don't really have any specific
ideas about what it should do, just as long as it works.  I think it
would be cool if it could transport materials but like i said, please
just work,  ( not that i don't have faith of course!)

1.3 >  Something useful, such as pick up garbage, or deliver homework to
the correct bin.

1.4 >  I would say a mobile car/what ever! powered by solar and should
have a sensor system to detect the objects. ( May be an infrared sensor
model or could be an ultrasonic sensor model or the easies regular light
sensor model).

1.5 >  I'd like to see the robot a task.

1.6 >  I believe that a good goal for the robot would  be to collect
balls of an identical size,weight and colour which would be dispersed in
a squared off area. Once the balls were collected the robot would have to
place the balls in a container located somewhere in the room.

1.7 >  I'd like to see the robot scale rigid inclines.

1.8 >  I would like to see it be able to record and keep a database of
objects it runs into e.g. walls, furniture, any permanent object.  This
database will record the position of obstacles so in the future when it
is told to go to some position and complete a task it will know better
how to get there without running into anything.  So, the more it
operates the more it learns.

1.9 >  I think we should go for a walking robot for sure. Even if we
decide to have it fly or swim it should be in the future and it should
be able to walk after it lands or comes out of the water.

1.10 > It should climb stairs but while carrying a heavy load.  This
would be both practical and challenging.

2. SHOULD IT BE AN INTELLIGENT VERSION OF AN EXISTING VEHICLE?

2.1 >  That's fine too.  How about a go-cart that races itself.

2.2 >  I think that we should come up with a new vechicle.  It will
probablly be a vague variation on an existing one but it will be
obvious that it is uniquely ours.

2.3 >  Not necessarliy.

2.4 >  It should be an intelligent version of an existing vehicle.

2.5 >  It can be an intelligent version of the robot I designed.

3. WHAT ENVIRONMENT(S) SHOULD IT OPERATE IN?

3.1 >  on land.  Others are fine also, but the first iteration should
be kept simple.

3.2 >  Outdoors  or underwater

3.3 >  indoors and on land.

3.4 >  It should operate both in and outdoors.

3.5 >  I think it should start simple - on land, indoors on flat level
surfaces but am designed so in the future it can be modified for some
other terrain.

4. HOW SHOULD IT MOVE?

4.1 >  Again, for the first iteration use the KISS principle (keep
it simple)  We should concentrate on the AI

4.2 >  swim, crawl or climb

4.3 >  roll.

4.4 >  It should climb.

4.5 >  I think it should crawl on tracks like a tank.

5. HOW WILL IT FEED ITSELF?

5.1 >  Depends on what it eats... Charging receptical, or gas terminal,
so it can pull up and refill it's (gas tank/battery) as needed.

5.2 >  I'm not sure

5.3 >  rechargable solar cells or a power outlet.

5.4 >  Solar powered with optional backup battery.

5.5 >  It should be run off battery power and know when it is running
low on power so it can head back to its recharging station.  It should
know how much power is needed to get back to its recharging station and
add some chance for error.

6. WHERE WILL FUNDING COME FROM?

6.1 >  Hopefully SOE and the university.  Additional fund raising may be
needed though... selling stuff?  CSA? EngSoc?

6.2 >  I think we will be able to solicate funds from neigbourhood
stores that would have an interest in the project.  Maybe as a student
club on the university therefore getting CSA cash or SOE cash

6.3 >  the school.

6.4 >  Funding come from SoE, interested companies that we contact.

6.5 >  Don't have any ideas about funding yet.

7. DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN ROBOTICS?

7.1 >  no.

7.2 >  I have absolutely no experience in this but i am very interested
in learning as much as i possibly can.  I would like to go into
prosthetics in the future and i think that this kind of experience
would be helpful.

7.3 >  no.

7.4 >  No, I don't have any prior experience in robotics.

7.5 >  I have built a robot partly for a pre-engineering project and
partly for my own interests.  Its drive train consists of two tank
tracks run by two stepper motors.  I designed the circuit board from
information I got off the internet, this board acts as the controller
for the steppers and the board is controlled by my computer trough the
parallel port.  I wrote the software in C++ and Assembler.  The body is
built out of plexy glass that I cut and bent into shape from a design I
drew in Auto Cad.  I have not built any intelligence into the robot yet,

e.g. sensors.

8. WHAT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO THE
PROJECT?

8.1 >  Good programming experience; C/C++ and ASM on dos/intel systems.
Experience accessing hardware directly.

8.2 >  I have pretty good communication skills and  i will voice my
opinion.  i also learn quickly when i am interested in the  topic.  I
am a third year bio eng student so i may be able to add a biological
view to the project depending on what we decide on.

8.3 >  mechanical knowledge, building/assembly skills.

8.4 >  My skills include programming, electrical theory, microcomputing.

8.5 >  I have worked a little with circuit board design (logic
circuits), I have worked a lot with software programming (Basic, Visual
Basic, Perl, C, preferably C++, Java or Assembler) and done a lot of
drafting (paper and Cad).

9. WHAT PARTS OF THE PROJECT INTEREST YOU MOST?]

9.1 >  AI, robotics, construction, actually doing something usefull --
not drills or programming excercises like in class.  A chance to be
creative.

9.2 >  I am interested in learning as much as i can.  I am also
interested in promoting and raising funds for the project.  Pretty
much anything that you need me to do as long as i am involved and
learning.  I promise not to ask too many questions!

9.3 >  the mechanics and electrical parts.

9.4 >  I'm interested in all computing aspects of the design (Hardware
and AI).

9.5 >  Design specifications, Circuit board design and software design.

10. WHAT DAYS (AND TIMES) OF THE WEEK WOULD YOU BE MOST WILLING TO WORK
ON THE PROJECT?

10.1 >  Prefer to work weekdays, between 4 and 7 somewhere.

10.2 >  Weekends are usually free, other than that, weekday evenings,
and wednesday between 11:30 and 3:30  Regular meeting times are
prefeered, but individual or small group work can be scheduled with
the people doing those parts as needed.

10.3 >  I would prefer afternoons or evening in the midde of the week. I
weekends are ok but i live far from campus and rely on the buses so
sundays are not so cool.

10.4 >  Mondays, late afternoons, early evenings.

10.5 >  Monday's 12:00-4:00pm   or 6:00-11:00pm
    tuesday's   11:00-4:00pm or 6:00-11:00pm
    wednesday's 6:00-11:00pm
    odd weekend's.

10.6 >  I'm good on Mondays and Tuesdays

10.7 >  I would be willing to work Thursday and Friday nights, Saturdays

and Sundays.

10.8 >  I would like to work on it in between classes since hose tend to
be the most time killing hours of my day. Besides, everone is around
during the day (weekdays).

11. HOW MUCH TIME, AS A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR "FREE TIME", SHOULD
PARTICIPANTS BE EXPECTED TO DONATE TO THE PROJECT?

11.1 >  ?

11.2 >  1-2 hours per week.

11.3 >  for 2-3 hours per week.

11.4 >  25% min. - 50% max.

12. WHAT FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE PROJECT ARE CRITICAL ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE

DESIGNATION OF LEADERSHIP ROLES?

12.1 >  AI, Construction, and overall design.

12.2 >  each of the major sub-groups.

12.3 >  Overall design, Software, Hardware, and Administrative stuff.

12.4 >  Don't have any ideas about leadership roles yet.

13. HOW WILL DESIGN CONFLICTS BE RESOLVED?

13.1 >  Generally situation dependant, but when all else fails,
democracy.

13.2 >  Depending on the design conflict, we could: vote, re-iterate,
ask Profs advice, start from scratch.

13.3 >  Vote, majority wins.

14. HOW WILL INTER-PERSONAL CONFLICTS BE RESOLVED?

14.1 >  (no real idea) A good brawl in the street to get it out of our
systems, and then put the problem aside for the sake of the project.
If the concern is serious, one or all members involved may need to be
suspended from the project (to cool off) or removed altogether.

14.2 >  Have a mediator sit down and help figure the problem out, or
just split the two people up.

14.3 >  Bring conflict to a more experienced college to help make
decision.

OTHER COMMENTS:

Other.1 >  Ok, I think if we are going to do a big project
it is a good idea to do a small model first and then we can keep on
developing the project.

Other.2 >  In general, I am very interested in this project.  I am a
first year
student, and I am willing to stay on as long as I go to school here --
 perhaps longer, who knows.

Other.3 > Guelph Rules!!