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BioBot/InProgress
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Personal collection » Acorn hard disk » files » BallBot |
| Filename: | BioBot/InProgress |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0799 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
Duplicates
There are 2 duplicate copies of this file in the archive:
- Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Archimedes » Files.ADF » BioBot/InProgress
- Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Greaseweazled » dos34_s2312.016_compaq_user_programs.adf » BioBot/InProgress
- Personal collection » Acorn hard disk » files » BallBot » BioBot/InProgress
File contents
The task performed by a ball boy in a tennis match seems simple enough: simply collect any balls from the court at the end of each point. But try breaking this task down into simple steps which a computer can interpret, and the task suddenly becomes incredibly complex. This is the aim of the BallBot project, currently being developed by students at the school. The project was given a huge boost last Autumn when Philips kindly offered to sponsor the project, and pay for the materials required. Mr. Richards, who has taken charge of the project, said: "We are grateful to Philips for their sponsorship of this exciting venture, without their support we could not have got the venture of the ground." The idea was originated by Mr. Thomas when the inspiration struck him during a tennis match: "I thought how wonderful it would be to have a machine collecting and delivering tennis balls. It just seemed like an obvious job for a robot." The project has now been taken on board by sixth form pupil Dominic Ford, who, during his spare time, has developed a computer simulation of the project and has now formed a team of ten students to help him bring the project to fruitation. Dominic is developing an ultrasonic sonar system similar to that used by bats which the robotic ball boy will use to navigate around the court. The data from this will be processed and fed into an artificial intelligence system running on an onboard computer which then controls the motors. The team is also in the process of patenting their invention. Work on BallBot looks set to continue for many months to come, but this summer the school tennis players could well find a newcomer running around during matches. When BallBot is perfected, it may well be adapted for many other purposes. Could it be a wrestling robot, or a robotic orchestra? Either way, there will be strange goings on in Biology Prep Room 4 for a long time to come... Dominic Ford/Alex Kearney
00000000 54 68 65 20 74 61 73 6b 20 70 65 72 66 6f 72 6d |The task perform| 00000010 65 64 20 62 79 20 61 20 62 61 6c 6c 20 62 6f 79 |ed by a ball boy| 00000020 20 69 6e 20 61 20 74 65 6e 6e 69 73 20 6d 61 74 | in a tennis mat| 00000030 63 68 20 73 65 65 6d 73 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 65 20 |ch seems simple | 00000040 65 6e 6f 75 67 68 3a 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 20 63 |enough: simply c| 00000050 6f 6c 6c 65 63 74 20 61 6e 79 20 62 61 6c 6c 73 |ollect any balls| 00000060 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 75 72 74 20 | from the court | 00000070 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 65 6e 64 20 6f 66 20 65 61 |at the end of ea| 00000080 63 68 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 2e 20 42 75 74 20 74 72 |ch point. But tr| 00000090 79 20 62 72 65 61 6b 69 6e 67 20 74 68 69 73 20 |y breaking this | 000000a0 74 61 73 6b 20 64 6f 77 6e 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 73 |task down into s| 000000b0 69 6d 70 6c 65 20 73 74 65 70 73 20 77 68 69 63 |imple steps whic| 000000c0 68 20 61 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 63 61 6e |h a computer can| 000000d0 20 69 6e 74 65 72 70 72 65 74 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 | interpret, and | 000000e0 74 68 65 20 74 61 73 6b 20 73 75 64 64 65 6e 6c |the task suddenl| 000000f0 79 20 62 65 63 6f 6d 65 73 20 69 6e 63 72 65 64 |y becomes incred| 00000100 69 62 6c 79 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 65 78 2e 20 54 68 |ibly complex. Th| 00000110 69 73 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 61 69 6d 20 6f 66 |is is the aim of| 00000120 20 74 68 65 20 42 61 6c 6c 42 6f 74 20 70 72 6f | the BallBot pro| 00000130 6a 65 63 74 2c 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 6c 79 20 |ject, currently | 00000140 62 65 69 6e 67 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 65 64 20 |being developed | 00000150 62 79 20 73 74 75 64 65 6e 74 73 20 61 74 20 74 |by students at t| 00000160 68 65 20 73 63 68 6f 6f 6c 2e 20 54 68 65 20 70 |he school. The p| 00000170 72 6f 6a 65 63 74 20 77 61 73 20 67 69 76 65 6e |roject was given| 00000180 20 61 20 68 75 67 65 20 62 6f 6f 73 74 20 6c 61 | a huge boost la| 00000190 73 74 20 41 75 74 75 6d 6e 20 77 68 65 6e 20 50 |st Autumn when P| 000001a0 68 69 6c 69 70 73 20 6b 69 6e 64 6c 79 20 6f 66 |hilips kindly of| 000001b0 66 65 72 65 64 20 74 6f 20 73 70 6f 6e 73 6f 72 |fered to sponsor| 000001c0 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 6a 65 63 74 2c 20 61 6e | the project, an| 000001d0 64 20 70 61 79 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 |d pay for the ma| 000001e0 74 65 72 69 61 6c 73 20 72 65 71 75 69 72 65 64 |terials required| 000001f0 2e 0a 4d 72 2e 20 52 69 63 68 61 72 64 73 2c 20 |..Mr. Richards, | 00000200 77 68 6f 20 68 61 73 20 74 61 6b 65 6e 20 63 68 |who has taken ch| 00000210 61 72 67 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 6a |arge of the proj| 00000220 65 63 74 2c 20 73 61 69 64 3a 20 22 57 65 20 61 |ect, said: "We a| 00000230 72 65 20 67 72 61 74 65 66 75 6c 20 74 6f 20 50 |re grateful to P| 00000240 68 69 6c 69 70 73 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 69 72 |hilips for their| 00000250 20 73 70 6f 6e 73 6f 72 73 68 69 70 20 6f 66 20 | sponsorship of | 00000260 74 68 69 73 20 65 78 63 69 74 69 6e 67 20 76 65 |this exciting ve| 00000270 6e 74 75 72 65 2c 20 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 74 |nture, without t| 00000280 68 65 69 72 20 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 20 77 65 20 |heir support we | 00000290 63 6f 75 6c 64 20 6e 6f 74 20 68 61 76 65 20 67 |could not have g| 000002a0 6f 74 20 74 68 65 20 76 65 6e 74 75 72 65 20 6f |ot the venture o| 000002b0 66 20 74 68 65 20 67 72 6f 75 6e 64 2e 22 0a 54 |f the ground.".T| 000002c0 68 65 20 69 64 65 61 20 77 61 73 20 6f 72 69 67 |he idea was orig| 000002d0 69 6e 61 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 4d 72 2e 20 54 68 |inated by Mr. Th| 000002e0 6f 6d 61 73 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 6e |omas when the in| 000002f0 73 70 69 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 73 74 72 75 63 6b |spiration struck| 00000300 20 68 69 6d 20 64 75 72 69 6e 67 20 61 20 74 65 | him during a te| 00000310 6e 6e 69 73 20 6d 61 74 63 68 3a 20 22 49 20 74 |nnis match: "I t| 00000320 68 6f 75 67 68 74 20 68 6f 77 20 77 6f 6e 64 65 |hought how wonde| 00000330 72 66 75 6c 20 69 74 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 |rful it would be| 00000340 20 74 6f 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 20 6d 61 63 68 69 | to have a machi| 00000350 6e 65 20 63 6f 6c 6c 65 63 74 69 6e 67 20 61 6e |ne collecting an| 00000360 64 20 64 65 6c 69 76 65 72 69 6e 67 20 74 65 6e |d delivering ten| 00000370 6e 69 73 20 62 61 6c 6c 73 2e 20 49 74 20 6a 75 |nis balls. It ju| 00000380 73 74 20 73 65 65 6d 65 64 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 61 |st seemed like a| 00000390 6e 20 6f 62 76 69 6f 75 73 20 6a 6f 62 20 66 6f |n obvious job fo| 000003a0 72 20 61 20 72 6f 62 6f 74 2e 22 0a 54 68 65 20 |r a robot.".The | 000003b0 70 72 6f 6a 65 63 74 20 68 61 73 20 6e 6f 77 20 |project has now | 000003c0 62 65 65 6e 20 74 61 6b 65 6e 20 6f 6e 20 62 6f |been taken on bo| 000003d0 61 72 64 20 62 79 20 73 69 78 74 68 20 66 6f 72 |ard by sixth for| 000003e0 6d 20 70 75 70 69 6c 20 44 6f 6d 69 6e 69 63 20 |m pupil Dominic | 000003f0 46 6f 72 64 2c 20 77 68 6f 2c 20 64 75 72 69 6e |Ford, who, durin| 00000400 67 20 68 69 73 20 73 70 61 72 65 20 74 69 6d 65 |g his spare time| 00000410 2c 20 68 61 73 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 65 64 20 |, has developed | 00000420 61 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 73 69 6d 75 6c |a computer simul| 00000430 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f |ation of the pro| 00000440 6a 65 63 74 20 61 6e 64 20 68 61 73 20 6e 6f 77 |ject and has now| 00000450 20 66 6f 72 6d 65 64 20 61 20 74 65 61 6d 20 6f | formed a team o| 00000460 66 20 74 65 6e 20 73 74 75 64 65 6e 74 73 20 74 |f ten students t| 00000470 6f 20 68 65 6c 70 20 68 69 6d 20 62 72 69 6e 67 |o help him bring| 00000480 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 6a 65 63 74 20 74 6f 20 | the project to | 00000490 66 72 75 69 74 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 44 6f 6d 69 |fruitation..Domi| 000004a0 6e 69 63 20 69 73 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 69 6e |nic is developin| 000004b0 67 20 61 6e 20 75 6c 74 72 61 73 6f 6e 69 63 20 |g an ultrasonic | 000004c0 73 6f 6e 61 72 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 73 69 6d |sonar system sim| 000004d0 69 6c 61 72 20 74 6f 20 74 68 61 74 20 75 73 65 |ilar to that use| 000004e0 64 20 62 79 20 62 61 74 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 |d by bats which | 000004f0 74 68 65 20 72 6f 62 6f 74 69 63 20 62 61 6c 6c |the robotic ball| 00000500 20 62 6f 79 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 75 73 65 20 74 6f | boy will use to| 00000510 20 6e 61 76 69 67 61 74 65 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 | navigate around| 00000520 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 75 72 74 2e 20 54 68 65 20 | the court. The | 00000530 64 61 74 61 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 |data from this w| 00000540 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 65 64 |ill be processed| 00000550 20 61 6e 64 20 66 65 64 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 61 6e | and fed into an| 00000560 20 61 72 74 69 66 69 63 69 61 6c 20 69 6e 74 65 | artificial inte| 00000570 6c 6c 69 67 65 6e 63 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 |lligence system | 00000580 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 61 6e 20 6f 6e |running on an on| 00000590 62 6f 61 72 64 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 77 |board computer w| 000005a0 68 69 63 68 20 74 68 65 6e 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f |hich then contro| 000005b0 6c 73 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 74 6f 72 73 2e 20 54 |ls the motors. T| 000005c0 68 65 20 74 65 61 6d 20 69 73 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 |he team is also | 000005d0 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 20 6f |in the process o| 000005e0 66 20 70 61 74 65 6e 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 69 |f patenting thei| 000005f0 72 20 69 6e 76 65 6e 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 57 6f 72 |r invention..Wor| 00000600 6b 20 6f 6e 20 42 61 6c 6c 42 6f 74 20 6c 6f 6f |k on BallBot loo| 00000610 6b 73 20 73 65 74 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6e 74 69 6e |ks set to contin| 00000620 75 65 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 6d 6f 6e 74 |ue for many mont| 00000630 68 73 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6d 65 2c 20 62 75 74 20 |hs to come, but | 00000640 74 68 69 73 20 73 75 6d 6d 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 |this summer the | 00000650 73 63 68 6f 6f 6c 20 74 65 6e 6e 69 73 20 70 6c |school tennis pl| 00000660 61 79 65 72 73 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 20 77 65 6c 6c |ayers could well| 00000670 20 66 69 6e 64 20 61 20 6e 65 77 63 6f 6d 65 72 | find a newcomer| 00000680 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 | running around | 00000690 64 75 72 69 6e 67 20 6d 61 74 63 68 65 73 2e 20 |during matches. | 000006a0 57 68 65 6e 20 42 61 6c 6c 42 6f 74 20 69 73 20 |When BallBot is | 000006b0 70 65 72 66 65 63 74 65 64 2c 20 69 74 20 6d 61 |perfected, it ma| 000006c0 79 20 77 65 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 61 64 61 70 74 65 |y well be adapte| 000006d0 64 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 6f 74 68 65 72 |d for many other| 000006e0 20 70 75 72 70 6f 73 65 73 2e 20 43 6f 75 6c 64 | purposes. Could| 000006f0 20 69 74 20 62 65 20 61 20 77 72 65 73 74 6c 69 | it be a wrestli| 00000700 6e 67 20 72 6f 62 6f 74 2c 20 6f 72 20 61 20 72 |ng robot, or a r| 00000710 6f 62 6f 74 69 63 20 6f 72 63 68 65 73 74 72 61 |obotic orchestra| 00000720 3f 20 45 69 74 68 65 72 20 77 61 79 2c 20 74 68 |? Either way, th| 00000730 65 72 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 73 74 72 61 |ere will be stra| 00000740 6e 67 65 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 73 20 6f 6e 20 69 6e |nge goings on in| 00000750 20 42 69 6f 6c 6f 67 79 20 50 72 65 70 20 52 6f | Biology Prep Ro| 00000760 6f 6d 20 34 20 66 6f 72 20 61 20 6c 6f 6e 67 20 |om 4 for a long | 00000770 74 69 6d 65 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6d 65 2e 2e 2e 0a |time to come....| 00000780 44 6f 6d 69 6e 69 63 20 46 6f 72 64 2f 41 6c 65 |Dominic Ford/Ale| 00000790 78 20 4b 65 61 72 6e 65 79 |x Kearney| 00000799
.