Brain Stem Upgraded

11-20-2010, 10:50 PM  Photo: the Lab's first development image of a multi processor robotic brain stem made from Parallax components (the prototype is seen resting on the green cutting board). This is a hybrid brain stem processor programmed in two languages. The module is currently a hand held unit. When connected to the Giant Brain, it will pass motion mobility commands to the robot and ensure compatibility with additional components.

The Hybrid Brain Processor HBP runs on batteries or AC power supply. It has hybridic phase from half duplex to full duplex. The first model communicates high speed serial. Work is continuing on this project. The Lab's first Robotic Brain Stem is created from Parallax processors and designed to communicate motion mobility commands to a Giant Brain. The HBP Hybrid Brain Processor is programmed in two languages.

Hybrid Brain Processor

11-20-2010, 10:18 PM  HYBRID BRAIN PROCESSOR  The first Hybrid Brain Processor is now working. I'm taking some photos of it and tomorrow will work more on the hybrid software. Currently it uses two languages. This HBP is essentially the first successful prototype brain stem.

Brain Stem Under Construction

11-19-2010, 10:15 AM  BRAIN STEM ALMOST COMPLETE The big brain should also have a compatible Brain Stem. The Brain Stem should route specific information via the nerve center to the mobility center. A working Brain Stem Module BSM is in the works and almost completed. It include a quasi-duplex interface including half and full depending on location and direction. All information to and from the robot will pass through the BSM. The project is going very well.

Interactive Atlas of the Brain Stem - Swenson

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rswenson/A...tem/index.html

Interface

11-19-2010, 10:06 AM  INTERFACE The next idea in the massive brain is the interface. This is open source and allows the connection of hybrid processors. Hybrid processors establish compatibility from module to module. So a big brain can be filled with interconnected hybrid processors. An example of this is currently designed and in the building process.

Recycle

10-29-2010, 10:55 AM  RECYCLE YOUR CHIPS

 You can recycle your Propeller chip projects from one to the next, exploiting green Earth technology in the process. This is an example list of starting small and increasing to progressively larger machines. However, as these machines become larger, it takes longer times to recycle and rebuild. (I'm still working on the Progression Machine, beyond the 40-Prop Barrier.) See the examples below.

List of Recycled Propeller Green Machines
This is simply to show that by recycling, it's possible to more economically build projects with increasingly larger numbers of prop chips. Not only are parts recycled, but technology too.
 
01) PEK 1
02) MC Computer
03) LED Machine
04) 2-Proper 2 props, 1 PEK, 1 on same breadboard, 2-Prop-Experiment
05) Spark 2 2 props, 1 Proto Board & 1 in parallel
06) PiggyTwins 2 props, 1 piggybacked on another
07) Dueling Breadboards 2 props, one on ea., f/interface tests
08) Spark 4 Tiny Tim, 4 props, two proto boards w/2 props on ea
09) Spark 5 5 props stacked Proto Boards
10) Spark 6 6 props 3 proto boards 2 props on each
11) Spark 8 Tertiary ADJUNCT, 8 props 4 proto boards 2 props on each
12) Propalot 10 props on solderless breadboard
13) Spark 10 10 props, 5 proto boards w/10 props total
14) TTB Test Bed of Ten 10 props single board
15) Twelvenator Board of Twelve, 12 props green board
16) UltraSpark 15 15 props, interrupted stack Proto Boards
17) Tertiary 20 20 props, 15 proto boards stacked 5 props
18) UltraSpark 20 20 props stacked
19) Boe-Bot Brain Project 20 props as Brain on Boe-Bot
20) MLEPS Super Language Machine 25 props
21) UltraSpark40 Supermicrocontroller 40 props 320 cores, 6,400/8,320 MIPS
22) Smartest Boe0Bot Brain Temp Experiment40 props, US40, 1 BOE, 321C 

*This is a partial list of Propeller projects that were built leading up to the UltraSpark40 Machine. Some projects have lots of documentation and others not because of rapid development time. Photos were take of most projects in their unique configurations. There may be gaps in the Spark and UltraSpark series because some of indice were test beds existing a fleeting time for testing purposes.

Second Brain

10-21-2010, 10:16 AM  SECOND BRAIN The 2nd brain could be housed inside the 1st. Though I expect the ability to connect and disconnect brains on the outside would be a useful feature in times of service, debugging or expanding with more brains. Maybe if brains are made inexpensively, they could be discarded and recycled. With multiple brains come dedicated brains. Brains could be located anywhere inside the robot. How about off-the-shelf brains. Companies could compete to see who can make the best brain.

Multi Brain Concept

10-21-2010, 10:12 AM  MULTI BRAIN CONCEPT Today I'm working on a new robot brain concept. The overall brain concept up to this point is macro in nature. However, why not induce more than one brain? More than one brain, or a multi-brain could be more useful. Humans have duplicate hands, feet, legs, ears, arms, cheeks, and eyes. Why did evolution stop there? Why don't we have a duplicate brain. It could help Alzheimer's or other brain challenged patients and certainly help solving problems with double brain power.

Smaller Brain

10-15-2010, 06:51 AM  SMALLER BRAIN Actually a smaller brain is possible, modeled after the bigger brain. This can fit the budget and resources of the hobbyist. But the question remains about filling it. I think we want a robot brain that can go above and beyond the basics. The basics include vision, obstacle avoidance, beeping, moving in some patterns, determining location and orientation, sumo, maze solving, wandering, not falling off a ledge, ranging, mapping, accepting input from sensors, recharge batteries when necessary, and other fundamental age proven activities. Therefore the purpose of a brain beyond the basics would include thinking, reasoning, and the ability to resolve problems and accept new challenges.

Algorithm Machine

10-14-2010, 01:14 PM  AM ALGORITHM MACHINE One important aspect of a brain is the ability to move information and thoughts. It takes much more than an artificial neuron and a synapse. Not much can be accomplished without the techniques and algorithms to transport and understand information and thought. So I put together the AM Algorithm Machine for developing algorithms leading to this project of filling a brain. The AM is rather small so the WIDE BUS was introduced. The brain is a really big project requiring a lot of resources. Obviously we will deal with some kind of machine approximation.

Work Begins

09-17-2010, 01:05 PM  WORK BEGINS Work has begun on the actual big brain. (wood, chewing gum, paper clips, cardboard, liquid solder and white elmers glue) As I said before, get your brain work submitted soon - so your name can be included with the roster on the upper inverted neural underside rotated etching of the frontal upper occipital lobe. It now seems we have a way of thinking with the big brain that is faster than the original specs of the Propeller chip. Internal pure thought should be the fastest, above any I/O. The prop chip now has faster internals methodology and faster I/O's. This is just the beginning.