Channel 9 - Discussions by PaulR

The Sandbox - View contents of DssDeploy packages created with Microsoft Robotics Studio

PaulR — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:25:49 GMT

Thanks Trevor, I'll look into it

The Sandbox - View contents of DssDeploy packages created with Microsoft Robotics Studio

PaulR — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 02:57:54 GMT

This little program allows you to inspect the contents of a DssDeploy self extractor created with the DssDeploy tool shipped as part of Microsoft Robotics Studio.

Information about DssDeploy can be found here
Information about Microsoft Robotics Studio can be found here

The Sandbox - Mastermind in Microsoft Visual Programming Language

PaulR — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:26:29 GMT

This diagram demonstrates a functioning Mastermind player written entirely in Miscrosoft Visual Programming Language.

The user picks three colors, each of which must be from the set Red, Green and Blue, the diagram then attempts to guess which combination the user has picked.

Prerequisites:
These need to be installed in this order

Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5)
Introductory Courseware for Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5) CTP Sep 2007

All of these can be found at the Microsoft Robtics Studio download page - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/robotics/aa731520.aspx

The Sandbox - Robot Sumo in Microsoft Visual Programming Language

PaulR — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:12:56 GMT

These three diagrams demonstrate a functioning Sumo player written entirely in Miscrosoft Visual Programming Language.

VplSumoOne
The first diagram demonstrates a simple player that just uses the bump sensors and cliff sensors on the simulated iRobot Create to detect the opponent (using the bump sensors) and the edge of the ring (using the cliff sensors)

VplSumoTwo
The second diagram demonstrates a more complete player that uses the camera on the robot to try and find the opponent (rather than wandering around the arena until bumping into something). Because of a known issue in the way that the services start, this diagram will not run directly from VPL, but needs to be compiled as a service (Menu Item Build -> Compile As Service) and then that compiled service needs to be run (Menu Item Run -> Run Compiled Services)

VplSumoThree
This diagram removes all sumo playing logic from the diagram and allows you to drive the robot from a game controller or and on screen joystick widget.

Prerequisites:
These need to be installed in this order

Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5)
Sumo Competition for Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5)
Introductory Courseware for Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5) CTP Sep 2007

All of these can be found at the Microsoft Robtics Studio download page - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/robotics/aa731520.aspx

The Sandbox - Microsoft Visual Programming Language Sample - Explorer

PaulR — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:20:17 GMT

There isn't currently a C# equivalent and, as you point out, the Explorer service relies on messages that the simulated differential drive doesn't implement.

Writing an equivalent service in C# would be a good exercise. If you leave the XInputController part out, Then the service just needs to partner with a generic differential drive and the SickLRF and subscribe to the SickLRF. The processing that VplExplorer does on the laser data is very simple, merely dividing the laser data into three fields and finding the lowest point in each field, something that is much easier in C# than in MVPL

Service Tutorials 4 and 5 cover subscribing to a service.

Setting the manifests up correctly to run in the simulation will take some work, but you can use existing manifests (for example the one that ships with vplexplorer) and edit them to add your own service.

The Sandbox - Microsoft Visual Programming Language Sample - Explorer

PaulR — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 01:28:44 GMT

This is a Vpl Diagram with similar (inspired by, not equivalent to!) functionality to that in Robotics Tutorial 5.

A simulated Pioneer 3DX robot wanders in an obstacle strewn environment.

A wired XBox 360 controller can be used to override the wandering behavior by holding the right shoulder button, the left thumbstick is for steering, the triggers control acceleration and braking.