WiFi two way tutorial?

Assuming you use Linux, virtually any system with wireless internet access
can do it out of the box.

There is an mpeg encoder (ffmpeg) that comes ith a server, thus you have
streaming video. Most all Linux distributions come with Apache web server.
Just make CGI scripts that control the robot.

See, easy.

Thought not laptop-based (that just makes it easier to do, actually), go
here for a demonstration and backgrounder:

http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/

and maybe subscribe to the mailing list he manages. The author of the
page (Michael Owings) hangs out here as well.

-- Gordon

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 09:55:38 -0600, "Rudolph"


The below newsgroup has a lot of wifi info. I assume you want the
laptop to be the control interface and the mini-itx board will be
in the robot. If you run something like win98 on the miniboard
with the apache webserver, then web control and video would be
pretty easy. The communication between the laptop and the mini
board could be one to one in the adhoc mode, or you could use a
wireless router in between for more flexability. The bottom link
shows an example of simple web video and web control of servos.

alt.internet.wireless
http://www.geocities.com/zoomkat/ezservo1.htm

As long as you have a Mini-ITX board (hopefully running Linux), you
can run Tomcat for a web interface.

You can use a basic web cam (I'm using a Logitech Orbit) with the
new pwc driver. Hint: do not try running a webcam through a USB
hub -- connect it to one of the motherboard's ports instead.

As a base I'm using a Zagros Robotics 16" diameter base with
a 12V 12 amp-hour battery for the motors and two 12 V 7 amp-
hour batteries in series for the electronics (run the 24 V through
a DC-DC converter to get 12 V). I get a 4-5 hour run time
with these batteries.

My motherboard is a Pentium M board so it uses more power
than the VIA Mini-ITX boards.
--
D. Jay Newman

Thanks to all who have replied, this is a lot better info than what I was
getting with the search.

      Now off to study!

I'm working on the same thing right now as the first phase of a goal i
have in mind.  I went the expensive route and I have a powerbook
sitting on a VEX Robotic Set www.vexrobotics.com.   I had troubles with
web cams but finally got one that works with a Mac.  Currently I'm
using a helpful, but mac only tool called evocam
http://www.evological.com/evocam.html  to broadcast streaming video with
its own server.  I'm now looking into sending commands to the laptop
over the web page.  A friend told me it can be done in Java Script so I
start learning java script tomorow!  Also I have to make or wait to get
a a VEX programming module to interface between the laptop and the PIC
microcontroller box it comes with.  If anyone has the java-script code
or a better alternative for sending realtime commands through the
internet please post a message.  I'm not too excited about learning
java script.

Also, the powerbook is also for personal use, not just the robot.