What do Roboteers like?

Robot likes to learn.

OK. What do you need to teach a robot things?

Robot takes over World

Sincerely...

OK. Robot must need parts to effectively take over the world, especilly if there is to be menacing blinking and whirring while it does so. Do you like Radio Shack for the various bits and pieces, or is there a robotics components shop that you like ot order form?

Mostly, Roboteers don't like to be called "Roboteers".

I'm sorry. What is the correct term?

Never mind. Maybe design your Web page so you don't have to worry about it. What do WE know what other people want? Let the users of your site decide that. Think Wiki.

Roboteering is not a traditional man-of-the-house thing. Some of us are dads or granddads, but it's more common for a parent to support a young adult's interest in this hobby than any "spousal sponsorship" thing. I found this aspect of your otherwise well-written Web site a bit lacking. You might want to consider ways to recast the concept so it applies to all relationships, not just Spousal Units. There is certainly a need for a place where gift-buyers can go to learn enough (but not too much) about a subject to purchase a well-meaning goodie, but I'd never think to look at spousalsponsorship.org for roboracketeering.

-- Gordon

Sounds like an interesting project.

Most of us are typical nerds. We like computers, gadgets, tools, etc. But when non-nerds have buy those things for me, they usually buy something inappropriate.

Like other nerds, most of us have no fashion sense. So it is better to buy us a nice shirt, or some other item of clothing, than to try to buy a geek oriented gift. We also like home made chocolate chip cookies. You can't go wrong there.

A gift certificate for Amazon, B&N, Borders, or other bookstore would be a great gift.

I subscribe to Servo, Embedded Systems Design, Dr Dobbs, Circuit Cellar, Science News, Scientific American, and The Economist. I also receive Spectrum and Mechanical Engineering via my membership in IEEE and ASME respectively.

I have never received a book from a non-nerd that I actually read. A gift certificate is much better.

If your spouse talks shop at the dinner table, you should get a divorce.

I agree. The trick is figuring out *where* the gift certificate should be for. For example, marketing hype tells me roboracketeers would shop at Radio Shack. Only people who actually do this can confirm or deny. That's why I'm here. Thank you very much for your list of shops and magazines. It's exactly what I need. Keep it coming!

Gordon: I've noticed the parent-child team aspect to this particular hobby. I'm hoping to find suggestions that help support that. BTW, if you read the recommendations, you'll find that non-spousal fallbacks like gift certificates are always present. It really is for everybody. It's Spousal Sponsorship because this started with non-mechanical me being married to a tractor puller and constantly being asked by other family members what he wants. I figured I wasn't alone. :-)

Anyway, I appreciate the input and would welcome anyplace you want to point me.

Roboticist:

-jso

Ah! Thank you. My apologies for guessing poorly.

One thing that would be awesome would be a pricerunner.com/kelkoo type of site for electrical parts. I know it would be quite difficult but I would find it so usefull

Where *do* you like to shop for electrical parts? I know one guy who loved to dig through the boxes at computer scrapyards looking for (and finding) boxes of components. I know another who would only order from big electrical supply houses. Where do you folks like to get pieces-parts?

generally mail order places. radio shack is only good if you're in a bind and need something immediately (if that something happens to a common resistor, piece of wire, or piece of prototyping board..)

if i'm designing a circuit i generally look at mouser.com and digikey.com, between the both of them I can generally put together a decent order. jameco.com is another good bigger mail order place, though they don't have as much a selection (they're cheaper for wires, prototyping supplies, etc though) if i only need a part or two I'll order it from one of the smaller mail order / internet places (whoever has it w/out a lot of shipping)

so in summary: mail order for selection actual store only when in a bind, and not picky

-Andrew rec> Brendan Gillatt wrote:

Good stuff. Thank you!

I just finished up with the acoustic guitarists, so I'll be starting putting your page together within the next couple of days.

I'd like some more material. What about your work areas? What kind of things do you need there? Tools, tables, computers?

Good list.

When it comes to robot specific sensors, I tend to like

After the computer, the sensors are the next most interesting thing on a robot, with an eye to what can be done with them, of course.

Would anybody here turn down a new Devantec compass or sonar? How about a new bump switch or IRPD? Or an Hbridge with current and voltage sense? A mount for a scanning sonar? A CMUCam? An acclerometer or gyro?

There you will find very short new bits of things roboticists would find intriguing. A loving spouse could educate themselves, and perhaps even flatter, intrigue and likely suprise their mate with mention of a recent news item gleaned there.

First a general comment about your effort. I am a fan of Nathaniel Brandon's views on romantic love. What people want to see is a recognition of themselves in others. There is no mirror of the soul, other than what you can see when others react to you. So we feel endeared by someone seeing us as we wish to be seen, and somewhat as we are anyway, and in the healthy individual those two images will hopefully be the same.

Consequently actions or gifts that reflect a vision of our internal self image are considered most complimentary, and those that show a lack of understanding of who we are inside are considered most insulting.

So while your site is an interesting idea, can you really hope to help someone get past "trite" aquaintence with generalities and arrive at a deep understanding?

That said, the most univerally welcome item I can think of for someone into robotics is rechargeable batteries. I think NiHM AA's are as close to universally appreciated an item as possible, and a rapid charger with batteries would be widely welcomed as a gift. But here is where the trite vs. the deep understanding comes in. Those who have robots with extreme needs will chose Li-Ion or other special chemistry/weights/packs/voltage batteries and chargers, and these can be very expensive. If a spouse were to take the time to learn exactly what batteries the partner uses, and buy him spares or chargers of that exact kind, I think that would be showing an interest beyond the ordinary, and be a reflection of true caring. But missing the mark will have the opposite effect, so caution is advised. Sometimes to do something nice for someone, its the effort that counts, and not just that you thought of them, but you took the time to "know" them and hit the mark, instead of came close.