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RoR makes an excellent framework for off-the-beaten-path type of projects, like hacking Roombas and other robots. In this presentation, I'll demonstrate how our soon to be robot overlords will be happy when we gift them with RoR and a connection to the internet. The presentation will include working examples and demonstrations of: communicating with an Arduino chip via Ruby tethered serial and wireless bluetooth control of a Roomba via Ruby and Arduino two-way communication with our robot friends over the web using Ruby on Rails and popular web services useful applications of robots controlled over the web 3 RoRoR pitfalls to watch-out for live performance of "Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton* The presentation will close with an argument for why hacking on fun, often eccentric, projects in your spare time is essential for staying motivated, habitual improvement, and tangential learning -- i.e., being a real pragmatic programmer. *not included, perhaps
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In this presentation titled 'RoRoRoomba - Ruby on Rails on Roomba,' Charles Abbott discusses the integration of Ruby on Rails with Roomba robotic vacuums. The talk highlights how RoR can facilitate innovative projects that involve repurposing robots, such as Roombas, to create unique web-controlled applications. Key points include: - **Introduction and Acknowledgements**: Abbott begins by expressing gratitude to iRobot for providing Roombas for the demonstrations and to Cookpad for supporting his participation at RailsConf 2012. - **Personal Journey**: He shares his background and initial ignorance regarding physical computing and robotics, emphasizing the importance of overcoming barriers to discovery as essential to learning and innovation. - **Hacking Roombas**: Abbott explains his journey in hacking a Roomba, which started with understanding its API and getting the hardware components to work together, including connecting an Arduino microcontroller to the Roomba. - **Technical Details**: He goes into specifics about wiring, the need for various serial connections, and the importance of understanding Arduino sketches to control the Roomba. - **Control Mechanisms**: Various control methods are discussed, including using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters for wireless communication. Abbott illustrates how to abstract complex commands into simpler movements for the Roomba. - **Rails Integration**: He demonstrates how to interact with the Roomba using a Rails application, detailing how to maintain TCP connections and handle concurrent requests efficiently. He addresses potential pitfalls and latency issues encountered when sending commands to the Roomba. - **Interactive Demos**: Throughout the presentation, live coding demos showcase the control of the Roomba, including movement commands and sensor data collection. - **Conclusion**: Abbott concludes with the philosophy that engaging with such projects not only enhances programming skills but also fosters an environment for creativity and self-improvement. He emphasizes that knowledge in physical computing is crucial for today’s increasingly interconnected world, urging the audience to explore these opportunities as a means to innovate and learn.
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