Happy New Year Everyone!
Along with this exiting New Year, I would like to post some more suggestions as to how we, as a community, and the Phrogram Company, as a company, can broaden the wonderful world that is Phrogram. First, I will introduce you to LEGO and their line of robotics.
LEGO is a very popular, as well as extremely fun, construction toy. Many of you probably own some sets already, or have owned some in the past. The system is based around "bricks" that contain 8 small bumps, or "studs", arranged in a symmetrical pattern ( 2 rows of 4 ) on top. The underside of the brick has spaces into which the studs can be inserted, creating a "self-binding brick". That is a standard brick ( they used to be only standard bricks when they were released, about 50 years ago ), but now they come in thousands of colors, shapes, and sizes. Check out the web site for more info, or find the book "The world of LEGO toys" for a very detailed history. Next, robotics.
The LEGO robotic line is a very good and constructive way to introduce a child or adult to the world of robotics. It is centered around LEGO Technic, a mechanical line of LEGO. The original robotic set was called Technic Cybermaster, featuring a very limited microcomputer that connected to motors and sensors to make a robot, which was then programmed from a computer via radio communication. This advanced to the Robotics Explorer set, which had a better microcomputer. Then, it came to the Robotics Invention System (RIS)1.0, featuring a much more advanced "brain" and programming environment. That set revolutionized the world of home-made robots. It, too, advanced to the RIS 1.5, then the RIS 2.0. I have the RIS 2.0, and it is a very nice robotics set. Try to get it from eBay, because LEGO no longer manufactures it. The most recent set, the NXT("NeXT Generation Robotics", a very silly name, to be sure) is the big thing with LEGO Robotics fans. The microcomputer is a very technologically advanced machine, comparable to an iPod Nano only a lot better 'cuz you can program it.
The Suggestion is: Would id be possible to create a way to port Phrogram to the NXT Computer? If so, Will you(the Phrogram Company) Please make an effort to do so? The current programming environment is based on LABVIEW. Very powerful, but it doesn't have the flexibility provided by text-based programming. I think Phrogram would be excellent for the NXT, but it currently isn't compatible. So, howzabout another challenge?