Contact: Bob Ratliff
Years ago, a telephone company advertisement invited callers to "reach out and touch someone." Today, a Mississippi State University engineering student is using a personal computer to put a 21st century twist on that slogan.
Gary N. Dion of Huntsville, Ala., has designed "My Toy Robot," an Internet website where visitors can maneuver a remote-controlled robot around a terrain littered with aluminum soda cans. Cameras provide bird's- and robot-eyed views of the set-up.
The popular site recently earned recognition as "Cool Robot of the Week" by NASA's Space Telerobotics Program. The address, http://superbeta.ece.msstate.edu/telerobot.html, has recorded more than 8,000 visits since being established 10 months ago.
The NASA honor recognizes robotics-related web sites "that portray highly innovative solutions to robotics problems, describe unique approaches to implementing robotics systems or provide exciting ways to present robotics-related information or promote robotics technology."
In the beginning, site visitors could only move the robot around a board and push pieces of foam.
"When that didn't seem to hold people's attention, I added cans that could be tipped over and rolled around," Dion said. "Visitors started staying longer."
A 1997 MSU electrical engineering graduate now pursuing a master's in computer engineering, Dion said his project generates worldwide e-mail, including comments from almost every European nation. "It seems to be especially popular in the Netherlands," he added.
Dion said he knows of less than a dozen other Internet sites with interactive robots. Cost is not a major factor in this dearth, however.
"If you already have the computer, the camera and materials to build a robot can be bought for less than $200," he said.
Some Internet-accessible robots are more elaborate than Dion's, including several equipped with arms that allow visitors to pick up and stack blocks. Yet, while all now are toys, he sees that changing in the future.
"As the technology develops, it will be possible to use robots connected to the Internet for real-world applications," Dion observed. "They could be used to move merchandise in warehouses, to take care of crops or even for use in the medical field."
He is making plans to be a pioneer in new uses for remote controlled robots. He already corresponds regularly via e-mail with individuals around the world who share his enthusiasm for the technology.
"One of the things I would like to do is have two robots so that two people on opposite sides of the world could log into the site and use them to complete a task by working together," Dion said.