A robot that escorts you down the hall while projecting the face of the person you’re talking to? Sure, we’ve seen it in Star Wars, but this is no longer an idea off the assembly line of the Galactic Empire in a galaxy far far away.
It’s too bad you can’t grab a beer from the fridge while you’re walking around the house with this thing! So let’s take a look at the nitty gritty details. This nifty little piece of ingenuity is the work of Johnny Chung Lee, a new resident of Mountain View, CA. He put together an iRobot Create (for those of us not familiar it, it’s a mobile robot platform great for students or educators who are lookin’ to tinker’) and a Netbook to create the real-life version of the Darth Sidious Hologram Mecha-Chair image at the top of this post. Lee can now navigate his home from a thousand miles away at the bargain cost of $500 and a few spare hours.
Here’s where you do need John’s creativity and knowhow, though. The software used to run the contraption is custom-made code from Casa de Lee. Written in C#, it can be used in conjunction with Skype and other video conferencing applications … any chance for iChat too? On top of that, the charging mechanism charges both the laptop and the robot at the same time.
If you are interested in building your own robot and are not sure where to begin, have no fear. With a quick glance at the source site below you’ll find two things: a link to John’s website where you can download his custom software for the device that you will build and instructions on how to build it.
Looking for a little more security at home? Check out some DIY Laser Home Security, a Target Tracking Robot and 16 Anti-Theft Gadgets.
This is definitely a nice little do-dad for having around the house if you want to keep in touch in a new, funky way … and heck, lets be honest, it’s a great way to make sure no one unexpected is sneaking around your home!
Via: Hack a Day
