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Hi,

I thought someone here might be able to help me with this. I teach hands on science in a summer program, and I have started working on it. It's time consuming but fun, fun, fun.
Anyway I am going to do a Mar's Explorer "camp" program. I plan to do things like the egg drop, various mapping activities, hydroponics, a simulated Mar's mission (this was great fun last year), etc.

Quite a number of years ago I saw an activity for kids where they tried to show them the problems of communicating from the Earth to Mars using a RV car, a simulated landscape. The thing that was quite neat was there was a short time delay on the car. It made doing this frustrating and very interesting.

I have no idea how to do such a thing. I found a site where someone had rigged a video camera to a RV car. It sounds neat but the video equipment might not be available.

Basically what i was thinking of was something a bit simpler (if it could be done) and that is taking a regular RV car from Radio Schlock (perhaps with a bit of a Martian redesign :-)) and put some kind of switch in it that would give it a time delay-- if this is doable.

I'm not very good at it but I can work a soldering iron and so on.

If you have any ideas you can respond here, or PM.

--des

Riggable cameras are available at any warehouse store for ~$100.

The easiest way I can think of to simulate a time delay is to computerize the commands to go out on a delay. Not sure about rigging that to a remote, though.

Another way would be to force the delay by sending it through enough wire that it'd take a noticeable time to take effect. You'd have to periodically boost the current to makeup resistance losses.

Riggable cameras are available at any warehouse store for ~$100.

The easiest way I can think of to simulate a time delay is to computerize the commands to go out on a delay. Not sure about rigging that to a remote, though.

Another way would be to force the delay by sending it through enough wire that it'd take a noticeable time to take effect. You'd have to periodically boost the current to makeup resistance losses.

What do you mean "riggable"??
I think the problem I can see with the camera idea is that you have some kind of video system. You need a video monitor and so forth. The school has VCR/DVD but there system is kind of new. The idea I saw was from a page "lowend Mac"--- sounds kind of old tech to me. I do have an old Mac though.
Here's the page here: http://lowendmac.com/lab/01/0607.html

I don't know re: the remote control. There is Mind storms or something. I was trying to stay away from that. My impression has not been that it would be sturdy enough for what I am proposing. I have a set of this. The remote linkup is kind of weak.

So if you use a LOT of wire you would get a delay. That makes sense. Just how much are we talking about. I have done alternate switches (for severely handicapped kids).


Thanks,

--des

The remote cam is just a camera wirelessly linked to a moniter. These are available as "security camera" or CCTV kits at stores. The Mindstorms one is just a regular webcam.

The remote thing just needs to be minimally programmed for a delay.

The wire thing doesn't look as promising as I thought. It'd be doable if electricity traveled at speed of sound as I thought. Instead, it looks like it travels at the speed of light.

You may have some trouble hooking up 90,000,000 feet of wire.;)

The remote cam is just a camera wirelessly linked to a moniter. These are available as "security camera" or CCTV kits at stores. The Mindstorms one is just a regular webcam.

The remote thing just needs to be minimally programmed for a delay.

The wire thing doesn't look as promising as I thought. It'd be doable if electricity traveled at speed of sound as I thought. Instead, it looks like it travels at the speed of light.

You may have some trouble hooking up 90,000,000 feet of wire.;)

The remote cam might be a little expensive for one activity. I might have a little trouble finding 90,000,000 feet of wire!! LOL! I guess I am back to square one on this.
Oh well. I'll go find a robotics forum for this. I'm sure they won't do much for my gas mileage.
:)

--des

What do you mean "riggable"??
I think the problem I can see with the camera idea is that you have some kind of video system. You need a video monitor and so forth. The school has VCR/DVD but there system is kind of new. The idea I saw was from a page "lowend Mac"--- sounds kind of old tech to me. I do have an old Mac though.
Here's the page here: http://lowendmac.com/lab/01/0607.html

I don't know re: the remote control. There is Mind storms or something. I was trying to stay away from that. My impression has not been that it would be sturdy enough for what I am proposing. I have a set of this. The remote linkup is kind of weak.

So if you use a LOT of wire you would get a delay. That makes sense. Just how much are we talking about. I have done alternate switches (for severely handicapped kids).


Thanks,

--des

It sounds do-able, depending on the availability of software for your equipment it might be just as easy to delay the video feedback as it would the R/C signals.

Re: Mindstorms

If there is a FIRST Lego League team ( for middle school robotics competition) near you, they might be able to give you some help. My son helped mentor a team this year--the organization is full of good people and this year's theme "Power Puzzle--Energy Resources, Meeting the Global Demand" http://www.firstlegoleague.org/ might help give you some good ideas for activities for your kids.