Task 1- Arduino Robot YouTube videos

Here are some YouTube videos:

1. Easy Arduino Robot

   ArduinoFun | July 03, 2009says:  

   "Easy autonomous arduino robot. 

   Can be built in a short amount of time. 

   Great learning project. 

   More Arduino Fun at: http://www.ArduinoFun.com"
 It has a scanning proximity or IR sensor that seems to control the steering, enabling it to avoid obstacles before actually running into them (& having to back away, or whatever).
 Steering & power seem to be by independent motors powering the two rear wheels. 
 I think the single front wheel is just a caster.
 I could use that arrangement; looks nice & simple.
I've just realised that if you gently alternate the advance of the L- & R-hand wheels, you can make the caster sweep to-&-fro, with the scanner mounted on it!
Even better than i first thought..

2. Arduino robot controlled by Neural Network

planmix | December 03, 2009 says: 

"My first attempt in neural networks. I connected 1 adruino mega,
3 servos, 1 analog infrared receiver, 3 contacts and 2 encoders
from an old printer.
I use a genetic algorithm that trains the 5-7-2 neural network (5 inputs,
7 neurons in the hidden layer and 2 in output).
The 5 inputs are the 5 areas that the IR scans using the third servo,
and the 2 outputs are the speed of each wheel servo."


I'm actually quite interested in Neural Networks.  
 planmix has given a fairly complete description.
 I'd like to know more about the NN but i can't read Greek!

 I understand the basics of NNs: planmix has 5 inputs 
from a scanning IR sensor & some contact sensors 
(watch it backing into the walls), 
generates its own NN algorithms, 
evidently has a selection-of-the-best process,
& outputs speeds (+fwd/rev) to its 2 wheels.
Its behaviour looks bizarre, even idiotic, at first,
but it does learn!
The video's been speeded up AFAICS, but go to the 6th minute to see its "trained" actions.
 The point about the NN is, it hasn't a blue's clue what it's doing at first; every time a contact sensor sends an input, the NN being currently tested gets a message to 'avoid'.
Watch for the blue LED on top - when it flashes, testing of a new NN variation has begun.

I'd really like to know more about this, especially the mutation/genetic-mixing process, because that's what generates the New Improved versions of the algorithm.
Must have another look @ "Blondie 24" - a checkers-playing NN that 'learned' its way up to Expert rank.  Its makers gave it a fictitious online ID (a 24-year-old California blonde student), & set it playing against online opponents.  Great stuff!

3. Simple Arduino Robot

BatistLeman | April 25, 2008 says:

http://www.coded.be

"This device just goes forward, turns and so on. (in a loop)"

This is dead simple!  I like it.

BatistLeman has mounted  a breadboard on a wooden base, 

 which has the wheels mounted underneath, & the rest is all done on the breadboard.

 It's another tricycle, but it's movements are controlled by a PS2 mouse!  Not as sophisticated as the NN-controlled tricycle above.

4. Arduino Robot

retardokiddo | August 28, 2009 says: 

"Biped robot using arduino, r/c micro servos and icecream sticks
Visit http://retardokiddo.blogspot.com/ for details and view/leave comments!
Also on : http://www.instructables.com/member/c..."
This is a bit of hoot, but it's too complicated for me.
 Building something like this takes more dedication than i can muster, but if you're doing it for fun, just to see if you can make it work, then the motivation'd be there, for sure!

5. My First Arduino Robot

themattmitch | December 08, 2008 says: 

"this is a short vid of my first arduino robot."

Seems to be another tricycle-movement, scanning-proximity-sensor machine, but the video's too short to learn anything about how it works..
One thing i DO like: it seems to have been built into one of those plastic snap-lock boxes.  I'd definitely try that!