WonderBorg
Encyclopedia
The is a programmable consumer robot kit
first released for the Bandai
WonderSwan
and Microsoft Windows
PC
s in 2000. It is intended to match both the external appearance and mode of transport of a beetle
, with functioning antenna
e and a six-legged design.
from 2001.
The WonderBorg was designed with education in mind, with a view to use in classrooms. To this end, an associated game, dubbed simply "JST Robot Game", was developed, in which students are required to clear an obstacle course by programming the robot
to navigate a given maze correctly.
.
The WonderBorg itself requires assembly, and can be customised somewhat, with possible configurations involving differently sized gears favouring torque
or speed, and wheels to replace the robot's usual six-legged design. Decal
sticker
s were also included, to allow superficial decoration. Once assembled, the WonderBorg is powered by three AAA batteries
and reacts to its environment using seven sensors:
Using its two independent motors (left and right), the WonderBorg is able to move forward, reverse, turn while moving forward or backward, and rotate in place.
, the WonderBorg program is written using a graphical user interface
, in which instructions for the robot are laid out in a grid. On one side of the grid the WonderBorg's various sensors can be laid out, with those higher on the grid taking priority. The robot is then given instructions on how to react to each trigger. The WonderSwan version additionally included a "pet" program, in which the WonderBorg would behave similarly to Bandai's prior Tamagotchi
, a mode omitted from the PC version.
Robot kit
A robot kit is a special construction kit for building robots, especially autonomous mobile robots.Toy robot kits are also supplied by several companies...
first released for the Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s in 2000. It is intended to match both the external appearance and mode of transport of a beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
, with functioning antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
e and a six-legged design.
History
The prototype for what would eventually become the WonderBorg was produced in cooperation between the Japan Science and Technology Agency and toy manufacturer Bandai. Initially, the WonderBorg was available only as an accessory for the WonderSwan, with a version for Windows PCs released later. Outside Asia, the PC-compatible WonderSwan was licensed and marketed by Tiger ElectronicsTiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
from 2001.
The WonderBorg was designed with education in mind, with a view to use in classrooms. To this end, an associated game, dubbed simply "JST Robot Game", was developed, in which students are required to clear an obstacle course by programming the robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
to navigate a given maze correctly.
Hardware
The WonderBorg was available in two retail configurations, with compatible tools for WonderSwan and PC, respectively. The WonderSwan version included a special cartridge with the software necessary to program the WonderBorg and an embedded infra-red transmitter, while the PC version shipped with a software CD for Windows and an infra-red transmitter to connect to a PC via serial portSerial port
In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
.
The WonderBorg itself requires assembly, and can be customised somewhat, with possible configurations involving differently sized gears favouring torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
or speed, and wheels to replace the robot's usual six-legged design. Decal
Decal
A decal or transfer is a plastic, cloth, paper or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern or image that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually with the aid of heat or water. The word is short for decalcomania...
sticker
Sticker
A sticker is a type of a piece of paper or plastic, adhesive, sticky on one side, and usually with a design on the other. They can be used for decoration, depending on the situation. They can come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and are put on things such as lunchboxes, in children's...
s were also included, to allow superficial decoration. Once assembled, the WonderBorg is powered by three AAA batteries
AAA battery
A triple A or AAA battery is a standard size of dry cell battery commonly used in portable electronic devices. A carbon-zinc battery in this size is designated by IEC as "R03", by ANSI C18.1 as "24", by old JIS standard as "UM 4", and by other manufacturer and national standard designations that...
and reacts to its environment using seven sensors:
- infraredInfraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
receiver - antennae: independent left and right tactile sensors
- eyes: independent left and right infrared LEDs
- light sensor
- floor sensor: detects the presence or absence of ground ahead
- internal clock sensor
- steps sensor
Using its two independent motors (left and right), the WonderBorg is able to move forward, reverse, turn while moving forward or backward, and rotate in place.
Software
Both the WonderSwan and PC versions are bundled with specialized WonderBorg programming software known as Robot Works. Rather than requiring the user to learn a complex programming languageProgramming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
, the WonderBorg program is written using a graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
, in which instructions for the robot are laid out in a grid. On one side of the grid the WonderBorg's various sensors can be laid out, with those higher on the grid taking priority. The robot is then given instructions on how to react to each trigger. The WonderSwan version additionally included a "pet" program, in which the WonderBorg would behave similarly to Bandai's prior Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide...
, a mode omitted from the PC version.
See also
- AIBOAIBOAIBO was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony...
, a robotic dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
manufactured by SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues.... - FurbyFurbyA Furby was a popular electronic robotic toy resembling a hamster/owl-like creature which went through a period of being a "must-have" toy following its launch in the holiday season of 1998, with continual sales until 2000...
, a previous Tiger Electronics robot toy - LAURONLAURONLAURON is a six-legged walking robot, which is being developed at the Forschungszentrum Informatik Karlsruhe in Germany. The mechanics and the movements of the robot are biologically-inspired, mimicking the stick insect Carausius Morosus....
, a more recent six-legged insectInsectInsects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
oid robot - Poo-ChiPoo-ChiPoo-Chi is a robot dog, created by Tiger Toys after the success of the Furby. It is one of the first generations of robopet toys. Poo-Chi was originally designed by artist Samuel James Lloyd and manufactured by Sega Toys...
, a Tiger robot dog toy