Protocol

The moving objects are sent messages wirelessly which trigger movement in them. I'm sending these messages in a particular format so that the prototypes respond a predictable way.

These messages can be sent from anywhere, but to provide a start point I've built a USB device, which plugs into a PC. The PC sends messages to the USB device, which broadcasts the message wirelessly. The message is divided into 4 parts, each part is for a particular prototype. This provides a flexible structure, where the objects can be independently controlled

This is a first attempt at a protocol for movement, it's very simple. The messages provide a way of moving individual motors. The rolling protoype has 1 motor, while Paper (this moves 5 strips of paper) has 5 stepping motors. Each motor is controlled in three ways; direction, speed and number of steps. There is not yet a way to describe acceleration or deceleration.

The idea is that if this protocol is well documented, and works well, there is the potential for creating very flexible systems of movement. The events on the PC which trigger the transmission of data to the objects are depend on the imagination of the user.

I'll upload a diagram of this system, and an initial description of the protocol soon!