SwarmRobot meeting 2012-11-18

!!! Attention, date above is wrong. Correct date is: 2012-11-08 !!!

* Location : XinCheJian
* Present  : Lutz, Edward, Spencer, Robin
* Apologies: Leo, & Spencer left early.

How the meeting is organised:-
Focus is on the SwarmRobots making activity - not on the administration activity!

Always lots to get through - keep meeting to 1/2 hour or less! If required - push some items into sep discussions / workgroups.

In general approach is fill in detail BEFORE meeting & send out/remind day prior. Then meeting can just quickly focus on things that need discussing and not spend ages on the detail.

However this requires someone do this every week in advance!!!

SwarmRobot activity since last meeting

• no 'formal' meeting since 2012-10-11
• Spencer and Edward did Wednesday night presentation
• Leo has 1st trial of communications working - using different IR receivers
• Leo Lost his Arduino Swarmrobots on train :(
• Leo making a new 168/328 version & intends to publish on dreamore!
• SwarmRobot AFRON competition entry page now approaching 3,100 views since competition winners announced!
• UsableDevices - slashdot Maker Carnival - 700 hits in 1st 3 hours, 2,400 total,
• Plus ~300 from DangerousPrototypes for competition!
• Workshop 27/10/12 3 attendees & 3+ from 1st workshop
  • Big thanks to Edward for parts order & everyone who helped organise & run workshop
• New IR shield designed, made & delivered
• Maker Carnival attendance - some interest (including school in Nanjing), requests for kits, workshop
• Sunny - 32u4 boards - seven ready for use - Lutz & Spencer trying out
• Wiki updates - improved assembly, updates for new shield, new landing page - linked to wiki front page.
• RC5 decoding using C & AVR libraries (not Arduino) = heaps more memory/code space in AtTiny!
  • git has been updated
• Prototype wheels made on 2 different 3D printers - look really nice!

Reminder - to everyone to share what you are doing - publish/update wiki and git. If you need accounts or help - just ask! Do keep using the mailing list - but remember to publish to wiki & git so everyone can find the latest!

Meeting notes & TO DO action items

These notes are in a 'semi-organised order' - not in time-line 'as discussed'.

Please note there are some actions that need volunteers!

Comings & goings:-
 none this week?

• AFRON Robots in Museum Display at UC Berkeley: send one & leave
  • completed:TODO(Spencer) organise sending
  • completed: TODO(Anyone) - recommend shipping company Shanghai to America UC Berkeley
  • TODO(Spencer) working with/leveraging AFRON - they will promote some robots - email sent

• Discussion next major Swarm goals & activities
  • Agreed main focus of future Swarm work will be new 32u4 board.
  • Last meeting discussed about 32u4 workshops & small form factor & soldering for beginners - several options
  • This meeting: Want to get Robo racing going (leverage swarm...)
    • Market to schools - nice kit - AtTiny kit as easier to solder
    • TODO Spencer Ask for WISS contact

• Workshop
  • TODO(Mika & Lutz) LARGE POSTER and flyer/business card handouts roboracing + swarm + XCJ
  • completed: TODO(Spencer) blurb for 27th workshop (sunday = fallback), circulate to staff
  • completed: TODO(Edward) - get parts - ORDERED - still waiting batteries/chargers & motors
  • completed: TODO(Spencer) do the shield pcb changes & then give Edward
  • no time - skipping this TODO(Edward) change for motor etc
  • completed: TODO(Edward) order 100 x main PCBs & 100 x shield PCBs
  • PCB distribution:
    • Spencer 50 of each (Taken)
    • Lutz - take 20 of each
    • Remainder = Workshop & swarm use

• Maker Carnival 2-4 November
  • Display many SwarmRobots in an enclosure
  • TODO need IR beacons & Button/come here IR - SPENCER completed remote control
  • TODO code + better ir avoid code & hardware
  • TODO(??) need sign up sheets to get peoples names & contact details so can send them Swarm/workshop information

• Advertising & recruiting more members
  • completed: TODO(Spencer) advertising/publicity - Shanghai media - done interview & gave photos to one magazine
  • TODO(Lutz) sponsorship for SwarmRobots and possibly RoboRacing to help with promotion and possibly prizes or parts
  • TODO(Edward ) is going to get Roboracing more active ..anyone want to help?

• New items for this meeting:-
  • finances - draft available, but several questions to sort out before finances can be reported.
    • Meeting approved 80Y to XCJ for Boarduino as remote control & 180Y for acrylic to Spencer - both for Maker Carnival.
  • Pricing of parts for sale suggest: "sale price = cost + delivery + 50%, then rounded UP to nice round number!"
  • SwarmRobot competition
    • nearly 300 views of page and several comments.
    • draft rules, judging & legal stuff circulated for comment
  • SwarmRobots made for Maker Carnival - keep for member use
  • 上海制汇节 - Shanghai Maker Carnival @ Sun Nov 11 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 (Official XinCheJian Calendar), means for swarmrobots, could you guys organize to have someone next Sunday? http://www.kic.net.cn/kic_eweekchina2012/inside_pages09.html - No interest from Swarm - too busy/tired.

• Not discussed - for next meeting
  • Swarm Membership list, how to maintain, keep Active/in-active/past member email lists????
  • ditto workshop attendees
  • SwamRobots@xcj mail - who is in the list - who manages it?????

• Ongoing
  • TODO(everyone) promote swarm/XCJ on own & xcj sites
  • in progress TODO(Spencer) - Be the SwarmRobot group Treasurer