(I got this idea from your packbot) Maybe, on the object with the tooth, you can put a minifig in a seat with control panels around him as if he is controling it. Like the idea?
Well, there's two small problems with this suggestion. First, the mission already happened... in fact, the Lil' Joe payload is right now over in Denmark at a 10th anniversary Mindstorms event at LEGO HQ. 2nd, if you look in my HALE Brickshelf gallery, you'll see there *was* a minifig passenger - I now have several minifigs that have been exposed to near-vacuum at 80k feet :)
How do you recover it? What if you attached it to an RC balloon and a built-in altimeter will release it from the balloon and the balloon with simply go off uncontrollably while Lil' Joe (or another one to handle lower altitudes) will come down. Then you can't get higher altitudes but you don't have to go up 80,000 feet.
Ah, but the fun was in going up to 80k+ feet :). Read the HALE webpage - essentially what we did was drop it from an "RC" balloon (the drop was commanded from the ground) and Lil' Joe came down... fast!
Either could happen - but during the actual mission, the LEGO pieces did not break (even though Lil' Joe hit the ground at something like 25-30 mph, and Gypsy, my other payload, was supported entirely by the LEGO construction). Some pins started to pull loose, but because of the way the structure was cross-braced, it seems no connections failed in flight - when you use LEGO right, it really holds up (even to -60° C and high impact speeds).
Nice work on the *nearly* successfull mission, I have been reading reports about this all week. Do you have an officail time for the free-fall yet? I've been reading between 61 to 90 seconds.
Thanks... and while it didn't all go exactly to plan, I'll call any similar mission where I retrieve a working NXT as "successful"... if not according to plan. The free-fall time depends on what you want to call it. The parachute was deployed at 61 seconds according to the on-board log, but there was no deceleration from it - in other words, even with the parachute out it was "in free fall", so it then becomes a question of what you want to label it as.
Keeping batteries warm using just a 'disposable hand warmer' and not a sophisticated electronic heating device ...this is really very clever. I like when critical technical issues are solved with easy techniques.
Very-very impressive project. Good luck to Lil'Joe on its HALE mission! Good luck also to Nadar (...or actually Gypsy).
I have to admit that that solution was not originated by me, but by the UofN Reno folks 7 others who have done these missions. One curious fact about the warmers I used is that they need oxygen to work, meaning they will essentially "shut off" at high altitude, but "turn back on" during descent (as the pO2 level rises) to heat the cold payload. Almost ideal.
(I got this idea from your packbot) Maybe, on the object with the tooth, you can put a minifig in a seat with control panels around him as if he is controling it. Like the idea?
softballxchick3 3 years ago
Well, there's two small problems with this suggestion. First, the mission already happened... in fact, the Lil' Joe payload is right now over in Denmark at a 10th anniversary Mindstorms event at LEGO HQ. 2nd, if you look in my HALE Brickshelf gallery, you'll see there *was* a minifig passenger - I now have several minifigs that have been exposed to near-vacuum at 80k feet :)
brdavis5 3 years ago
did u ocme to the IBM camp and bring the Ogre tank???
musician774 2 years ago
No, I didn't but I heard somebody did - any idea who? Pictures or video of the event?
brdavis5 2 years ago
How do you recover it? What if you attached it to an RC balloon and a built-in altimeter will release it from the balloon and the balloon with simply go off uncontrollably while Lil' Joe (or another one to handle lower altitudes) will come down. Then you can't get higher altitudes but you don't have to go up 80,000 feet.
Coastergeekperson04 3 years ago
Ah, but the fun was in going up to 80k+ feet :). Read the HALE webpage - essentially what we did was drop it from an "RC" balloon (the drop was commanded from the ground) and Lil' Joe came down... fast!
brdavis5 3 years ago
I haven't watched the full video yet, but if it breaks, do the Legos separate from each other or do the Legos themselves break?
Coastergeekperson04 3 years ago
Either could happen - but during the actual mission, the LEGO pieces did not break (even though Lil' Joe hit the ground at something like 25-30 mph, and Gypsy, my other payload, was supported entirely by the LEGO construction). Some pins started to pull loose, but because of the way the structure was cross-braced, it seems no connections failed in flight - when you use LEGO right, it really holds up (even to -60° C and high impact speeds).
brdavis5 3 years ago
Nice work on the *nearly* successfull mission, I have been reading reports about this all week. Do you have an officail time for the free-fall yet? I've been reading between 61 to 90 seconds.
peterwallhead 3 years ago
Thanks... and while it didn't all go exactly to plan, I'll call any similar mission where I retrieve a working NXT as "successful"... if not according to plan. The free-fall time depends on what you want to call it. The parachute was deployed at 61 seconds according to the on-board log, but there was no deceleration from it - in other words, even with the parachute out it was "in free fall", so it then becomes a question of what you want to label it as.
brdavis5 3 years ago
VERY nice. Best of luck and safe landing.
222Doc 3 years ago
Thanks. Here's hoping - it's not like I can "rescue" this creation if the program doesn't work quite how I expected :o.
brdavis5 3 years ago
Keeping batteries warm using just a 'disposable hand warmer' and not a sophisticated electronic heating device ...this is really very clever. I like when critical technical issues are solved with easy techniques.
Very-very impressive project. Good luck to Lil'Joe on its HALE mission! Good luck also to Nadar (...or actually Gypsy).
NeXTSTORMING 3 years ago
I have to admit that that solution was not originated by me, but by the UofN Reno folks 7 others who have done these missions. One curious fact about the warmers I used is that they need oxygen to work, meaning they will essentially "shut off" at high altitude, but "turn back on" during descent (as the pO2 level rises) to heat the cold payload. Almost ideal.
brdavis5 3 years ago