Ideas

SoniCane

© 1999 Alternative Scientific Concepts
With my experience in robotics, I have often come to the conclusion that robots must see in order to be functional. I also often come to the conclusion that human sight is one of the best senses a person has. Making human sight for robots is extremely complex and is quite unreasonable for an amateur robot builder. The easier solution for robots is a whisker system that feels around for walls and cliffs. However, this is low and just not a good way to expect robots to see. My preferred vision system is a object detection/collision avoidance system using one or two ultrasonic transducers. There are two ways to explain how the ultrasonic transducers work, the easy way and the technical way. On another page, I will explain in the technical way, but here I will show you in the easy way. The ultrasonic transducer sends out an unhearable sound pulse and gets it back in a fraction of a second, knowing how long it took to go out and get back, we find out how far away an object is in front of you.
"That's great for robots, but what does it have to do with anything?" you may ask. I will answer that now. I have come up with an idea using the ultrasonic transducers that will allow blind people to sense objects in front of them. This will be a replacement for the cane. Blind people will not be allowed to see, but hear a high pitched sound if there is an object in front of them. This system is very successful for robots in even the most complex environments. But blind people don't want to know if they could understand an environment if they were a robot; they want to know how they could understand an environment as a person, because that is what they are. Proof has been made with a blind man on the program "How'd They Do That" on The Learning Channel. This man has learned echolocation, the same technology used in SoniCane and his life has been greatly improved. He not only can walk normally without a cane, he can ride a bike by himself! This product is found no where else in the world, because it was thought up on a sleepless night by me. I am very interested in this, but I want to make sure there is some demand before I put more work into it. If I recieve just ten e-mails in reply to this product (no obligation to buy, just showing interest in the product), I will build the first prototype for testing in the next month. Even though the SoniCane will be priceless in worth, I estimate that this product's price will be extremely low at just 7.50 US$. That price means not that is worth little, because it is worth much. However, I believe in the lowest possible prices for a product not because that is its worth, but because it should be available to all people.

Robat

Right now, my big project (which I have neglected for a few months because of unpredictable delays) utilizes my favorite propulsion mechanism, Muscle Wires. It's name is Robat. If you'd like, you can journey through it's cave. Take a look!

Rocketry

I, Joel R. Voss, Owner and Chief Engineer of Alternative Engineering Concepts, Inc. launched a water rocket several times from Mount Pleasant Farm in Virginia. Although water rockets are usually built to entertain young people, the purpose of this water rocket was very serious. The purpose of the water rocket was to bring rain to the drought stricken Mount Pleasant Farm and the surrounding area. After much testing with a water rocket, I added a wrapped up piece of paper holding a tablespoon of salt to the rocket. It produced one-quarter inch of rain overnight. The water rocket was built of a two liter bottle, a cork, a baby bottle cap, water, and air. The launch pad was a automobile wheel hub. The compressor was a homebuilt compressor built by mechiner, Slim Halnecker.

The day after the water rocket experiment, I had dinner with Irvan O'Connell, a neighbor of my grandmother. On hearing of my success with the water rocket, he offered me $100 if I was to produce rain in larger amounts. In the days following, I purchased an amateur rocket and launching set. I also purchased The Handbook of Model Rocketry. I read up to page 120, which taught me the exact procedure to launch a rocket successfully. On Monday, the tenth of August, I launched the Spaceship Caroline on it's maiden voyage from Mount Pleasant Farm. The Spaceship Caroline is a model Alpha III model rocket. It was propulsed by a AA rocket motor to an altitude of approximately 300 feet. At that altitude, it deployed its payload of a teaspoon of salt. I received word one week ago of the excellent amounts of rain that they have received. I then remembered Mr. O'Connell's offer. I wrote him and claimed my prize of one hundred dollars. He wrote, "I enclose a check for $100. However, . .. You're like the frog who thought he caused an earthquake when he farted." He obviously believed that the rain was natural and was not caused by my rocket, yet he did keep his word and sent the check. He also wrote in the memo of the check: "For: making rain". The hundred dollars will fund Alternative Engineering Concepts projects, most likely Robat. It will also pay the expense of the $50 rocket and book.

Airplanes

I have built many airplanes using my second favorite propultion, electric motors. None of the planes have left the ground yet, but that is probably because I tried to launch them from the ground. That rarely happens in electric planes. I believe that with a better power source and a hand launch, I can make the planes that I have designed and built fly.

Cars

I have made many cars using my second favorite propultion, electric motors. These cars usually use a direct connection to a 9-volt battery. I have experimented with light structure, strong structure, heavy structure, and different wheel types (one was a ball), solar panels, and I have even experimented with what I call "Ball Drive" where a ball is driven by a setup of wheels and balls. The ball drive does work and it sure would make parallel parking easy! The solar car worked for quite some time and I'm sure that I could rebuild it to run very well. Sometimes the cars spin out of control, sometimes the car doesn't move, and sometimes the car flies apart on hitting a wall, but these cars must die so that I may learn more about engineering and cars. If anyone is interested in my Ball Drive, I have copyrighted it and I would love to give away my secrets as long as they are not stolen.

Suzy

Maybe you're wondering right now, "What does Joel's girlfriend have to do with engineering?" First of all, I don't have a girlfriend :'(, but Suzy is a humanoid robot (not like you think). Suzy is my idea of how a humanoid robot could work has much of the same complexities as humans do. She, like a human would be born with all the necessities yet will not know how to use them. I have a webpage filled with knowledge and ideas just for Suzy, so click here to go to Suzy's World.