YABB

Okay, what do you do after you've got a bot to roll around avoiding obstacles. Build a better bot to avoid obstacles. Build the smallest bot you can. The strongest. One that can go up a steep ramp. Yawn ...

What I needed is a project with legs. Something that is challenging and cool and will take a while to get "done". But that has lots of intermediate steps each of which is possible by a guy with limited time on his hands.

So ... YABB, Yet Another Balancing Bot. Long term goal: create a flock of balancing bots that are aware of each other and people and "flock" using Boyd's algorithm. Massive coolness to stand back and watch a flock of self balancing bots make their way toward some destination. Or no destination at all ...

Or, for people to become part of the flock, so that the people move, the flock moves with them.

Rough roadmap:
- Build a single bot that can stand without falling in roughly the same place.
- Extend so the bot can move without falling.
- Add an arm so the bot can get itself up from the reclining position it takes while not moving.
- Convert arm into a "lance". Extend bot so it can raise and lower the lance maintaining balance.
- Add a second bot with a lance.
- Add recognition so bots no where each other are.
- JOUST!
- Ditch lance but retain ability to stand.
- Add multi object tracking so bots know where each other are. Not sure if bots should keep track of where all flock mates are, or just a subset that are "in sight".
- Add Boyd's algorithm so bots flock.

I figure it'll take a couple years to do this. [22 Feb: It's so far taken a couple months and I still don't have a balancing bot!]