If ye`re wonderin’ what be goin’ on at Solarbotics today, ’tis “Talk Like a Pirate Day“. We`re big fans o’ this holiday, so if ye want a 5% discount on yer order, call ‘t in an’ TALK LIKE A SEAFARIN’ HEARTY!
Remember, ya gots to be talkin’ like a an ol’ scalwag to get the booty! And it be only fer today, me heartys!
Solarbotics and HVW Tech will be closed Monday June 30th in lieu of Canada Day.We will be open again on Tuesday July 1st, and will be answering your calls, emails and general supplications - but will not be shipping as our couriers will not be picking up or delivering that day.
Solarbotics and HVW Tech will be open on Friday July 4th with limited staff in the morning as we make our annual trek to the world famous Calgary Stampede parade!
Well, a tax break, who would’ve thought…. Though I did see a pig flying recently.
For all you Canadians, you can now order and pay only the 5% GST - even before January 1st!
Oh, and we won’t be open on the 31st as we’ll all be too busy preparing for our respective New Years bashes!
Happy New Year to all our customers, distributors and suppliers from the Solarbotic/HVWTech staff!
Check out the Videos!
and the new Vivisection Page at Solarbotics.net
NEW B.I.O. BUGS FROM HASBRO’S WOWWEE TOY
MIMIC REAL BUGS
Advanced “Nervous Networks” Technology Creates
Next Generation of “Intelligent Toys”
NEW YORK - February 12, 2001 - The WowWee Toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) today introduced the first toy line to incorporate advanced “nervous network” technology. New B.I.O. Bugs (Bio-mechanical Integrated Organisms), the hit of last month’s Hong Kong Toy Fair, are robotic bugs that can autonomously act by themselves, come and go as they please, identify friend or foe and have the ability to avoid or climb over obstacles in their path.
“B.I.O. Bugs is the most innovative product I’ve seen all year,” says Mike Normann, buyer at Toys ‘R Us. “Its advanced technology will enable the line to grow every year.”
‘Nervous network’ technology was developed ten years ago and is used by the U.S. government to create robotic living creatures. ‘Nervous net’ is to a body what a spine is to an organism, serving to connect functions together.
B.I.O. Bugs marks the first time that the technology will be used in a toy. ‘Nervous networks’ takes your basic toy bug to the next level and enables B.I.O. Bugs to mimic real insect behavior. They give kids the power to play with other bugs, other toys and unsuspecting humans.
B.I.O. Bugs will react to outside stimuli - a wall, another B.I.O. Bug, even your foot - and change or modify its behavior accordingly. Will it turn right or left, move forward, climb or retreat? B.I.O. Bugs are always in motion and determine what they want to do. Just like real bugs, Bio Bugs are unpredictable.
“B.I.O. Bugs decide what they want to do because they are just like real bugs only without the tissue, with a battery as a heart and ‘nervous network’ technology acting as its brain,” says Peter Yanofsky, president of WowWee Toys.
BIO BUGS FACTS
Left to their own devices, B.I.O. Bugs first instinct is to survive - at all cost. B.I.O. Bugs adapt to surprising changes in situations and environment. However, if you don’t want to let your B.I.O. Bugs act autonomously, you can control their action with a wrist transmitter. Special ‘follow me’ technology even enables them to follow you around.
There are four different B.I.O. Bugs species. Each one is a different color - red, blue, green or yellow - and comes with its own transmitter. Color is key in this “21st century eco-system” because it defines the specific characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each bug. For example, a green B.I.O. Bug has the ability to operate over rough terrain while a yellow bug moves quickest over smooth surfaces.
To keep their strength and power, B.I.O. Bugs have to occasionally ‘feed’. To do so, they return to their transmitter which acts as a feeding station, homing beacon and manual control. And, they can ’snack’ off any household item which emits infrared technology like a TV remote or florescent lighting. So, if you’re watching TV and go to change the channel with the remote, any B.I.O. Bug in the vicinity will follow the source and move toward you. Imagine mom in the kitchen using the microwave finding her swarmed by a herd of Bio Bugs!
Ages: 6 years and up
Approximate Retail Price: $ 39.99
Availability: September 2001
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, SUPER SOAKER, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
| Overview | ||
| At Solarbotics, we’ve been getting quite a few questions regarding the “real-world” performance of our solarcells. Although we do have the official Panasonic Sunceram datasheets, it is written in a quite technical manner and does not include practical design data. With that in mind, we have generated the following - the first of three sets of data for use by the BEAM community. This first set of data is taken with direct-sunlight performance in mind. The second and third sets will be measured under halogen and incandescent lighting (stay tuned…). | ||
| Data Acquisition Procedure | ||
| Solarcell voltage across resistance values recorded on June 20 between 13:07 and 13:25. Solarcell capacitor charging values for capacitors between 1000uF and 4700uF recorded on June 22 Between 13:30 and 14:00.Solarcell capacitor charging values for capacitors between .047F and 1.0F recorded on June 25 between 13:25 and 14:10.Summer solstice on June 21, maximum sunlight at 13:37 (located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada).Testing apparatus consists of a basic stamp 2 for data logging and a ADC0831 chip for analog to digital conversion, 8 bit accuracy (0.02 volt resolution). When testing multiple resistive loads, relays were used to switch the load across the solarcell with a 200ms settle time. The basic stamp controlled sequencing and data logging by measuring the voltage across each switched load.When testing the charge rate of multiple capacitors, the capacitor was shorted by a relay for a period of five seconds, then released to charge by the solarcell. Voltage readings were taken between .2 and 5 seconds, depending on estimated total charge time. An 80% open voltage line is also indicated on the graphs. |
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| Charge Times sorted by Solar Cell | ||
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| Charge Times sorted by Capacitor | ||
| Solar Cell output under Resistance | ||
| Complete Data Sheet Download | ||
| For those of you who would rather have access to the complete data sheets and charts for the 2001 Solar Cell Analysis, we provide this information in the Microsoft Excel format.Solarcell Data Sheet A - 88KB Solarcell Data Sheet B - 388KB |
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| Disclaimer: | ||
| Although the information is provided freely, we request that any reproduction or reference to the above data be included with proper accreditation to Solarbotics Ltd. Additionally, although we have performed these tests in good faith, we do not and cannot warrantee this data in any way. | ||
