The Bug

[overjupiter]

Have any of you heard of the BUG?

From their web site: "BUG gives you all the tools you need to build your dream gadget -- a collection of electronic modules you can easily snap together and program to make any device you want. Best of all, it's open source."

http://www.buglabs.net

It looks interesting, but the base embedded computer is $449 and modules are $69-$129 each.

Quick specs:
- 532Mhz ARM 11 microprocessor
- 128 MB SDRAM, 32 MB on-board flash storage,
- Poky Linux 1.4 (2.6.29 kernel)
- phoneME Advanced Personal Profile JVM

 

[lulzfish]

So you could just plug together a keyboard, touchscreen, PowerVR SGX, and ...?

No?

That's not "any device" then. That's LEGO Bricks.

 

[overjupiter]

yes, expensive Lego to build an embedded system.

 

[lulzfish]

Actually, from the sizes I've seen, it's Duplo bricks. (Kiddie LEGO Bricks that are about 4 times bigger so kids won't swallow them)

It's amusing, but there's only 5 to 10 useful devices you can build with it, and then a number of ways to program them.
I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just have one block with everything in it, and then challenge people to write different firmwares for it.

No wait, that's also the Pandora, though they don't have a camera.

 

[second exodous]

I always wanted to try them out, it seems like a cool system to play around on, I just haven't seen many projects with them.

 

[Exophase]

It's pretty cool, but it's too expensive. The thing is, most of the applications can be done to some extent over USB, although the physical packaging wouldn't fit as well. Still, it means that there are cheaper "base" devices that would qualify if you can find USB modules. Just have to hook up a hub. The only thing that wouldn't fit so well is the touchscreen LCD, but a lot of "base" devices will have better ones anyway.

 

[OrR]

I love the concept but it's not really that useful, yet. If they make the bricks smaller and make the connector standard microUSB (not sure what they use at the moment?), maybe the Pandora 2 and other future mobile devices could include slots for these. The way they are now, they are too huge for your pocket.

 

[second exodous]

I think the focus of them is robots again, like the gumstix. I remember when the bugs were new I saw a few robots made with them.

They also fit together neatly, that is the biggest selling point for people building robots or just tinkering in general. I don't think they are meant for the average consumer.