{"id":2651,"date":"2013-09-27T10:48:44","date_gmt":"2013-09-27T14:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acarlstein.com\/?p=2651"},"modified":"2018-06-21T09:12:27","modified_gmt":"2018-06-21T13:12:27","slug":"hexadock-ia-and-problem-solving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.acarlstein.com\/?p=2651","title":{"rendered":"Hexadock: Building an IA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hexadock\"<\/a>
Hexadocks Connecting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hexadock is a community project oriented meaning that individuals and groups can participate. Each hexadock holds a circuit board with a microprocessor, connectors are available in all sides of the hexadock, and each hexadock is a representation of a single neuron. The idea is to interconnect devices and hexadocks to create an equivalent of a brain.<\/p>\n

The project will allow individuals and groups to create an artificial intelligent indirectly. Each individual or group is allowed to control a single hexadock knowing only the hardware in the hexadock and any devices that may be connected it. Each individual and\/or group is responsible to discover what they can do with the devices connected to it and to interact with their neighbors hexadocks.<\/p>\n

\"Hexadock<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Espruino<\/a>
Espruino Board<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Tessel<\/a>
Tessel Board<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

There are two circuit boards that have caught my attention which are the Espruino<\/a> and the Tessel<\/a>.
\nBoth boards are programmable in JavaScript which opens the doors to a large community of people. JavaScript is mostly used on websites and it is a very flexible script language. Alasdair Allan<\/a> did an article in Make magazine<\/a> which compare both micro-controllers. I recommend to read the article.<\/a><\/p>\n

While the Tessel provide a lot of modules to allow interaction, the side is rather bigger than I was expecting. I am inclined to use the Espruino<\/a> due the size; however, at the moment of writing this article, they are not yet in sale. I sent an email to them requesting them to inform me when such circuit board will be available. The other issue is the price of the Tessel<\/a>. A Tessel plus a module cost around 89 dollars. This project will required a bunch of circuit boards, one for each hexadock. This would mean that funds will be required which at the moment I don’t have any available.<\/p>\n

One important part to have in consideration is the communication and processing of information in the hexadocks. Both must be fast. There is no room for overcomplicated processing and\/or communication. Also, how to process the information coming from different sides. Perhaps, all communication should go to a buffer to be processed. That is something that should be open for discussion.<\/p>\n

The second part of the project will required the creation of an online interface which will allow\u00a0 programming of each hexadock plus receiving information such as a video feedback to show the behavior of any device such as servos, etc.<\/p>\n

Update (June 21 of 2018)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This post was published in Sep 27 of 2013. Since then, may things have being evolving. Today, I found out that someone is applying the idea of using circuit boards in hexagons shapes which could bring this concept alive, Hexabitz. Hexabitz is a modular electronic prototyping system in which each module comes in either hexagon, pentagon, rectangle, square or triangle shape and can be soldered together to make larger electronic boards. https:\/\/www.hexabitz.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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