For a graduation present, Lauren got me Lego MINDSTORMS [amazon.com].

This is cool.

I just picked up a copy of Dave Baum's Definitive Guide to LEGO MINDSTORMS [amazon.com] so I can do some learnin', and will probably waste large chunks of the weekend building robots instead of looking for gainful employment.

My question to you is, assuming I gain some level of competency with this, what cool things (preferably goats/beer related) could/should we do with it?

It fairly obvious that you need more of the Legos, so you can build one of these [goats.com]. And my wife rocks, too. Except for when she lets her friends drink the beer that I bought to ship to Oedipa Maas. :)

Better yet Phillip, build this [goats.com]. That would get you some easy cash.

In Response to jgarcia (#5789):

I think he needs to build a robot that will automatically refill his beer when necessary. Better yet, one that will refill my beer when necessary.

I was going to make a smart remark about keeping beer that you're going to ship in the fridge... beer in the fridge that you're going to ship... beer to be shipped...

you can see my dilemma. I hate clauses.

In Response to cgarcia (#5792):

Don't feel too bad. I had the same problem with my wife. (Sorry Anthony!)

If you can't build the rocket powered beer cooler with Lego Mindstorms, I'm not sure you're trying hard enough.

If you can't do that, the not quite ultimate achivement would be building something to write Goats strips for Jon.

In Response to zamphir (#5797):

huh? oh...right...the beer exchange...

I just keep whittling it down....been really busy lately, i'll try to ship this weekend though

In Response to jgarcia (#5789):

very rarely does occur a feeling that the world deserves you. less frequently occurs a person that you will give your esscence towards

Whatever you build just overclock it!

In Response to zamphir (#5798):

I'd be willing to bet Eliza [manifestation.com] could write a fairly decent goats strip. Just use whatever Eliza says for Diablo's lines, and get really really drunk so you can write phillip's lines to Eliza and presto! Instant strip dialog!

In Response to evilaltor (#5801):

even less frequently than that occurs a person that you will give your beer to (without expecting beer in return)

:)

I miss Jase - I would give beer to him if he were here.

The bar has been raised. [bbc.co.uk]

Your mission is now clear. Build a new server for GOATS out of Legos.

And then overclock it.

In Response to zamphir (#5809):

The original google server (back when it was an academic research project, not a search engine) had its case made from <pedantry>Lego bricks</pedantry>.

In Response to jgarcia (#5789):

Man, someone always addresses or reacts to me when I step away from the forum for a little while. I should let that be a lesson to me.

jgarcia, no worries; I'm a very patient person. I wasn't the swiftest shipper in the first exchange with Zamphir. Though you three shippers are forewarned, I'm going to start nagging publicly on a weekly basis pretty soon. : )

...Some day my beer will come....

In Response to Dynedain (#5818):

<pedantry>Actually, it was generic Lego-like bricks.</pedantry>

In Response to wcbarksdale (#5831):

<pedantry>Actually, according to Google [google.com], it was never an academic research project. </pedantry>

Maybe he can build little goat robots that will live in people's homes and badger them to go to goats.com and buy stuff, or something like that... :Runs into corner and hides:

In Response to zamphir (#5832):

<even_more_pedantry>Actually, to quote <b>your</b> source, it was. "What had been a college research project was now a real company offering a service that was in great demand." </even_more_pedantry>

In Response to cgarcia (#5792):

I could have sworn I remembered reading about a robotic bottle opener on /. some time in the last six months. However, after searching through the last twelve months' worth of beer-related and robot-related articles, I must have been dreaming it.

Did anyone else read that article, or am I truly hallucinating?

"Every man should believe in something. I believe I'll have another drink."

In Response to Clan_Hanna (#6309):

I think you're just remembering reading slashdot whilst watching "Futurama" re-runs.

Mindstorms are cool and all that, but i'm saving my money for lego nanoblocks. "Building mechanical robots and organs for your body - castle edition.

In Response to AsphaltBuffet (#6704):

I love my lego nanoblocks except for one thing:

when I look at the cells in my new liver under a microscope...



Ewwwww.

p.s. Spot the pre-cancerous cell!

In Response to Clan_Hanna (#6309):

Actually, there was a website that was devoted to a robotic bottle opener. I read it in college, and we tried to build our own, so I know it was at least 3 years ago, if not more.

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#6301):

The difference between an academic research project and a college research project is left as an exercise to the student.