(1) I read an article a little while ago that implied that South Korea was devoting something like one third of is national budget to environmental projects. It makes sense that with such little land to work with, making sure it not filled with trash would be a priority and it is clear that recycling is important. For one thing, trash that is not presorted has to be thrown away in special green bags which can cost roughly a dollar a piece. I’ve noticed there aren’t too many public external trash receptacles outside here in Daejeon and I’m wondering if that’s why. On KAIST’s campus, there are usually multiple receptacles in a single location, one for paper, one for cans, one for food, etc. Many fast food places do something similar. Unlike in the US where you dump everything on your tray into one large can, there is usually a trash station with several openings. One is for usually for any uneaten food and then another one for any packaging/paper trash. On top of this, typically there is also an opening where you are meant to dump the contents of your cup, sort of like a drain. Finally, it’s common for there to be a stack for the lids and cups separate from the rest of the trash (one place even has a pile for the straws). I’m not sure what the reason is for recycling these separate (the lids maybe because they are plastic, but why the paper cups?). Of course, where everything goes is clearly labeled in Korean, which doesn’t help the foreigner much. So here’s a tip: watch what others are doing and follow their lead.
(2) I’m currently working on a streamlined start program for the HUBO using the C# adapter. The idea behind this is to create a standalone application that can be used to demo the HUBO which incorporates that startup procedure into its design and therefore decreasing the likelihood of problems due to user error, such as not clicking a button at the right time.
(3) It is said that the Korean alphabet is very easy to learn. Although it’s not the hardest topic, learning what the sounds attached to each letter and how to pronounce them properly (and by properly I mean to a level which does not induce laughter in a native speak when they hear you) is harder than advertised. What I have found to be easier to get a hold on is Sino-Korean numbers, which are the ones used to count money. I’ve found with minimal practice, I’m able to comprehend what number is being said without translating it to the English word in my head. Not only is it practical (trust me - people don’t always give the right change), it also boosts your language confidence.
(1) A few days ago, Roh Moo-hyun, an ex-South Korean President, died from injuries sustained after apparently jumping off a mountain near his home. I first learned of this from a headline link in the news section of Yahoo!. It was later confirmed at an event for Foreigners I attended this weekend. After doing a bit of research (read: Wikipedia), I found that Roh Moo-hyun was the 16th President of South Korea and for the last several months had been under investigation for corruptions, which seemed to extend to his family and close associates, which reportedly may have been the motivation for what is being called a suicide.
It’s hard to gage what the response to this news has been from the citizens of Korea. At the event for Foreigners I mentioned earlier, many of the planned activities were canceled, although I’m not sure if this was done out of respect to the tragedy or because may of the activities involved city officials who weren’t available (presumably because they were traveling to Seoul for a funeral). I did see on a lot of mourners on a TV news program, but other than that I haven’t noticed any differences in the mood of the people.
(2) Most recently I have been working on an adapter to allow non-real-time control of the Hubo in the .NET development environment. The benefit of this is ease at which .NET allows GUIs to be constructed versus the currently used (and somewhat outdated) MFC. The code currently works in that it provides access to the area of memory in which important control data is stored, although no physical tests have been conducted.
(4) Have you ever used a word that’s not part of your everyday vocabulary and kind of felt a little strange after you said it? It’s a hard feeling to explain. Not really awkwardness, but more of a feeling of unfamiliarity. Oddly enough, I get this feeling whenever someone asks me where I’m from. The answer is obvious enough, I’m from America. And of course, America is a word I’ve used before, but still, it feels a bit strange. After some thought, I’ve concluded that the feeling stems from its context. America in America means something different than America outside America. Inside the country, the word encompasses over two hundred years of history and culture. Of course, it does take different meanings in different contexts, but the breath of it symbolism is usually understood. Personally, I don’t get that impression when I respond to peoples inquires about where I’m from. Instead, it feels more like the meaning is reduced to a short synopsis and a geographical location. It’s something to think about the next time you ask someone where they are from…
(5) I’ve met a lot of native English speakers (mostly teachers) in the past couple weeks. I don’t know for sure, but I think the area across the bridge from Nuri Hall has some sort of apartment complex where they live. Every time I’m in that area I usually see 8-10 English-speaking individuals. It seems most come here for a year or two and then go back home. One thing that surprises me though is how little Korean these individuals know. Although you can get around mostly by gesturing and the little-bit of English most locals know, I’d think that one would feel more comfortable in their environment having spent a bit of time learning the language.
(1) Maybe it’s only news to me, but apparently clothes in Korea aren’t sold by sizes small-medium-large-etc. Instead, they are sold by numbers like 90-100-110. I happened to find this out when one of the guys in the HUBO Lab asked me my shirt size and seemed confused when I responded “Large”. I found this link to a website which explains the difference a little better. It makes sense to use a numerical scale as opposed to qualitative descriptors, which have the potential to (and often do) have different interpretations. I’m not sure, however, what metrics are used to derive these sizes.
(2) After getting the F2808 DSP communicating on the CAN bus, I wrote an application for controlling the LED Board connected to it via a GUI on a PC. Video demonstrating this application is available in the Media Archive section of the site. I’ve also compiled a fairly detailed overview of the general code required to setup CAN on the F2808, which is in the Tutorials section of the site. Right now, I’m working on determining some of the key architectural features of the HUBO source code.
(4) When I first visited Korea last year, one of the first things I noticed was the way people drove. The best way to describe it would be ‘close’. Not only are cars close to each other, they are often close to people. Unlike in the States though, where people start yelling obscenities and getting angry, everyone seems alright with it here. I bring this up because after a few weeks of riding my bike back and forth to KAIST, I’m starting to get used to it. Among the skills I’ve acquired: knowing when a red light means really means pause instead of stop, weaving around cars that are in motion, weaving between groups of people that take up the entire side walk, and coming to an immediate stop to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic. It has me thinking, ff all this robotics stuff doesn’t work out for me, I think I may have a promising career a courier.
I’ve added two new videos to the Media Archive section of the site. Both demonstrations of the LED Display for the HUBO, with and without support for CAN Bus communication.
(1) Since arriving in Korea some three weeks ago, I’ve done most of my shopping at either HomePlus or E-mart. Both are large, Super Walmart-ish stores that sell clothes, appliances, etc in addition to food. For the most part, the experience is also similar to that of Walmart. That is, until you buy groceries. The best way to describe it would be to compare it to an open-air market. While an Acme or SuperFresh might have four or five ‘free sample’ tables set-up, I must have counted at least 10 at E-mart the last time I went. Not only are they there, but the individuals working them seem very enthusiastic about getting your attention. I wouldn’t say they shout, but they do eagerly call out what they are offering and ask those passing by if they’d like to try this or that. This combined with the usually large number of customers makes shopping for even a couple things a very entertaining experience. Oh, and did I mention that sometimes the employees line up in the aisle and start to dance…?
(2) In work related news, the last week was spent cleaning up some of the CAN code so that it could be used outside of the HUBO system. Unfortunately, the documented driver provided was written for a DOS operating system and therefore did not working correclt on the WinNT systems we are using in the lab. Using the old code, datasheets, and HUBO’s implementation of CAN as guides, I was able to port it over. Fortunately, it worked with very few problems. With this complete, I’ve turned my attention to getting CAN operational on the DSP board that connects to the LED Board.
(4) I’d be lying if I said I’m learning that I don’t know how to speak that much Korean (I already knew that before I got here). What I am learning about are the consequences of that. Not that they are terrible or impossible to deal with, but they are perspective changing. It’s an interesting feeling when you realize that all your hours of learning equations and theories don’t really help you when it comes to ordering an ice cream cone at McDonald’s. And to make matters worst, the 7 year old in front of you seems to do it perfectly. It’s also quite humbling when the teenage girl working the cash register gives you that ‘Awww, how cute’ smile when she finally understands that your mix of Korean nouns and frantic gesturing means you want a large soda. Just makes you think about the skills you take for granted.
(5) As for people I’ve met, I had a strange and random encounter with a group of 13 year old girls. I was riding my bike back from KAIST at about 10:30pm when I came to a red light. While sitting there, this Korean girl says “Hello.” This isn’t that abnormal - many kids say “Hello” in English (I guess they learn English early in school and like to try it out). I usually smile and say “Hi” back. But this time, the girl proceeded to asked where I was from, so I told her America. For some reason, she got really excited and called over all her friends. The group then started asking me all these different questions. I should note that there were no adults anywhere around; just a bunch of little girls on a street corner talking to a random American on a bike in the middle of the night. They’re English was quite good and I didn’t mind talking to them, I just found the situation a little odd.
Bonus Commentary: I was asked what I thought about the North Korean missile launch. What I’m reading/seeing has been mostly from US news outlets. Despite all the international fussing and condemnation occurring, I can’t say I’ve noticed an impact here in Daejeon. I did hear there were protests on Seoul before the launch, but day-to-day things seem mostly unchanged.. Of course, we don’t get Korean television where we live and don’t comprehend the language well enough pick up what others might be saying about it, so there could be some tension that we just aren’t perceiving.
The past week has been all about getting used to the Korea as a resident and not just a tourist. After three days of walking, I decided to do as many Korean’s do and buy a bike. Whether it be a scooter, a motorcycle, or a 10-speed, two-wheeled vehicles are literally everywhere in Korea (presumably because space is such a precious commodity). This worked to my advantage since I was able to find a used one for 50,000 Won (~$45) tucked away in an alley next to a Bike Shop. This has allowed me to shave thirty minutes off of my commute to KAIST, which should come in handy when it rains as I’m told it does frequently here during the summer.
For those unaware of what KAIST is, here’s the website: http://www.kaist.edu/edu.html. In a nutshell, its a very prestigious engineering and science university (think MIT) where the HUBO Lab is located. Unfortunatly, last week was spent setting up (read: rehabiltating) the desktop PCs we will be using, so I didn’t have a chance to really sink my teeth into any HUBO related project yet. It seems, however, that I will be working on the LED Matrix Display board designed by Bryan Kobe (http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~bdk29/) when he was here in the HUBO Lab. More specfically, I will be trying to get it to function on a CAN Bus like everything else does on HUBO. I’m hoping this will be a good springboard into working with the protocol and something I can use down the road when attacking the HUBO code as whole.
Now, an interesting piece of information I learned this week. David posted in his blog (http://davidindaejeon.blogspot.com/2009/03/week-1-end.html) that the hill behind our dormitoy has several graves. Apparently, as I was told by a very nice Korean lady who randomly started talking to me as I was parking my bike, the hill is owned by family and serves as a private grave site. She explained that because space is so scarce in Korea, families that can afford to will often by pieces of land for this purpose. She also mentioned that instead of a funeral as we think of it in the States, family will gather around a deceased loved one for three days (assuming they passed away in a hospital or at home) and eat/drink/generally spend time as a family with the person before burying them. I’m not sure if it was a joke or not, but she said they do this in case they wake up…
As a result of my several weeks of working with MRS, I have upload a video to the Media Archives section demonstrating how MRS can be used to test robots in both real and simulated environments. I also wrote up a short overview on MRS that I have added to the Tutorials section. Hopefully, it will help those learning MRS in the future to get up to speed a little quicker.
I have added two new tutorials. The first details a way to gain rotational control of motors while using NXT Direct Commands. The second is a how-to on creating a LabVIEW application for controlling NXT motors via a GUI, similar to the one seen in the second 3 DOF video
The 3 DOF Touch Sensor Controlled (robotic arm) video has been replaced with one of much higher quality. There is also a new video in the Media Archive section of the site. It demonstrates the same robotic arm being controlled via LabVIEW using Bluetooth.
This video of a 3 degrees-of-freedom arm based on a tutorial by Dr. Paul Oh demonstrates a control system utilizing two touch sensors. The video can be found in the Media Archive section of the site.
