I think I remember reading a post from DJ a few weeks ago that the ability to store code on the EZB, much like the Arduino does is in the works. I'm not sure how that will look like or how it will work but it sounds like it's in the R&D phase for the EZB V5 that surly will happen one day.

Thank you for your reply, Dave! :)

You know, I've been thinking... While I'm very happy to hear the EZB V5 will be able to store code, I just realized that I've considered "connected" robots before. So it will work both ways!

I'm in! :D

Thanks again!

Think about your question for a minute? The reason the ezb is 10 times more powerful than the common Arduino is because of the PC/mobile connection... In order for the ezb to do all of the amazing things it does is because it utilizes the power of a full blown computer....

Without a PC or mobile device the ezb would not be able to do vision, voice recognition, speech syntheses and advanced servo movements, etc .... Plus any peripheral that can be plugged into a PC (keyboards, Mouse, Joystick, etc) couldn't not be used either....

If you don't want to use a computer and any of these advanced features, I would just stick with an Ardunio...

To be honest since using ez robot for the last coupe of years, I couldn't imagine building a robot without using a PC in some form or another...

Hmm... Yes, that does seem a lot easier (and better) than using an Arduino. I'm definitely considering EZ-b now!

You won't be sorry. EZ-B is a great platform and the best user community I have been involved with in a long time.

Alan

EZ-B is simply great. From beginner to advanced user you'll not regret it. I even use my JD as an alarm clock!

Waiting for Twitter to be fixed in the next software update then things will really move for me. Twitter integrated with IF(TTT) and EZ-B will personally be awesome.

Ez alarm clock: https://twitter.com/dnwx/status/754532137508954112

Prior to moving over to EZ-B, I was using arduino. I started out buying the UNO, then adding a motor shield, ultrosonic sensors, a text-to speech synthesizer, a voice recognition module, expansion shield, various power options, wifi receiver, a small chassis with motors, and other bits and pieces.

The result? For about 3 times the price of an ez-b Developers kit I had a platform which would perform extremely limited speech recognition (maximum 20 single words) and horrible almost laughable text to speech output, the ability to drive some LED's, obstacle avoidance, and could drive motors, and I still didn't have any servo's!

After switching to EZ-B, I had all of that capability plus a whole lot more within a short time after unpacking the box it came in :)

Like yourself, I'd love to be unshackled from the PC, but the reality is coupling the processing power of your PC with the ease of connectivity of the EZ-B not only provides a much cheaper solution across-the-board (assuming you already have a PC I Guess) but a much more powerful one as well.

For instance, the arduino is a single threaded processor vs. the multi threading that ARC takes advantage of on your PC. This mean rather than a single monolithic program that can focus on one thing at a time, you can split tasks across multiple programs in ARC and allow each script to take care of itself.

There's just so many features available to you out of the box with the EZ-B controller, and ARC running on your PC, that I'm sure (like me) that you'll be very pleased you made the switch :)

@Neogirl101, I also initially had the same viewpoint as you. I would have, maybe at some stage, liked to "unshackle" a robot from the PC.

Right now, I am far off from anything remotely abled to roam the neighbourhood disconnected from the PC. I think for most cases of people trying to build robots, this is true. ;)

What I have done, however, is bought a small 8" Windows tablet, that I will eventually run my "code" on. This can then be incorporated into your bot, and it can talk to the EZB wirelessly.

My tablet will also function as a display unit for the bot!

The nicest feature about this setup is that you can keep your logic on the PC while you develop. When you are ready, you can build and deploy it on the tablet and release your bot into the world. :-)

@Fade, Agreed. That is how I do it with mine too. The development is done on my main pc (a Dell laptop). When ready to do so, port it over to my Acer W3 tablet which is attached to the robot. If I still need to do a little extra editing on that tablet, for ease of use, I even have a little wireless mini keyboard I keep in the robot.

@Neogirl, Like the others have said. The EZB is the way to go and I'm a STAMP convert. I'm no fan of programming either,still the EZB has made it fun to attach a sensor or two and easily get some result with a quick click of something.

Hey, it's DJ btw the robot is jd!

Great endorsement thread everyone - I'll make sure our sales department sees this - thanks!

Wow, thanks for the replies, everybody! :D

@DJ Sures Sorry about the name mix-up! I always get confused about DJ/JD. lol!

I think at this point I will make the switch! Thanks again, everyone! :)

So, here is my viewpoint but I also have stayed out of this conversation due to having discussed it many times before and being pretty busy these days...

You can't extend Arduino or other controllers like this without having a PC attached to them. What I mean is that if you look at the purpose of an Arduino, it is to be a controller for specific items and not an overall controller. Once you attach a serial cable to it and run this to a PC, it opens up a lot more capabilities because the computer can run applications that check the status of things on the arduino, but the arduino is then just used to control those specific things (which is what an arduino is good at doing).

With the EZ-B and ARC, you essentially have the same type of thing, but a lot more. ARC handles a lot of the things that you wouldnt want to have to deal with anyway, and allows you to then focus on the things that you want to mess with. This isnt to say that you cant extend the EZB by also using Arduinos to communicate with it, but that becomes your option. Now, the power is in ARC... ARC uses the resources on a PC well and allows you to then have access to anything that your pc has access to. If it isnt in ARC and you really want it, you can develop plugins to allow ARC to do something that isnt nativly within ARC. From there, you can share what you have done with others, or work with others to make something even more amazing.

If the PC has access to the internet, the world of possibilities for your robot becomes wide open. Information is available, IoT devices are popping up everywhere, home automation is possible through many different avenues and the list goes on and on.

An arduino simply cant handle the same type of tasks that the EZ-B with ARC can. It wasn't designed to do this. It is a completely different mindset and a completely different set of possibilities simply not readily available to the Arduino platform.

I want to be clear, though... I use arduino's for my robot builds along with ARC, the EZ-B and an onboard computer. I use the devices for what they were designed to do and get very good and reliable results. The key is that you have the option to do what you want to do and expandable software that allows you to create whatever you want to create.