I am not sure if it will be of interest here, but I found some pictures of my first computer controlled Dalek build in 1982.
OMG, did I once look that young!
The Dalek was controlled via an RF link with a modified ZX81 computer (you can see the battery backed RAM that held the robots program and data when powered off). It also had very crude speech recognition (you can see the microphone/ultrasonic person detector above the keyboard). I designed a speech recognition algorithm that worked by detecting the zero crossings on the speech waveform, it worked well with command phrases.
This Dalek much later on also worked with a pocket RF transmitter (keyfob size) where I could follow the Dalek and control its movement with my hand in my pocket pressing the fob buttons so no one observing could see this and it looked like it was intelligently moving by itself. When I was product designer for one of the Worlds biggest car alarm companies, we used this Dalek (and RF fob) to hand of brochures at shows/conventions, it was always a hit strolling down the aisle threatening everyone that did not take a brochure!
Tony
@Richard R I'm the fat guy...
@Tony... I echo @Richard R. Fantastic.
@Richard R and @Doombot. LOL
Alan
@Doombot... I guess were a team then... I do grill pretty good burgers...
Great pictures ! I love it !
LOL Rich, I am a fat guy now eating too many burgers! What I meant about interest is that the robot is a bit of a relic now, as the tech is so out of date so it may be boring for some folks.
Richard R, Sinclair basic was so painfully slow that we had to use machine code (as it was referred to in those days where we had to POKE instructions/data registers etc into certain memory locations in a block of fixed memory) to do anything serious. In these early days (gosh I sound like Grandpa Simson!) we had to place this machine code in a large REM statement at the start of the program and a 16K Byte program would take over 20 minutes to save/load from a cassette recorder!
Tony
Here is how the Black Dalek looked in 1984 with some silver paint and a movie Dalek type claw. He is with my mini-me Dalek who was also controllable by the modded ZX81 computer.
Tony
I still have a TS1000 with the extra 16k memory module. 16K ... lol
I commented on facebook - but this is such a cool story. I'm intrigued by the computer. The rom battery backup - the program. machine code. all of it! I love oldschool tech.