The use of Linux-based systems for interfacing and controlling robots is not new, but what is new is that computing platforms have become affordable for the hobbyist, and can be done completely within OSS.

This presentation goes over a robot, computer and controller design, integration, and lessons learned in the course of implementation. It will provide a brief introduction and overview, including references, to the various OSS components and sample code used in the implementation including:

• Linux host environment for building 16F877 PIC micro controller code, in JAL.
• Linux host experiences for building and working with embedded kernels + root file systems (OE, NSLUG, gumstix…).
• Interfacing Linux controller with micro controller using Python.
• Hopefully a show and tell to finish out the presentation.