New Project!

I got a new project at work today! Of course it's super super top secret, so I can't write anything about it, but I'll be working with a new robot that one of the researchers in my group just built. It's pretty basic right now, and for the moment I'm just going to be working on getting the localization and navigation functional. The control software is pretty much all written already - we adapted it from another robot.

It'll be a month or two before we can start getting to the interesting research part of the project, but it's exciting to have a new robot to play with. I've got a whole new codebase to learn, though, and I need to regain my "linux legs". It should be fun, though, and hopefully what I learn from the new robot will help me improve the design of the software for my current robot.

Actually, the thing I'm most excited about is that I have somebody to work with. For months now I've been working on a project that was like, "Here's a brainless hulk of a robot. Architect and implement all the control software for it from scratch." It's certainly a very cool project, and one which I'm lucky to have been assigned, but maybe not the best thing for a rookie roboticist.

I feel like I should include a photo, so, since Thanksgiving is in a few days, here is a photo I took at the Parkers' farm this summer.