Thx for that, i've been in quite some work lastly, so i also forgot this
email. I do have some feedback, and will send them to those who are
interested ;)
I hope to start working on a robot for this year's french robotic cup,
and if i can find the funds, i'll by a balloon card. I think it'll be
the best way to spread the news, and show what's it's capable of!

Regards

Mathieu AGOPIAN

Laurie van Someren a écrit :
> On Thu 16 Sep, Mathieu AGOPIAN wrote:
> 
>>Ok maybe it's the right time for me to introduce myself ;)
>>I heard about the Balloon project from Peter Long (Cambridge University)
>>while attending to a Robotic Internation Design Contest.
>>Actually i'm just beginning in the field of robotics, but i'm quite
>>involved with a lot of french people mainly participating to the French Robotic
>>Cup (around 180 teams competing each year on a different theme, each team
>>composed from 4 to sometimes 20 members).
>>The card seems (nearly) perfect for that use : autonomous robots.
>>I'm at the time collecting remarks about the Balloon board, and might soon
>>have some feedback for you (if you are interested in having them ;)
>>
>>I'm actually starting my third (and hopefully last) year of Phd Thesis in
>>computer science in South of France (Marseille), and I am really interested
>>in robotics myself (it's more a hobby than a study for the moment).
>>I founded a robotic club in Marseille, and hope to be able to compete to
>>this year's French Cup.
>>I'm also willing to help out, in any way possible ;) (documentation,
>>development, collecting feedback from teams, "advertising" to the teams
>>competing, maybe demonstrating?)
>>
>>That's it for now, please ask if you have any question or comment, and tell
>>me where help would be needed !
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Mathieu AGOPIAN
>>
>>P.S: i'm actually spreading the news about the balloon project to people
>>working with "Planete Sciences", a national association in France, willing
>>to bring science to the youth, and organising the French Robotic Cup (and a
>>whole lot of events in different fields like Energy, Environment, Space,
>>Astronomy ...).
>>
>>On top of the French Robotic Cup, a European Robotic Cup is held, called
>>Eurobot Open (open, because countries from other continents also
>>participate).
>>
>>If you speak french, you can give a look at http://www.planete-sciences.org 
>>otherwise you can go to http://www.planete-sciences.org/robot/concours/eurobot/garde_e
>>n.html
>>which talks about the Eurobot Open Cup.
>>
>>All those people might be interested in having a cheap, efficient, low
>>consumption, aimed at robotic , that'll prevent them from having the hassle
>>to "tweak" a PC to fit it in their robot.
>>
>>I will give you (if you still want to ;) feedback from some of these people,
>>and give you a list of what they would maybe like to have with (or on) the
>>card, regarding software and/or hardware.
>>
> 
> 
> Matthieu,
> 
> I am afraid your email has been sadly and rudely neglected.
> 
> We are very pleased to hear you are spreading the word about Balloons,
> and to have feedback from you and potential users. To prevent
> disappointment, I have to say that we are finding it difficult to reduce
> the cost of building them in the way that we had hoped to.  We need a
> Rich Uncle who can fund a large build to hold in stock...
> 
> We are planning another build with the expectation that Peter Long at the
> CU Engineering Department will buy some, and another regular customer, in
> January 2005.
> 
> Another project seems to be nearing completion here, and we shall spend
> more time on Balloon after that.  I am inviting my colleague Wookey to
> suggest areas in which you might be able to support the project.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> LvS
> 
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