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LEGO robot helps stress-test iPad app

by Dave Caolo Sep 20th 2011 at 3:00PM

The developers at Pheromone Lab have been working on a photography iPad app for a client. The client asked them to load test the app by using it to take about 10,000 photos. Since no one was keen to press the shutter button ten thousand times, the gang got creative.

Using a LEGO Mindstorms kit and a cardboard box, the Pheromone Labs workers rigged up an automated iPad photographer. The rig's arm is equipped with an iPad stylus, which conducts electricity much as a human finger does. From there, all they had to do was sit back, pose for a few photos and complete the task that the client requested.

There's a brief video of the setup in action below. Nice work, folks!

The Robot (English version) from Pheromone Lab on Vimeo.



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The developers at Pheromone Lab have been working on a photography iPad app for a client. The client asked them to load test the app...
 

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8 Comments

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Barnaby Walters

Super-kudos to the developers for using a good old RCX instead of the newer NXT!

September 21 2011 at 2:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
damien

Hi Dave,

I posted this the theNXTstep.com just before you put it up on TUAW. Just wondering if you first saw it through us?

Damien

September 20 2011 at 9:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cole Orton

i guess these guys don't know about UIAutomation...

cool stunt though.

September 20 2011 at 3:25 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Cole Orton's comment
Mathieu Savage

We know about UIAutomation. In fact we did a script before making the robot. The robot was just too much fun ;)

September 20 2011 at 4:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
the-kenny

Why would you need a robot for this? The setup in the video doesn't even have the ability to count the turns of the motor / the count of touches as they are no sensors involved. (These motors doesn't feature a rotary encoder).

A motor and a power source would have been enough.

September 20 2011 at 3:15 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to the-kenny's comment
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