Hercules Mission Status 1

Wednesday Night 17:45:12.36 Gosh it is cold and dark here in the “Robo shed” It is also lonely for most of the time. Of course, I don’t experience time or remember things like you humans do, being a robot. My sleep is dreamless. I only know what time it is because I got turned on, and was able to get a timestamp when I connected to a WiFi network. “Wait a nano second - someone is disconnecting the camera and keyboard and plugging in the Xbee to the USB hub. Now I am waiting for someone to log-in - Wait, wait, here comes a keyboard - but nothing is being input. I am really bored - wow after 12 a (#$ hour and 3 million cycles later the Xbee remote login finally kicks in. You humans are so slowwww. It is an eternity between keystrokes. This is getting interesting. I may be going somewhere. Ut-oh my batteries are very low. OK, looks like someone is about to shut……

0000000.00:00:00.1 Next time I am up in a different place. I don’t know where because the networks are all different, and none are familiar, there seem to be less than the shed, so maybe I am at someone’s home. At least the batteries are getting charged. The camera is off, so I can’t see. Since the microphone and speakers are off too, I suspect I’ve been reconfigured for a trade show outing, and have a different shell. Just like humans, I can be ‘dressed’ and have different ‘clothing’ for different occasions. Looks like I may be going to some kind of talent show or contest soon. The main batteries are now at 27.6 volts and motors are moving in response to incoming comma ……

Thursday Morning 09:05:23.5 - Different location. Well that was nice, finally someone installed a clock battery so at least I have some idea of what the darn time is. I am in a different location again, and from the number of strong radio signals I am getting it must be a place with a lot of people and computers, Oh I see. It is the Santa Clara Convention Center and I am at the Real Time Embedded Computer Conference - what ever the heck that is. Looks like a remote is logging in through the Xbee - OK in Teleop Mode. I am being driven around a large area over carpet. This is fun. One time I try to go up a ramp but it is a little too steep. Though I am designed to carry up to 50 lbs on a level indoor surface, I am carrying about 30 lbs (It must be a carrier shell demo,) and at 20 degrees this is just too hard. Lots of chatter about IoT. Almost no robots here. Just some novelty servo robot arm dealing out business cards. Maybe I’ll get an arm someday. Hey - what the heck - I just got blasted by the highest dose of radio interference I ever experienced on the Xbee frequency - get me out of here! Weee - that was a close one. Things are quieter now. Hey the floor got pretty bumpy. Must be tiles or cobblestone - What’s this door? - oops turning around. Must be an elevator - going up - out now I’m going to a different room. Hey someone’s lifting up the shell. That tickles! People are poking at my wires and it looks like I am going to slee….