Penguicon

[Neal Probert]

Penguicon is a Linux/Sci-Fi convention being held on May 2-4, 2003 in Warren, MI at the Van Dyke Park Suites Hotel. For more information see http://penguicon.sourceforge.net/.

We have big names like Terry Pratchett (Discworld), Eric Raymond (The Cathedral and the Bazaar), J.D. Frazer/Illiad (User Friendly), Pete Abrams (Sluggy Freelance), Rob Malda/CmdrTaco (Slashdot) and others.

I will be running a robotics programming track which will consist of panels held on Saturday morning with competitions and demonstrations in the afternoon.

There will be three technical panels about robotics hardware and programming. There will be one or two crossover panels about robots or artificial intelligence in science fiction. I'm hoping to have one big fun Lego panel, building Mindstorms based Sumobots.

I am looking for volunteers (and materials) for those technical, crossover and lego panels. Each panel is expected to last up to an hour. Some panels, such as the lego one may go for two or three hours and we'll need someone to supply Legos and Mindstorms to build with.

In the afternoon 1-4pm, I'm hoping to have the big ballroom for a one on one FIRST competition demonstration. I'm looking for volunteer teams (2 or 3) to bring their bots in.

There will be the Lego Mindstorms Sumobot competition with those bots built that morning. I'll be putting mine up as the one to beat.

Perhaps we could have a competition using those EDU Robotics Kits from any teams interested in entering. Somebody want to take that one on?

There might be a Sumo Jeepbot competition (old Powerwheels Jeeps converted to R/C or autonomous bots and powered by Fisher Price motors). I've only started working on mine. Anybody got any leftover Victors they don't need?

I'm hoping to have a display area of classic, commercial, collectible and amateur robots of all types. I probably will even have an R/C play area.

Because I'll be so busy coordinating all this, I won't have the time to actually run any of the panels or competitions, I'll need lots of help. If you're interested in running a panel or just helping out, please let me know at neal@probestar.com.

This is going to be fun!

[Neal Probert]

Aw, come on, there's gotta be somebody out there who's interested in Linux and Robotics (and some Sci-Fi).

[xNexus]

I'd love to take part... I'm Debian Linux Nut and Trekkie. So this Linux/Sci-fi Convention sounds like a wonderful event to attend. But who from sci-fi is going to be there?

But you had to taint this convention by inviting Taco... no more ./