Now why would you do THAT?

 An Update on AWS Deep Racer OK, so AWS Summit Sydney has been run and won.  Not by us however, but there are few interesting tidbits to report: The console is now widely available This is actually pretty big news, because: The console ties together Robomaker, SageMaker and everything else you need in a convenient package There are actual examples of functions included It seems to stay running now There is new firmware for the car Also important; this includes a rolling update for the Ubuntu base as well as the Deep Racer specific bits.  WiFi connection seems more reliable now as well. Our car has a new look Since my employer (Versent) was generous enough to send me to Re:Invent last year (where I got the Deep Racer), I thought it appropriate to deck it out in the company colours, and it was well-received at Summit last week.

My Deep Racer has finally arrived back in Australia There's a few things I have learned already, and I will share them as I go along. Charging the batteries Power The charger for the compute battery pack simply needs a 3-pin appliance cable to connect it to non-US power outlets.  Yes, you can use a plug adapter, but I find they get loose over time. The LiPo charger needs a 9V 0.5A plug pack.  The centre pin is positive.  There is a considerable power drain on the CPU battery even when the module is off.  My advice is disconnect both batteries when not in use, because that big pack takes a long time to charge. Tail light colours Note that these colours might vary depending on the version of software you're running.  When I first unpacked it, there were no lights at all. Red - Something is wrong.  The usual cause is failure to connect to WiFi.  The official documentation lists some troubleshooting tips Blue - Connecting to the ...

Today, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the AWS "Deep Racer" at it's annual re:Invent conference in Las Vegas.  I was fortunate enough to get hold of one of the first batch of production units, and since most of you will not yet have seen one I thought I would give you a run down, as well as my first impressions. What is it? Deep Racer is a 1/18th scale AWD buggy with a cute body shape finished in back and silver-grey.  The body shape is quite interesting, but we'll come back to that later.  The chassis appears similar in design and components to many other low-cost remote control buggies You're no doubt interested in what's inside.  There is a single-board controller carrying an Intel Atom processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB Storage 802.11ac WiFi, a 1080p camera and battery packs.  It can also be used as a remote control vehicle through an app. (updated November 29) The controller board looks a lot like an Up Board, but I can't confirm this witho...