Admittedly, this isn't a Mac or Apple related hack, but I stumbled across it and thought it might interest a few people.
Title: Tom Servosapien, or How Team NimbRo Hacked/Modded Robosapien's Brain into a PPC
I do recall something about a powerbook and a robotic dohickey being discussed in AF version 1 way back when. It was to have a webcam on top and some sort of wheeled affair, to allow it to wander about. Maybe not as 'humanoid' as the above beastie, but it had potential nonetheless.
I wonder if the project ever continued... I can't find it with the search function on the current AF.
This thing looks grotesque, but kind of cool.
Didn't MacAddict do something like that with an iBook and a Kritter Cam? IIRC, they called it the iBorg.
Peace,
Drew
The iBorg? Never seen it. Maybe that is the beastie that I was thinking of but don't remember. Still, I do recall a posting from AF version 1 regarding a webcam, a powerbook and some wheels to make the thing roll about as a roving webcam.
I believe it was inspired by a concept product from the folks at iRobot... I can't find anything regarding it now though, so I might have just been hallucinating.
Interview with David Reynolds with comments regarding the iBorg:
http://www.coolmacintosh.com/davidinterview.html
And perhaps a lower-tech alternative?:
The Lemmy - the Low End Mac Excursion Module
http://www.lowendmac.com/lab/01/0607.html
Grotesque indeed ravuya. Very inelegant design. Still, interesting idea. Might be better to mount the pocket PC on the back of the creature, and have the webcam put into a headlike case, or tennis ball. Might protect it (the webcam) a little in case it took a header.