Roland D-Beam

[Gladmarr]

Does anyone know where I could get the gadget that Roland uses to do this?  I'm sure there's some more magic under the hood, but I want to control my stuff with beams!!!   {insert bad spacey sound effects done with mouth here}

http://www.roland.com/products/en/exp/D_BEAM.html

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Roland's US lawyers threatened me because they thought i was usingtheir licenced D-beam! in my Frostwave Spacebeam.
but I wasn't.. I was just usign a reflected modulated infrared beam, seeing how much reflected back (good over a 6inch to 2 foot range or so).
The robotics guys are big on beams.
Depends whether you want a 'continuous' controller (in whiich case think reflection, or ultrasonic distance detector) or just a trigger (think laser pointers and photransistors).

[loscha]

Roland must feel they have something special going on if they hassle people for making anything using a non-contact interface.
I can't see what's overly special about the D-Beam
is it a 3-dimensional thing, controlling 3 parameters at once? or just 2?

would be curious exactly what foo they have going on, hope someone has seen inside of one, and can post notes

[Gladmarr]

Hmmmpf, those lawyer types... Why don't they pick on someone like Behringer?  I figured the D-beam was just a modulated IR beam.  So it's probably not a premade module you can get somewhere?  You mean I'm going to have to use my own brain, like a sucker?!?   :lol:

Paul, why does it seem you got to all the good ideas before me?  I learned the hard way like a year ago that you need to modulate those IR beams.  I was trying to make one of those beam break detectors for an audio sampler trigger (exhibit stuff) and I never got it working beyond 10 inches or so.  I figured out lots later that I had to modulate the beam and then demod it on the other end.  Sooo much more work than just two LEDs facing each other.  Blah.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Paul, why does it seem you got to all the good ideas before me?  I learned the hard way like a year ago that you need to modulate those IR beams.  

I might get to some ideas before you, but that doesn't mean I was the first there!! the modulated beam trick goes back to 1956 at least :wink:  you would be suprised what is in 'old' books, like the analog computer texts by Graninio Korn. There isn't much that is genuinely new, just new applications of existing stuff. Somebody has been given a patent for a blue squashball, they didn't invent blue, or squash balls, or painting...
I find it is harder to come up with something people want, rather than working out how to do it! (especially since, when you push people to say EXACTLY what they want, they don't actually know, or want two mutually incompatable things at the same time).
Usually when someone asks "could you make me a box.." and I say, "first draw me the front of the box with the knobs labled & write what each does" I never see the person again!

[Gladmarr]

Paul,

I'll draw you a box this week.  It'll be sweet, and everyone will want one.

It'll be like that car Homer Simpson designed for his brother's car company.

[Gladmarr]

Paul,

Just as I promised, here is the drawing of a box that you wanted.  It's scribbled on an "e-napkin."