Programming Robots and Compatibility Issues

My aim yesterday was to workout how to create a program in C++. load it onto the robot and run it. It should have been easy, I thought that I had set my goals too low, but it was what I was up to.

I am using a Visa laptop, this enables me to take my computer to the Uni where the robots are kept. It is also the newest computer that I have being approximately a year old, and should therefore be best placed to run the software that I need. I would have liked to have done this under Linux rather than windows, but I don't have a Linux box running at the moment, and don't have time. And a Linux laptop .... well that's for the future.


I had previously installed Visual Studio C++ 2008 Express Version, this being freely available on the Net. I had also installed the Aria source code etc., as well as NEAT source code. The Aria code was original written with Studio 2003 so needed converting to the 2008 version. I had spent some time getting at least a little familiar with the package. It was hard to find a starting point, and was heavy going, so I hadn't got as far as I would have liked! This is normal though for me trying to come to terms with someone else's code. I didn't get as far as compiling anything new.

Once I arrived at the Uni, Michael showed me how to set up an ad hoc network on the laptop they have there, and get a remote login to the robots. We were able to control the robot from the laptop easily. The aria software runs well, and is easy to use.

Next I wanted to know how to load a program that I had written and run it on the robot. This is where the problems started.

Fist working out how to use Studio 2008 was a bit of a problem. It would have been good if I had had enough foresight to do that before arriving at Uni. With Michael's patient assistance we worked out how to compile one of the examples. We loaded it onto the computer but it wouldn't run. We tried compiling a release version rather than a debug version. We tried copying all the DLLs into the same directory but it didn't help.

Eventually we decided that working with Studio 2003 which was used to create Aria in the first place may be the way to go. After spending an hour and a half loading the older version of Visual Studio it was approaching 7pm and with a 2 hour drive ahead of me I came home.

The next step was to install the service pack, but after 3 failed attempts I gave up. The program failed to start. Michael sent me some links showing that Microsoft is not supporting Studio 2003 on Vista.

I am currently uninstalling C++ 2003.

Its back to getting 2008 to work on the robot.