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| Sun Microsystems Laboratories Unveils Sun SPOT Project Sun Microsystems has announced Project Sun Small Programmable Object Technology (Sun SPOT), a battery operated platform for development of wireless sensor networks, robotics and personal consumer electronics. Project Sun SPOT opens the door for Java developers, educators, researchers and hobbyists to build creative applications for the next era of computing - programming the real world. Powered by a small Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) virtual machine written almost entirely in Java, Project Sun SPOT provides a way to easily, affordably and quickly build Java-based sensor applications that run directly on the central processing unit (CPU) without any underlying operating system. Project Sun SPOT will extend the reach of the Java programmer, enabling sensor application developers to move beyond the traditional development realm of keyboard, mouse and screen, to build applications limited only by the imagination. Near term applications already under development include medical monitoring, package tracking, and interactive home automation. Applications include explorations of swarm intelligence, experimentation with and deployment of mesh networks, custom robotics and the development of new types of gestural interfaces. Educators are already using Sun SPOTs and Java technology for classes on embedded programming, as well as in design classes for new consumer electronics. The Sun Labs Project Sun SPOT technology evaluation kit will include three Sun SPOTs: two stand-alone devices and one base station. All three Sun SPOTs include a processor board with 32-bit ARM9 CPU, 512 KB RAM and 4MB Flash memory, 2.4 GHz radio and USB interface. Each stand-alone Sun SPOT also includes a 3D accelerometer, temperature and light sensors, 8 tri-color light emitting diodes (LEDs), six analog inputs and 8 general purpose I/O ports for controlling relays, stepper motors and servos. The kit also includes a Java ME virtual machine, NetBeans 5.0 and a USB cable. Despite the long list of features, the combined sensor and processor boards fit in the palm of your hand, and are designed for maximum developer design creativity and flexibility. Developers can collaborate, learn and share ideas at SunSPOTWorld.com, a website designed specifically to support the Sun SPOT community. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Computing News :: home page |