# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (Dec 6, 2009)

• Discussion of DIY book scanning technology, including homemade book scanning machines (http://bkrpr.org/doku.php), with debate about the challenges of mechanical page turning and the high cost of commercial page turners ($1,550-$3,800).

• Shared CAD files for a page turning device called "ez reader" (http://adl.serveftp.org/~bryan/ezreaderfiles.zip), originally designed for disabled individuals but potentially adaptable for book scanning.

• Reference to a LEGO-based delta robot designed for laboratory pipetting, demonstrating DIY approaches to laboratory automation.

• Mention of Ben Goertzel's "Red Brain" project in China, with some skepticism expressed about Goertzel's preference for "non-English speaking dev teams" who might be "more easily dazzled by his semantic arguments."

• Discussion of stigmergic collaboration research, with a link to "Stigmergic Landmark Foraging" by Nyree Lemmens and Karl Tuyls (http://nyreelemmens.weebly.com/publications.html).

• Brief mention of Arduino in the open hardware movement, with the quote "arduino makes hardware easyware."

• Concerns raised about intellectual property restrictions, with one user reporting they faced legal threats from their employer for posting photos of machinery on their blog.