[Yaaarc] Homebrew cellphone hardware and mobile robotics

[Keith Mc. (Route-To YAR)]

There a new homebrew mobile phone movement in Silicon Valley
(represented by attention to the Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile 
Phone Club), which I believe may have an impact on both wearable
computing and mobile robotics.

The club's site: 
   http://telefono.revejo.org/
Article "New can-do club wants to build a better cellphone"
   http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/14546202.htm

The movement is toward establishing "open phone" technology, but it
is still in its infancy.  Driving it is a growing base of embedded
systems hobbyists and developers who are tired of crappy phone 
interfaces, hardware, and software (see the article), and wish to 
roll their own.

But it will probably be fiercely battled by the major cell carriers, 
who are afraid of both risking their networks to untested phone
apps, and losing their captive market on cell phone sales for their 
networks.

If this field DOES take off, I predict there'll be a *huge* impact 
on mobile robotics from spinoff hardware. Not only would having 
an integrated GPS/GPRS modem that could be used by a mobile robot 
for navigation and comm be extremely cool, IMHO it would also serve 
as an enabling technology for "seriously wandering" robotic devices.

Comments?

- Keith Mc.