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BEAM
BEAM is a school of robotics, starting
from simple reflexes, in a "bottoms-up" approach. The
majority of BEAM robots are non-computerized (although
simple CPUs can be used to drive them, in a "horse and
rider" sort of way). Unlike many traditional processor-based
robots, BEAM robots are cheap, simple, and can be built by a
hobbyist with basic skills in a matter of hours. Because of
this, BEAM is an excellent way of getting started in
robotics, and of learning about electronics.
BEAM is the brainchild of Dr.
Mark W.
Tilden, formerly a researcher at
Los
Alamos National Laboratory, now in the managerial
stratosphere at Wow-Wee
toys, a division of Hasbro (official title:
Bio-Mechanical Physicist, R&D Department).
BEAM is an acronym standing for
Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics,
Mechanics:
Biology -- It's tough
to beat 4 billion years of evolution; the world around us
is a wonderful source of inspiration and education. Bear
in mind, of course, that unlike Mother Nature, you also
have the advantage of gears, motors, bearings, and good
glues!
Electronics -- It kind of
goes without saying, but this is what we'll use to drive
our creations. BEAM robotics, though, strives for rich
behaviors from simple circuits. Here's the key:
simple and understandable circuits, surprisingly complex
in behavior.
Aesthetics -- This just
means your creations should look good. I'm an engineer,
but even I appreciate a good-looking design.
Besides, if a design looks "clean," it's more likely to
work (and easier to test / debug) than a design that's
tangled and unruly.
Mechanics -- This is the
less-than-obvious secret of many successful BEAMbots --
with a clever mechanical design, you can reduce the
complexity of the rest of your robot (reducing the number
of motors and sensors, for example).
BEAM robotics basically starts from 3 philosophical
tenets:
- Use minimalist
electronics
This keeps complexity from "snowballing", and keeps costs
down
- Recycle & reuse components
out of technoscrap
This keeps things cheap, and avoids a lot of trips to
parts stores; virtually all the parts required to make a
BEAM robot can be found in broken electronics (ovens,
walkman's, CD players, VCRs, pagers...).
- Solar power your critter if
possible
While less powerful than even a small battery (and,
up-front, more expensive), solar
cell s last for years;
solar-powered BEAMbots don't require constant
battery
replacements or down-time for
battery
recharging.
While BEAM robots are often simple
(consisting of a solar
cell , motor, 2
transistors
, and capacitor
), robots as complicated as 8-jointed,
4-legged walking spiders have been built using the
principles of BEAM.
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