BEAM Robotics

Mark Tilden Is the man who discovered BEAM robotics. He is the mentor to all of us who practice his philosophy. We affectionately call him "The Big God" a quote

BEAM is an acronym for:
Biology- Many aspects of the design and function of BEAM robots parallel nature.
Electronics- Simple control circuitry which allows for emergent behavior.
Aesthetics- Make it pretty and it will work better. My robots are very ugly ;) .
Mechanics- The mechanics of the BEAM robot's body are just as important as the electronics in it's brain.
These are the four words which BEAMers live by.

BEAM robotics is a new field of robotics. It uses minimalist electronics to create elegant mechanical creatures that parallel their natural counterparts in many ways. The simplicity of BEAM construction allows people from all walks of life and levels of education to create very capable autonomous robots without learning to program or a government research grant. If you have the mechanical skill to straighten out a paperclip until it can roll down an incline plane you can build a beambot. The potential for progressive learning makes BEAM an excellent hobby for young children who can learn basic construction techniques and mechanics, with parental aid of course, and move up to the electronics portion when they are ready.

BEAM devices come in infinite shapes and sizes. Some have wheels, some have legs, some even have wings and there are some which use completely different modes of transportation. The brains used to control BEAM "lifeforms" are very simple compared to the rats-nets of wiring and circuitry in conventional robots. These brains, also called nervous networks, contain no microprocessors with many BEAM critters having less transistors than a common radio. By wiring in basic sensors to influence the nervous network, we can control how the robot behaves much like putting blinkers on a race horse to make it run straight. These sensors include light detectors, touch feelers, heat sensors and just about anything you can think of. Your imagination is the limit.


You can buy kits at Solarbotics the BEAM robotics resource company.

Join the BEAM Robotics Club.

Got a question? Search through the eGroups E-mail archive
or
read the BEAM Tek FAQ.
If you still can't find the answer e-mail me.

Looking for robotics BOOKS?

A Five Motor Advanced Walker (Still under experimentation) How to Build a Photovore Two-Motor "Miller" Walker Another Two Motor Design A Three Motor Design BEAM Stuff, Links and Web Rings Under construction E-mail me. ICQ# = 5614919 Copyright Chiu-Yuan Fang 1999. All rights reserved. BEAM is a Trademark of Mark Tilden. All BEAM technology is Patented by Mark Tilden. BEAM Technology is not public domain. Commercial use must be prearranged with the patent holder. Best viewed with 800X600 or greater Site Written for 1024X768 resolution hits from June 02, 1998

BEAM Robotics News Got a news tidbit you want posted? E-mail it to me. News section is off-line for a while. Sorry. Tune in after the new year for my next contest. August '99 News July '99 News June '99 News May '99 News April '99 News March '99 News February '99 News January '99 News December '98 News November '98 News October '98 News September '98 News August '98 News July '98 News June '98 News