BEAM robotics

BEAM is a collective term for a certain kind of robots that use primarily analog circuits (instead of a microcontroller ) to copy the behavior of a natural organism. The acronym BEAM stands for:

In addition to the basic mechanisms BEAM brought a lot of useful tools for the budding roboticist: The circuit of the solar engine, many reduced control units for motors and designs for mechanical sensors. Many techniques have been documented and disseminated by the BEAM community, approximately robot to construct the size of a hand.

Mechanisms and fundamentals

The underlying mechanism was invented by Mark Tilden: electrical circuits (or neural nets ) are used as artificial neurons to simulate biological neurons. A robot, designed according to the BEAM - principle, is able to react to certain external stimuli (stimulus - response principle). The circuit of Tilden is often compared to a shift register, but with various additional features that are useful for the work of the mobile robot. Already Ed reed man described similar simulations in his book " Experiments in Artificial Neural Networks ".

In contrast to other types of robots ( controlled by microcontroller about ) are simple behaviors associated with a BEAM robot directly with the sensor systems that run at low external input. This design philosophy is described in the book by Valentino Braitenberg: it is explored through a series of thought experiments, as can develop and cause complex behavior through simple inhibitory and excitatory sensor signals a robot.

Microcontrollers and programming are not normally part of a conventional (ie, pure ) BEAM robot. However, robots have been developed that combine both technologies. These hybrids have one hand robust control systems and on the other hand, the mobility of dynamic programming, such as the BEAM robots that were structured according to the so-called horse - and - rider ( The Scout Walker 3 is such a robot ). Here, the robot housing ( the horse ) controlled by a traditional BEAM technology. The microcontroller with its programming impact on the robot body from the position of the rider and bypassed if necessary. The rider component is not necessary for the function of the robot, but without it the robot will lose the influence of a clever brain that tells him what to do.

Biology and Mechanics

A BEAM robot tries (originally inspired by the work of Rodney Brooks) to copy the behavior and characteristics of a natural organism, to imitate with the ultimate goal of these wild robot by its reactive behavior -based. Of this behavior is the reaction of an organism to various lighting conditions. BEAM many robots are designed to operate in a wide range of light levels. They use solar energy to power small solar cells a solar engine.

Species

There are different kinds of BEAM robots pursuing any one specific goal. The most widespread is the series of photo- tropics; they look for light sources to supply about her driven by solar energy systems with energy. Other examples are:

  • Audiotrope react to sound sources. Audiophile move toward sound sources.
  • Audiophobe Remove from sound sources.
  • Photo Phile move on light sources to
  • Photophobe move away from light sources
  • Radio Audiophile move toward the source to
  • Radiophobe remove yourself from the source
  • Thermophilic move to the source to
  • Thermophobe remove yourself from the source

Genera

BEAM robots can be based on their mechanisms for moving and positioning divide (a selection):

  • Sitter: immobile robot for a passive purpose Beacons transmit a signal (such as a navigation signal ), can use the other BEAM robots
  • Pummers: show light show
  • Ornaments: Sitter, neither beacons nor Pummer
  • Magbots: use magnetic fields for their movement
  • Flagwavers: Move a display ( or a flag ) in a certain frequency
  • Heads: follow recognizable symptoms and swing there, as light (. Popular in the BEAM community can be autonomous robots, but are usually in a larger robot integrated)
  • Vibrators: use a small stepper motor to shake itself
  • Snakes: move in a horizontal wave motion.
  • Earthworms: move in a longitudinal traveling wave motion
  • Turbots: roll the entire body, using their arms.
  • Inch Worms: move forward parts of their body, while the rest of the shell remains on the ground.
  • Tracked Robots: use chains like a tank
  • Vibrobots: produce an irregular movement along a boundary
  • Springbots: move forward by jumping in one direction
  • Symets: drive with a single motor, the drive shaft touches the ground.
  • Solar Rollers: solar-powered cars whose single motor driving one or more wheels.
  • Poppers: Use two motors with separate power supply; use various sensors to achieve a goal
  • Mini Balls: change their focus so that their spherical body rolls.
  • Motor drive: uses motors to move the legs (typically a maximum of 3 motors)
  • Drive by muscle strand: use wires of a nickel- titanium alloy, to drive the legs
  • Boatbots: operate on the surface
  • Subbots: operate below the surface
  • Helicopter: use a powerful motor for moving
  • Planes: Use fixed or movable wings for take off
  • Blimps: Use a balloon to lift off

Applications and current research

Currently, there are few commercial applications for autonomous robots, with the exception of iRobot ( an autonomous vacuum cleaner) and a few rasenmähenden robots. An important practical application of BEAM is the development of moving systems and in the field of hobby and teaching. Mark Tilden successfully used BEAM for its prototypes ( commercial toys), such as the Robosapien ( BioDroid ) BIOBug and ROBORAPTOR.

Roboticists currently have difficulty with the lack of direct control over the pure BEAM circuits. It is therefore working on it, if biomorphic techniques ( the natural systems copy) can be used; its performance seems to be significantly better compared with traditional technique. There are many examples which show that small brains of insects a much better performance than most of the modern microcomputer.

Another difficulty in applying the beam technology is the random nature of the neural network: it requires new techniques the designer to influence the characteristics of the circuits and to change. A selection of international academics meets annually in Telluride, Colorado, to deal with these problems. Mark Tilden was until recently part of this effort; However, he had to withdraw it because of her commercial obligations to WowWee toys.

Since the BEAM robots do not have a long-term memory, they can not learn from mistakes. The BEAM community is working to counter this disadvantage. One of the most progressive in this area is the robot ( called Hider ) by Bruce Robinson. He has an impressive degree of memory ( for a design without microprocessor).

Publications

Patents

  • U.S. patent 613 809 - Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vehicle or Vehicles - Tesla's " telautomaton " patent; First logic gate.
  • U.S. Patent 5325031 - Adaptive robotic nervous systems and control circuits therefor - Tilden 's patent; A self- Stabilizing control circuit Utilizing pulse delay circuits for controlling the limbs of a limbed robot, and a robot Incorporating seeking a circuit; artificial " neurons ".

Literature and texts

  • Conrad, James M., and Jonathan W. Mills, " Stiquito: advanced experiments with a simple and inexpensive robot," The future for nitinol -propelled walking robots, Mark W. Tilden. Los Alamitos, Calif. , IEEE Computer Society Press, c1998. ISBN 0-8186-7408-3
  • Still, Susanne, and Mark W. Tilden, " Controller for a four legged walking machine ( PDF file, 260 kB) ". ETH Zurich, Institute of Neuroinformatics, and Biophysics Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
  • Braitenberg, Valentino, " Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology ", 1984, ISBN 0-262-52112-1.
  • Rietman, Ed, " Experiments In Artificial Neural Networks ", 1988. ISBN 0-8306-0237-2
  • Tilden, Mark W., and Brosl Hasslacher, " Robotics and Autonomous Machines: The Biology and Technology of Intelligent Autonomous Agents ", LANL Paper ID: LA- UR 94-2636, Spring 1995.
  • Dewdney, A.K. " Photovores: Intelligent Robots are Constructed From Cast Offs ". Scientific American Sept 1992, v267, n3, p42 ( 1)
  • Smit, Michael C., and Mark Tilden, "Beam Robotics ". Algorithm, Vol 2, No. 2, March 1991, Pg 15-19.
  • Hrynkiw, David M., and Tilden, Mark W., " Junkbots, Bugbots, and Bots on Wheels ", 2002. ISBN 0-07-222601-3 ( book support website)
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