BEAM robotics

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BEAM robotics (acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics) is a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analog circuits (instead of a microprocessor; though some "mutants" exist that do). BEAM is alternatively said to stand for:

Building Evolution Anarchy Modularity
Biotechnology Ethnology Analogy Morphology

Most BEAM robots are unusually simple in design compared to traditional mobile robots, and trade off flexibility in purpose for robustness of performance.

Contents

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Mechanisms and principles

The basic BEAM principles focus on a stimulus-response based ability within a machine. The underlying mechanism was invented by Mark W. Tilden where the circuit (or a neural network [referred to as a "Nv net"] of the artificial neurons [called Nv neurons]) is used to simulate biological neuron behaviors. Previously, there was some similar mechanism research by Ed Rietman in 'Experiments In Artificial Neural Networks'. Tilden's circuit is often compared to a shift register, but with several important features making it a useful circuit in a mobile robot.

Other rules that are included (and, to varying degrees applied):

  1. Use the lowest number possible of electronic elements ("keep it simple")
  2. Recycle and reuse technoscrap
  3. Use radiant energy (such as solar power)

There are a large number of BEAM robots designed to use solar power from small solar arrays to power a "Solar Engine" which creates autonomous robots capable of operating under a wide range of lighting conditions. Besides the simplistic computational layer of Tilden's "Nervous Networks", BEAM has brought a multitude of useful tools to a roboticist's toolbox. The "Solar Engine" circuit, many H-bridge circuits for small motor control, tactile sensor designs, and meso-scale (palm-sized) robot construction techniques have been documented and shared by the BEAM communityTemplate:Ref.

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BEAM robots

Being focused on "reaction-based" behaviors (as originally inspired by the work of Rod Brooks), BEAM robotics attempts to copy the characteristics and behaviors of natural organisms, with the ultimate goal of domesticating these "wild" robots. BEAM robotics also promotes the value of aesthetics in the design of the device, as to prove the adage "form follows function" (a good-looking robot is often better built and more robust than a poor-looking one).

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Microcontrollers

Unlike many other types of robots controlled by microcontrollers, BEAM robots are built on the principle of using multiple simple behaviors linked directly to sensor systems with little signal conditioning. This design philosophy is closely echoed in the classic book "Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology", which through a series of thought experiments explores the development of complex robot behaviors through simple inhibitory and excitory sensor links to the actuators. Microcontrollers and programming are usually not a part of a traditional (aka., "pure" ) BEAM robot due to the very low-level hardware-centric design philosophy.

There are successful robot designs mating the two technologies. These hybrids fulfill a requirement needing robust control systems with the flexibility of dynamic programming, like the "horse-and-rider" topology BEAMbots (ed., The ScoutWalker 3 is such a robot Template:Ref). A robot using BEAM technology controls the physical robot body (the "horse"), and the microcontroller and programming influences (and if needed, subsumes) the robot body from the "rider" position . The rider component is not necessary for the robot to function, but it will lose the important influence of a "smarter brain" telling it what to do.

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Types

There are various "-trope" BEAMbots, which attempt to achieve a specific goal. Of the series, the phototropes are the most prevalent, as light-seeking would be the most beneficial for a solar-powered robot.

  • Audiotropes reacts to sound sources.
    • Audiophiles: goes towards the sound source.
    • Audiophobes: goes away from the sources of sound.
  • Phototropes ("light-seekers") reacts to a light sources (ed. a common form of BEAMbot)
    • Photophiles: goes towards the light source.
    • Photophobes: goes away from the sources of light.
  • Radiotropes reacts to radio frequency sources.
    • Radiophiles: goes towards the RF source.
    • Radiophobes: goes away from the sources of RF.
  • Thermotropes reacts to a heat sources.
    • Thermophiles: goes towards the heat source.
    • Thermophobes: goes away from the sources of heat.
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Genera

BEAMbots have a variety of movements and positioning mechanisms. These include:

  • Sitters: Assumes a certain position (and not moving) and performs an action which creates a sense of curiosity (with no movement).
    • Beacons: Transmits useable signal (usually a navigational blip) for other BEAMbots to use.
    • Pummers: Displays a "light show".
    • Ornaments: A catch-all name for sitters (which are not beacons or pummers).
  • Squirmers: Assumes a certain position (and not moving) and performs an interesting action (with some or total movement of its limbs or appendages).
    • Magbots: BEAMbots that ultilize energy fields for its mode of animation.
    • Flagwavers: Motor that revolve a display (or "flag") around at a certain frequency.
    • Heads: Robotic devices that pivots and follows some detectable phenonomena (such as a light). These are popular in the BEAM community. These can be robots standing alone, but are (more often) incorporated into a larger robot framework.
    • Vibrators: A robot that uses a small pager motor to sit and shake itself about.
  • Sliders: Driven mode of locomotion by moving body parts smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it.
    • Snakes: Driven mode of locomotion in a horizontal wave motion.
    • Earthworms: Driven mode of locomotion in a compressive longitudinal wave motion.
  • Crawlers: Driven mode of locomotion by tracks or by transferring the robot's body on limbs or appendages; These have no dragging of the body on the ground.
    • Turbots: Rolls over and over as a mode of locomotion via an arm(s) or flagella.
    • Inchworms: Driven mode of locomotion via the robot's body undulating; this undulation moves part of the body ahead, while the rest of the chassis is on the ground.
    • Tracked robots: "Track-ed" wheel locomotion; tank-like action.
  • Jumpers: Driven mode of locomotion by propelling the robot off the ground and from place to place on the ground.
    • Vibrobots: Produces an irregular shaking motion moving themselves around a surface.
    • Springbots: Moves forward by leaps and bounds in one particular direction.
  • Rollers: Driven mode of locomotion by rolling all or part of the robot.
    • Symets: Driven mode of locomotion by a single motor; Has a symmetrical body and is balanced.
    • Solarrollers: Driven mode of locomotion by a single motor; Solar-powered BEAMbots that attempt to complete a fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of time.
    • Poppers: Driven mode of locomotion by multiple motors; Uses differential sensors achieve a goal.
    • Miniballs: Driven mode of locomotion via one or two motors; Entire robot body is caused to move by turning over (on an axis) while on the ground.
  • Walkers: Driven mode of locomotion by intermittent ground-contacting legs.
    • 1 motor (to 12 motors): Driven mode of locomotion via motor(s). (ed. motors numbering above 3 are uncommon)
    • Muscle wired: Ultilizes Nitinol (nickel - titanium alloy) for its actuators.
  • Swimmers: Driven mode of locomotion on or at place that is lower than the surface of a liquid.
    • Boatbots: Self-propelled on the surface of a liquid.
    • Subbots: Self-propelled under the surface of a liquid.
  • Fliers: Driven mode of locomotion through and/or supported by the atmosphere.
    • Helicopter: Powered rotor provides both lift and propulsion; Utilizes differential thrust to hop toward brighter areas (aka. "Hoppers")
    • Plane: Aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; Usually powered via non-solar power source (such as pneumatic or battery); Solar power for control.
    • Blimp: Aircraft that has neutrally-buoyant balloon for lift; Solar power for control and propulsion.
  • Climbers: Goes upward or downward with gradual or continuous progress on a track (such as a rope or wire).
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Applications

At present, autonomous robots have limited commercial application, with exceptions to the iRobot "Roomba", a few mowing robots, and military ROV fliers. The main practical application of BEAM has been in the rapid prototyping of motion systems and hobby / education applications. Mark Tilden has successfully used BEAM for the prototyping of products for Wow-Wee Robotics, witnessed by the evolution of the proto-"Robosapien"; a.k.a.: "BIODroid" Template:Ref, B.I.O.Bug and RoboRaptor. Solarbotics Ltd., Bug'n'Bots, and PagerMotors.com have all also brought BEAM-related hobby/educational goods to the marketplace.

Aspiring BEAM roboticists often have probems with the lack of direct control over "pure" BEAM control circuits. There is ongoing work to evaluate the techniques of Biomorphic techniques that copy natural systems that seem to have an incredible performance advantage over traditional techniques. There are many examples of how tiny insect / worm brains are capable of significant performance, which there has yet been engineered a suitable solution.

Another problem to widespread application of BEAM technology is the perceived random nature of the 'nervous network', which requires new techniques to be learned by the builder to successfully diagnose and manipulate the characteristics of the circuitry. An annual think-tank of international academics Template:Ref meet at Telluride, Colorado to address this issue directly, and until recently, Mark Tilden has been part of this effort (he had to withdraw due to his new commercial commitments with Wow-Wee toys).

Having no long-term memory, BEAM robots generally do not learn from past behavior, although there has been work in the BEAM community to address this issue. One of the most intensive BEAM robots leading up to this is Bruce Robinson's Hider Template:Ref, with an impressive degree of capability in a microprocessor-less design.

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Publications

Patents

  • Template:US patent - Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vehicle or Vehicles - Tesla's "telautomaton" patent; First logic gate.
  • Template:US patent - 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 such a circuit; artificial "neurons".


Books and papers

  • 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. LCCN 96029883 ISBN 0818674083
  • Tilden, Mark W., and Brosl Hasslacher, "Living Machines". Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
  • Tilden, Mark W. and Brosl Hasslacher, "The Design of "Living" Biomech Machines: How low can one go?"". Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
  • Still, Susanne, and Mark W. Tilden, "Controller for a four legged walking machine". ETH Zuerich, 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 Castoffs". 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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See also

People

Robotics

  • Wired intelligence: a robot that has no programmed microprocessor and possesses analog electronics between its sensors and motors that gives it seemingly intelligent actions.
  • Behavior-based robotics: branch of robotics that does not use an internal model of the environment.
  • Emergent behavior: the process of complex pattern formation from simpler rules.

BEAMbot types

  • Photovore: a robot that seeks light and uses it to power itself.
  • Solarroller: a dragster robot run by solar light.

Other

Elements

  • Monocore: This term can specifically mean one Nv neurons which is a simple oscillator. More generally, though, it is used to denote the connection of a pair of bicores.
  • Bicores: Nv network loop-topology with two Nv neurons. There are grounded bicores and suspended bicores.
  • Tricore: Nv network loop-topology with three Nv neurons.
  • Microcores: Closed-loop implementation of a nervous net responsible for direct actuator control. Any Nv network greater than or equal to four, but specifically any multiple numeric prefixed cores (such as a Quadcore, Quincore, Hexcore, Septcore, Octacore, etc.)
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Cited references


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External articles and other references

Main
Other resources
BEAMbots
  • Robinson, Bruce N., "Hider". Robinson's Robots, 2005.
  • Solarbotics, "The ScoutWalker 3". Competition robot kit.
Interviews and news

pt:Robótica BEAM sk:BEAM

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