Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- beam_robotics [2009-01-09 10:54] – davegriffiths
+++ beam_robotics [2009-01-09 12:48] – davegriffiths
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ===Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics===
-A design philosophy for robotics, where analogue electronics and reactive sensor control is preferred over digital electronics via a microcontroller and the use of planning AI.
+See also [[Robot Building]], [[Robot Design]] and [[Category Robotics]].
+A design philosophy for robotics, where analogue electronics and reactive sensor control is preferred over digital electronics, microcontrollers or the use of planning AI. BEAM is the invention of robotics physicist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Tilden|Mark Tilden]].
 ===Freeforming, Recycling and the use of Solar Power===
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 ===BEAM Nervous Networks===
-The control mechanism of a BEAM robot is a set of analogue circuits which are broadly biologically inspired, and can be connected together to provide fixed control signals (for tasks such as moving a multi-legged walker) or have sensors integrated into them to provide a link to the outside world.
+The control mechanism of a BEAM robot is a set of analogue circuits which are broadly biologically inspired, and can be connected together to provide fixed control signals (for tasks such as moving a multi-legged walker) or have sensors integrated into them to provide a link to the outside world. There is a distinctive language developed for the construction of these circuits, which I'll attempt to explain a bit of below.
 ==Nv Neuron==
@@ Line 21: / Line 23: @@
 {{http://www.pawfal.org/dave/images/beam/nvneuron.jpg}}
-An Nv neuron in the breadboard with a large capacitor, to make the pulse easier for a human to see.
+An Nv neuron in the breadboard with a large capacitor, to make the pulse easier for a human to see. The inverter is provided by the 7404 hex inverter, which contains 6 logical NOT gates that we subvert for non-digital means.
+{{http://www.pawfal.org/dave/images/beam/7404.png}}
+Schematic of the 7404
 ==Nv Neuron Array/Grounded Bicore==
@@ Line 55: / Line 61: @@
 ===Links===
+  * Mark Tilden's robots: [[http://www.beam-online.com/Robots/Galleria_other/tilden.html]]
+  * Some more example robots: [[http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbolt/e-index.html]]
+  * For more detail, go to the BEAM wiki: [[http://www.beam-wiki.org/wiki/Main_Page]]
+  * Solarbotics is the BEAM community server: [[http://www.solarbotics.net/]]
+  * The BEAM web ring: [[http://v.webring.com/hub?ring=beamring]]