Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00447
To: beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:25:01 +0100 (CET)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: hmmm...i wonder which subject
On Mon, 15 Feb 1999, Noam Rudnick wrote:
> The one question of value (in my opinion) which wasn't answered
> was what real world jobs can "BEAM" robots take on? No one
> really came up with a good answer.
With a little luck, they teach their builders something of value.
Discounting that, nothing at all, so far. Note that the same can be
said about almost every small mobile robot.
> Yeah we can say mine disposal
Hardly a proven application and afaik not being funded anymore.
> and data collectors in harsh environments,
Again, hardly a proven application. If you are thinking of
scouts on Mars and so on, note that being able to remotely modify
your scout - by uploading new software - is a very real advantage.
> but lets talk about everday life. What role can beam bots...or
> any bot for that matter...take on in our houses? Cleaning??? Is
> that the best we can do? Little things that walk around and drag
> dust along with them?
Mark T. experimented with "Dust Mice," but in my house, they would
get underfoot. Small `bots might conceivably do a good job as lawn
mowers. And perhaps that task does not require uCs.
> Now don;t take this the wrong way. I think beam bots are great.
> I like their life-like nature, but are electronic beasts the best
> we are going to do??
Successful educational toys rather than beasts. No mean
achievement, btw.
> I'm just throwing this idea out to see what other people think. MAybe a
> little bit because i'm gonna build a 5motor walker, and i want it to do
> more than just walk toward light.
Five motors are likely to tax any power source they can carry.
Either the power to weight ratio or the range will suffer. The
number of walking `bots doing actual work in the real world is
very close to zero.
> hope this at least makes this thread a little more interesting...
Sorry to have bored you. I've been off this list for about a year,
and on returning (about a week ago) found things almost exactly as
I left them - the `bot's performance, the topics of discussion, the
lot. But that's kind of comforting. Perhaps BEAM is perfect the way
it is, right now.
Best,
Steve
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# sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
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