Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00452
To: Noam Rudnick rudnick1@cwix.com, beam beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Ed Spike spike@engmail.uwaterloo.ca
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 16:59:52 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: hmmm...i wonder which subject
Hi
In 1990 I asked Mark Tilden to show his creations at the UW IEEE MicroMouse
contest in Toronto.
Mark and I both recognized that the MicroMouse was at a level which few
could get to without some previous experience.
Mark then coined BEAM; Biology, Ethnology, Analogy, and Morphology.
There are variations. For the younger group I tell them it means;
Building, Excitement, Antagonism, and Making.
Two MicroMouse designers from Montreal were able to land jobs relating to
their area. Martin's job involved writing software for flight training
symulators. Jeffroy's job involved designing atonimous underground mining
equipment.
Mark Tilden left the University of Waterloo for a position "down south".
Several students at the University of Waterloo gained a significant
advantage by showing their "BEAM or MicroMouse" projects on their resumes.
I know! I received reference requests from employers.
I tell the grade six to grade 12 students to just have fun and investigate.
I tell the University and College students to have fun and investigate.
I tell them all to start a the level they can understand and cop with.
Mark and I discussed in 1990 the fact that there had to be challenges that
could be understood and handled by persons at various levels of
understanding and development. Understanding and development can certainly
be enhanced by having a mentor. The WEB is great for the mentoring idea.
On thank note; I would like to say thanks to all the mentors out there.
Some mentors just get others in their local space, excited about the idea
of building. Other mentors are providing WEB pages and answers.
_ .... ._ _. _._
At 02:15 PM 2/15/1999 -0500, Noam Rudnick wrote:
>(this thread was "question")
>
>Look, we can argue about these things all day. Personally, I'm starting to
>get bored. 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. Yeah we can say mine disposal and data collectors in
>harsh environments, 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?
>
>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??
>
>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.
>
>hope this at least makes this thread a little more interesting...
>Noam
>
Ed Spike, Communication and Microwave Area Laboratory Instructor.
VE3TCK E&CE Department, University of Waterloo. E2-3357,
200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
(519)888-4567, x3716, FAX: (519)746-3077
URL: http://www.ece.uwaterloo.ca/~spike
IEEE Student Branch Computer Chapter Advisor, and Robotic Olympics
Co-0rdinator. http://ieee.uwaterloo.ca/
Amateur Radio - Emergency Services Committee Chair for KW ARC Inc.
http://www.kwarc.on.ca/
KW Judo Club ---Olympia Division. 113 Charles St. at Victoria.
http://www.ieee.uwaterloo.ca/judo/index.html
U. of W. Rover Crew Advisor, http://www.bigfoot.com/~UW_Rovers
17th Waterloo Scouts.
--
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