Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01304
To: TurtleTek@aol.com
From: Craig Maynard cybug@home.com
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 21:28:08 -0700
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: plants
TurtleTek@aol.com wrote:
>
> Greetings
>
> As I said before, I see the BEAM plant to not be a bot on it's own. I see the
> plant + the charging bot (the "cow") as one robot together. I'm exactly sure
> what advantage this have to the usual solar powered BEAM bot. I suppose it's
> just cool. By the by, have any of you ever actually build a plant and a bot to
> go with it?
>
Craig Maynard responded:
Yes, the whole CYBUG philosophy is to play with a balanced robotic
ecosystem ( plant, herbivore, predator. ) I've messed around with all
different shapes and sizes of plants and feeding stations trying to find
one which passes the precious energy along in the most efficient
fashion.
I've found, though, that one plant seldom suffices. Things seem to be
most stable if the robots have several plants to sip from. My best
"plants" stop appearing like our organic plants, and look more like
"caves" which the robots wander into. ( i call these caves "feeding
troughs" )
I'll drop a video of the whole ecosystem on the web if your interested
in seeing it in action.
Craig
> -TurtleTek
>
> JVernonM@aol.com writes:
> > Yes, I think that is the accepted definition. I have a tendency to
> elaborate
> > on the category. It seems to me that having a bot feed off the plant is a
> > bonus feature of artificial plants. In nature, plants don't need the bot to
> > feed. They exist on their own. The definition of a BEAM plant might just as
> > well include solar powered, organically shaped, plant forms. Most plants
> > tolerate or exploit the feeding of animals in order to gain some benefit.
> > Usually reproduction. BEAM plants will likely never reproduce, so they
> would
> > require no need to participate in a symbiotic relationship. You are, in
> > essence, simulating the relationship from the view of the animal. That is,
> > plants only exist to feed animals, and that's not really true. From the
> view
> > of the plant a symbiotic relationship with a bot has no benefit. The bot
> > would
> > need to do something for the plant in order to call it a symbiosis. I think
> > BEAM plants should be unique works of biomorph tech that function as the
> > Bonsai, and ornamental shrub of the BEAM PARK. Works of beauty that can
> > double
> > as a charging station. That would mean my bouquets and the sketch mentioned
> > online are plants. Electronic sculpture in the form and function of a
> > biological creature. Isn't that what we mean when we are talking about the
> B
> > in BEAM?
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