Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #02200
To: beam beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 18:14:59 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: BEAM Genome
That wouldn't help newbies! I can just imagine a newbie getting a
message saying someone built a Tilden, Hrynkiw, Beckingham, Chiu family
photovore. They'd be more confused than they would be by the full
description. Now, instead of "Which way do I hook up a resistor?"
questions, I can now imagine hearing "Where can I buy a Chiu, and how do
I hook it up?" (:
Sorry Chiu, I had to pick one of those names! Yours just happened to be
the shortest. Hehe! (:
JVernonM@aol.com wrote:
>
> I just had a thought about the idea that humans are the evolutionary
> mechanism behind robotic advancement. To tell the truth, I was skeptical at
> first and considered the idea kind of silly. But I think I have changed my
> view. It occurred to me that if you removed all the photovores from the net
> that were built using Paul Beckingham's miniaturization of the photopopper
> circuit nearly 98% would disappear. You could say they all contained the
> Beckingham genome. You can see the family resemblance in all the bots that
> use it. Try describing it to someone without those terms, "a photopopper with
> the photodiodes glued to the 100k pot which is glued to a block comprised of
> the 4 transistors and 2 triggers..." you see what I mean. How about the
> Shannon genome for bots with piggy back caps. The Miller genome for certain
> walker configurations? All, of course, would have the basic underlying Tilden
> genome necessary for existence. So, a free formed photovore based on a
> photopopper would be a Tilden, Hrynkiw (Smith), Beckingham, Chiu family
> genome. Any physical or electronic addition would add that persons name to
> the end of the family tree. In that example Mark and Dave are really a given
> so may not need to be stated. My Wasp would be a Beckingham, Chiu, Mullins
> photopopper family line. Do you know how many paragraphs it would take to
> describe that configuration? Any new application for a Tilden, or other
> circuit, Would move the builders name closer to the original Tilden genome
> and branch from there. Some genomes could start from another source, if say,
> they had a suneater for a brain. I know I'm leaving out a lot of contributors
> here and may have some names wrong, but you get the drift. What do you all
> think? Is this too complicated? Would it be accepted? I think it makes sense
> and gives the evolutionary argument much more weight. If someone told me they
> were building a Beckingham, Chiu family photovore, I'd know what it looked
> like before I saw it. I know the family traits. Tell me what a Tilden,
> Miller, Zoz walker is? Probably a two motor with a Z-bridge motor driver
> right? A robotic pedigree! An international registry of robotic lineage! Hey,
> it's too hot down here to do anything else.
> Jim
--
Richard Piotter
richfile@rconnect.com
The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
http://richfiles.calc.org
For the BEAM Robotics list:
BEAM Robotics Tek FAQ
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bushbo/beam/FAQ.html
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