Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #02662
To: George Rix rix.g@bmts.com, Jakub Pietracha whraven@free.com.pl
From: Brian beamguy@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 15:10:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: BEAM environment.
I hate to break it to you, but the beam plant idea
(also known as the BEAM flora idea) has been around
for a long time. Plants come up every few months and
seem to lead to large threads. I am yet to see
anything more than a few drawings, but the challenge
is up there for any of you who want to try it.
--- George Rix wrote:
> Last night I had a wision: a BEAM "plant" and BEAM
> bots feeding on it. The
> BEAM "plant" - something resambling the Green Thumb
> equiped with big solar
> cels and capacitors produces and stores power and
> diferent "species" of BEAM
> robos feed on it. Finding the plant is quite easily
> solvable (perhaps an IR
> LED on the "plant" and BEAM robots equiped with the
> instinct of IR-throphizm
> instead of photo-thropizm) but geting the power from
> the "plant" to the
> robot's is the problem. I thought of some kind of
> electrical contacts but
> the "plant" must serve several types of bots. Does
> anyone have any
> sugestions on solving the problem?
>
> The construction of the robot must be also modified:
> - it has to store more power (maby an acumulator
> instead of a capacitor, or
> radical cut on the power consumption);
> - it can't just stay near the plant and just feed
> (maybe some kind of
> explore and hunger instincts). The hunger instinct
> could be a voltage
> detector - when the voltage drops below some point
> the hunger instinct
> overrides the explore instinct.
>
> This type of environment could be an interesting
> place to observe. Just
> imagine a turbot cravling twards the plant and
> "kiling" other bots just to
> get "food".
>
> This sort of project has been dreamed and discussed
> no end by many on the
> list, yours truly included. Unfortunately, to my
> knowledge no one ever did
> it. This is pretty much my idea to the letter, even
> the IR LED on the plant
> and so forth. I would be willing to help you in any
> way I could if you were
> set to build it, though.
> Signing off,
> Rob Rix
>
> P.S. If you were wondering why I haven't done it,
> there are two simple
> reasons:
> 1) I procrastinate alot (mañana, mañana) and
> 2) I don't have all the resources. I need money, for
> instance, and a fair
> bit of it.
>
___________________________________________________________________________
> 'Your simian countenance suggests a heritage
> unusually rich in species
> diversity' - Calvin & Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
Re: BEAM environment.
Last night I had a wision: a BEAM
"plant" and BEAM bots feeding on it. The
BEAM "plant" - something resambling the
Green Thumb equiped with big solar cels and capacitors
produces and stores power and diferent
"species" of BEAM robos feed on it. Finding
the plant is quite easily solvable (perhaps an IR LED
on the "plant" and BEAM robots equiped with
the instinct of IR-throphizm instead of
photo-thropizm) but geting the power from the
"plant" to the robot's is the problem. I
thought of some kind of electrical contacts but the
"plant" must serve several types of bots.
Does anyone have any sugestions on solving the
problem?
The construction of the robot must be
also modified:
- it has to store more power (maby an acumulator
instead of a capacitor, or radical cut on the power
consumption);
- it can't just stay near the plant and just feed
(maybe some kind of explore and hunger instincts). The
hunger instinct could be a voltage detector - when the
voltage drops below some point the hunger instinct
overrides the explore instinct.
This type of environment could be an
interesting place to observe. Just imagine a turbot
cravling twards the plant and "kiling" other
bots just to get "food".
This sort of project has been dreamed and
discussed no end by many on the list, yours truly
included. Unfortunately, to my knowledge no one ever
did it. This is pretty much my idea to the letter,
even the IR LED on the plant and so forth. I would be
willing to help you in any way I could if you were set
to build it, though.
Signing off,
Rob Rix
P.S. If you were wondering why I haven't done it,
there are two simple reasons:
1) I procrastinate alot (mañana, mañana) and
2) I don't have all the resources. I need money, for
instance, and a fair bit of it.
___________________________________________________________________________
'Your simian countenance suggests a heritage unusually
rich in species diversity' - Calvin & Hobbes, by
Bill Watterson
===
Brian
beamboter@iname.com
www.welcome.to/briansbeam
BEAM FAQ: http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bushbo/beam/FAQ.html
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