Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #02852



To: Ian Bernstein ian@beam-online.com
From: Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 15:58:01 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: My thoughts (Arena-bots)


On Sat, 1 May 1999, Ian Bernstein wrote:

> I haven't been following this tread very closely but from what I've read
> it seems these bots aren't going to be BEAM right?

To BEAM or not to BEAM... I hope that the Easter Egg Hunters:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbolt/Other/e-EasterEggHunt.html

Will fit the BEAM definition, philosophy, consensus or whatever it is :)

> - One of the great things about beam robots is that they are very
> adaptive and good at surviving

Are they? Afaik most BEAM robots `live' in very controlled
environments, and few are even capable of moving about on anything
but a hard, level surface. Their behaviour is hardwired, so you're
stretching the word `adaptive' a little.

> - The contest your talking about is a task oriented contest which is much
> more suited for computer based robots

I don't think that the Egg Hunt will require programmable devices,
and am sort of hoping that both hard-wired and programmable `bots
will have a go at it.

> My ideas for a "BEAM" competition
>
> - What if you had a 5' x 5' square arena where robots would fight to
> survive?
>
> - There would be sand, water, hills and other stuff to try to weed out
> the week and only the strong would survive?
>
> - The object of the competition would be to build a bot that would
> survive the longest without getting stuck. This would mean solar would be
> a must.

Nice idea, but:

1) A model amphibious tank equipped with bumpers and tilt sensors,
moving about at random would appear to qualify rather too well.

2) Without an actual task, what reason does the `bot have to move?
Staying put would be the best survival strategy.

Best,

Steve

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# sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
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