Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #04340
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Bob Shannon bshannon@tiac.net
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 19:20:19 -0400
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Symets
trevor trebell wrote:
> What are symets?
Ahh, Symet! Some of my favorite BEAM robots are Symets.
Symets are usually single motor robots that don't quite roll, but sort
of spin and bump
around in unusual ways. Some 'step', others sort of glide or scoot
along. The key is their
symetrical design.
Most Symets navigate by bumping into things, and 'feeling' their way
around the object
often to get bored and wander away, off to explore the great unknown.
So to me, perhaps
the best example of a 'smart body' is a Symet class robot, virtually all
its 'intellegence' comes
directly from its mechanical design.
But don't underestimate how powerful this can be. I've got a Symet
(Chaos) thats is far
quicker at solving navigational problems than any of my photovores.
Bristling with springy
sensors (all mechancial by the way) this Symet can solve some very
difficult problems, like
getting itself down off of a 2 CM thick book and getting away (wild
Symet on the loose!).
The main difference being that Chaos will be quite happy finding clever
ways to move off into
the dark.
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