Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #05221
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 11:02:37 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Let My Robots Survive!
On Fri, 9 Jul 1999, John A. deVries II wrote:
> >Most present robots require a very specific environment to work in.
> >Part of BEAM is about extending the usefulness of `bots by making
> >them capable of dealing with real world environments, like a house
> >in normal use, an average garden, or even an average city.
>
> Philosophically, yes. Absolutely no disagreement there.
>
> Practically -- not a chance. In general, no BEAM robots are
> being designed or built for "real world" environments.
Mark T. wasn't limiting the `wild' robot to present day BEAM tech.
> In any case, until true survivability in ARBITRARY "real world"
> environments becomes a Big Deal among the builders in the
> BEAMworld, I'm afraid this "wild robot" concept is... um...
> hardly worth discussing except as an utterly intellectual
> exercise.
It seems worth a few words, because there is some doubt as to what
direction robot development should take; a matter of long-term
strategy. Part of the reason for the limited progress could be the
lack of strategy, don't you think?
So, is it best to go for limited toys, hope for mass-production and
then pick the toys' hardware? Or is it a good idea to work at
sensors, bodies and brains which extend the robot's ability to deal
with real world environments, even if there is no immediate
commercial gain to be expected?
Imho both directions have merit. But why not contemplate the issue
in order to fully understand what's being done and why?
We may not be discussing this enough. There is much trial & error
going on, and some innovation, but much of it seems to dissipate
without taking `bothood much further.
> p.s. actually, seeing as how we are all pretty sure that walkers walk and
> unicores roll and we've got fairly 'efficient' motors and supercapacitors
> and decent photocells and all that jazz
Actually, imho motors and especially batteries need to improve a
lot. Direct solar power is still a non-starter for most
applications.
> perhaps we ought to be following Tilden's lead: building robots
> with _skins_ that -can- survive better.
Survival is in keeping out the dust :)
But survival as in still being able to move a year later is not the
same as surviving in the ordinary home, garden, and city
environment. What our `bots seem to lack most is awareness. I vote
for developing better, cheaper, simpler, smarter, longer range
sensors...
Best,
Steve
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# sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
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