Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #05230



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Bob Shannon bshannon@tiac.net
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 11:03:40 -0400
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Apples and Oranges (was: Smart bodies???)




Richard Caudle wrote:

> Hello Zoz, I'm inclinde to believe that the term Smart Body being
> bandied about is a comparative statement. The comparison is being
> made between mainstream robotics and BEAM, not between natural systems
> and BEAM systems. I design and build industrial automated systems and
> they can do wondrous things, but they cannot operate outside of the
> parameters that I set up. They have no ability to adapt (or appear to
> adapt) to changing conditions. Conversely, the BEAM robots have no
> ability to conform to specific conditions. Which is better? I guess
> we're down to comparisons again. I can tell you from
> experience...BEAM is more fun and a heckavalot cheaper! It is my
> sincerest hope that persons on the list will be able to distinguish
> intellectual discourse from mud slinging. Lets have more of the
> former and no more of the latter.
>
>
> *******************************************************************************
>
>
>
> Wait a minute! automated systems are able to adapt, at least some
> are, if thats how they are designed and programmed. I think many
> people are under the misperception that CPU's must have only fixed
> behaviors, and this is totally false.
>
> Also CPU based robots have been built with 'smart bodies' long before
> BEAM came into existiance.


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