Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #08553
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: "Phillip A. Ryals" Phillip@ryals.com
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 08:06:35 -0600
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Head circuits
I know this makes it terribly complicated, but how about...
We just had a post about taking the IR transmitter/detector from a mouse =
to use in
obstacle/cliff avoidance.
Why not use the same on these? Maybe a central bot that has a main long-=
range
becon for the others to home in on from far away. Then once they get clo=
se
enough, they would see the small IR source above a connector of some sort=
. The
rouge bot could then have a basic head circuit made of IR detectors so th=
at it
could center itself at the plug. But the head itself would definitely ne=
ed to
swivel and be non-guiding because the bots' locomotion would need to stay=
in the
same general direction.
If one robot could walk up beside the other and do this though, you could=
probably
make it do some crazy stuff. Might be really hard to manage it all thoug=
h.
Thomas Pilgaard Nielsen wrote:
> "Phillip A. Ryals" wrote:
>
> > Quite right Thomas!
> >
> > Maybe it's me, but I want my robot to do *something* else. It just s=
eems
> > like going toward the light has been done to the point of ironing out=
any
> > wrinkles. Now maybe we should go on to more advanced behavior.
>
> I agree. Though there I find theres a beauty to the photovore by thinki=
ng of it
> as autopoietic. It is completely selfcontained and self-sufficient. It'=
s only
> purpose is to optimize it's conditions according to the environment in =
order to
> optimize it's conditions according to it's environment etc. etc.
>
> I find your suggestion very interesting though. One thing I found inter=
esting
> were Tildens hexapods - the ones that vere able to join up. The idea of=
"cells"
> that join up to a larger organism with emergent properties and behaviou=
r seems
> neat. Would it be possible to make up some mechanism that would join th=
e
> individuals - not just by linking them together by magnets - but to mak=
e them
> share their individual capacity - sorta like a joining of brains or the=
likes.
>
> Cheers and merry christmas
>
> Thomas
>
> > Even if it's just seeking out a different target...
> >
> > I'm thinking of a robot that is maybe attracted to a becon on another=
bot.
> > That way, it's always moving. Maybe one bot is attracted to the othe=
r, and
> > the other is repelled? Anyway, the whole time one could be chasing t=
he
> > other, and the other is always running away. That seems like a neat =
little
> > project. But then put the light seeking solar cells on each one for =
power.
> > Now they have even more to do.
> >
> > That seems like a lot more fun to watch than just an ordinary photovo=
re.
> >
> > Or am I alone?
> >
> > Phillip
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Thomas Pilgaard Nielsen
> > To:
> > Sent: Saturday, December 18, 1999 7:35 PM
> > Subject: Re: Head circuits
> >
> > Wasn't Phillips point to make a robot that would be able to do someth=
ing
> > !else!
> > than walking towards the light? Isn't that what you are suggesting?
> >
> > Cheers + goodnight (it's 2:34 here in Denmark)
> >
> > - Thomas
>
> --
> ---
> "Stj=E5lne tusser skriver bedst."
> Yvonne Miller
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