Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #09093
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2000 6:38
Subject: Re: BEAM VIDEO was RE: Solar Powered Camera's
>Theoreticaly, couldn't you could set up your Nvs and Nus in such a way
>that motion across the cameras vield of view would stimulate particular
>processes. the more uniform motion, the more it builds up, possibly
>forming a rudimentary motion follower? It'd require a lot of neurons,
>and maybe it just wouldn't work well or be feasible, but you have to
>admit, it's a rudimentary start. BEAM isn't going to be doing any major
>"processing" until we up the neuron count anyway! 4 Nvs are nice for
>walking gaits, but not for following motion. There are limits to small
>loops. Wee need more, and we need real networks. Maybe it is a lot
>harder, maybe it's more dificult to tune, but if it is made to work, the
>results are very rewarding! I may have to make an Nv expirimenters
>board. Problem is how annoying breadboarded Nv nets can often be.
>
>I have a big interest in Neural Nets, and I was studying them way back
>in high school. The real networks are ones that branch. They can do the
>decision and logic that simple loops can't realy touch. BEAM has
>potential, and low res "BEAM TV" is one heck of a start. I have
>extensive knowledge about computer, neural, and TV technology. It's fun
>combining them!!! I'll have to play around with this little toy! 64 LEDs
>though is sure plenty! I'll need to start digging them up! The timing
>for the Nvs would have to be timed properly too. I'll have to figure
>that out.
>
>Remember, just cause it's not cost effective doesn't mean it shouldn't
>be done! Most new things aren't cost effective! They need time to
>develop and be understood well enough to do something.
>
>Heck, the Honda Humanoid is an expensive 2 legged walker that walks
>around, picks a few things up and manipulates them by remote (last I
>knew anyway). Right now It's an expensive developmental tool, not realy
>feasible for any major applications. We are just toying around with
>ideas that might or might not develop into major breaks in BEAM technology!
>
>I wonder if I can set up that old Neural Networks program on my Mac
>emulate BEAM Nvs and Nus. At least imitate them. I wish I knew a good
>Mac programer with an interest in BEAM. It'd be nice to have an BEAM
>emulator for expirimentation. Heck, I'd even settle for a PeeCee
>version! I could just emulate it! :)
>
>Hopefuly, we'll see BEAM bots finaly chasing our cats (or dogs, or
>whatever you got) instead of the other way around! Hehe! :)
>
>
>David Perry wrote:
>>
>> thats it no more tequilla for you! :-) Yes its granted, as a proof of
>> concept its great, but hardly worthwhile spending all that money on a
cmos
>> style camera. In otherwords at the moment it is overkill. But i'm sure it
>> will quickly advance to the point where it is a great accessory capable
of
>> creating the most adavanced beam bots ever.
>>
>> David
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dennison Bertram
>> To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
>> Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2000 3:00
>> Subject: RE: BEAM VIDEO was RE: Solar Powered Camera's
>>
>> >Oh yee of little faith! We have to start small to start anything! Just
>> think
>> >of the actual possiblites and ramifications! Imagine the doorways that
>> would
>> >be opened if we worked out a method by which to decode video signals so
>> that
>> >we could interface them with Nu circuits! Imagine directing your next
>> walker
>> >with a tiny video camera the size of a Capacitor, the possibilities
become
>> >wide open. Sure you could do it better with LDR's at this point, but the
>> >point isn't to just tell where the best light source, we want to be able
to
>> >design systems whoes future purposes could be complex pattern
regonition,
>> >and object tracking. It's hardly stupid, it would be a serious start,
and
>> >would warrent it's own entire field of BEAM applications. Evolution
baby,
>> >yeah!
>> >
>> >
>> >dennison
>> >
>> >
>> >wow! But with only four quadrants it seems stupid considering the same
>> thing
>> >could be accomplished with 4 LDR's. It would need more complexity to be
>> >worth while. How hard would it be to say track an object? Or
differentiate
>> >between simple shapes. Would the 8x8 be enough?
>> >
>> >Very promising though!
>> >
>> >David
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Wilf Rigter
>> >To: 'beam@sgiblab.sgi.com'
>> >Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2000 1:13
>> >Subject: BEAM VIDEO was RE: Solar Powered Camera's
>> >
>> >
>> >>BEAM circuits are very similar to the older analog type video
technology
>> >>still used in simple B/W TVs and 20 years ago all televisions used
analog
>> >>beamlike circuits for decoding video signal.
>> >>
>> >>So it's not surprising that it is fairly simple to use BEAM circuit
blocks
>> >>to convert video into digital or analog signal suitable for interfacing
>> >with
>> >>other beam circuits. In the example suggested by Dennison below, The
video
>> >>signal is converted into a 2x2 matrix which corresponds to the average
>> >>light level of a quadrant of a video frame. The attached block diagram
>> >shows
>> >>the general concept of such BEAM video decoder.
>> >>
>> >>A composite video signal (ie a sugar cube camera output) is processed
by a
>> >>sync separator to produce Horizontal and Vertical sync pulses as well
as a
>> >>DC restored video signal. This circuit requires some 2N3904s and a few
>> >>passive components. The H and V sync signals each trigger a Hsync Nv
and
>> >>Vsync Nv (74HC14) respectively which are adjusted to time out at a
point
>> >>corresponding to the horizontal and vertical midpoint of the screen.
The
>> >>signals are connected to one half of a 74HC139 (Z bridge) which
generates
>> 4
>> >>control signals corresponding to each screen quadrant. These 4 Q
signals
>> >are
>> >>used with four 4066 analog gates to route the video signal to one of 4
Nu
>> >>(74HC14). The analog voltage on each Nu cap corresponds to the average
>> >video
>> >>signal of that quadrant This can be used to "influence" a central
pattern
>> >>generator like a microcore. A digital signal can be generated with a
one
>> >bit
>> >>A/D converter also know as a comparator or Schmitt trigger. If the
video
>> >>level on the Nu cap is above the trigger level of the comparator, a
LED
>> >>turns on. A bright light moving from one quadrant to the next, will
turn
>> on
>> >>the corresponding LEDs indicating the relative position of the light.
>> >>
>> >>This concept can be scaled up to a low resolution "gray scale" (or red
>> >>scale) monitor (ie 8 by 8 LED matrix) which can also be easily made
with a
>> >V
>> >>and H chains of 8Nvs each buffered with HC240 LED drivers which can
drive
>> >>64 LEDs in real time. The video signal is "sliced" by a comparator the
>> >>output of which drives the HC240 tristate enable lines. No Nu stages
are
>> >>needed to measure the average video since your eyes will do a visual
>> >>integration of the LED light level. Any old video signals can be used
for
>> >>experimenting with this concept including a camcorder or VCR video
output.
>> >>
>> >>regards
>> >>
>> >>wilf
>> >>
>> >> <> <>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>> -----Original Message-----
>> >>> From: Dennison Bertram [SMTP:dibst11+@pitt.edu]
>> >>> Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 10:07 AM
>> >>> To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
>> >>> Subject: Solar Powered Camera's
>> >>>
>> >>> Hey, look at:
>> >>>
>> >>> http://www.mpja.com/allpict.asp?dept=125
>> >>>
>> >>> You should see the "sugar Cube" Camera. It runs on 5v 10ma, a power
>> level
>> >>> easilly provided by a solarcell. Any ideas? Possibly, Hey Wilf! think
>> you
>> >>> could come up with something to interpret video signals? What would
be
>> >>> MOST
>> >>> interesting is if we could find away to interpret the general LIGHT
>> level
>> >>> of
>> >>> a quadrant of the cameras vision. IE LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN. That way
we
>> >>> could then use cameras as light level inputs to say, a head. I'm
>> thinking
>> >>> that analog wise, this might be a little difficult.
>> >>>
>> >>> dennison
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>
>--
>
>
>Richard Piotter The Richfiles Robotics & TI web page:
>richfile@rconnect.com http://richfiles.calc.org
>
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