Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #09163
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Bruce Robinson Bruce_Robinson@telus.net
Date: Friday, 14 January 2000 9:56
Subject: Re: BEAM LEGO was RE: microcore experimentation kit
>Wilf Rigter wrote:
>>
>> What about BEAM LEGO?
>
>Don't even hint at that word. The patents will have expired long ago,
>but you can bet the word (or anything resembling it) will be protected
>by trademark.
>
>> For example, put the Nv complete with trimpot and LED into a
>> suitable block with GND,V+, INPUT, OUTPUT, BIAS POINT contacts
>> in such a way that the blocks can be put side by side ...
>
>To be truly versatile, you need two inputs (Nu & Nv). Or one input and a
>DIP type switch. Or two different style blocks.
>
>I have in front of me an LED with the following package size, width =
>0.063", length = 0.075", diameter of the yellow lense = 0.040". Needless
>to say, it is a surface mount device. For drawing attention or
>signalling over a long distance, it is useless. For inconspicuous
>trouble shooting, it's great. Current draw = 0.5 mA with a 4.7 k
>resistor.
>
>Don't forget the cap(s) either. I imagine 3 sizes would be reasonable.
>
>Diodes for shorting the bias points? Two? how many connections are these
>things going to have?
>
>You may want to colour code the blocks. Choose colours that won't get
>you into trouble (orange, cyan, magenta ...).
>
>Unlike that un-named plastic building material, you will not get away
>with two many different sizes.
>
>> ... and interconnections made with a SOLARCELL, NiCAD, SUPERCAP, PD
>> SENSOR, DRIVER and MOTOR block.
>
>Also a couple of different contact switch options.
>
>> The default contact arrangement should allow standard uCore walker to
>> be assembled in BEAM PLUG'nPLAY fashion. A JUMPER and PROTOTYPE block
>> can be used to configure experimental BEAM LEGO Bots.
>
>Don't forget Richard Piotter's fascination with branching nervous nets
>(which is also the design described in Mark's original patent). At least
>TWO outputs required.
>
>To keep these small enough, the prototype block might have to be just a
>connector block. You could have an associated prototype board, and a
>related multi-conductor jumper cable. Heck, have jumper cables in
>different lengths ... more things to market :)
>
>The geometry would be crucial. Much experimentation required. It would
>have to be flexible, but you would need to ensure that newbies couldn't
>accidentally arrange the blocks in a way that would fry the contents.
>Come to think of it, a few of us oldbies need that kind of protection,
>too.
>
>Mark is quite right about being able to move into 3 dimensions. Perhaps
>your design would allow blocks to be assembled in planes; special
>connectors would transfer signals between planes. Of course you would
>then have to take into account the placement of trimpots.
>
>> In this way standard BICORE, PHOTOVORE and other BEAM bots can be
>> bundled into standard kits.
>>
>> So what do you all think?
>
>It is worth following up on. Best to start with Mark's suggestion of
>mockups made on Post-It (tm) notes. You also have plenty of volunteers
>just dying to get some made up.
>
>Bruce
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