Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #10632



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: JVernonM@aol.com
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 08:36:09 EST
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: BEAM: Tendency toward miniaturization


In a message dated 2/22/00 8:23:55 AM Eastern Standard Time, ascii@hum.auc.dk
writes:

> It seems more
> reasonable to ask: do we !want! antropomorphic or biomorphic macines.
I must give a definite YES to that question. Fact is, if it can be done, it
will be. It may well be that the created must inherently create. One could go
so far as to say that we exist in order to create a more viable form. Capable
of living beyond the confines of the planet. We, as a population, must
eventually leave the safety of the nest. After all, the nest is not going to
be here forever. I wonder at times if a robot will someday, in the far
future, write a note to a list asking whether it is a good idea to create a
biological lifeform that emulates mechanical life :).

See ya,
Jim
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
ICQ# 55657870



10633 Tue, 22 Feb 2000 08:50:54 -0500 [alt-beam] Re: Steering an Aquabot and giving it a purpose. "Richard Caudle" > As for the steering method, the obvious choice
> seems to be Wilf's Power Smart Head. Hook a very efficient gearmotor to
the
> rudder and place the eyes on the front of the bot similar to a hammerhead
> shark.

Hello you AquaBEAMers!

I've had a design for what I call and Icthybot for some time, but have yet
to get it built. My version is a manta ray style bot that is battery
powered (solar recharge, 'natch!) with a gearmotor for each 'wing'. Kinda
built like my Wigglebots, but with wings. Mantas have the wide set eyes
like hammerheads, but it seems like it would be easier from a control
standpoint to do the ray instead of the more 'fishy' type fish robot. There
is also a better platform for placing solar cells (horizontal instead of
vertical, like fishes). My ultimate goal is to make a fishybot, but I need
to get my feet wet (no pun intended) with something a bit simpler first.

As far as purpose goes, where I work there is a large gravel pit (quarry)
that has filled in with water. According to topographic maps, the quarry is
over 400 feet deep. I'd like to explore this with a school of Icthybots.
The plan is to make them with a slight positive bouyancy so that when the
battery runs down that it will float to the top so that it can charge during
the day, only to return to it's job at night. The only thing that I haven't
figured out is how to prevent them from being ingested by larger fish.
There is a quarry in the county where I live that is filled with crystal
clear water. I've seen divers in the water being followed by fish that were
every bit as big as the divers! That one's only 100 or so feet deep! I'd
hate to spend the time making a robot that gets eaten!

Something to think about.

Richard

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