Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #10893



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: "Timothy Flytch" flytch@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 21:18:43 PST
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Eloquence


No you mistake my meaning... I design aircraft parts... not art... thou some
do have an aesthetic look about them... they are not designed with art in
mind, at all!!! In aircraft you shave ounces to save pounds... every little
bit helps... why make something do one job when it can do two?? Three is
even better :)
But I must say that I totally disagree with design for elegance... want
that? then chose fashion... not engineering...
Timothy...

>My artwork is this way, but I am trying to get over it. This is not because
>I
>don't like it, more so because I want to explore the other side of the coin
>for a while.
>I also like the idea of elegance added to this. They can compliment each
>other very well when used properly. By elegance I mean proportions. A
>single
>curve can be very elegant with the proper proportions. Things that are to
>ornate can stop being elegant very easily and just become overpriced. A
>whisper can be more effective than a scream when no one will listen.
>R.M.
>
>Quote of the day:
> Never attack a mountain head on - You will only hurt your head.
>
>Timothy Flytch wrote:
>
> > >This sounds zen like, or the minimalist approach in art. Is this sort
>of,
> > >almost, kinda, might be what you are describing.
> > >R.M.
> >
> > It is... very much so... I am after all a minimalist by choice... :)
> > Timothy...
> > ______________________________________________________
> > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>

______________________________________________________



10894 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 00:23:35 EST [alt-beam] Re: BEAM: Tendency toward miniaturization beam@sgiblab.sgi.com JVernonM@aol.com In a message dated 2/25/00 5:01:45 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Bruce_Robinson@telus.net writes:

> The fact is, the large number of people at MicroSoft can't get its
> software to work with adequate reliability (you call having to push the
> reset button reliable?) Thousands of executives and managers cannot make
> their companies run effectively. So how on earth can we expect to build
> a reliable, effective equivalent of the brain (even a mouse's brain)?
>
I still think the problem is greed. Microsoft rushes their crap to market in
order to continue monopolizing it. Gates started by selling DOS to IBM as an
operating system. When Apple came along, Bill got worried and stole the Mac
operating system, called it windows, and layered it over top of DOS. Couldn't
let that cash cow go down. This makes windows machines go through a 4 tier
system of translation up to the user and down to the processor. That's why it
is so prone to lock up (I know, I have one). The computer is constantly
translating graphic based commands down to DOS and to the processor, back to
DOS and translating back to windows. It's the main reason the new Apple
machines are listed at 4-500 megahertz, but run 3 times faster than IBM
clones at the same clock speed. Simple greed molded the entire system. The
system is in place in order to produce revenue, not beautiful, quality
machines.
This is the main reason that I love BEAM approaches. Something functional as
well as beautiful can be built simply for the joy of building it. It hasn't
yet become something motivated by profit (well, not for most of us). This is
the same reason you find so many problems with American business practices.
Money is the bottom line. Accounts receivable are the morality and humanity,
quality, and service are out the window. My wife works for a fortune 500
company and I hear about it every night.
I would love to hear what Mr. Tilden's plans are for his non profit BEAM
Institute. A place where BEAM can thrive without sacrificing integrity would
be very attractive indeed. It could also allow for specialization. Something
BEAM really needs in order to break ground faster. All manufacturing
processes are broken down into highly specialized departments. We already
have the designations of those departments-Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics,
Mechanics. Rather than everyone trying to be the next great genius of
robotics, researchers would specialize in one of the 4 departments. Working
on group projects in order to build greater bodies and brains. Such a
systematic approach would produce amazing results. Look at the auto industry,
the printing industry, and any other complex manufacturing of mechanical
devices. We all know that Edison invented like a zillion things, but we also
know that most of them came from the back room where teams of specialists
were hired to create. I don't know if Mark has this structure in mind, but I
hope so.

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



10895 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 00:32:02 EST [alt-beam] Re: Eloquence beam@sgiblab.sgi.com JVernonM@aol.com In a message dated 2/25/00 6:08:14 PM Eastern Standard Time,
ScolmaJi@amsworld.com writes:

> If you want to see elegant
> BEAM designs go to "Drops of Consciousness"
Yep, these are the bots (the last solar roller and the walker) that first
inspired me to explore BEAM. Their beauty and simplicity really blew me away.
I had seen Mr. Tilden's stuff and started surfing the web for more. I came
across this site and that was it. I was hooked. I still have a photo of that
walker over my work bench. I'm not sure where you would put a battery on that
sucker, but it is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship nonetheless.

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



10896 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 01:07:18 EST [alt-beam] Zenbot beam@sgiblab.sgi.com JVernonM@aol.com In a message dated 2/25/00 7:08:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
malstudios@tradenet.net writes:

> This sounds zen like, or the minimalist approach in art. Is this sort of,
> almost, kinda, might be what you are describing.
> R.M.
This made me think of an idea I had, well, it was my wife actually. I thought
I would throw it out since the list has been so slow lately :). How about a
Unicore that lives in a sand box. It pulls a small rake behind it and avoids
2 or 3 various sized smooth rocks in the center of the sand. The tiny rake
scratches out rows of parallel lines as the bot travels randomly around the
box. A Zen Garden bot! An ever changing pattern of rows and lines
circumnavigating the entire surface of the sand. A Unicore roughly the size
of Scarlet with wide wheels could be placed in a Zen garden roughly the size
of 2'x3' with ornamental rocks in the center. Patterns could be influenced by
light whether natural or artificial. Zen gardens are traditionally places of
meditation and reflection. A small bot making endlessly different patterns
would be a nice touch.

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



10897 Sat, 26 Feb 2000 01:13:01 EST [alt-beam] Re: Eloquence beam@sgiblab.sgi.com JVernonM@aol.com In a message dated 2/26/00 12:20:13 AM Eastern Standard Time,
flytch@hotmail.com writes:

> But I must say that I totally disagree with design for elegance... want
> that? then chose fashion... not engineering...
> Timothy...
I disagree with that completely. And so would the designer of the 1967
Corvette.

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



10898 Fri, 25 Feb 2000 23:29:02 -0700 [alt-beam] Re: Zenbot beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Robert Stein At 01:07 AM 2/26/00 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 2/25/00 7:08:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>malstudios@tradenet.net writes:
>
> > This sounds zen like, or the minimalist approach in art. Is this sort of,
> > almost, kinda, might be what you are describing.
> > R.M.
>This made me think of an idea I had, well, it was my wife actually. I thought
>I would throw it out since the list has been so slow lately :). How about a
>Unicore that lives in a sand box. It pulls a small rake behind it and avoids
>2 or 3 various sized smooth rocks in the center of the sand. The tiny rake
>scratches out rows of parallel lines as the bot travels randomly around the
>box. A Zen Garden bot! An ever changing pattern of rows and lines
>circumnavigating the entire surface of the sand. A Unicore roughly the size
>of Scarlet with wide wheels could be placed in a Zen garden roughly the size
>of 2'x3' with ornamental rocks in the center. Patterns could be influenced by
>light whether natural or artificial. Zen gardens are traditionally places of
>meditation and reflection. A small bot making endlessly different patterns
>would be a nice touch.
>
>See ya,
>Jim
>http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
>ICQ# 55657870

This idea (pardon the pun) rocks! ...... now to confiscate the sand from
my son's play area.

Robert


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