Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #13208
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: "James Taylor" ace27@icdc.com
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 20:58:09 -0400
Subject: Re: WCRG? (plus info on WCRG events)
A robot that is capable of feeding on it's environmental constants is
intriguing.
Solar robots take advantage of the large supply of light provided by the sun
(or some other electrical means).
However the sun doesn't shine all day (unless you live extremely north or
south, and I doubt the amount of light that reaches those extreme regions is
enough to power a bot). So is it possible to create a robot to feed off of
it's environment. Water is oxygen and two parts of hydrogen, one of the
most powerful elements. It is possible to turn water into it's basic
elements. The process is called hydrolysis. I've seen it done chemically,
and I think it is possible to do it through electrical means. Now all we
need is a way to convert hydrogen or oxygen into electricity, or some other
usable form of power. I'm sure if someone could either burn the hydrogen
(remember we also made oxygen with our little reaction) or use some sort of
fusion reaction (now it sounds somewhat like science fiction) a water
eating robot would be possible. The most feasible method is to make some
heat. (burn some hydrogen) We would then combine that heat with water and
make some steam, and through some clever mechanics. Convert that steam into
electricity. Now we have a true aquavore! Only problem I see is the size
of this little endeavor. Plus I'm not sure exactly what's involved with
hydrolysis. I was rather young when I read an experiment for converting
water into it's basic elements. I vaguely remember two metal rods and some
water. You probably need to mix some electrolyte in with the process. I'm
sure it's on the net somewhere.
So who wants to take a crack at building one of these :)
> In a message dated 4/7/00 12:51:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Synet@Psynet.net
> writes:
>
> > Maybe one of the first, water based, BEAM bots actually was a
aqua"vore".
> Sounds like an excuse to me. I've only seen one (and it was a drawing) of
a
> "bot" in the BEAM games booklet and it did not consume water. I've seen
> photos of 3 others none of which worked adequately. None of them consumed
> water either. I have seen one that worked, and was sealed in a florescent
> light fixture, it also, did not feed on water. If names don't mean what
they
> translate to, then why use Greek at all? Why bother with correcting the
> newbie about "phototropism and photophobism"? If you do have a mechanism
> which operates on water power, I'd really love to see it, and I'm sure so
> would the Dept. of Energy.
>
> > But since then, "aquavore" has basically taken the name for any BEAM
devise
> > that is made to work in the water.
> Even though it literally translates into water eater? This is just
> stubbornness and an unwillingness to change. Even if the change is to
correct
> an error. Maybe it would go over better if someone in the inner circle
> thought of it. So be it, let the water eaters loose.
>
>
> See ya,
> Jim
> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
> ICQ# 55657870
>
"I dream in first person shooters"
Jim Taylor
"Edgar the Hate Bug"
URL:http://fly.to/springmeadows
ICQ:14888587
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