Instead of further exploring a chaos theory by the means of a gravity powered pendulum, I decided to start my work with the Robotics Group with Bob King, Rob and Eric Brown. For Our First project together we wanted to explore the analog robotics of Mark Tilden. Even though
Our Robot we Chose to make was much simpler. Instead of using resonating capacitors in a feedback loop, we made a simple feedback system with a small beetle that only had the capacity to back away from something that obstructed it’s path. Mark Tilden’s beetles had the ability to problem solve by trial and error. If one of it’s legs stopped working efficiently (like it being caught in a roll of tape) it was able to send random impulses to the leg to try and get in unstuck, learning for a temporary amount of time it learns how it solved that problem, and it continued to try that when encountering the same problem. It could also adapt and walk forward even after it’s legs where bent and broken.
We made a beetle robot that we found plans for in the internet
http://www.gorobotics.net/Articles/Robots/How-to-Build-a-Simple-Robot-%11-Beetle-Robot
Instead of a central nervous system which Mark Tilden’s robots seem to have, it had a lower brain and spinal cord instinctual reactions. It something touched one antenna it immediately jerked back until nothing was in contact with it anymore. It reacts to stimulus, in a way that will continue it’s well being. It has no way to try different things or adapt to a change in stimulus such as Mark Tilden’s Robots, it has no thought in that capacity. It only reacts to stimulus in the way that it was designed to, and we had no way of designing it to think to itself to problem solve, or capacity for learning.
The plans called for a two motors mounted on the sides of a AA battery holder, and two antenna mounted on the top and front that triggered two STDP switches when triggered. The direction of the motor was reversed then the antanna was pressed because the Robot. This could be seen at the robot having a form of perception, even instinctual perception… But it’s still perception. It scences, then makes a decision of what to do, even though it is mechanical. It might not have sensiounce, but it still possesses instinctual decision making capabilities.
Domma Origato Beetle Roboto!
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Alex, I really like this write-up, and also the video clip. The clip made me think that if the sides of an enclosure could be made touch-sensitive (in much the same simple way that the antennae on the bug are, although maybe using something like an infrared beam) and if contact with the enclosure walls or i-beam could trigger a sound that could be amplified, the result would be something like bug-music, truly BEATLE music.
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