18 Sep
1998
18 Sep
'98
5:50 p.m.
On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 16:57:13 PDT, Max Eskin wrote:
But what about the metal parts? Those aren't any
cheaper...but you're
giving me ideas. I saw a show once on CNN about a guy at Lawrence
Livermore who is building robot bugs out of computer parts. They are
powered by neural networks. He can even pull off a couple of legs
and they'll still work. BTW, where do all of those researchers get
neural network chips?
>
I believe you're talking about Mark Tilden and his robots. He posts
to another mailing list I'm on. He builds all kinds of small robots
without using any microprocessors at all; just some simple logic chips
and such. They're not even used in the sense they're designed to be;
they're wired to oscillate in useful patterns (generating a walking
gait, for example). You can drive small motors with them, and the
feedback (in the form of increased motor loading) will cause the gait
to change. They're not really "neural net" chips (although you can
buy those several places quite readily); they're called "nervous nets"
- I guess because they act "nervous". It's pretty wild stuff. Check
out Al Miller's site with a good introduction to "nervous nets" and
walkers at www.golden.net/~amiller/beam.htm, or see more about the
BEAM philosophy as well as some kits at www.solarbotics.com.
The metal parts aren't that tough if you want to build something
bigger. Just get some aluminum angle, a hacksaw, and some bolts and
nuts, and you can build pretty much any shape you want.
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf
microcomputer simulator!)