| At a glance, Robosapien looks great versus | | | | start evolving the way humans may have came |
| the old school box on wheels with clear dome | | | | from guppies looking for a good time by |
| head. 'Ooh,' you say, looks kinda like a | | | | leaving the ocean. |
| muscled storm trooper and the fart button now | | | | |
| that's a hoot. We nod in polite agreement, | | | | From Bugs to Sapiens |
| but behind your back, we snicker at your | | | | |
| total lack of appreciation of the advanced | | | | Needing to find a lighter-minded group of |
| robotic theory involved. | | | | people from his government and NASA days, |
| | | | Tilden decided to go and join a toy company. |
| Robosapien is a modern day turning point in | | | | Who better than one audacious enough to self |
| the evolution of robotics and is the | | | | proclaim themselves, Wow Wee! It was a great |
| first-ever robot based on the science of | | | | match, and they gleefully began working on |
| applied biomorphic robotics. (That's what you | | | | toy dinosaurs and bugs based on Tilden's now |
| should have been telling friends and family | | | | renowned expertise. |
| all this time rather than pointing out | | | | |
| amusing cat-chasing ability.) Biomorphic | | | | Then came the master project that one could |
| robotics stems from Mark Tilden's innovative | | | | fairly say would change the landscape of |
| new concepts in BEAM technology. | | | | robotics altogether. FartDude, later named |
| | | | Robosapien after initial market testing, was |
| A New Philosophy for Robot Kind BEAM is an | | | | to be the culmination of Tilden's work, |
| acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics | | | | finally bringing to bear a humanoid |
| and Mechanics. Dr. Mark W. Tilden founded | | | | (sapien-like, if you will) robot capable of |
| this relatively new branch of robotic | | | | an impressive list of moves and rude sounds. |
| sciences in 1989, based on the premise that | | | | |
| behavioral-rich robots need not be the | | | | In Robosapien, you see the basics of BEAM |
| wickedly complex projects reserved only for | | | | philosophy and technological research. It |
| well-funded labs and cartoon villains. | | | | follows the B as a biomorphic rendition of |
| | | | humans, E for the fact you can't throw it in |
| Put another way, traditional approaches to | | | | a bathtub, A because it's stylin the latest |
| creating robots have started with creating a | | | | magazine covers, and one heck of a lot of M |
| sophisticated brain to maneuver the mechanics | | | | going into the robo dancing capability. |
| of the body. Though not discounting the | | | | |
| incredible engineering feats of robots built | | | | That's Mr. Sapien |
| this way, most notably the Sony Qrio and | | | | |
| Honda Asimo, Mark Tilden strongly contends | | | | Like no robot ever before, the Robosapien is |
| that this is the wrong approach to take. | | | | affordable to the unwashed masses. The |
| | | | Robosapien is a crowning accomplishment when |
| It's like trying to emulate a human when | | | | it comes to mobility, power consumption, |
| modern technology and research can't | | | | programmability, and maybe most importantly: |
| realistically copy a bug from your garden. | | | | hackability. |
| "[It's] an evolutionary dead end," says | | | | |
| Tilden. BEAM robotics is about taking the | | | | Each arm has full 360 motion ability allowed |
| bottom-up approach, to start from mastering | | | | by the, ahem, biomorphic shoulder joints and |
| the simple bug and moving up from there. | | | | flexible elbows. Ending in three articulated |
| | | | fingers, Robosapien is capable of picking up, |
| Rather than attempt to create a centralized | | | | gripping, and throwing objects. The genuine |
| robo-brain to process every variable input | | | | full walking motion (most robots don't |
| and spit out a decision (much, much harder | | | | genuinely walk outside a lab) is made |
| than you may think), why not use a system | | | | possible design of the large feet and well |
| known as "subsumption architecture.'' | | | | placed sensors. |
| Subsumption architecture is a clever | | | | |
| technique where the actions of a robot are | | | | And do you know how much power it usually |
| managed in layers, each layer controlling one | | | | takes to run a robot Fuggedabowdit. Regular |
| facet of the robot's operation. | | | | robots are dishonorable little battery-eaters |
| | | | always hungry for more, more, more! And who's |
| For example, a low-level layer could be 'Walk | | | | going to pay for these batteries, hmmm' Well |
| Forward,' which the robot will happily do | | | | Robosapien brings no shame to itself when |
| until it bumps into something. At this point, | | | | consuming power, essentially due to the |
| the slightly higher level 'Lift Leg Higher' | | | | astounding mechanical physics. It runs a full |
| kicks in, overriding the 'Walk Forward' layer | | | | 6 to 10 hours on just one set of batteries. |
| until the robot successfully climbs over the | | | | In fact, if you move Robosapien's arm you'll |
| obstacle, at which point 'Lift Leg Higher' | | | | actually generate power for it! Hey man, |
| stops, and the low-level 'Walk Forward' takes | | | | that's shrewd. |
| over again. * | | | | |
| | | | For those of you who want a robot that will |
| Egocentric Bugs | | | | fetch you a frosty one from the kitchen, you |
| | | | lazy bums will just have to wait until later |
| So Tilden began building robot bugs on this | | | | versions. But you can program your Robosapien |
| principle, and more selfish creatures they | | | | to do some pretty cools things in the |
| could not have been. | | | | meantime, like wander around taking swings at |
| | | | things, guarding your bedroom while you |
| Why's that? Well Tilden decided that Asimov's | | | | sleep, and a hilarious game of 'pull my |
| famous Three Laws of Robotics: | | | | finger'. Try teaching your dog that trick |
| | | | smart guy. |
| 1. No hurt human. | | | | |
| | | | So what's so hot about the hackability, and |
| 2. Listen to human unless told 'Do hurt | | | | is that even a word you ask? You've got some |
| human'. | | | | nerve. Tilden went through some serious, |
| | | | serious effort to be sure that robot |
| 3. Try to live with that.were antiquated | | | | enthusiasts could take apart the robot, as he |
| notions that left no room for a good | | | | would have done as a child, and tinker with |
| practical joke at parties. | | | | modifications. Everything's color-coded in |
| | | | there to make things easy for those of us |
| So one dark and stormy night he penned | | | | without PhDs, and by all accounts, there's |
| Tilden's Three Laws of Robotics: | | | | plenty of additional room and power to |
| | | | accommodate whatever Frankenstein thing you |
| 1. A robot must protect its existence at all | | | | can think up. There are entire books written |
| costs. | | | | on the subject should you wish to learn, so |
| | | | go forth and hack away. If it's a good one, |
| 2. A robot must obtain and maintain access to | | | | send it in and we'll publish for all too |
| a power source. | | | | either mock or applaud. |
| | | | |
| 3. A robot must continually search for better | | | | And Another Thing |
| power sources.informally known as*: | | | | |
| | | | So the next time you look at your Robosapien |
| 1. Protect thy butt. | | | | give a respectful nod to the world's |
| | | | first-ever robot based on the science of |
| 2. Feed thy butt. | | | | applied biomorphic robotics. Then go chase a |
| | | | cat with it. |
| 3. Move thy butt to better real estate. | | | | |
| | | | * Graciously lifted from Dr. Tilden's |
| 1. He justified this robotic declaration of | | | | excellent 'Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on |
| self-interest as the only way robots can | | | | Wheels' book. |