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