Project Outline

[Alexander Farley]

Motivation

Our customer, Dr. Magierowski, is interested in developing an
ambulatory sensor network. The goal of this research project is to
create a networked group of small walking robots that can explore new
environments and exchange information.

The concept for the walkers is inspired by Mark Tilden, the pioneer of
BEAM robotics. BEAM – an acronym that stands for Biology,
Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics – is a style of robotic design
that seeks to mimic simple biological systems such as insects. A BEAM
robot uses analog rather than digital control systems to achieve the
desired behaviour.

The horse and rider configuration is a central concept of BEAM
robotics. The horse is a BEAM-style analog robotic “organism”,
capable of autonomous ambulation. The rider (a microprocessor), the
robot’s digital “brain”, is responsible for higher-level behaviours
and provides simple instructions to the horse. This design frees the
microprocessor from the cumbersome burden of controlling the low-level
movements of the robot.

Objective

The project objective is to design a prototype of the chassis that
will become the vehicle for Dr. Magierowski’s sensor networks. This
robotic walker, the “horse” of BEAM terminology, must be capable of
accepting simple directional input and of autonomously adapting its
gait to handle rough terrain.