Mark Tilden

From BEAM Robotics Wiki

(Redirected from Mark W. Tilden)
Jump to: navigation, search

We apologize for the need to display ads on this wiki. But somehow we must pay for hosting.


The Founding BEAMer


Mark W. Tilden is perhaps best known for his invention of BEAM robotics and the WowWee Robosapien humanoid robot. He is a robotics physicist who produces complex robotic movements from simple analog circuits, often with discrete electronic components, and usually without a microprocessor.


Contents

[edit] In The Beginning

Born in the [UK (United Kingdom) (Shroud, England to be exact), He was raised in Ontario Canada. Mark started at the University of Waterloo but moved on to the Los Alamos National Laboratory where he developed robots such as the SATbot which instinctively aligned itself to the magnetic field of the Earth, de-mining insectoids, "Nervous Network" theory and applications, interplanetary explorers, and behavioral research into many solar-powered "Living Machines" of his own design.

[edit] Also Worth Noting

Mark co-authored (along with Dave Hrynkiw) of "Junkbots, Bugbots, and Bots on Wheels"], avaialable from long time supporter of BEAM robotics, Solarbotic.com

He was a technical consultant for the robot scenes in the 2001 movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider".

Mark and his robots have been featured on several television specials, such as "Robots Rising" (TLC), "The Shape of Life' (PBS), "TechnoSpy" (TLC), "Extreme Machines - Incredible Robots (TLC), "The Science behind Star Wars" (Discovery), as well as many magazines, newspapers, websites, books and and other publications.


[edit] ’’’From BEAM to WowWee - the Evolution of Mark's Design Principles’’’

The following is a brief timeline of Mark's work. Special thanks to J Wolfgang Goerlich for organizing this timeline and posting (message # 52774) it to the BEAM email list. Unless otherwise noted, all content in this section is taken directly from that e-mail.

[edit] Green Builder

1989-1992


This period begins in 1989 at the Rodney Brooks lecture. The principles are scavenging parts and solar-power; recycled components powered from renewable energy. Here Tilden develops his three laws of Beam robotics. The devices start at the amusing and stretch towards home automation, from the Tally-Ho Automatic Bedwetter and the Aggressive Ashtray to ZAX and SolarSpinner. This period ends in 1992 with the birth of Vbug 1.3 and the transition to A-Life.

[edit] Robobiologist

1993-1997


The second period opens with the famous Vbugs: Spyder, Walkman, and Lobster. The principles revolve around building Living Machines, focusing on devices with legs and avoiding anthropomorphic designs. Tilden imagines creating self-sustaining robots, later to tame them to do our bidding. This period runs from 1993 to 1997, ending in the writing of "Theoretical foundations for nervous networks."

[edit] Chaos Engineer

1997-2000


The Beam principles focus on applying [chaos theory to design robot ecosystems. The ideal is a method that takes in the goal along with "detailed environment specifications" and designing attractors for robotic devices and ecosystems. Rovers are acceptable, particularly if they are driven by coupled chaotic oscillators. This period begins with the M/S Bicore BeamAnt and closes with Tilden leaving LANL for WowWee.

[edit] Toy Consultant

2001-2004


This period runs from 2001 to 2004, roughly from the BIO-Bugs to the RoboSapien. Beam Nv Nets are useful for prototyping, and blob microcontrollers are acceptable for production. Tilden builds a whole suite of prototyped toys, most of which are not produced, focusing on building relatively inexpensive toys.

[edit] Robotic Physicist

2004-


I am tentatively putting the start of this period in December of 2004, linking it to when WowWee. trademarks the Robonetics moniker (thanks Adi!). By this time, WowWee has freed itself from Hasbro and formed a separate Robotics division. Tilden's new title as represents a decreased focus on A-Life and [chaos theory with a corresponding increase in the physical properties. Tilden's principles seem to be primarily in areas of motor control and power management.


[edit] Summary

Such divided, one can see how Beam devices express the principles of their time. The VBug is represents the principles of a Robobiologist, the UniBug is that of a Chaos Engineer, and the BIO-Bug that of a Toy Maker. Likewise, the solar engine represents the first period, the Microcore the second, and the Unicore the third. From the Solarbotics perspective, Symets and SolarSpeeders are first period devices, ScoutWalker I and II are second period, and ScoutWalker III are third. The Robo-* entertainment robots represent the culmination of all these periods.

Each period has its own taboos. Reading press releases from the Green Builder period, one hears of the evils of batteries and on/off switches. The Robobiologist warns against making wheeled or anthropomorphic robots. Finally, anti-processor sentiment reaches its peak with the Chaos Engineer.

At first glance, there does not seem to be much unity in Mark Tilden's Beam principles. Other than, of course, the unity of the whole that comes from one man searching for better modes of thought and for better ways to build.


[edit] Robots with WowWee

Since 2001, Mark's work with WowWee Toys, has resulted in such Biomorphic robotics-based items as:



[edit] External References

[edit] Other Papers

Many of the following publications are avalable from the Reference Library hosted by long time BEAM supporter Solarbots


  • A biologically inspired neural network controller for an infrared tracking system (Janette R. Frigo, Mark W. Tilden) Los Alamos National Laboratory, MSD448/NIS-4, Los Alamos, NM, 87545
  • Analog computation with rings of quasiperiodic oscillators: the microdynamics of cognition in living machines (Edward A. Rietman, Mark W. Tilden, Manor Askenazi)

[edit] Interviews and Articles

  • Redefining Robots - By Paul Trachtman, Originally published in SMITHSONIAN (February 2000)
  • Superstreng Podcast- A September 2006 podcast interview with Mark Tilden, conducted by Eirik Newth for Norwegian science radio show Superstreng

[edit] Miscellaneous Links

This wiki is sponsored and hosted by Interactive Matter
Retrieved from "http://www.beam-wiki.org/wiki/Mark_Tilden"
Personal tools
Ads to finance this wiki