Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca (Dave Hrynkiw )
Subject: Re: JUNKBOTS
Message-ID: <CKGFqz.EE6@cuug.ab.ca>
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 1994 18:08:59 GMT
References: <60.7332.4884.0N192DB1@canrem.com>
Organization: Calgary UNIX User's Group
Lines: 66

In article <60.7332.4884.0N192DB1@canrem.com>,
Rob Muylwyk <rob.muylwyk@canrem.com> wrote:
>hi,
>
>A year or so ago I read an article in the Toronto Globe & Mail about a 
>person who was into "junkbots". Apparently he had written an article in 
>a magazine such as Scientific American, about these things, which were 
>very cheap robots made from cast-off tape cassette players and the like.

	Sheesh! You live in Toronto and _didn't see_ the BEAM Robot Olympics
held there last year?  ;->

	The fellow was (is) Prof. Mark Tilden, once of the UofWaterloo, now
at LANL in New Mexico.  The article was in the Sat. Jan 7 '93 Globe & Mail.

	The other article you're probably referring to is the "Photovore"
designed by the Robot Lab @ MIT for OMNI Magazine (Sorry, I have the article,
but not the issue - they don't print the date on the pg corner.  Anybody able
to fill in this gap for me?)

	The Scientific American Article is in Scientific American, v267, p42,
September 1992.  It's about Mark & his robots, but not much on construction.
For a single pg sheet that has construction schematics, check out the 
"Mother Earth News", Spring 1992 issue, pg 80.

	Also check out the Nov 1, '91 Vancouver Sun Newpaper, Pg 6.  Good
picure of Dr Tilden (nice cavities, Mark!). 

	I've got a 2" binder full of clippings on various robotics stuff from
Sci, Tech & other magazines & newspapers.  Most of them have some sort of
"neat" item in it that made me keep it.  When I get a chance, I'll compile
my library list into a FAQ addendum, with a comment besides them.  It'll have
to wait until after the BEAM Olympics, tho.

	On last avenue you may want to persue is my own kit I've put together
for Solar power BEAM engines.  I wrote a 20 pg booklet to accompany all the
components to build a BEAM engine - you supply the purpose/chassis.  Includes
a solar cell, all caps/resistors/transistors(2) needed to build a solar engine.
Not to say that you couldn't find most of the components in your junkbox.
That's what I did for the last year.  Pre-release price of $30.  (Yup,
advertising again, I am)  Let me know & I'll send you more info.

	In any case, start with the above articles (esp "Mother Earth News")
to get rolling.  If you have any problems, feel free to email me.

	Oh, you may want to pick up this year's "BEAM Rules & Guidelines" - 
apparently it has some really good stuff in it this year reagarding this
stuff.   $22 CDN, $18 US, $22 Int'l, to :
	BEAM
	797 Don Mills Road
	Mony Life Building, 10th Floor
	Don Mills, ON, M3C 3S5 Canada

	chq payable to "Motivate Canada (1994) Inc./BEAM"
	ph: (416) 696 5379
	fx: (416) 696 7395


	Hope this helps.

	-Dave 
-- 
Um, no - that's H,R,Y,N,K,I,W. No, not      \ hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca
K,I,U,U, K,I,_W_.  Yes, that's right.       \ Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Yes, I know it looks like "HOCKYRINK."      \ Home of the Western Canadian
Yup, only 2 vowels. Pronounciation? "SMITH" \ Robot Games - APRIL 9 1994 
