BEAM Parts

The Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) gives a good definition of BEAM robotics:

The word "beam" in BEAM robotics is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. This is a term that refers to a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analog circuits instead of a microprocessor in order to produce an unusually simple design (in comparison to traditional mobile robots) that trades flexibility for robustness and efficiency in performing the task for which it was designed.

The basic BEAM principles focus on a stimulus-response based ability within a machine. The underlying mechanism was invented by Mark W. Tilden where the circuit (or a neural network referred to as a "Nv net" of artificial neurons called Nv neurons) is used to simulate biological neuron behaviors. Some similar research was previously done by Ed Rietman in 'Experiments In Artificial Neural Networks'. Tilden's circuit is often compared to a shift register, but with several important features making it a useful circuit in a mobile robot.

Here you will find a selection of electronics components commonly used in the construction of BEAM circuits. Many example circuits can be found on the BEAM WIKI site: http://www.beam-wiki.org, these parts are tried and tested for use in Solar engines, Bi-Core, Micro-Core and many other circuits.

If you need a part and can't find it here please email us to let us know.

From Wikipedia.

In electronics, an integrated circuit (also known as IC, microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.

Integrated circuits were made possible by experimental discoveries which showed that semiconductor devices could perform the functions of vacuum tubes, and by mid-20th-century technology advancements in semiconductor device fabrication. The integration of large numbers of tiny transistors into a small chip was an enormous improvement over the manual assembly of circuits using discrete electronic components. The integrated circuit's mass production capability, reliability, and building-block approach to circuit design ensured the rapid adoption of standardized ICs in place of designs using discrete transistors.

See Wikipedia for more information.

Many IC's are useful when building BEAM robots.. we stock a selection of the more useful ones.