Walkers 2

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Robot Central
Bot Name: Big Foot
Description: A cool walker built by Mark Tilden. Visit the web site for detailed info.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Robot Central
Bot Name: BitMan 1
Description: Another creation of Mark Tilden. This is one of the worlds smallest solar powered walkers!!!

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Sunspot
Description: Mark Tilden's Sunspot series has been a very successful attempt at building adept solar-powered walking machines based around his "Nervous Net" or VSPANS technology. These devices are capable of walking full-time under sunlight, and fall back on a "charge/discharge" cycle when light is insufficient for full-time walking. This one has light-sensitive optics mounted on it, so it is capable to turn and follow light sources. The large foot pads are usable for additional circuits as required, such as for ground moisture sensors, additional solar cells, or any other environmental-sensing apparatus you'd want to use.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Stryder 1.0
Description: Stryder uses a very slick four-motor arrangement that places most of the leg load vertically through the motor, reducing much of the stress that has toasted motors before. It also utilizes a new head / body system that is proving to be very effective. It takes a few steps, stops and "reads" it's environment, then carries on towards it's goal. It has a very adept turning and reversing gait that has to be seen.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: VBUG 1.5
Description: "Walkman" is literally constructed from the remains of four walkmans, one oven timer, a scrapped pager and a microcore (pat.). Although not solar powered, it is of the most adept battery-powered walking machines seen. With a rudimentary vision system and adaptable walking gait, it is very capable to find it's way around complex terrain. It even has a system incorporated that measures reflectivity of light from it's on-board illumination system to help it reach a solution to get out of a corner. Walkman uses a single battery, has a total weight of 0.7Kg from it's metal/plastic unibody construction; has 2 visual and 5 tactile sensors; an 8 transistor Nv (nervous net), 4 transistor neural net and 22 transistor motor driver for only 32 transistors total. Behaviors include high speed walking convergence, powerful environmental adaptive abilities, strong accurate phototaxis, 3 walking gaits (stop, walk, dig), and a backup/explore ability.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: ???????
Description: Simply just another example of the workings of Mark Tilden's twisted mind. This time, he's actually making use of the area on the feet of his walker to apply support electronics. Maybe the hot, New Mexico sunshine has an effect on that man's noggin...

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Vbug 1.1 (Spyder)
Description: This incredibly lifelike critter is designed around a single battery; weighs 1.4kg; metal exoskeletal construction framework; and 2.5 degrees of freedom (DOF) per leg. It uses 2 linked microcore Nv structures with adaptive linkages, and a 4 Nu "head" for a total of 28 transistor elements. Emergent behaviors include 2 quasi-independant control structures that converge on a cooperative quadrilateral symmetric walking gait after only 4 learning steps. Leg independence allows for directed action/response despite chaotic control. What's this all mean? Well, that it's the most scarily lifelike Biomorph produced yet.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Walkman Daggerwrist
Description: A highly adept 2 motor walking machine that has the skills to successfully negotiate very complex terrain. Even has a built-in 45 degree angle-of-attack sensor so it "backs down" from terrain possibly too hazardous.

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: BIGMAN
Description: Mark Tilden's BIGMAN walker originally stood almost 5 feet tall, and had it programmed to saunter down the hallway to terrorize his secretary, then bring her back to his office. Why? Well, he's always wanted to fulfill the dream of every mad scientist, which is to build a monster to go forth to the village and abduct women. In this case, he programmed the voice chip with a polite request for his secretary to accompany the robot back to his office. (Gotta be polite, otherwise BIGMAN would've been reduced to shavings by her electric pencil sharpener. How else do ya think it got whittled down to 18" tall?)

Creator: Mark Tilden
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: ZWALKER
Description: Many people have asked about this particular robot as it seems too small, cool, and funky-looking to be an effective robot. Well, guess what? They're right - it isn't very effective because it is a modified wind-up toy called a ZWALKER from a Japanese kit. Over the years it's legs have been broken and reglued many times, and it doesn't even walk ike a real bug, as it really just lifts and shift one set of 4 legs at a time. Very nice looking though, ain't it?

Creator: Chiu-Yuan
Web Site: Chiu-Yuan Fang's BEAM Robotics
Bot name: Walker Ver3.0
Description: Three motor designs are much more able walkers with longer strides and very tall steps. They are also a huge jump in construction complexity from a two motor walker. Walker Ver3.0 is controlled by a six-neuron nervous net. I opted not to go with the 4 neuron microcore to reduce complexity. That sounds strange but take my word for it. Ver3.1 (in the works) will have a microcore, I'll post the comparisons.

Creator: Richard Weait
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Thirsty
Description: Thirsty is a creation of Richard "Yes, I invented the Miniball" Weait. This is another example of the patented VSPANS (or microcore) technology implemented in a full-time solar walking creature. Why "Thirsty"? Well, when you see it walk, it reminds you of a dying man crossing an arid desert.

Creator: Mike T.
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Cockroach
Description: Mike T.'s three motor cockroach is an incredibly speedy 'bot, with legs so quick they blur. No joke! As soon as he's got the controller optimized, it'll really smoke!

Creator: Peter Edmonds
Found at: Solarbotics
Bot name: Sneakers
Description: Peter Edmonds has been busy. Not only coordinating the "Net Walker Project", he's also been experimenting with various gaits using a Mark Tilden microcore (pat.) controller. Sneakers here is a two-motor design, using very low power motors through a 3600:1 gear reduction. And how many gears have you stripped so far, Pete?

Creator: Dave
Web Site: Solarbotics
Bot name: Baby
Description: Another Sunspot series walker, this one as yet officially unnamed (but we're hoping for "Baby"). This little fella is a tad bit smaller than the SunScout 1.0, and has a smaller solarcell. Taking quick little steps, this biomorph walker really can scoot along, and is another thrust in the direction to make walking machines smaller, lighter, quicker, and cheaper.

	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Robot Central Bot Name: Big Foot Description: A cool walker built by Mark Tilden. Visit the web site for detailed info.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Robot Central Bot Name: BitMan 1 Description: Another creation of Mark Tilden. This is one of the worlds smallest solar powered walkers!!!
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Sunspot Description: Mark Tilden's Sunspot series has been a very successful attempt at building adept solar-powered walking machines based around his "Nervous Net" or VSPANS technology. These devices are capable of walking full-time under sunlight, and fall back on a "charge/discharge" cycle when light is insufficient for full-time walking. This one has light-sensitive optics mounted on it, so it is capable to turn and follow light sources. The large foot pads are usable for additional circuits as required, such as for ground moisture sensors, additional solar cells, or any other environmental-sensing apparatus you'd want to use.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Stryder 1.0 Description: Stryder uses a very slick four-motor arrangement that places most of the leg load vertically through the motor, reducing much of the stress that has toasted motors before. It also utilizes a new head / body system that is proving to be very effective. It takes a few steps, stops and "reads" it's environment, then carries on towards it's goal. It has a very adept turning and reversing gait that has to be seen.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: VBUG 1.5 Description: "Walkman" is literally constructed from the remains of four walkmans, one oven timer, a scrapped pager and a microcore (pat.). Although not solar powered, it is of the most adept battery-powered walking machines seen. With a rudimentary vision system and adaptable walking gait, it is very capable to find it's way around complex terrain. It even has a system incorporated that measures reflectivity of light from it's on-board illumination system to help it reach a solution to get out of a corner. Walkman uses a single battery, has a total weight of 0.7Kg from it's metal/plastic unibody construction; has 2 visual and 5 tactile sensors; an 8 transistor Nv (nervous net), 4 transistor neural net and 22 transistor motor driver for only 32 transistors total. Behaviors include high speed walking convergence, powerful environmental adaptive abilities, strong accurate phototaxis, 3 walking gaits (stop, walk, dig), and a backup/explore ability.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: ??????? Description: Simply just another example of the workings of Mark Tilden's twisted mind. This time, he's actually making use of the area on the feet of his walker to apply support electronics. Maybe the hot, New Mexico sunshine has an effect on that man's noggin...
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Vbug 1.1 (Spyder) Description: This incredibly lifelike critter is designed around a single battery; weighs 1.4kg; metal exoskeletal construction framework; and 2.5 degrees of freedom (DOF) per leg. It uses 2 linked microcore Nv structures with adaptive linkages, and a 4 Nu "head" for a total of 28 transistor elements. Emergent behaviors include 2 quasi-independant control structures that converge on a cooperative quadrilateral symmetric walking gait after only 4 learning steps. Leg independence allows for directed action/response despite chaotic control. What's this all mean? Well, that it's the most scarily lifelike Biomorph produced yet.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Walkman Daggerwrist Description: A highly adept 2 motor walking machine that has the skills to successfully negotiate very complex terrain. Even has a built-in 45 degree angle-of-attack sensor so it "backs down" from terrain possibly too hazardous.
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: BIGMAN Description: Mark Tilden's BIGMAN walker originally stood almost 5 feet tall, and had it programmed to saunter down the hallway to terrorize his secretary, then bring her back to his office. Why? Well, he's always wanted to fulfill the dream of every mad scientist, which is to build a monster to go forth to the village and abduct women. In this case, he programmed the voice chip with a polite request for his secretary to accompany the robot back to his office. (Gotta be polite, otherwise BIGMAN would've been reduced to shavings by her electric pencil sharpener. How else do ya think it got whittled down to 18" tall?)
	Creator: Mark Tilden Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: ZWALKER Description: Many people have asked about this particular robot as it seems too small, cool, and funky-looking to be an effective robot. Well, guess what? They're right - it isn't very effective because it is a modified wind-up toy called a ZWALKER from a Japanese kit. Over the years it's legs have been broken and reglued many times, and it doesn't even walk ike a real bug, as it really just lifts and shift one set of 4 legs at a time. Very nice looking though, ain't it?
	Creator: Chiu-Yuan Web Site: Chiu-Yuan Fang's BEAM Robotics Bot name: Walker Ver3.0 Description: Three motor designs are much more able walkers with longer strides and very tall steps. They are also a huge jump in construction complexity from a two motor walker. Walker Ver3.0 is controlled by a six-neuron nervous net. I opted not to go with the 4 neuron microcore to reduce complexity. That sounds strange but take my word for it. Ver3.1 (in the works) will have a microcore, I'll post the comparisons.
	Creator: Richard Weait Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Thirsty Description: Thirsty is a creation of Richard "Yes, I invented the Miniball" Weait. This is another example of the patented VSPANS (or microcore) technology implemented in a full-time solar walking creature. Why "Thirsty"? Well, when you see it walk, it reminds you of a dying man crossing an arid desert.
	Creator: Mike T. Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Cockroach Description: Mike T.'s three motor cockroach is an incredibly speedy 'bot, with legs so quick they blur. No joke! As soon as he's got the controller optimized, it'll really smoke!
	Creator: Peter Edmonds Found at: Solarbotics Bot name: Sneakers Description: Peter Edmonds has been busy. Not only coordinating the "Net Walker Project", he's also been experimenting with various gaits using a Mark Tilden microcore (pat.) controller. Sneakers here is a two-motor design, using very low power motors through a 3600:1 gear reduction. And how many gears have you stripped so far, Pete?
	Creator: Dave Web Site: Solarbotics Bot name: Baby Description: Another Sunspot series walker, this one as yet officially unnamed (but we're hoping for "Baby"). This little fella is a tad bit smaller than the SunScout 1.0, and has a smaller solarcell. Taking quick little steps, this biomorph walker really can scoot along, and is another thrust in the direction to make walking machines smaller, lighter, quicker, and cheaper.