BEAM robotics BEAM robotics (from biology, electronics, aesthetics and mechanics) is a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analogue circuits, such as comparators, instead of a microprocessor in order to produce an unusually simple design. While not as f ...

, a crawler is a

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

that has a mode of locomotion by tracks or by transferring the robot's body on limbs or appendages. These do not drag parts of their body on the ground. In the original paper "living machines" from 1995, two types of robots were introduced which was the Walkman (a simple crawler) and Spyder, which is a more elaborated

legged robot Legged robots are a type of mobile robot which use articulated limbs, such as leg mechanisms, to provide locomotion. They are more versatile than wheeled robots and can traverse many different terrains, though these advantages require increased ...

. The difference between a walker and a crawler is, that the crawler is more primitive. It has

robot leg A robot leg (or robotic leg) is a mechanical leg that performs the same functions that a human leg can. The robotic leg is typically programmed to execute similar functions as a human leg. A robotic leg is similar to a prosthetic leg. However, a r ...

s and can move forward on the carpet but the legs don't have dedicated joints for articulated movements. Instead they are mounted directly on the robot's base. The design of a crawler robot isn't specified in detail and each robot engineer is allowed to build their own version. Sometimes, crawling robots are equipped with dedicated

microcontrollers A microcontroller (MCU for ''microcontroller unit'', often also MC, UC, or μC) is a small computer on a single VLSI integrated circuit (IC) chip. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs ( processor cores) along with memory and programmabl ...

plus a

radio control Radio control (often abbreviated to RC) is the use of control signals transmitted by radio to remotely control a device. Examples of simple radio control systems are garage door openers and keyless entry systems for vehicles, in which a small ...

led chipset while in other implementations a minimalist approach is used. What all these robots have in common is, that they are following the philosophy of Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics which is about imitating biological bugs. A possible alternative control over teleoperation is a

nv network A Nv network is a term used in BEAM robotics referring to the small electrical Neural Networks that make up the bulk of BEAM-based robot control mechanisms. Building blocks The most basic component included in Nv Networks is the Nv neuron. The ...

which is a specialized form of a

central pattern generator Central pattern generators (CPGs) are self-organizing biological neural circuits that produce rhythmic outputs in the absence of rhythmic input. They are the source of the tightly-coupled patterns of neural activity that drive rhythmic and stereot ...

. This is a

pseudorandom number generator A pseudorandom number generator (PRNG), also known as a deterministic random bit generator (DRBG), is an algorithm for generating a sequence of numbers whose properties approximate the properties of sequences of random numbers. The PRNG-generate ...

which is producing an oscillating signal. It moves the legs similar to a clockwork.

Genera

* Turbots: Rolls over and over as a mode of locomotion via arms or flagella. * Inchworms: Driven mode of locomotion via the robot's body undulating; this undulation moves part of the body ahead, while the rest of the chassis is on the ground. * Tracked robots: "Track-ed" wheel locomotion; tank-like action.

References

BEAM robotics {{Robo-stub