What do you get when you combine a capacitor, some LEDs, and a solar cell? A B.E.A.M. Bug Bot! B.E.A.M. stands for Biology Electronics Aesthetics Mechanics which means that the robots are inspired by biology which means bugs.
Vic De Leon and Stewart Tansly, explained that the solar cell doesn’t put out enough power to drive the motor, but the capacitor can gather power and then release it. A capacitor works kind of like a glass of water, but instead of filling with water, it fills with electricity. When the glass is full, it dumps out the electricity. Photography flashes use big capacitors that gather electricity and then dump it out in the form of a flash.
One of the interesting things about these bugs is that they are set up with light sensors so that they are always going toward the light! Now that’s a clever little cute ecologically-friendly solar-powered robot!
Mark Tilden’s work inspired Vic and Stewart to make their bugbots. You can make one too! Both Solarbotics and Pagermotors.com have kits that have all the bits and bobs you need to put a little B.E.A.M. bugbot together!
Watch the video(MP4) and subscribe!
This is the first of a series of many videos covering the Maker Faire for Make Magazine!
You’re too cool Bre. Can’t wait to catch up at vloggercon! yeah! like the new site btw.
Hi Bre, it’s Vic from the bugbot clip.
Many thanks on behalf of Stewart and I, and the rest of the folks from the Microsoft Robotics Enthusiast’s group. Keep up the great work. Can’t wait to see more videos from the Faire.
-v
Cute Make video. It wouldn’t load on my iPod though.
;),
Enric
Super! POPIN’! COOL! intro!
site looks freash!
Great work as always. One of the many superb-powers
you emit is the consistancy of awesome.
High-five!