Mobile walking robot “GREG”: PBL project designed in accordance with BEAM philosophy

At the end of the 90s in XX century Mark W. Tilden presented innovatory philosophy for robots designing and proposed acronym BEAM (Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics) to name it. According to the philosophy robot should have simple construction and behavioral control realized by neural network instead of algorithmic control system implemented in microprocessor. This approach makes robots similar to living creatures. The paper presents basics of BEAM philosophy and describes design of GREG robot, realized at Department of Mechatronics of Silesian University of Technology as an MSc project. GREG is small walking robot designed in accordance to BEAM philosophy. It can live autonomously, search for light source and avoid obstacles.