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Mfr Part # TOY0060
LIGHT CHASER ROBOT
DFRobot
Top BEAM Projects
2019-07-17 | By Maker.io Staff
As seen in a previous post, we looked at what BEAM robots are, but what do they look like? What are some of the coolest BEAM bots currently out there?
Number 1 – BEAM Satellite
This BEAM bot is a pummer type, which means it charges during the day and produces an LED light show at night. While not an actual satellite, this design (built by Mohit Bhoite) is an absolutely beautiful sculpture in its own right. The framework is built using brass rods, and the solar cells on the side are actual solar cells that charge the internal capacitor.
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/04/solar-circuit-sculpture-pumms-the-night-away/
Number 2 – Flatbot FLED Photopopper
This BEAM bot is an incredibly sleek design with two flashing LEDs, a solar cell, two motors, and various other parts to form a solar engine. This BEAM bot heads towards light and takes advantage of the fact that FLEDs are somewhat photosensitive. The motor that turns on the most is the FLED facing towards the brightest source of light, so this BEAM bot will always follow the sun!
http://www.smfr.org/robots/robot_images/flatbot.jpg
Number 3 – Bristle Bot
While bristle bots use an onboard power source (such as coin cells), they are one of the most commonly-made bots by those who are new to robotics. These bots are built on top of a toothbrush head and take advantage of the fact that the bristles on a toothbrush are slightly angled. When the small vibration motor on the bot rotates, it causes the bot to launch off in the direction of the bristles. These can be very fast for their size!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1zToREgV0c
Number 4 – Line Follower
This line follower (created by Will Moore) can follow lines on the floor but does not use an Arduino Uno or any other microcontroller to do so. While this robot does use an onboard battery, it also shows how microcontrollers are not needed to perform tasks that can be found in automated factories. If feelers and proximity sensors were added to this, you could, in theory, build a fully automated cargo carrier for a factory floor with no code!
http://www.will-moore.com/analog-line-follower
Number 5 – BEAM Ant
The BEAM Ant shown here is a traditional BEAM bot that uses a solar cell to harvest energy from its environment, but instead of only following light, it also moves around and avoids objects with the use of feelers. Two motors provide the robot with the ability to move around.
Number 6 – Solar Engine
While not a BEAM bot itself, the heart of most BEAM projects is some kind of engine. Most BEAM engines are based on solar cells, and they work by charging a capacitor for some time before releasing the energy quickly to power motors and other high power demanding devices. While some circuits use parts that are now discontinued, this circuit in particular (from solarbotics.net) shows how a 555 can be used to create a solar engine. The use of two commonly used signal diodes and a 2n3904 transistor makes this a trivial circuit to construct! The second variety of this circuit shows how a flashing LED can be used to enable two different 555’s to react to light sources and make a solar engine photosensitive.
http://solarbotics.net/library/circuits/bot_popper_555.html
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