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KF5JRV > TECH 27.06.16 12:22l 23 Lines 1345 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 5135_KF5JRV
Read: GUEST
Subj: The Beast
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N0KFQ<KF5JRV
Sent: 160627/1120Z 5135@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK1.4.65
The Johns Hopkins Beast Circa 1960
Built during the 1960s at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins
University, the Johns Hopkins Beast was a mobile automaton. The machine had a
rudimentary intelligence and the ability to survive on its own.
"Controlled by dozens of transistors, the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Lab's "Beast" wandered white hallways, centering by sonar, until its
batteries ran low. Then it would seek black wall outlets with special
photocell optics, and plug itself in by feel with its special recharging arm.
After feeding, it would resume patrolling. Much more complex than Elsie, the
Beast's deliberate coordinated actions can be compared to the bacteria hunting
behaviors of large nucleated cells like paramecia or amoebae."
"The robot was cybernetic. It did not use a computer. Its control circuitry
consisted of dozens of transistors controlling analog voltages. It used
photocell optics and sonar to navigate. The 2N404 transistors were used to
create NORO logic gates that implemented the Boolean logic to tell it what to
do when a specific sensor was activated. The 2N404 transistors were also used
to create timing gates to tell it how long to do something. 2N1040 Power
transistors were used to control the power to the motion treads, the boom, and
the charging mechanism"
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