Mark Tilden on “What are the five must-read publications for budding...
Aside from the conventional introductory texts on BEAM Robotics, control systems, electronics, and multi-axis mechanics, I always recommend books to inspire thoughts on robotic history, possibilities,...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “If you had a EUR 100M investment fund, into which robotics...
Well if it was for fun, I’d invest in autonomous paving mothers (APMs). A self-driving solar-powered mobile furnace robot that eats sand and dirt and spits out interlocking solar-panel paving stones...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “What funding scheme is the most conducive to creating a...
Funding schemes aren’t viable until we can make more innovative roboticists, and over the years I’ve tried several methods of engendering the Divine Frankenstein Complex in others. Teaching at a...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “How will robots shape the future of warfare?”
Robot machines have been shaping the future of war since the first siege engines appeared in ancient times (I like to think the Trojan Horse was motorized). Now with technology significantly extending...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “Do robots kill jobs?”
Robots do kill jobs but they’re crappy jobs, so good riddance. If you’ve ever had a job you were desperate for the money, but immediately regretted after you got it, then you know what I mean. This...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “What is the single biggest obstacle preventing robotics from...
From experience, the single biggest obstacle to personal robotic markets is cost, both in money and time. Robots have the disadvantage of being over-promoted in fictional media while over-priced on the...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “What would you research if you did not have to worry about...
Well, I’m lucky enough to be a gentleman scientist, so I concurrently study problems on minimal dynamical control systems (optimizing performance to silicon ratios), power regeneration and efficiency,...
View ArticleMark Tilden on “What is the best way to get a robotics education today?”
In the past, a robotics education started with any inspiration that filtered through the sparse media of the time. Imagine a dull illness during a bland winter, black and white TV on a fuzzy channel,...
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