David Caputo is a whirlwind of possibilities.

 
I recently cobbled together a BEAM style walking robot using the unique staple circuit known as the “bicore” and a single servo. The bicore is a really neat little circuit that powers a whole slew of different bot designs in the BEAM Bestiary. Its funny because I have been tinkering with the Arduino to try and build some simple bots and have realized that it is way more power and a bit unnecessary for what I want to do. The BEAM system caught my eye when I was looking through an old issue of MAKE Magazine because they are simple, cheap and the designs tend to be very clever. They use very simple pieces in interesting ways so that the whole becomes much great than its parts. Though I do not have an advanced understanding of electronics I can understand most of the principles that make up the bicore. There are countless pages detailing different designs but the thing that always impresses me most about the majority of the designs is doing a lot with a little. By building on a simple design people are making really cool robots!I would highly recommend starting out a Solar Roller or Pummer if you are looking for a simple, low cost and fun way to get into Robotics! Click here for a Tutorial on how to make your own!