Light-craving or photovorous robots

The words photovore, photovory, photovorous refer to feeding on or “ingesting” light as a source of energy. Especially applicable to light-seeking robots.

The robot shown above does not represent the kinds of robots built by Mark Tilden and his robot designers from high schools and up into various adult levels of inventors.

Light-craving robots are based on what is called BEAM principles (biology, electronics, aesthetics, and mechanics).

BEAM is a style of robotics that primarily uses simple analog circuits, instead of a microprocessor. Unlike many other types of robots controlled by microcontrollers, BEAM robots are built on the principle of using multiple simple behaviors linked directly to sensor systems with little signal conditioning.

For the future, Tilden ponders an "ecology" of robots fulfilling their biological, electronic, artistic, and mechanical mandates in concert.