Editing BEAM robotics (section)

===Microcontrollers===
Unlike many other types of robots controlled by [[microcontroller]]s, BEAM robots are built on the principle of using multiple simple behaviours linked directly to sensor systems with little [[signal conditioning]]. This design philosophy is closely echoed in the classic book "Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology".<ref>Braitenberg, Valentino. [https://books.google.com/books?id=7KkUAT_q_sQC Vehicles, Experiments in Synthetic Psychology]. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1984. Print.</ref> Through a series of thought experiments, this book explores the development of complex robot behaviours through simple inhibitory and excitory sensor links to the [[actuator]]s. Microcontrollers and [[computer programming]] are usually not a part of a traditional (aka., "pure" ) BEAM robot due to the very low-level hardware-centric design [[philosophy]].

There are successful robot designs mating the two technologies. These "hybrids" fulfill a need for robust control systems with the added flexibility of dynamic programming, like the "[[horse-and-rider topology|horse-and-rider]]" [[topology]] BEAMbots (e.g. the ScoutWalker 3<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.solarbotics.com/product/k_w3/ |title=The ScoutWalker 3 |access-date=2012-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717010648/http://www.solarbotics.com/product/k_w3/ |archive-date=2012-07-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>). 'Horse' behavior is implemented with traditional BEAM technology but a microcontroller based 'rider' can guide that behavior so as to accomplish the goals of the 'rider'.