Editing BEAM robotics (section)

==Applications and current progress==
At present{{When|date=November 2022}}, autonomous robots have seen limited commercial application, with some exceptions such as the iRobot [[Roomba]] robotic vacuum cleaner and a few lawn-mowing robots. The main practical application of BEAM has been in the rapid prototyping of motion systems and hobby/education applications. Mark Tilden has successfully used BEAM for the prototyping of products for [[Wow Wee|Wow-Wee]] Robotics, as evidenced by B.I.O.Bug and RoboRaptor. Solarbotics Ltd., Bug'n'Bots, JCM InVentures Inc.,  and PagerMotors.com have also brought BEAM-related hobby and educational goods to the marketplace. [[Vex Robotics Design System|Vex]] has also developed [[Hexbug]]s, tiny BEAM robots.

Aspiring BEAM roboticists often have problems with the lack of direct control over "pure" BEAM control circuits. There is ongoing work to evaluate biomorphic techniques that copy natural systems because they seem to have an incredible performance advantage over traditional techniques. There are many examples of how tiny insect brains are capable of far better performance than the most advanced microelectronics.{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}}

Another barrier to widespread application of BEAM technology is the perceived random nature of the 'nervous network', which requires new techniques to be learned by the builder to successfully diagnose and manipulate the characteristics of the circuitry. A think-tank of international academics<ref>[http://www.ine-web.org/ Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716132350/http://www.ine-web.org/ |date=2019-07-16 }} (INE)</ref> meet annually in [[Telluride, Colorado]] to address this issue directly, and until recently, Mark Tilden has been part of this effort (he had to withdraw due to his new commercial commitments with Wow-Wee toys).

Having no long-term memory, BEAM robots generally do not learn from past behaviour. However, there has been work in the BEAM community to address this issue. One of the most advanced BEAM robots in this vein is Bruce Robinson's Hider,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190915203413/http://www3.telus.net/rfws/beam/hider/m_hidr_00.html Bruce Robinson's Hider]</ref><!-- [Clean-up: Hider does not learn from past behaviour] --> which has an impressive degree of capability for a microprocessor-less design.