Mark W. Tilden is perhaps best known for his invention of BEAM robotics

BEAM robotics

The word "beam" in BEAM robotics is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. This is a term that refers to a style of robotics...

 and the WowWee Robosapien

RoboSapien

RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...

 humanoid robot. He is a robotics

Robotics

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...

 physicist

Physicist

A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...

 who produces complex robotic movements from simple analog logic circuits, often with discrete electronic components, and usually without a microprocessor.

Born in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in 1961, raised in Canada, he started at the University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

 then moved on to the Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...

 where he developed robots such as the SATbot which instinctively aligned itself to the magnetic field

Magnetic field

A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...

 of the earth, de-mining insectoids, "Nervous Network" theory and applications, interplanetary explorers, and behavioral research into many solar-powered "Living Machines" of his own design. Now in Hong Kong, he currently works as a freelance robotics designer, consultant and lecturer, with many recognizable commercial products through WowWee Toys

Wow Wee

WowWee Group Limited, an Optimal Group company , is a Hong Kong-based company founded by Richard and Peter Yanofsky. Initially from Canada, the two brothers moved to Hong Kong to form the company in 1982 as an independent research & development and manufacturing outfit...

. His most popular being his biomorphic robot-based items; including B.I.O. Bugs (2001), Constructobots (2002), G.I Joe Hoverstrike (2003), RoboSapien

RoboSapien

RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...

 (2004), Robosapien v2

Robosapien v2

The Robosapien V2 is the second generation of Mark Tilden's Robosapien robot. It is nearly twice the size of the original robot, standing around tall. Instead of the original caveman grunts the V2 can speak a large list of pre-recorded phrases...

 (2005), Roboraptor

Roboraptor

Roboraptor is a robotic toy invented by Mark Tilden and distributed by Wow Wee Toys International. It is the successor to the RoboSapien robot and uses motion technology based on realistic biomechanics that give it fluid and natural movements. It has a multi-function remote control that uses...

 (2005), Robopet

Robopet

The Robopet is a robotic dog produced by WowWee that is based on the biomorphic work of Mark W. Tilden. The Robopet has IR, audio and tilt sensors and is able to wander around autonomously detecting and reacting to objects and sounds...

 (2005), Roboreptile

Roboreptile

The Roboreptile toy robot manufactured by WowWee Ltd. The Roboreptile has infrared and sound sensors, and is able to autonomously explore its environment while avoiding obstacles. It can also operate in different modes where it simultates behaviors of real animals. It is able to rear up on its hind...

 (2006), RS Media

RS Media

The RS Media is another product in WowWee's line of biomorphic robots, based on a walking system designed by Mark Tilden. The RS Media uses basically the same body as the Robosapien V2, but a different brain based on a Linux kernel. As the name implies, the RS Media's focus is on multimedia...

 (2006, co-developed with Davin Sufer and Maxwell Bogue), Roboquad

Roboquad

Roboquad is one of the 5 new robots that WowWee announced at CES in January 2007. It is a 4-legged robot that somewhat resembles a spider and a dog...

 (2007), Roboboa

Roboboa

Roboboa is a robotic snake produced by WowWee. Roboboas has 4 angled body sections, allowing Roboboa to coil by rotating adjacent sections. A motorized tail roller and casters on the midsection allow Roboboa to move in a straight line.- Hardware :...

 (2007), the humanform Femisapien

FemiSapien

FemiSapien is a female humanoid robot that WowWee announced at CES in January 2008. It can respond to sight, sound, and touch and can be programmed with a sequence of movements...

 (2008), Joebot (2009), and the Roomscooper floor-cleaning robot (2010). http://www.Wowwee.com.

Mark and his robots have been featured on several television specials, such as "Robots Rising" (Discovery), "The Shape of Life" (PBS), "TechnoSpy" (TLC), "Extreme Machines - Incredible Robots" (TLC), "The Science behind Star Wars" (Discovery), as well as many magazines, newspaper publications, websites, and books. A comprehensive article on Tilden (December-2010) by Thomas Marsh is viewable online through the "Robot" Magazine website. http://find.botmag.com/121084

Mark was a technical consultant for the robot scenes in the 2001 movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success...

and his robots have been prominent in many movies including The 40 Year Old Virgin, Paul Blart Mall Cop, X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...

, and more. His robots are also continuous background props in the TV series The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...

.

See also

• BEAM robotics
  BEAM robotics
  The word "beam" in BEAM robotics is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. This is a term that refers to a style of robotics...
  
  
• Behavior based robotics
• Robot
  Robot
  A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
  
  
• Tilden's Law of Robotics
  Tilden's Law of Robotics
  Mark W. Tilden is a notable robotics physicist who was a pioneer in developing simple robotics Mark W. Tilden's three guiding principles/rules for robots are:# A robot must protect its existence at all costs....
  
  

External links

• EvoSapien - A website dedicated on Hacking the Robosapien Robot, lots of mods, and useful information, schematics, codings, pictures, videos, including the new line of Mark Tilden Robots.
• EvoRaptor A Website dedicated to the Roboraptor, pictures, videos, internals, videos, hacks, and lots more. Created 2005 by M.W Tilden and Wow Wee and hacked by fans and the Maker community.
• RoboCommunity - The official WowWee Robotics user community detailing hacks, mods, and how-it-was-made pictorial articles on Mark's robots.
• Superstreng Podcast- A September 2006 podcast interview with Mark Tilden, conducted by Eirik Newth for Norwegian science radio show Superstreng.
• Robotsrule - Detailed information site on many commercially available entertainment robots.
• Solarbotics - On-line store for parts, plans, kits, and history of BEAM robotics.
• BEAM Discussion Group - Active on-line discussion group of BEAM robots, builders, events, and history.
• "Robot" Magazine - Detailed article on Mark Tilden's history, philosophy, and robotics approach, with images.