While doing research for another article on robots (top secret, very hush, hush), I’ve been looking at the BEAM robotics taxonomy. Taking cues from biology as it does (putting the “B” in BEAM), one fascinating area of this approach to robotics is the robotic plant-form. One of these types of devices, part bio-mech, part objet d’art, is the Pummer. This BEAM “plant” uses a “solarengine” circuit, found on many BEAMbots, to soak up rays all day and then throb (or “pum”) a light beacon at night. A nifty DIY object to have decorating your “geekosphere,” and a good way to freak out the night cleaning and security crews.
The Pummer seen here is from Brett Hemes’s site, The Breadboard. His Pummer page details the construction of two Pummers. Solarbotics offers plans for a simple Pummer using their awesome BEAM Experimenter PCB, but you can also easily freeform the circuit. 