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Chapter 34

An Overview

of Robot “Brains”

“
rain, brain, what is brain?” If you’re a Trekker, you know this is a line from one of the
Boriginal Star Trek episodes of the 1960s, entitled “Spock’s Brain.” The quality of the
story notwithstanding, the episode was about how Spock’s brain was surgically removed by a
race of women who needed it to run their air- conditioning system. Dr. McCoy rigged up a
gizmo to operate Spock’s brainless body by remote control.
“Brains” are what differentiate robots from simple automated machines— brainless Spocks
who might as easily crash into walls as move in a straight line. The brains of a robot process
outside influences, such as sonar sensors or bumper switches; then, based on their program-
ming or wiring, they determine the proper course of action.
A computer in one form or another is the most common brain found on a robot. A robot
control computer is seldom like the PC on your desk, though robots can certainly be operated
by most any personal computer. And, of course, not all robot brains are computerized. A
simple assortment of electronic components— a few transistors, resistors, and capacitors— are
all that’s really needed to make a rather intelligent robot. Hey, it worked for Mr. Spock!
In this chapter we’ll review the different kinds of “brains” found on the typical amateur
robot, including the latest microcontrollers— computers that are specially made to interact
with (control) hardware. Endowing your robot with smarts is a big topic, so additional material
is provided in Chapters 35 through 41, including individual discussions on using several pop-
ular microcontrollers, such as the Arduino and PICAXE.

Brains for the Brawn

Let’s start by reviewing the six principal ways to endow your Scarecrow robot with a brain— no
Wizard of Oz required here; it’s all done with bits of wire and other parts.
Human control: Some very basic robots are controlled by human interaction. Switches on
the robot, or in a wired control box, let you operate your creation by hand. Human
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