Mark Tilden
Mark W. Tilden | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University of Waterloo |
| Occupation(s) | Physicist, Robotics designer, Consultant, Educator |
| Known for | Developing BEAM robotics, Designing WowWee Robosapien, Tilden's Laws of Robotics |
Mark W. Tilden is a physicist specializing in robotics, acclaimed for developing intricate robotic behaviors through straightforward analog logic circuits, frequently without employing microprocessors. He is credited with pioneering BEAM robotics and designing the WowWee Robosapien humanoid robot. Additionally, he is known for formulating the libertarian principles referred to as Tilden's Laws of Robotics.
Early career
Tilden was born in the United Kingdom in 1961 and grew up in Canada. He pursued his education at the University of Waterloo before joining Los Alamos National Laboratory. During his tenure there, he created simple robotic systems such as the SATbot, insect-like de-mining robots, and solar-powered "Living Machines," emphasizing behavioral experimentation and the development of "Nervous Network" theory. Finding Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics restrictive, he proposed an alternative framework tailored for autonomous, survival-oriented robots.
Current Work
Following his departure from government employment and relocation to Hong Kong, Tilden now works independently as a robotics designer, consultant, and educator. His commercial robot lines are mainly distributed through WowWee Toys, including biomorphic models like B.I.O. Bugs (2001), Constructobots (2002), RoboSapien (2004), Roboraptor (2005), RS Media (2006), Roboquad (2007), Femisapien (2008), Joebot (2009), and the Roomscooper robotic floor cleaner (2010).
Tilden’s creations have been featured in numerous television specials such as Robots Rising and The Science behind Star Wars, both aired on Discovery Channel, along with coverage in magazines and digital media. He contributed as a technical advisor for the 2001 motion picture Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, with his robots making appearances in TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and films including The 40 Year Old Virgin, Paul Blart Mall Cop, and X-Men: The Last Stand. In 2016, he was featured in the documentary Machine of Human Dreams, which spotlights technologists based in Hong Kong.
See also
External links
- Robotsrule – Details on commercially available entertainment robots.
- Solarbotics – Online retailer offering parts, kits, and historical information on BEAM robotics.
- BEAM Discussion Group – Active community forum focused on BEAM robots, builders, and related events.
- "Robot" Magazine – Profile covering Mark Tilden’s background and approach to robotics.
- Discover Magazine – Article featuring Mark Tilden
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1961 births
- Living people
- Roboticists
- Canadian roboticists
- British emigrants to Canada
- WowWee
- 20th-century Canadian scientists
- University of Waterloo alumni
- 20th-century British physicists
- Scientists from Ontario
- Canadian emigrants to Hong Kong