Solarbotics.net is now Linux powered! Courtesy of this great OS, you get fast and reliable web service from a P3-700. This should bring a big step up in reliability from the old Windows-based server (thanks Dave & Darcy!).

Solarbotics.net is a BEAM robotics community server, hosted (server hardware and bandwidth) in a hands-off sort of way by Solarbotics, Ltd. Material on this site falls into 5 categories (each has its own convenient tab at the top of the page):

• Columns and articles -- Solarbotics.net now hosts two (roughly-) monthly columns -- one for BEAM beginners, and one written by the esteemed Wilf Rigter. This part of the site also hosts documents of BEAM historical interest, a list of BEAM-oriented books, tips for BEAMers, and links to other reading material elsewhere.
  
  
• Discussion -- This area will eventually support a ported version of the current Yahoo email discussion group. In the meantime, it provides an easily searchable archive of postings to the group since November, 1999.
  
  
• BEAM Reference Library -- A growing trove of BEAM reference material, which has its own list of attractions:
  
  
  • BEAM From the Ground Up (the sequel) -- an on-line course in BEAM
  • The BEAM Bestiary -- a complete description and hyper-gallery of all the types of BEAMbots built to date.
  • The EncycloBEAMia -- custom-designed to clear up your vocabulary questions (sort of a "hyperglossary"); also a topical index to the rest of the library material.
  • BEAM Techniques -- tutorials on, and reviews of, various techniques used in the creation of BEAMbots.
  • BEAM Pieces -- your guide to part selection and assembly construction
  • BEAM Circuits -- writeups on, and links to, a whole slew of BEAMish circuits
  • Component Datasheets -- look up all the details on electronic parts of interest
  • BEAM Video -- interesting BEAM-related movies
  • BEAM PDFs -- lots of interesting articles on topics of BEAM and robotics interest, all in convenient / cross-platform PDF format
  • BEAM Links -- a collection of links to vendors' sites, individuals' robot sites, tutorials, the works!
    

  Authorship is open to all; if you'd like to write an article or tutorial for inclusion in the library, send an email to . Along the lines of the Library of Alexandria, if you write an article of BEAM interest, Conan may just contact you in an attempt to include it here anyway...
  
  

• Hosted sites -- Solarbotics.net provides free web hosting to people for their BEAM-related projects, with no banner advertising, no pop-ups, pop-unders, SPAM lists, or any other obtrusive advertising.
  
  
• Gallery -- Solarbotics.net now provides free file space for non-copyrighted images or movies that folks may wish to share with fellow roboticists.
  
  
• Donate to the Solarbotics.net Server Fund. Help keep power flowing to the server. Over 100GB of valuable resources are distributed through this machine on a monthly basis.
  
  

This site is constantly being updated and added to, so make sure to check out what's new.