We are going to begin our quest to build a synthetic mind by listing some methods used by nature to perceive the environment Sensor – Wikipedia. The detection of a change occurs -> even without a forest.
Welcome to Mount Electra. We are going to spend quite a bit of time talking about her. It is a Lava spewing volcano and that lava contains large amounts of silicon. Unlike the volcanoes that shoot ash high into the air, the lava volcanoes ooze liquid rock which then flows down the mountain until it hardens often with a glass-type surface of silicon with various other metallic elements including aluminium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, and potassium.
Silicon Solar Cell
These silicon-based compounds provide the basic material needed for a solar cell. The silicon cools, an oxidation forms on top, and another layer of metal may be deposited from the volcano. The operation of a solar cell is quite simple. Solar cell – Wikipedia. A homeowner can make one quite easily. https://youtu.be/Es8IyJCirlw
As the lava cools it may form a type of glass called Obsidian – Wikipedia. If these sheets of glass shatter into small pieces, each piece could become a solar cell producing voltage when lit by sunlight. The output voltage would be determined by the amount of sunlight making the cells a direct sensor of light. If there is a metallic coating over the cells, a useful voltage would be produced. In the diagram of Mt. Electra above, the cells in each row would produce electricity as the sun rose with the sunlight moving down the mountain. The top row would produce a voltage, followed by the next row, etc. Any metal element on the surface could transfer this voltage to another part of the mountain.
Piezoelectric Power Supply
Another source of voltage for powering digital circuits is piezoelectricity. When you apply pressure to a crystal such as quartz, it reacts by causing a negative charge to appear on one side that you are squeezing, and a positive charge on the other. I produced electricity from both a granite countertop and a flat piece of quartz crystal.
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Piezoelectric sensor – Wikipedia
Environmental Sensors
The voltage produced by either of these sources can be used to detect environmental conditions.
Magnetic Transducer
An electric current flowing thru a twisted conduction will produce a useful magnetic field. A spiral hole in a rock filled with aluminum or copper or silver or gold will attract an iron bar.
Heat Sensitive Conductor
Most materials having electrical resistance will vary the resistance when the temperature changes.
Odor Detection
I believe the first use of a detached nose was in Woody Allen’s Sleeper.
Next chapter /Digital Logic
