non-electronic digital systems based on manipulating beans according to simple logical rules.
inspired by the beans computer, but going at a lower level. most of the times this is related to paper computing.
the computadora de papel is also related as a beans-based, "higher level" computer.
projects
norpet is a proof-of-concept for ideas we have about beans computing in an 8x8 grid or board.
![closeup photo of the norpet board completely solved in one of its states: the grid is full of either soy or black beans.](./img/foto_norpet_02.png)
prototypes
bouncing ball logic and bouncer-2d prototype provide some notes from the initial development of poñg around 12020.
![a sequence of four frames showing two paper boards with black and soy beans in them: the one in the left contains the processing cells, and the one in the right looks like a screen composed of soy beans except for one, which seems to be moving from the top left corner to the bottom and right.](./img/secuencia_bounce2d-8x6-0a3.gif)
truth tables
we have only two classes of beans: black (1), and non-black (0).
these tables correspond to the NOT and NOR logical operations.
they show their possible inputs at their left, and their corresponding outputs to the right.
![photo of the NOT and NOR truth tables, composed of beans in a greenish surface](./img/foto_beans-computing_truth-tables.png)
NOT
NOT: the output is the opposite of the input. (table at the top left)
input | output |
---|---|
0 | 1 |
1 | 0 |
NOR
NOR: the output is black only when none of the inputs are black. in any other case, the output is non-black. (table at the center) nor
inputs | output |
---|---|
00 | 1 |
01 | 0 |
10 | 0 |
11 | 0 |
if you look closely you'll see that NOT can be defined the same way as NOR.
by combining multiple instances of this logic operation, we could build any possible digital behavior.