Abstract: A robot has a surface over which the robot moves, the surface being tiled with electrodes and having a power supply connected to the electrodes so that the electrodes form an alternating pattern of positive and negative electrodes, the robot having a plurality of contacts resting on the surface, each of the contacts being connected to oppositely biased diodes, the robot having a motor connected between leads connecting all the diodes of each bias, the contacts being positioned so that at least two of said contacts always rest on a negative and a positive electrode to power the motor.A control signal generator connected to the electrodes may send a control signal to a control signal receiver through the power circuitry to control the motor of the moving robot. In a like manner, a data signal generator on the robot may send data signals to a data signal receiver connected to the electrodes of the surface.