What is Robotics?

• A robot is a machine that can be programmed.

The Four D’s of Robotics

1. Dangerous

2. Dirty

3. Dull

4. Difficult

The Four D’s of Robotics

1. Dangerous

2. Dirty

3. Dull

4. Difficult

The Four D’s of Robotics

1. Dangerous

2. Dirty

3. Dull

4. Difficult

The Four D’s of Robotics

1. Dangerous

2. Dirty

3. Dull

4. Difficult

The First Robots

• Mechanical toys such as the Japanese Karakuri ningyo toys of the 1700s

The First Robots

• Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th Century design for a knight

The First Robots

• Automata of the 1800s

What is artificial intelligence and how is it different from robotics

as we know it?

• In current robotics, all robot behavior must be programmed into the robot.

• Artificial intelligence is the ability of the robot to select which behavior or program to run.

Difference in Robots and Humans• Machines can recall data and do math much

faster than humans. They are more rugged than we are.

• Humans are much better at recognizing patterns. They are more creative. Humans can adapt to change much faster than robots.

Major Fields of Robotics

• Operator Interface: A robot must be able to communicate with its human controller

• Mobility or locomotion: How the robot gets from place to place

• Manipulators and effectors:• The parts of the robot that interact with objects by touching things, picking them up, placing them in containers, etc.

Major Fields of Robotics

• Programming – How you talk to a machine.

• Sensing and perception –

A robot needs information

from sensors to know

about its surroundings

Difference between Autonomous and TeleOp

• An autonomous robot is controlled by its internal computer.

• A teleop or teleoperated robot is controlled by a human using a control device remotely.

Ways to teleop a robot:

• Virtual Reality (VR) immerse the operator in a real-time control environment.

Ways to teleop a robot:

• Biofeedback or neurofeedback using an EEG. Very useful for people who have lost a limb or are paralyzed.

Ways to teleop a robot:

• Exoskeleton robot

Mobility or Locomotion

• Electric motors – DC (direct current) are used to created rotational movement

• Servos – Work by electricity and also created rotational movement

• Linear Actuators – pneumatics or hydraulics and created a lot of force very quickly

• Rotary actuators – much like linear only force is rotational

How can robots move?

• Muscle wire – actually contracts when electricity is run through it. Shape Memory Alloy or SMA;

How can robots move?

• Electroactive polymers

can contract up to 400

percent when electricity

is applied. Used for

humanoid robots

How can robots move?

• Two-wheeled balancing – robot uses sensors to stay balanced

• One-wheeled balancing – robot uses a single wheel or ball and still maintains balance

• Six-wheeled robots – multiple wheels

• Walking robots -

How can robots move?

• Walking robots – Like Honda’s ASIMO these robots are called bipeds.

How can robots move?

• Flying robots – Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fly in front of patrols so soldiers can spot ambushes.

How can robots move?

• Underwater

robots – used for recovery, mapping, exploration and clean-up

How can robots move?

• Climbing robots –

Use gecko-like

mechanisms

to climb

Manipulators and End Effectors

• Some people refer to the hand of a robot as an end-effector or effector and the arm as a manipulator.

• Mechanical Gripper

Manipulators and End Effectors

• Vacuum gripper

Manipulators and End Effectors

• Magnetic Grippers

• Ingressive Grippers

Sensors

• Robots must know: Where am I? Where do I need to go? What is in my way?

• Robots use cameras for eyes• Robots use microphones for ears• Robots use touch sensors for touch• GPS Sensors for coordinates• Radar transmitters for objects in the way• Infrared sensors detect heat

Pseudo Code

• Pseudo code is “pictures” or tiles of code that you can experiment with rather than actually programming

Center of Gravity

• Center of Gravity, the point at which all of the weight of an object appears to be concentrated. If an object rotates when thrown, the center of gravity is also the center of rotation. It is important for automobiles and trucks to have their centers of gravity located close to the road, because a low center of gravity gives them stability.

Support Polygon

• The support polygon is the imaginary polygon formed by connecting the points where the robot touches the supporting surface.

• A triangle is the most stable stationary polygon.

• The most stable polygon for movement is a rectangle.

Two-point rule

• Two-point rule says that you need two points of connection on structural pieces.

Vulnerable Robot Elements

• Anything that is sticking out and subject to being rammed or run-over