ROBOTICS

A robot is a mechanical intelligent agent which can perform tasks on its own, or with guidance. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous or semi-autonomous and come in those two basic types.

TOPIO

ASIMO

ROBOTICSRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots.  Robotics is related to the sciences of electronics, engineering, mechanics, and software.

(A robotic hand that contains all the feature of an average human hand)

The Five Laws of Robotics1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.4. A robot must establish its identity as a robot in all cases.5. A robot must know it is a robot.

How did ROBOTS come into existence and what role are modern ROBOTS playing in our lives ?

COMPONENTS OF ROBOTAt present; mostly (lead-acid) batteries are used, but potential power sources could be:

* Pneumatic (compressed gases)* Hydraulics (liquids)* Flywheel energy storage* Organic garbage (through anaerobic digestion)* Feces (human, animal); may be interesting in a military context as feces of small combat groups may be reused for the energy requirements of the robot assistant.* Still unproven energy sources: for example Nuclear fusion, as yet not used in nuclear reactors whereas Nuclear fission is proven.* Radioactive source.

Power Supply

Innovative Power Supplies(The stirling Engine, that is capable of turning any fuel into energy)

(Compressed Gas cylinders)

(Radioactive Materials)

ActuationActuators are like the "muscles" of a robot, the parts which convert stored energy into movement. By far the most popular actuators are electric motors that spin a wheel or gear, and linear actuators that control industrial robots in factories. But there are some recent advances in alternative types of actuators, powered by electricity, chemicals, or compressed air:

(A robotic leg powered by Air Muscles)

• Electric motors• Linear actuators• Series elastic actuators• Air muscles• Muscle wire• Electro active polymers• Piezo motors• Elastic nanotubes

Electric motorsThe vast majority of robots use electric motors, often brushed and brushless DC motors in portable robots or AC motors in industrial robots and CNC machines.Linear actuatorsVarious types of linear actuators move in and out instead of by spinning, particularly when very large forces are needed such as with industrial robotics. They are typically powered by compressed air (pneumatic actuator) or an oil (hydraulic actuator).Series elastic actuatorsA spring can be designed as part of the motor actuator, to allow improved force control. It has been used in various robots, particularly walking humanoid robots.

Air musclesPneumatic artificial muscles, also known as air muscles, are special tubes that contract (typically up to 40%) when air is forced inside it. They have been used for some robot applications.

(Air Muscles)

Muscle wireMuscle wire, also known as Shape Memory Alloy, Nitinol or Flexinol Wire, is a material that contracts slightly (typically under 5%) when electricity runs through it. They have been used for some small robot applications.

(Air muscle used in small robot)

SensingTouchCurrent robotic and prosthetic hands receive far less tactile information than the human hand. Recent research has developed a tactile sensor array that mimics the mechanical properties and touch receptors of human fingertips . The sensor array is constructed as a rigid core surrounded by conductive fluid contained by an elastomeric skin. Electrodes are mounted on the surface of the rigid core and are connected to an impedance-measuring device within the core. (A shadow robotic

hand holding a blub)

VisionComputer vision is the science and technology of machines that see. As a scientific discipline, computer vision is concerned with the theory behind artificial systems that extract information from images. The image data can take many forms, such as video sequences and views from cameras.In most practical computer vision applications, the computers are pre-programmed to solve a particular task, but methods based on learning are now becoming increasingly common.Computer vision systems rely on image sensors which detect electromagnetic radiation which is typically in the form of either visible light or infra-red light. The sensors are designed using solid-state physics.

(Visual analysis of the state and density)

ManipulationRobots needs to manipulate objects; pick up, modify, destroy, or otherwise have an effect. Thus the "hands" of a robot are often referred to as end effectors, while the "arm" is referred to as a manipulator. Most robot arms have replaceable effectors, each allowing them to perform some small range of tasks. Some have a fixed manipulator which cannot be replaced, while a few have one very general purpose manipulator, for example a humanoid hand.1. Mechanical Grippers2. Vacuum Grippers3. General purpose effectors

(The Shadow hand is a good example of a General purpose effectors)

LocomotionRolling robots

Two-wheeled balancing robots

One-wheeled balancing robots

Spherical orb robots

Six-wheeled robots

Tracked robots

Walking applied to robotsWalking is a difficult and dynamic problem to solve. Several robots have been made which can walk reliably on two legs, however none have yet been made which are as robust as a human. Many other robots have been built that walk on more than two legs, due to these robots being significantly easier to construct. Some of the methods which have been tried are:

1.ZMP Technique2.Hopping3.Dynamic Balancing

(controlled falling)4.Passive Dynamics

ZMP TechniqueThe Zero Moment Point (ZMP) is the algorithm used by robots such as Honda's ASIMO. The robot's onboard computer tries to keep the total inertial forces (the combination of earth's gravity and the acceleration and deceleration of walking), exactly opposed by the floor reaction force (the force of the floor pushing back on the robot's foot). In this way, the two forces cancel out, leaving no moment (force causing the robot to rotate and fall over).HONDA’S

ASIMO

Dynamic Balancing (controlled falling)A more advanced way for a robot to walk is by using a dynamic balancing algorithm, which is potentially more robust than the Zero Moment Point technique, as it constantly monitors the robot's motion, and places the feet in order to maintain stability. This technique was recently demonstrated by Anybots' Dexter Robot, which is so stable, it can even jump. Another example is the TU Delft Flame.

Passive DynamicsPerhaps the most promising approach utilizes passive dynamics where the momentum of swinging limbs is used for greater efficiency. It has been shown that totally unpowered humanoid mechanisms can walk down a gentle slope, using only gravity to propel themselves. Using this technique, a robot need only supply a small amount of motor power to walk along a flat surface or a little more to walk up a hill. This technique promises to make walking robots at least ten times more efficient than ZMP walkers, like ASIMO.

Other methods of locomotion

Flying

Snaking

Skating

Climbing

Swimming

Environmental interaction and navigationHuman-robot interaction

* Speech recognition* Robotic voice* Gestures* Facial expression* Artificial emotions* Personality

(Automated GPS and tracking system)

(Human like facial expressions)

Types of Robots and

their Uses

Mobile robotMobile robots have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location. An example of a mobile robot that is in common use today is the automated guided vehicle or automatic guided vehicle (AGV). An AGV is a mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor, or uses vision or lasers.

Mobile robots are also found in industry, military and security environments. They also appear as consumer products, for entertainment or to perform certain tasks like vacuum cleaning. Modern robots are usually used in tightly controlled environments such as on assembly lines because they have difficulty responding to unexpected interference. Because of this most humans rarely encounter robots.

Industrial robots (manipulating)

Industrial robots usually consist of a jointed arm (multi-linked manipulator) and an end effector that is attached to a fixed surface. One of the most common type of end effector is a gripper assembly.

Service robot

Most commonly industrial robots are fixed robotic arms and manipulators used primarily for production and distribution of goods. The term "service robot" is less well-defined. IFR has proposed a tentative definition, "A service robot is a robot which operates semi- or fully autonomously to perform services useful to the well-being of humans and equipment, excluding manufacturing operations.

Military robots

Military robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled devices designed for military applications.

Medical robots

Robots in healthcare have two main functions. Those which assist an individual, such as a sufferer of a disease like Multiple Sclerosis, and those which aid in the overall systems such as pharmacies and hospitals.

Contemporary usesFactory robots

1.Car production2.Packaging3.Electronics4.Automated guided vehicles

Dirty, dangerous, dull or inaccessible tasksSpace probesAlmost every unmanned space probe ever launched was a robot. Some were launched in the 1960s with very limited abilities, but their ability to fly and land (in the case of Luna 9) is an indication of their status as a robot. This includes the Voyager probes and the Galileo probes, and others. (NASA’s

Mars rover)

TelerobotsWhen a human cannot be present on site to perform a job because it is dangerous, far away, or inaccessible, teleoperated robots, or telerobots are used. Rather than following a predetermined sequence of movements, a telerobot is controlled from a distance by a human operator. The robot may be in another room or another country, or may be on a very different scale to the operator. For instance, a laparoscopic surgery robot allows the surgeon to work inside a human patient on a relatively small scale compared to open surgery, significantly shortening recovery time.

(US Air force , Predator UAV)(Bomb disposal robot)

Duct cleaningIn the hazardous and tight spaces of a building's duct work, many hours can be spent cleaning relatively small areas if a manual brush is used. Robots have been used by many duct cleaners primarily in the industrial and institutional cleaning markets, as they allow the job to be done faster, without exposing workers to the harmful enzymes released by dust mites. For cleaning high-security institutions such as embassies and prisons, duct cleaning robots are vital, as they allow the job to be completed without compromising the security of the institution. Hospitals and other government buildings with hazardous and cancerogenic environments such as nuclear reactors legally must be cleaned using duct cleaning robots, in countries such as Canada, in an effort to improve workplace safety in duct cleaning.

(Automated dust cleaner)

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents "where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success.  John McCarthy, who coined the term in 1956,  defines it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines."The field was founded on the claim that a central property of humans, intelligence—the sapience of Homo sapiens—can be so precisely described that it can be simulated by a machine.  This raises philosophical issues about the nature of the mind and the ethics of creating artificial beings, issues which have been addressed by myth, fiction and philosophy since antiquity.  Artificial intelligence has been the subject of optimism,

 but has also suffered setbacks and, today, has become an essential part of the technology industry, providing the heavy lifting for many of the most difficult problems in computer science.

By: