Intro to Robotics

• Module 1 presents an introduction to robotics

Definition of a Robot

• A robot is a reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator
• It is designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices
• It uses programmed motions
• It is designed for performing a variety of tasks
• This is according to the Robot Institute of America

Robotics Terminology

• Robot: A mechanical device that performs human tasks, either automatically or by remote control
• Robotics: The study and application of robot technology
• Telerobotics: Robots that are operated remotely

Laws of Robotics

• Asimov proposed the Three Laws of Robotics
• Law 1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
• Law 2: A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law
• Law 3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first law

The Robot Control Loop

• Speech and vision are used to sense
• Task planning, plan classification, learning, data processing, path planning, and motion planning inform thinking
• Output information like movement and speech are used as actuators
• Actuators include text, visuals, wheels, legs, arms, and tracks

Types of Robots

• Industrial robots manage materials, weld, perform inspections, improve productivity and handle laboratory applications
• Mobile robots can move around on legs, tracks, or wheels
• In 1979, there was a nuclear accident in the USA that caused a leak of radioactive material, which led to the production of a special robot that handles radioactive materials
• Educational robots are robotic kits that are used extensively in education i.e. Robolab, Lego, and RoboCup Soccer
• Domestic robots are designed to perform household tasks, and modern toys which operate independently

Robot Components

• Manipulator or Rover: Main body of the robot. Consists of links, joints, and other structural elements
• End Effector: Part connected to the last joint hand of a manipulator
• Actuators: Muscles of the manipulators. Servomotors, stepper motors, pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders
• Sensors: Used to collect information about the is the system that alerts the robots
• Controller: Similar to the cerebellum. It controls and coordinates the motion of the actuators
• Processor: The brain of the robot. It calculates the motions and velocity of the robot's joints
• Software: Including the operating system, robotic software, and the collection of routines

More on Sensors

• Sensing can be in different forms like:
  • Light
  • Sound
  • Heat
  • Chemicals
  • Force
  • Object Proximity
  • Physical Orientation/Positioning
  • Magnetic & Electric Fields
  • Resistance

More on End Effectors

• In robotics, the end effector is the device at the end of a robotic arm that is designed to interact with the environment
• End effectors may consist of a gripper or a tool
• Grippers can have two, three, or even five fingers

Actuators

• Locomotion
• Manipulation

Locomotion

• Can be achieved through legs
• Achieved through wheels
• Or exotic means

Manipulation

• Achieved through independently controllable components of motion
• Arms are a convenient method to allow full movement in 3D
• They are more often used in fixed robots due to power & weight
• Difficult to control, due to extra degrees of freedom
• Grippers can be very simple, using two rigid arms to pick up objects
• May be a complex device with fingers on the end of an arm
• Feedback to control grip force is needed

Degrees of Freedom

• Each plane in which a robot can maneuver
• Features include rotate base of arm, pivot base of arm, bend elbow, wrist up and down, wrist left and right, and rotate wrist

The Purporse of Robots

• dirty tasks
• Repetitive tasks
• Dangerous tasks
• Impossible tasks
• Helps the handicapped
• Can operate equipment at much higher

Robotic Tasks

• Exploration - space missions, robots in the Antarctic, exploring volcanoes, underwater exploration
• Medical Science - surgical assistants Assembly - factories, parts, handling, assembly, painting, surveillance, security, bomb disposal