Robots in the Real World

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Robots in the Real World

• Science Fiction
• Science Fact
• Design control

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Robots - Science Fiction
The concept of a robot has been around for a
while either in the form of Mankind's ideal
tireless worker...

• ...or a machine with the objective of taking
  over mankind.
• A few classics...

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Science Fiction Classics

• 1923 Karel Capek, coins the term Robot
• Robbie the Robot (1956 MGM Forbidden Planet)
• K9 (Dr Who 1970s)
• R2D2, C3PO (Star Wars 1977 etc.)
• Terminator (1984 1991)
• Lt. Cmdr. Data (Star Trek 1997)
• Bender (Futurama 1998)
• Kryten (Red Dwarf 1990s)
• The vast majority of science fiction robots are
  humanoid in appearance, but superhuman in some
  way (strength / Intellect), they are universal
  robots, as versatile as a human, with many
  functions / uses.

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Robots - Science Fiction

• How are they Controlled?
• All of these fictional robots are portrayed as
  being - totally autonomous
• The co-operative ones are subservient and obey
  Asimovs three laws
• A robot may not injure a human being or through
  inaction allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human
  beings, except where such orders would conflict
  with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence, as long
  as such protection does not conflict with the
  First or Second Laws.
• The less co-operative ones have their own
  objectives!

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Robots - Science Fact

• Robots around today
• Production
• Factory line - common - fixed.
• Military use
• Mine Clearance - sweeping pre-planned routes
• Bomb defusing - barrow used to inspect
  suspicious packages
• unmanned aircraft - covert operations by theUS
  Army -
• Commercial
• Atomic Power-plant inspection - (high radiation
  levels)
• ROVs for underwater repairs, welding at extreme
  depths, exploration - e.g. titanic tunnel/pipe
  inspection (environment)
• Medical
• Zeus da Vinci systems used in NYU Hospital
  undergoing clinical FDA trials - heart surgery -
  reduced post-op

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Robots - Science Fact

• Recreational / Domestic
• Robotic Hoover's / lawn mowers - toys
• Abio robotic dog - A form of simulated emotions,
  limited ability to learn... at a price ...
  Sapphire Violet, Mazeran Green and Everest White
  special Anniversary Editions for 1650.00
• All of these robots tend to be specialised
  rather than generic -common theme with modern
  technology? - computers specialised

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Robots - Science Fact

• How are they Controlled?
• Human controlled (in vital missions - deft touch)
• Or very simple -repetitive tasks
• Relatively simple autonomous - Abio
• Autonomous robots are very limited - navigation
• Problems -
• processing power - sight/machine vision
• other ways of sensing GPS, dead reckoning
  optical systems, beacons - depending on the
  environment

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Mars Pathfinder Sojourner

• July 4, 1997, Mars Pathfinder landed
• The Sojourner rover was the first free-ranging
  robotic rover to operate on the surface of
  another planet.
• The mission lasted 3 times longer than expected
  Sojourner operated 12 times its design lifetime
  of 7 days.
• Mission returned 2.3 billion bits of information,
  including 550 images from the rover learned
  that at some point in the past Mars probably had
  liquid water on the surface.

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Previous Rover missions

• The Russians placed a remote control vehicle on
  the moon called Lunakhod 1 (Luna 16). It landed
  on November 11, 1970 covering an area of about
  80,000 square metres. Even though there was only
  a 3 second signal delay, that rover proved very
  difficult to drive.
• NASA built rovers for use on the moon initially
  Apollo 15 (July 30, 1971) later Apollo 16 and 17.
  
• Sojourner proved that small rovers can actually
  operate on Mars and that a semi-autonomous
  vehicle can be remote controlled from another
  planet.

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Robots - Sojourner Design

• Special suspension system with rotating joints
  designed to follow the contours of the ground,
  top speed to 0.6 meters (1.9 feet) per minute.
• Six-wheel chassis combined with suspension system
  made the robot stable with uneven surfaces up to
  45 degrees.
• Rover solar powered with additional battery
  packs.
• Rover included a number of science packages for a
  variety of experiments, including some designed
  to evaluate sojourner as a guide to the designing
  future rovers.

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Robots - Sojourner Control

• A panoramic camera was used to survey the site
  and to assist Sojourner's driver in controlling
  the robot
• One command and telemetry transmissions per
  Martian day between the lander and earth
  operators.
• 11 minute signal delay,so Sojourner operated
  using a form of supervised autonomous control.
  Goal locations sent to the rover and Sojourner
  then navigated to these locations.
• Sojourner had three motion sensors along its
  frame to detect excessive tilt and stop the rover
  before getting close to toppling over.

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Lego Robots

• More than toy ...
• Robolab version of the software is a cut down
  version of LABVIEW, the programming environment
  for Mars Pathfinder Mission using the G graphical
  programming language.
• Used in a number of universities for simulations.
  
• Mechanically simple - and versatile - wide range
  modular technic components - a modular concept
  NASA has been proposing since 1950s

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Robots Summary

• Design and Control two very important issues
• Design
• Problems of movement, task - shielding
  radioactivity
• Physical limitations- size, weight.
• Control
• Degree of autonomy - type of control
• Navigation (Global, Local, Personal)

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Robots - Future

• NASA - Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Cornell
  University is responsible for building the twin
  Illius rovers being launched in 2003, arriving
  Mars 2004
• Nanobots - research ongoing into gears/
  mechanics

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Sources

• Material was sourced from a number of websites
• General Source of Robotics Information
• http//www.tagish.co.uk/links/tech/robots.html
• The Robotic Lawnmover
• http//www.friendlyrobotics.com/index2.htm
• Watch the movie for the 2004 landing!
• http//mars.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/2003
  roverlan.mov
• Sojouner information from JPL, Cal.Tech. and
  NASA.
• http//mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/rovercom/rovintro.h
  tml

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Robot construction starts now!