Robotics

1
Robotics

• nxtasy
• Manufacturing
• Class exercise
• Homework postings (hints at topics)

2
nxtasy.org

• Several Lego Mindstorms user groups
• respository, challenges
• may be useful in deciding on a project
• Forum(s) especially good
• Example on nxt buttons

3
NXT-G

• There are wait blocks
• Wait for specific event to happen, such as
  triggering sensor, clicking on button, receiving
  Blue tooth message
  
• Check value of sensor, button, message
• Which do you want? In more complex situations,
  such as waiting for one of the 3 buttons, makes
  sense to use checking block

4
Cycles through checking if button pressed
5
Manufacturing exercise

• Will now talk generally about manufacturing. At
  the end, do this group exercise
  
• Look around the room (including what you are
  wearing and carrying around)
  
• List
• objects and type of manufacturing process

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Types of processing

• Assembly
• Putting things together
• Fabrication
• Forming, casting, taking away, putting together,
  etc.
  
• Chemical type processing.IBM terms process
  (semiconductor, chip) plants versus box plants
  
• See Taxonomy of Manufacturing
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy_of_manufactu
  ring_processes
  

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Semiconductor manufacturing

• Wafer of silicon (crystal needs to be grown and
  then sliced)
  
• Circuitry laid down using various techniques,
  including lithography
  
• Slice and dice into chips
• Clean room
• Moores Law number of transistors in a circuit
  doubles every 2 years.
  
• How long can this continue????
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_fabrica
  tion
  
• Recent news
• http//www.macworld.com/news/2007/01/27/intel/inde
  x.php

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Classes of manufacturing

• Custom
• Intermittent
• Continuous
• May be outdated, or lines less definite.

9
Automation

• Fixed automation
• Flexible automation
• Machining
• Robotics
• Variant of flexible automation
• Data-driven, computer integrated manufacturing.
  Including robotics

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Painting cars, welding, etc.

• Robot arms
• Teach/playback system
• Economical because of health requirements
• May not have always been the case

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Critical factors for automation (robotics)

• Air quality (e.g. painting cars)
• Miniaturization operation not at human scale.
  True in much of computer manufacturing
  
• Accuracy (precision)
• Connection to data
• Strength
• Speed
• Repeatibility (drudgery)

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Manufacturing logistics

• Most manufacturing involves multiple steps (aka
  stages)
  
• Need to get parts materials to stations
• Need to test
• Need to deliver finished products (aka
  distribution)
  
• Issue of out-sourcing (of parts and materials,
  not people) to other companies and other sites
  for the same company
  

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Manufacturing methods

• Build to order
• Customer orders specific car, computer, etc. This
  prompts building of that item.
  
• Build to stock
• Estimate (guess) what will be needed. Build those
  items.
  
• Exercises
• What are advantages and disadvantages?
• What products are typically built one way versus
  the other?

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Comparison

• Build to order means little or no waste BUT
  probably less efficient. Need time to switch
  between products.
  
• Build to order may be much more efficient but
  may mean that products are produced that no one
  wants to buy.

15
When?

• Mass production versus made-to-order.
• The ipod is a mass produced product that the
  customer customizes, makes very individual
  

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Comments

• Company choice of products may or may not be
  important
  
• Early IBM PC products were divided into different
  types to give different manufacturing sites work
  to do. To my knowledge at that time PCs were
  not profitable.
• Sarong type dress example
• ?

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Just in time manufacturing

• Dont build product and dont take delivery of
  parts until needed.
  
• Advantages lower costs for storage, postpone
  payment, may even postpone ordering
  
• Disadvantage no safety net of materials and
  parts, hard on suppliers.

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Quality

• Quality of final product
• Quality of parts, materials, sub-assemblies
• Shoe-tying you can tie shoes with laces that are
  somewhat frayed and somewhat unbalanced.
  
• Good enough (within spec)
• Dont pay in time, money, for higher quality than
  needed
  
• versus
• Continual improvement / 6 Sigma
• Aim for highly reliable process. Pays off.
• Associated with Japanese manufacturing

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Six Sigma (trademark of Motorola!)

• Refers to normal distribution
• Sigma is a standard deviation
• Making a process be such that six (12?) sigma are
  within acceptable bounds means very little is
  outside
  

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Group exercise

• Pick 3 objects in the room (including what you
  are carrying around).
  
• Describe steps in making the object in terms just
  explained.
  
• Write down.
• Present / Discuss

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Homework

• Postings
• Manufacturing topics
• People
• Fiction
• ?
• OR
• Post question on nxtasy

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Posting ideas People

• Joseph Engelberger Unimation HelpMate
• Rodney Brooks Helen Greiner iRobot RedOwl
• Marvin Minsky
• Yasuo Kuniyoshi University of Tokyo
• Makoto Shimojo University of Electro-Communication
  s
  
• Ralph Hollis Carnegie Mellon
• Russ Taylor Johns Hopkins
• William Bargar University of California at
  Davis
  
• Peter Will USC
• Andre Sharon Boston University

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Posting ideas fiction classics

• Read storyies AND at least 1 review/analysis!
• Karl Kapek RUR
• Isaac Asimov I, Robot (laws of robotics)
• Philip Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
  (Bladerunner)
  
• Arthur C. Clarke (others) 2001
• Anne McCaffrey The Ship Who Sang
• other