Lecture 1: Intro to Robotics

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Lecture 1 Intro to Robotics

• Outline
• Origins of robotics in the scifi artistic genre
• Definition of robots
• Manipulators and mobile robots
• History of robotics with timeline
• Overview of robotics research at ARRI-UTA
• Basic robotics concepts

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History of Robotics

• Robotics was first introduced into our vocabulary
  by Czech playwright Karel Capek in his 1920s
  play Rossums Universal Robots.
• The word robota in Czech means simply work.
  Robots as machines that resemble people, work
  tirelessly, and revolt against their creators.
• The same myth/concept is found in many
  books/movies today
• Terminator, Star-Wars series.
• Mary Shelleys 1818 Frankenstein.
• Frankenstein The Borg are examples of
  cybernetic organisms.
• Cybernetics is a discipline that was created in
  the late 1940s by Norbert Wiener, combining
  feedback control theory, information sciences and
  biology to try to explain the common principles
  of control and communications in both animals and
  machines.
• Behavioral robotics organisms as machines
  interacting with their environment according to
  behavioral models.

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History of Robotics

• Should robots look like humans? anthropomorphic
  or humanoid robots.
• Need for these machines to also be intelligent -
  link to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Need for humans to create machines similar to
  them is rooted in religious beliefs, recommended
  reading God in the Machine by Anne Foerst
• It is not the appearance of the robot that most
  connects it to humans HAL in Space Odyssey
  2001, Lt. Data in Startrek-TNG, R2D2 and C3PO
  in Star Wars. Which one is more likeable and
  why?

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History of Robotics

• Robots need not look like humanoids, but they
  make use of
• Strong precise articulated arms to accomplish
  tasks that were performed by humans
  articulated robots, or manipulators. Fear
  that they will replace human laborers.
• Use of mobility to reposition the robot from one
  location to another, mobile robots. This can be
  done by locomotion like humans do (legged
  robots), but most likely it will use other means
  such as wheels (wheeled robots).
• Robotics is a multi-disciplinary field. Best
  robotics researchers and engineers will touch
  upon all disciplines
• Mechanical Engineering concerned primarily with
  manipulator/mobile robot design, kinematics,
  dynamics, compliance and actuation.
• Electrical Engineering concerned primarily with
  robot actuation, electronic interfacing to
  computers and sensors, and control algorithms.
• Computer Science concerned primarily with robot
  programming, planning, perception and intelligent
  behavior.

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Definition of Robots

• According to the Robotics Industries Association
  (RIA) A robot is a reprogrammable
  multifunctional manipulator designed to move
  material, parts, tools, or specialized devices
  through variable programmed motions for the
  performance of a variety of tasks (Jablonski and
  Posey, 1985).
• This definition underscored the reprogrammability
  of robots, but it also just deals with
  manipulators and excludes mobile robots.
• Close relationship with the concept of
  automation, the discipline that implements
  principles of control in specialized hardware.
  Three levels of implementation
• Rigid automation factory context oriented to
  the mass manufacturing of products of the same
  type. Uses fixed operational sequences that
  cannot be altered.
• Programmable automation factory context
  oriented to low-medium batches of different types
  of products. A programmable system allows for
  changing of manufacturing sequences.
• Flexible automation evolution of programmable
  automation by allowing the quick reconfiguration
  and reprogramming of the sequence of operation.
  Flexible automation is often implemented as
  Flexible robotic workcells (Decelle 1988, Pugh
  1983). Reprogramming/retooling the robots changes
  the functionality of the workcell.

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Definition of Robots

• According to the Japanese Industrial Robot
  Association (JIRA), robots can be classified as
  follows
• Class 1 manual handling device a device with
  several DOFs actuated by the operator.
• Class 2 fixed sequence robot similar to fixed
  automation.
• Class 3 variable sequence robot similar to
  programmable automation.
• Class 4 playback robot the human performs
  tasks manually to teach the robot what
  trajectories to follow.
• Class 5 numerical control robot the operator
  provides the robot with the sequence of tasks to
  follow rather than teach it.
• Class 6 intelligent robot a robot with the
  means to understand its environment, and the
  ability to successfully complete a task despite
  changes in the surrounding conditions where it is
  performed.
• Another definition describes robotics as the
  intelligent connection between perception and
  action (Brady 1985). This is an overly inclusive
  definition.
• Yet another definition, which focuses on mobile
  robots (Arkin 1998) is A robot is a machine able
  to extract information from its environment, and
  use this knowledge to move safely, in a
  meaningful and purposive manner.

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Manipulators

• Industrial manipulators were born after WWII out
  of earlier technologies
• Teleoperators. Teleoperators, or remotely
  controlled mechanical manipulator, were developed
  at first by Argonne and Oak Ridge National Labs
  to handle radioactive materials. These devices
  are also called master-slave, and consisted of
  a master arm being guided through mechanical
  links to mimic the motion of a slave arm that
  is operated by the user. Eventually, the
  mechanical links were replaced by electrical or
  hydraulic links.
• Numerically controlled milling machines (CNC).
  CNC machines were needed because of machining
  needs for very complex and accurate shapes, in
  particular aircraft parts.

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Mobile Robots

• Mobile robots were born out of unmanned
  vehicles, which also appear in WWII (for example
  an unmanned plane dropped the atomic bomb at
  Nagasaki).
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Underwater
  Vehicles (UUV) and Ground Vehicles (UGV).
• Because tethered mobile vehicles could not move
  very far, and radio communications were limited,
  an approach to mobile robots is to endow them
  with the necessary control and decision
  capability - autonomy
• Autonomous Underwater/Ground/Aerial Vehicles
  (AUV/AGV/AAV).
• Unlike manipulators, we do not think of a
  remotely controlled toy as a mobile robot,
  suggesting that one of the fundamental aspects of
  mobile robotics is the capacity for autonomous
  operation.

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Anthropomorphic Robots
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Animal-like Robots

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Unmanned Vehicles

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Robot History Timeline

• 1947-1949 first electric and hydraulic
  teleoperators are developed by General Electric
  and General Mills. Force feedback is added to
  prevent the crushing of glass containers during
  manipulation.
• 1949 - CNC machine tools for accurate milling of
  aircraft parts are introduced.
• 1953 W. Grey Walter applies cybernetics
  principles to a robotic design called machine
  speculatrix, which became a robotic tortoise.
  The simple principles involved were
• Parsimony simple is better. Simple reflexes are
  the basis of robot behavior.
• Exploration or speculation the system never
  remains still except when recharging. Constant
  motion is needed to keep it from being trapped.
• Attraction the system is motivated to move
  towards objects or light.
• Aversion the system moves away from certain
  objects, such as obstacles.
• Discernment the system can distinguish between
  productive and unproductive behavior, adapting
  itself to the situation.

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G. Walter Grey's tortoise

These vehicles had a light sensor, touch sensor,
propulsion motor, steering motor, and a two
vacuum tube analog computer.
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Robot History Timeline

• 1954 George Devol replaced the slave
  manipulator in a teleoperator with the
  programmability of the CNC controller, thus
  creating the first industrial robot, called the
  Programmable Article Transfer Device.
• 1955 The Darmouth Summer Research Conference
  marks the birth of AI. Marvin Minsky, from the AI
  lab at MIT defines an intelligent machine as one
  that would tend to build up within itself an
  abstract model of the environment in which it is
  placed. If it were given a problem, it could
  first explore solutions within the internal
  abstract model of the environment and then
  attempt external experiments. This approach
  dominated robotics research for the next 30
  years.
• 1956 - Joseph Engleberger, a Columbia physics
  student buys the rights to Devols robot and
  founds the Unimation Company.
• 1961 The first Unimate robot is installed in a
  Trenton, NJ General Motors plant to tend a die
  casting machine. The key was the
  reprogrammability and retooling of the machine to
  perform different tasks. The Unimate robot was an
  innovative mechanical design based on a
  multi-degree of freedom cantilever beam. The beam
  flexibility presented challenges for control.
  Hydraulic actuation was eventually used to
  alleviate precision problems.

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UNIMATE robot

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Robot History Timeline

• 1962 1963 The introduction of sensors is seen
  as a way to enhance the operation of robots. This
  includes force sensing for stacking blocks
  (Ernst, 1961), vision system for binary decision
  for presence of obstacles in the environment
  (McCarthy 1963), pressure sensors for grasping
  (Tomovic and Boni, 1962). Robot interaction with
  an unstructured environment at MITs AI lab (Man
  and Computer MAC project).
• 1968 Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan
  acquires a license for Unimate.
• 1968 Shakey, a mobile robot is developed by SRI
  (Stanford Research Institute). It was placed in a
  special room with specially colored objects. A
  vision system would recognize objects and pushed
  objects according to a plan. This planning
  software was STRIPS, and it maintained and
  updated a world model. The robot had pan/tilt and
  focus for the camera, and bump sensors.
• 1971 -1973 The Stanford Arm is developed, along
  with the first language for programming robots -
  WAVE.

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Robot History Timeline

• Late 1970s First assembly applications of
  robotics are considered water pumps Paul and
  Bolles, typewriter Will and Grossman, Remote
  Center of Compliance gripper (RCC) developed at
  Draper Labs.
• 1970s Innovation in the type of robots
  introduced Unimation 2000, Cincinnati Milacron
  (The tomorrow tool, T3) the first computer
  controlled manipulator, the PUMA (Programmable
  Universal Machine for Assembly) by Unimation,
  the SCARA (Selective compliant articulated robot
  for Assembly) introduced in Japan and the US (by
  Adept Technologies).
• 1972 First snake-like robot ACM III Hirose
  Tokyo Inst. Of Tech.
• 1977 Development of mobile robot Hilaire at
  Laboratoise dAutomatique et dAnalyse des
  Systemes (LAAS) in Toulouse, France. This mobile
  robot had three wheels and it is still in use.
• 1970s JPL develops its first planetary
  exploration Rover using a TV camera, laser range
  finder and tactile sensors.

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Snake-like robot

• A. Hirose (Tokyo IT)

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Snake (MIT) and Swimming (Eel) Robot (UHK)
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Robot History Timeline

• 1980s Innovation in improving the performance
  of robot arms feedback control to improve
  accuracy, program compliance, the introduction of
  personal computers as controllers, and
  commercialization of robots by a large number of
  companies KUKA (Germany), IBM 7535, Adept Robot
  (USA), Hitachi, Seiko (Japan).
• Early 1980s Multi-fingered hands developed,
  Utah-MIT arm (16 DOF) developed by Steve
  Jacobsen, Salisburys hand (9 dof).
• 1977-1983 Stanford cart/CMU rover developed by
  Hans Moravec, later on became the Nomad mobile
  robot.
• 1980s Legged and hopping robots (BIPER
  Shimoyama) and Raibert 1986.
• 1984 -1991 V. Braitenberg revived the tortoise
  mobile robots of W. Grey Walter creating
  autonomous robots exhibiting behaviors. Hogg,
  Martin and Resnick at MIT create mobile robots
  using LEGO blocks (precursor to LEGO Mindstorms).
  Rodney Brooks at MIT creates first insect robots
  at MIT AI Lab birth of behavioral robotics.

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KUKA

• They can load, unload, deburr, flame-machine,
  laser, weld, bond, assemble, inspect, and sort.

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IBM 7535

• IBM 7535 Manufacturing System provided it
  advanced programming functions, including data
  communications, programmable speed.

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Utah-MIT arm
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Nomad mobile robot

The XR4000 is an advanced mobile robot system
that incorporates state of the art drive,
control, networking, power management, sensing,
communication and software development
technologies.
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Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteCAT Robots
CAT-Mobile Autonomous Tractor-Trailer Robot
(Wen, Divelbiss, Popa)
Tetrobot Modular Reconfigurable Stewart
Platform (Sanderson Lee)
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Robot History Timeline

• 1990s Humanoid robots Cog, Kismet (MIT),
  Wasubot, WHL-I Japan, Honda P2 (1.82m, 210kg),
  and P3 (1.6m, 130kg), ASIMO.
• 1990s Entertainment and Education Robots
  SARCOS (Jurassic Park), Sony AIBO, LEGO
  Mindstorms, Khypera, Parallax.
• ROBOCUP, the competition simulating the game of
  soccer played by two teams of robots having been
  held around the world since 1997 (Osaka) .
• 1990s Introduction of space robots
  (manipulators as well as rovers the MARS rover
  1996), parallel manipulators (Stewart-Gough
  Platforms), multiple manipulators, precision
  robots (Robotworld), surgical robots
  (RoboDoc), first service robots (as couriers in
  hospitals, etc)

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Lego Mindstorms

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Asimo

• Honda announced the development of new
  technologies for the next-generation ASIMO
  humanoid robot, targeting a new level of
  mobility.

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Entertainment robots from SARCOS

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Kismet MIT AI Lab

• Kismet consists of a head with large eyes with
  eyelids, bushy eyebrows, rubber lips, and floppy
  ears.

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Cog MIT AI Lab
Cog is a humanoid robot. It has a torso, arms and
a head but no legs. Cog's torso does not have a
spine but it can bend at the waist from
side-to-side and from front-to-back and can twist
its torso the same way a person can. Cog's arms
also move in a natural way.
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Hierarchical family of robots (K-Team -
Switzerland)
Khepera (6 in)
Koala (20 in)
Alice (1 in)
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Robot History Timeline

• 2000s IRobot introduces the first autonomous
  vacuum Roomba.
• 2000s Mini and micro robots, Smart Dust
  Pister _at_ Berkeley, UTA, EPFL/Lausanne,
  microfactories.
• 2000s Military applications - Robotic
  assistants for dangerous environments and
  reconnaissance, AUVs and UUVs, etc.
• 2000s Environmental Robotics
• 2000s Robotic Deployment of Sensor Networks
• 2000s Humanoid Robotics Takes Off

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USC Mobile Robots
Robot teams (A. Howard)
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Flying Insect (UCB)
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Solar AUV II
SAUV-II from Autonomous Underwater Research
Institute (AUSI) New Hampshire
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Robotics Applications

• Today, commercial robots are used routinely in
  the following applications
• Industrial Manufacturing Transforming objects
  - arc/spot welding, milling/drilling,
  glueing/sealing, laser/water jet cutting,
  grinding, deburring, screwing, painting, and
  assembly.
• Material Handling Pick and Place- palletizing
  (placing objects on a pellet in an ordered way),
  warehouse loading/unloading, part sorting,
  packaging, electronic chip pick and place,
  hazardous material handling.
• Measurement object finding, contour finding,
  inspection, 3D registration.
• Entertainment robotics animated figures, flight
  simulator, robotic pets.
• Service robotics robotic aids for handicapped
  people, artificial limbs, robotic vacuum,
  courier.
• Military robotics defusing explosive devices,
  scout robots, UAVs.
• Surgical Robotics drilling, suturing,
  cauterizing, tool holding.

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Hierarchical family of robots (UMN)
Scout Ranger Series
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ARV Wall-Climbing Robot for Fuselage Inspection
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Robotics Applications

• Robot prices continue to drop compared to the
  cost of human labor.
• In the year 2000, 78 of all robots installed in
  the US were welding or material-handling robots.

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Robotics Applications