John Jizhong Xiao

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Historical Development of Robotics
Capstone Design --- Robotics

• John (Jizhong) Xiao
• Department of Electrical Engineering
• City College of New York
• jxiao_at_ccny.cuny.edu

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Outline

• What is a Robot?
• Why use Robots?
• Robot History
• Robot Applications

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What is a robot?

• Definition (no precise definition yet)
• Websters Dictionary
• An automatic device that performs functions
  ordinarily ascribed to human beings ?washing
  machine robot?
• Robotics Institute of American
• A robot (industrial robot) is a reprogrammable,
  multifunctional manipulator designed to move
  materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices,
  through variable programmed motions for the
  performance of a variety of tasks.

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What is a robot?

• Hollywoods imagination

3PO
R2-D2
Star Wars
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What is a robot?

• By general agreement, a robot is
• A programmable machine that imitates the actions
  or appearance of an intelligent creatureusually
  a human.
• To qualify as a robot, a machine must be able to
  
• 1) Sensing and perception get information from
  its surroundings
• 2) Carry out different tasks Locomotion or
  manipulation, do something physicalsuch as move
  or manipulate objects
• 3) Re-programmable can do different things
• 4) Function autonomously and/or interact with
  human beings

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Types of Robots

• Robot Manipulators

• Mobile Manipulators

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Types of Robots

• Locomotion

Wheeled mobile robots
Aerial Robots
Legged robots
Underwater robots
Humanoid
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Mobile Robot Examples
Hilare II
Sojourner Rover
http//www.laas.fr/matthieu/robots/
NASA and JPL, Mars exploration
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Autonomous Robot Examples
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Why Use Robots?

• Application in 4D environments
• Dangerous
• Dirty
• Dull
• Difficult
• 4A tasks
• Automation
• Augmentation
• Assistance
• Autonomous

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Pre-History of Robots

• Automata a machine or control mechanism designed
  to follow automatically a predetermined sequence
  of operations or respond to encoded instructions

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Automata

• Europe

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Automata

• Asia

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Robot History

• 1961
• George C. Devol obtains the first U.S. robot
  patent, No. 2,998,237.
• Joe Engelberger formed Unimation and was the
  first to market robots
• First production version Unimate industrial robot
  is installed in a die-casting machine
• 1962
• Unimation, Inc. was formed, (Unimation stood for
  "Universal Automation")

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Robot History

• The patent and industrial robot

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Robot History

• What an industrial robot must have?
• 1968
• Unimation takes its first multi-robot order from
  General Motors.
• 1966-1972
• "Shakey," the first intelligent mobile robot
  system was built at Stanford Research Institute,
  California.

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Robot History

• Shakey (Stanford Research Institute)
• the first mobile robot to be operated using AI
  techniques
• Simple tasks to solve
• To recognize an object using vision
• Find its way to the object
• Perform some action on the object (for example,
  to push it over)

http//www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/hpm/book98/fig.ch2/p027
.html
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Shakey
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Robot History

• 1969
• Robot vision, for mobile robot guidance, is
  demonstrated at the Stanford Research Institute.
• Unimate robots assemble Chevrolet Vega automobile
  bodies for General Motors.
• 1970
• General Motors becomes the first company to use
  machine vision in an industrial application The
  Consight system is installed at a foundry in St.
  Catherines, Ontario, Canada.

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The Stanford Cart

• 1973-1979
• Stanford Cart
• Equipped with stereo vision.
• Take pictures from several different angles
• The computer gauged the distance between the cart
  and obstacles in its path

Hans Moravec
http//www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/users/hpm/
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The Stanford Cart
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Robot History

• 1978
• The first PUMA (Programmable Universal Machine
  for Assembly) robot is developed by Unimation for
  General Motors.
• 1981
• IBM enters the robotics field with its 7535 and
  7565 Manufacturing Systems.
• 1983
• Westinghouse Electric Corporation bought
  Unimation, Inc., which became part of its factory
  automation enterprise. Westinghouse later sold
  Unimation to Staubli of Switzerland.

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Industrial Robot --- PUMA
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Installed Industrial Robots
Japan take the lead, why?
? Shortage of labor, high labor cost
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How are they used?

• Industrial robots
• 70 welding and painting
• 20 pick and place
• 10 others
• Research focus on
• Manipulator control
• End-effector design
• Compliance device
• Dexterity robot hand
• Visual and force feedback
• Flexible automation

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Robot Arm Dexterity
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Robotics a much bigger industry

• Robot Manipulators
• Assembly, automation
• Field robots
• Military applications
• Space exploration
• Service robots
• Cleaning robots
• Medical robots
• Entertainment robots

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Field Robots
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Field Robots
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Service robots
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Service Robot Example
iRobot Inc Roomba video presenting
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The early stage of AI
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The start of AI
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Autonomous and Intelligence
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The Honda Humanoid (1997)
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Humanoid
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Robot Applications

• Manufacture Industry
• Assembling
• Automation
• Biotechnology
• Micro/Nano manipulation
• Sample Handling
• Automated Analysis

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Robot Applications

• Military Applications

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Military Applications

• DARPA Programs
• (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)

Tactical Mobile Robotics
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Robot Applications

• Fire Fighting, Search and Rescue

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Robot Applications

• Space Robotics

Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity
--- twin robot geologists, landed on Mars Jan 3,
and Jan 24, 2004, and still alive, on Aug.
31! Website http//marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/overvi
ew/
NASA/DARPA Robonaut project a humanoid robot
that can function as an astronaut equivalent for
spacewalks. Human operators on earth can control
the robots movements from distance. Website
http//vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er_er/html/robonaut/r
obonaut.html
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Robot Applications

• Robots for Assistive Technology

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Robot Applications

• Entertainment Industry

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Robot Applications

• Entertainment Robots

Sony-Qrio
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Personal Robot?
http//www.personalrobots.com

• Just as the personal computer is used for
  automated information management even in
  households, robots can be used to execute
  domestic tasks.
• Manipulation of bits of information (PC)
• Manipulation of physical objects (PR)

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Previous Projects
Video Presenting
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Architecture of Robotic Systems

• Mechanical Structure
• Kinematics model
• Dynamics model
• Actuators Electrical, Hydraulic, Pneumatic,
  Artificial Muscle
• Computation and controllers
• Sensors
• Communications
• User interface
• Power conversion unit

Environmental sensors
Motion planner
Mechanical Structure
Controller
Configuration sensor
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Summary

• Robotics--interdisciplinary research
• Mechanical design
• Computer science and engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Cognitive psychology, perception and neuroscience
  
• Research open problems
• Manipulation, Locomotion
• Control, Navigation
• Human-Robot Interaction
• Learning Adaptation (AI)

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Thank you, enjoy the design!