Week 1

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Robotics Sensors Controllers
What are sensors?

• Sensors collect all the information a robot needs
  to operate and interact with its environment.

What are Controllers?
Controllers interpret all the input from the
sensors and decide how to act in response.
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Robotics Sensors Controllers
What are sensors for?
The control of a manipulator or industrial robot
is based on the correct interpretation of sensory
information. This information can be obtained
either internally to the robot (for example,
joint positions and motor torque) or externally
using a wide range of sensors.
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Robotics Sensors Controllers
Types of Sensors

• Since sensors are any device that provide
  input of data to the robot controller a wide
  verity of sensors exist. Some basic types of
  sensors are shown including
• Light sensors which measure light intensity.
• Heat Sensors which measure temperature.
• Touch sensors which tell the robot when it bumps
  into something.
• Ultra Sonic Rangers which tell the robot how far
  away objects are.
• And gyroscopes which tell the robot which
  direction is up.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• The bumper skirt on this robot is an example of a
  touch sensor. When the robot runs into a wall the
  bumper skirt hits a micro switch which lets the
  robot controller know that the robot is up
  against a wall. Other types of touch sensors are
  used internally to let the robot know when an arm
  is extended to far and it should be retracted or
  when the robots other physical limits are
  reached.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• Light sensors are used to detect the presence
  and Intensity of light. These can be used to make
  a light seeking robot and are often used to
  simulate insect intelligence in robots.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• Heat sensors help robots determine if they are
  in danger of overheating. These sensors are often
  used internally to make sure that the robots
  electronics do not breakdown.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• Ultra Sonic Rangers are used to determine how
  far a robot is away from an object. They are
  often used by robots that need to navigate
  complicated terrain and cannot risk bumping into
  anything.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• Gyroscopes are used in robots that need to
  maintain balance or are not inherently stable.
  Gyroscopes are often coupled with powerful robot
  controllers that have the processing power
  necessary calculate thousands of physical
  simulations per second.

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Robotics Sensors controllers

• Transistors

• Use transistors as a switch to control power
  to motors, relays and lamps. Current and power
  handling capability is pretty much dictated by
  package size. The bigger the package, the more
  power.

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Robotics Sensors controllers
Controllers

• Basic Stamp IIThe Basic Stamp II is a small,
  self-contained computer controller manufactured
  by Parallax Inc. This easy-to-use system is
  programmed using a Basic-like language called
  PBasic. Programs are written on an IBM-style PC
  then downloaded to the Basic Stamp II for
  execution. Large libraries of programs can be
  created and saved.

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Robotics Sensors controllers
Controls

• Tiny custom microchips like these give
  "vision" to a toy car by processing images and
  telling the vehicle how to respond.

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Robotics Sensors controllers
Motion Control

• Motion control is the process of computer
  controlled kinetics-- the foundation of robotics.
  CNC (computer numeric control) is an antiquated
  term for this process, recalling an era when
  programmers entered the numeric commands and
  coordinates for each machine move.

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Robotics Glossary

• Au-ton-o-mous adj.
• Not controlled by others or by outside forces
  independent an autonomous judiciary an
  autonomous division of a corporate conglomerate.
• Independent in mind or judgment self-directed.
• Independent of the laws of another state or
  government self-governing.
• Of or relating to a self-governing entity an
  autonomous legislature.
• Self-governing with respect to local or internal
  affairs an autonomous region of a country.

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Robotics Glossary

• android \An"droid\ (an"droid),
• A machine or automaton in the form of a human
  being.
• Possessing human features. n.
• An automaton that is created from biological
  materials and resembles a human being. Also
  called humanoid.

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