Transcript of Robotics Introduction to Robots Dr John Cowell phones off (please) 1.
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- Robotics Introduction to Robots Dr John Cowell phones off
(please) 1
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- Overview What is a Robot? Static Robots v Mobile Robots
Environments Robots in: Industry Education/Entertainment
Exploration The future? 2
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- What is a Robot? The word robot was originated in 1921 by the
author Karel Capek, from the Czech robota meaning forced labour
robotics appeared in 1942 in a novel by Isaac Asimov According to
the Japanese Industrial Robot Association (JIRA), robots are
defined as class 1: manual handling devices device with several
degrees of freedom actuated by operator class 2: fixed sequence
robot handling device which performs the successive stages of a
task according to a predetermined, unchanging method, which is
difficult to modify 4
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- More Definitions JIRA robot definitions, continued class 3:
variable sequence robot as class 2, but the stages can be easily
modified class 4: playback robot the robot can repeat (playback) a
sequence of tasks recorded from a human operator leading or
controlling the robot class 5: numerical control robot human
operator supplies the robot with a movement program class 6:
intelligent robot a robot with the means to understand its
environment and the ability to complete tasks despite changes in
conditions The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) considers only
machines in class 3 and above to be robots 5
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- Why Study Robotics? Two main reasons applied to create robots
to be used in various environments industrial/commercial
educational/entertainment medical underwater planetary exploration
nuclear power stations bomb disposal theoretical to investigate
intelligent behaviour artificial intelligence cognitive science
psychology 6
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- What are Static & Mobile Robots? Robots are either Static
fixed in place eg industrial assembly Mobile the robot moves! Both
may have a certain amount of autonomy, but mobile robots usually
require more but there can be some difficulty with communication eg
underwater, in space speed 8
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- Static Robots Widely used in industry generally fixed in place
usually have a range of interchangeable tools welding, placing,
fixing, shaping, etc need just enough programming to do the
specified job basic are Computer Numerically Controlled machines
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- Autonomous Mobile Robots Dictionary definitions of autonomous
undertaken without outside control carry on-board sensors,
controllers and power supplies for example, automated guided
vehicles (AGVs) that operate in factories by following tracks to
move parts & equipment weak autonomy having the power of
self-government able to adapt to changing environments determine
its course of action by its own reasoning process the ability to
build internal representations of the world the ability to learn
from experience and plan new actions strong autonomy / intelligent
mobile robots 10
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- What is Intelligence? Intelligence is very difficult to define
The extent to which we regard something as behaving in an
intelligent manner is determined as much by our own state of mind
and training as by the properties of the object under
consideration. If we are able to explain and predict its behaviour
or if there seems to be little underlying plan, we have little
temptation to imagine intelligence. With the same object,
therefore, it is possible that one man would consider it as
intelligent and another would not; the second man would have found
out the rules of its behaviour. Alan Turing, 1947 11
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- Components of a Robot A robot comprises three main component
classes sensors a device giving a signal for the detection or
measurement of a physical property to which it responds O.E.D.
provides the inputs to the robot software programmed behaviour(s);
data and memory makes decisions for the robot actuators a thing
which moves to mechanical action, communicates motion to, or impels
(an instrument, machine, or agent) effects the outputs from the
robot eg motors, lights, sound, etc 12
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- General Purpose Robots? A general purpose robot is not possible
a general purpose living thing does not exist humans are the most
intelligent (???) but humans are poor at flying (c.f. swallow,
swift, Arctic tern, housefly) swimming (c.f. tuna, sperm whale)but
humans are surviving (c.f. scorpions, ants)excellent generalisers!
A robots function and operation are defined by its own behaviour
within a specific environment, taking into account a specific task
only the simultaneous description of a robot, its task and the
environment describes the robot completely 13
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- Relationships A robot, its task and the environment all depend
on, and influence, each other e.g. a spider in the bath! quantum
physics 15 robot taskenvironment
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- Environment Types There are many different types of environment
in which a robot may be required to operate Environments are
typically categorised by their degree of structure Although there
is no solidly accepted definition of structures, environments can
be split into one of the following categories structured partially
structured unstructured 16
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- Structured Environments A structured environment has been
specially designed for the robot to operate in e.g. an artificial
maze a factory floor with in-built tracks to follow an exact
description of the environment can be supplied to the robot during
its design phase very little or perhaps no sensor data may be
required There are usually no unexpected or unplanned dynamic
aspects to the environment the environment does not change the
robot has been told in advance of how and when the environment will
change, and how to deal with it 17
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- Unstructured Environments Complex environments for which no
models or maps exist, or can even be accurately generated robots
generally operate purely in response to real-time sensor data Such
environments usually have significant dynamic changes natural,
real-world as opposed to artificially created may have unknown
attributes e.g. deep-sea exploration or may be almost entirely
unknown e.g. planetary probes 18
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- Partially Structured Somewhere between the previous two
extremes! an environment which may be modelled to a certain extent,
but with insufficient model detail to fully support task completion
Possibly, the static component of the environment has been
modelled, but the dynamic changes are unpredictable and must be
sensed for example, a factory floor with in-built tracks to follow,
but with unpredictable (e.g. human) obstacles to avoid the second
Mars explorer! 19
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- Assembly Line Robots Probably the most common use of robots is
on assembly/production lines in factories Robots dont get bored or
tired or take industrial action Most of these industrial robots are
multi-purpose they can be used for a variety of jobs assembly,
welding, cutting, milling, etc 21 Building a 7-series BMW
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- Robots in Films Many of our present concerns/worries have been
created by the appearance of robots in films Metropolis (Fritz
Lang, 1927) Maria (left) the first artificial human in film
apparently George Lucas based C3PO on her Forbidden Planet Robbie
the Robot (right) The Day the Earth Stood Still Gort interstellar
policeman Terminator (&T2, T3) from the future to change
history I, Robot (movie) based on the writings of I Asimov the
robotic brain broke the 3 Laws of Robotics 23
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- Fischertechnik Make a range of educational/industrial
simulation kits Can make a complete production line from plug-
together components! The claim is that a company can test before
ordering the real thing! Also used for training Goto
http://www.fischertechnik.com/ 24
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- Robot Dogs Sony made the AIBO Entertainment Robot ($1899) In
autonomous mode, the ERS-7M2 walks more fluidly, plays soccer with
its Pink Ball, plays with its AIBOne, sits, lies down, rights
itself, and even self-charges. The ERS-7M2 also uses its
Illume-Face, tail, ears, lights, and MIDI sounds to express a wide
variety of emotions and instincts to entertain you. The ERS-7M2
also now pays special attention to 3 owners and remembers AIBOs
favorite place thanks to new voice and visual recognition
technology.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-
/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-
Start?ProductSKU=ERS7M2%2fW&Dept=AIBO&CategoryName=aibo_A
IBOs_7%2fWSeries#features 25
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- Lego MindStorm RCX programmable brick 3 inputs, 3 outputs PC
interface and IDE RoboLab Transfer program to RCX via an InfraRed
port 26
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- Inaccessible areas There are many areas that are difficult or
dangerous for humans to go underwater, planetary exploration,
nuclear power stations, bomb disposal Small, inexpensive (!) and
easily replaceable robots can be used instead 28
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- Space Exploration Mars landers Sojourner (17/7/97) Mars Rover
(4/1/2004) Titan (Saturns Moon Huygens (with Cassini) 29 Mars Rover
Sojourner Huygens is the gold dome on the side of Cassini. Note the
size of Cassini
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- Robots Underwater Building SubMarine robots is all about water
proofing http://orionrobots.co.uk/tiki-index.php?page=SubMarine
Radio control is difficult underwater, so a high degree of
autonomous programming is required E.g. unmanned submarines robotic
fish mine clearance crabs mineral extraction exploration/recovery
E.g. Titanic and Bismark tourism 30
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- Nano Robots A team of New York University researchers has taken
a major step in building a more robust, controllable machine from
DNA, the genetic material of all living organisms Constructed from
synthetic DNA molecules, the device improves upon previously
developed nano-scale DNA devices because it allows for
better-controlled movement within larger DNA constructs The
researchers say that the new device may help build the foundation
for the development of sophisticated machines at a molecular scale,
ultimately evolving to the development of nano-robots that might
some day build new molecules, computer circuits or fight infectious
diseases. http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-02a.html 32
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- Robots in Medicine Nanodevices will be used for the purpose of
maintaining and protecting the human body against pathogens They
will have a diameter of about 0.5 to 3 microns and will be
constructed out of parts with dimensions in the range of 1 to 100
nanometers The main element used will be carbon in the form of
diamond/fullerene nanocomposites because of the strength and
chemical inertness of these forms A navigational network may be
installed in the body, with stationkeeping navigational elements
providing high positional accuracy to all passing nanorobots that
interrogate them, wanting to know their location enables the
physician to keep track of the various devices in the body When the
task of the nanorobots is completed, they can be retrieved by
allowing them to exfuse themselves via the usual human excretory
channels they can also be removed by active scavenger systems
http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r10/bombay/news3/page4.html 33
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- Useful Web-sites There are many robotics web-sites start from,
for example http://ai.about.com/compute/ai/cs/robotics
http://spider.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~parsons/courses/840-fall-
2004/robots.html LEGO Mindstorms http://www.legomindstorms.com
Androids http://www.androidworld.com/prod02.htm 34
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- Books Mobile Robotics: A Practical Introduction Ulrich Nehmzow,
Springer, 2000, ISBN: 1-85233-173-9 very heavily biased towards
neural network control The Unofficial Guide to LEGO Mindstorms
Robots J.B. Knudsen, OReilly, 1999, ISBN: 1-565-92692-7 includes a
practical example of subsumption architecture 35
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- Summary What is a Robot? Static Robots v Mobile Robots
Environments Robots in: Industry Education/Entertainment
Exploration The future? 36