Robotics

Outline
Definition Science Fiction: Laws of Robotics Applications Components Degrees of Freedom (DoF) Categories

Manipulator Mobile

What is a Robot?
Karel Kapek, a Czechoslovakian playwright, published Rossums Universal Robots in 1921. Robota is a Slavic word for forced labor.

Definition

Robotics is the intelligent connection of perception to action The science and technology relating to computer-controlled mechanical devices, for example, the automated tools commonly found on automobile assembly lines

An intelligent robot is a machine able to extract information from its environment and use knowledge about its world to move safely in a meaningful and purposeful manner A robot is a system which exists in the physical world and autonomously senses its environment and acts in it
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Definition (Computing)

Robotics Industry Association

A robot is a re-programmable, multifunctional, manipulator designed to move material, parts, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a task
Any device which replaces human labor Robot is an automatic device that performs functions ordinarily ascribed to human beings
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Japanese

Dictionary

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Manipulators

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Unmanned Vehicles

Land, Air, Under-water

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Humanoids/Androids

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Science Fiction: Laws of Robotics

Asimovs Laws of Robotics (I, Robot)

1.

2.

3.

A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the 1st law A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the 1st or 2nd law
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Robots Motivation

Human beings have always tried to build devices mimicking their own physical behavior to perform various tasks for them Motivating factors for this trend have mainly been:

Efficiency Challenging nature Luxury and comfort Lack of manpower Hazards Etc.
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Applications

Assembling products

Most notably in auto (car) manufacturing

Volcanoes, under-water, landmines, etc.

Handling dangerous materials/territories

Cutting & Polishing Remote environments (NASAs pathfinder) Surgery (micro-surgery) Tele-operation

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Components

For a machine to qualify as a Robot, it usually needs these 5 parts:

1. 2. 3. 4. Sensor End Effector Arm Controller (brain)
On-board computer system

5. Drive (locomotion system)

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Components

Sensor

It provides input/feedback to the robot so that it can do its job Compared to the senses and abilities of even the simplest living things, robots have a very long way to go Sensor sends electronic signals to the controller (brain) which does the processing
Active/passive sensors

Imaging sensors, laser range finders, sonar sensors, infra-red sensors, etc.

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Components

End Effector

Effector is the means by which a robot moves and changes the shape of its body

Hand on a manipulator Wheel on rover

Arm

Part of the robot which positions the end effector and sensor to do their preprogrammed business Many resemble human arms (having shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers) Degree of freedom (range of positioning)
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Components

Controller (brain)

Computer which keeps the pieces of the arm working together It functions as the brain of robot It allows networking with other machines (robots, etc.) Controller are run by programs (reflex or AI)

Drive (locomotion system)

engine that drives the links b/w the joints into their desired positions
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End Effector: DoF

What are the possible moves available to an arm (or its joints)? Arm components shoulder, elbow, and wrist

Usually, a robot needs 6 DoF to reach to any possible point in space Each direction a joint can go gives an arm 1 degree
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End Effector: DoF

Left or right rotation of the arm base Forward or backward movement of the arm base

Rotate base of arm Pivot base of arm Bend elbow

Forward or backward movement of the elbow joint

Up or down movement of the wrist Left or right movement of the wrist Rotation of the wrist
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Wrist up and down

Wrist left and right Rotate wrist

End Effector: DoF

6 Degrees of Freedom

Revolute joints (5) that generate rotational motion Prismatic joints (1) that generate sliding motion

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Categories
A robot acts through its actuators (e.g., motor) which typically drive effectors (e.g., wheels) Robotic actuators are very different from biological ones, both are used for:

Locomotion (moving around, going places) Manipulation (handling objects)

This divides robotics into two areas

Manipulator robotics Mobile robotics

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Mobile Robotics

A mobile robot is a robot capable of moving around in its environment and perform certain tasks The ability to move extends the workplace of a mobile robot substantially, an attractive feature for many applications However, extended workplace also means that the mobile robot should be able to do the following: have some knowledge about its environment, recognize objects in the environment, generate a real-time response, and do all of these simultaneously.
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Mobile Robotics: Locomotion

A mobile robot requires some mechanism for mobility Depending upon the tasks to be performed by a mobile and the environment that it is working in, it can employ one of the following to provide mobility:

Wheels, legs, tracks, rolls, etc. Propellers, wings, etc.

A kinematic analysis of the robot structure helps us to determine how to make robot follow a particular path
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Mobile Robotics: Navigation

The robot and its workplace can be represented in a way that can aid us in path planning which includes: determining the shortest path, avoiding the obstacles, and map generation
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Mobile Robotics: Vision

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Manipulator Robotics

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Manipulator Robotics: Vision

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Manipulator Robotics: Kinematics

Robot kinematics

Study of aspects of an objects motion without taking into consideration mass and force
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Manipulator Robotics: Kinematics

Forward kinematics problem

deals with determining the position of end effector given the link variables finding valid values of link variables for a given position of the end effector

Inverse kinematics problem

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Manipulator Robotics: Control

Control systems for position & velocity of the end effector or other components of a robot arm ensure that the desired position and velocity is achieved as precisely and efficiently as possible

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What can be sensed?

all possible values of sensory readings

depends on the sensors on the robot the robot exists in its sensor space:

also called perceptual space robot sensors are very different from biological ones a roboticist has to try to imagine the world in the robots sensor space

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State

a sufficient description of the system can be:

Observable: robot always knows its state Hidden/inaccessible/unobservable: robot never knows its state Partially observable: the robot knows a part of its state Discrete (e.g., up, down, blue, red) Continuous (e.g., 3.765 mph)

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Type of State

External state: state of the world

Sensed using the robots sensors E.g.: night, day, at-home, sleeping, sunny Sensed using internal sensors Stored/remembered E.g.: velocity, mood

Internal state: state of the robot

The robots state is a combination of its external and internal state.

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State & Intelligence

State space: all possible states the system can be in A challenge: sensors do not provide state! How intelligent a robot appears is strongly dependent on how much it can sense about its environment and about itself.

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Internal Models
Internal state can be used to remember information about the world (e.g., remember paths to the goal, remember maps, remember friends v. enemies, etc.) This is called a representation or an internal model. Representations/models have a lot to do with how complex a controller is!

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Why is Robotics hard?

Sensors are limited and crude Effectors are limited and crude State (internal and external, but mostly external) is partiallyobservable Environment is dynamic (changing over time) Environment is full of potentiallyuseful information

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Thank you!