RoboticsVarious topics: mainly to inspire your

library research projects.Lab: Parallel parking challenge

Homework: Post proposal for library research project!

Midterm

• If I’m ready, otherwise– Go over next week after I grade the papers

and know the issues….

Home health care

• What are the tasks?– Give reminders. – Operate cell phones—make emergency calls– Remote monitoring (robot holds camera that transmits

images)– (direct) Monitoring of vital signs– Fetch/deliver (and cook) food, books, medicines– Other?

• Would you call a bed with various built-in features a robot?

• A house (alarms, locks, temperature) ?

Home health care

• Driven by aging population,– Particularly in Japan

• Services AND companionship & entertainment

• Interest of Joseph Engelberger, robotics pioneer– Also uses in hospitals, nursing homes for

minor chores…

Health care issue• To Be Almost Human Or Not To Be, That

Is The Question – http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm

?AD=1&AD=1&ArticleID=14763– One view: must be as human-like as possible

for acceptance– Alternative view: too human like would make

robots unacceptable

Autonomous vehicle

• Driven by various competitions, involving different terrain: for example, desert, underwater

• 2007 Competition is “mock urban area”:http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/index.asp

Rules: http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/docs/Urban_Challenge_Rules_121106.pdf

On the ‘road’ to autonomous…

• In terms of early / not so early cars– Self-start– Automatic gears– Cruise control

– GPS: query AND can do some monitoring??

Car control vs Traffic

Changing focus of problem (aka unit of analysis)• EZ-pass

– Collects tolls AND monitors speeding

• Traffic lights with controls

• Congestion pricing (using cameras) is way of controlling traffic???

• ?

Space exploration

• Long history of moon rover, mars rover

• Local control and teleo-operator control

• Latest: re-programming of Mars Rover: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2007/February/feb13_rovers.shtml

This software creates map so robot doesn’t get stuck

Art installation

My taxonomy:• Robots react to their environment, including

people– Produce / display generate ‘art’– Move around

• Robotic devices (sensors, actuators) embedded in art (sculpture, scenery, etc.) and cause changes– Viewers/participants/audience members can act

purposefully to change things– More or less random results

Sources

• Art & Robotics Group http://www.interaccess.org/arg/arg-knowledge/art.html– SenseBus– Physical Computing– Others

• We make money not robots http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/cat_robots.php

• (from previous) Digital Media Class at Universitat der Kunste Berlin http://www.digital.udk-berlin.de/en

Telepresence

• Ways of projecting someone – into a meeting

• Video-conferencing exists. What additional functions would make a difference?

– As active participant in operation• Geographic distance or• Into the body

Robot soccer

• Robot vs people: http://www.robocup.org/

• Robot vs robot: http://www.fira.net/– http://www.fira.net/?mid=HuroSot

– Co-evolutionary Robot Soccer http://legolab.daimi.au.dk/cerss/

Library project

• “paper” is 1 page:– Your name (printed)– Date– Title– summary (abstract): Formal English– at least 3 references in proper format.

Presentation should synthesis information from sources!

– relevant picture

Lab: Parallel Parking

• Include comment(s)

• Include MyBlock– Why do MyBlock?

• Divide long program into smaller size chunks• Encapsulate program that can/may/will be used

more than one time• Practice…

Preview: Building project

• Teams are okay: from more, more is expected.

• Purposeful activity– React to environment (i.e., use of sensors)– Entertainment value: good– Scale up for practical use: good

• Document– 1 page summary– Extra credit for video on YouTube!

sources

• forums.nxtasy.org• www.nxtasy.com• www.teamhassenplug.org/NXT/• thenxtstep.blogspot.com• http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/

MTR_AlphaRex.aspx• www.bnxt.com• http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/utilities.html

– Includes program to create NXT sound files

Bluetooth

• Everyone: if you haven't already done so, give your NXT brick a name.

• DO NOT CHANGE THE PASSWORD for messages– Keep at 1234

• Lab: Will demonstrate Bluetooth – PC to NXT– NXT to NXT

New challenge

• (Next week: Teams of 2 robots)• Robot A picks up object, turns, and continues

until loud sound, puts object down– Object can't be ball! Use extra Lego.

• Robot A calculates location of object– First phase: displays on screen. Pause or use NXT

button to stop.– Second phase (next week): sends message to

companion robot on location.• Need to give location in terms second robot can use.

New Challenge

• (Next week: Teams of 3 robots)• Robot A goes to fixed place to see blue or red ball.

Determines which one. • (Carries ball to fixed location)• Phase 1:

– Says: red or blue and – displays red or blue on screen. Can combine this with other text

by UNCHECKING clear and specifying different lines.• Next week: Phase 2:

– If blue, sends message to robot B; if red, sends message to robot C.

– Robot B or C goes to ball's location and picks it up. – (Returns ball to original location)

Future Possibilities• Independent study in the Fall (can work during

the summer) – Tasks / Projects

• Field trips (labs, schools)• Build [large] robots, multi-robot applications• Investigate new[er] sensors• Investigate other languages• Create art installation using NXT

• Senior project

Homework

• Post proposal for library research project– Presentations start April 5 (after Spring break)

• Postings

• Proposal for Lego project due April 14– present / discuss in class