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Introduction to SensorBot

SensorBot

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What is a Robot?

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What is a robot?

What characteristics can you think of to describe a robot?

Look at the following set of examples.

Which ones are robots?

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Definition of a Robot

A robot can be defined as:

a mechanical device that is capable of
performing a variety of tasks
on command or
according to instructions programmed in advance.

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Requirements:

mechanical device
variety of tasks
on command or programmed in advance.

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Is it a robot?

Mechanical device
Variety of tasks
On command or programmed in advance.

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Slide Clicks

The remote-controlled car is not considered a robot even though it is mechanical. It does not take any input and make a decision. The remote controller simply changes the movement of the wheels and is driven by a person.

Similar to the remote-control car, the wind-up toy is not considered a robot even though it can move around. It cannot do any tasks and it does not respond to a command or something in the environment.

The automated vacuum is a robot because it completes a task (vacuuming the entire room) and responds to the environment (turns when it runs into something). The vacuum is programmed to start at designated times, turn when it hits something, keeps track of areas of the room that it has already vacuumed, and returns to its starting position when it has finished.

The mechanical arm is a robot because it is programmed to pick up items and move them to a different location. It also has sensor to tell the robot it has come in contact with something, and can change its behavior in response. This process is programmed in.

Image Sources:

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Robots can have sensors

A sensor is a device which:

detects or measures a physical property
and records, indicates, or otherwise responds to it.

What sensors do you know?

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Types of Sensors

Sensors can measure:

Amount of light
Color of light
Distance to an object
Touch / amount of pressure
Sound level
Position
Acceleration
Magnetic field
Temperature
Humidity
Amount of moisture
Heartbeat
Presence of smoke or gas
Signal from remote control
Radio waves

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Pointers for Slide Delivery

Why sensors are important to robots?
Sensors are important to robotics for two main reasons.

They allow the robot to become more autonomous because it can perceive its own environment and through programming it can make decisions based on what it perceives without human interaction.
They can report information about their environment to humans, who can then make decisions about what the robot should do. Mars rovers work this way; a rover will send information, including photos, of its environment back to Earth; the NASA programmers then decide what task the rover should do next and send a program to the rover to complete the task.

��Image Source:�https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/fire-will-mars-rover-curiosity-gets-license-autonomously-shoot-laser#�NASA/JPL-CALTECH/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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Applications of Robots

Industry

Manufacturing: loading/unloading, assembly, welding, spray painting, deburring, machining, etc.

Remote Operations

Undersea, nuclear environment, outer space, anywhere humans can't go

Service

Implemented in hospitals - assist doctors and surgeons in microsurgeries, handicap assistance
At home – vacuum cleaners, lawn movers
Retail – Stocking, shelving, tally (counting)

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Robot Features

Specifically:

What mechanics they have
What tasks they can do
What types of sensors they have
What types of commands do they get
How are they programmed

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Let’s look at some high-tech robots.

While we watch the video, think about the features of these robots.

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Robotics Challenge Video

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DARPA Robots

What features did you see?

Were they successful?

Did it look easy?

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Failures!

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What was the common failure?

What about the designs of those robots failed?

Why do you think they designed them that way?

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Our Project

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Problem Statement

How can we build a robot that uses sensors to navigate through its environment?

What could a robot like this do in the real world?

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SensorBot

We will learn to build, wire, and program different electronics and mechanical parts.

We will use different sensors to detect and avoid obstacles, follow a line, follow a wall, and solve a maze.

We will program your bot to respond to different inputs in different ways.

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Kit Dissection

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What’s in the box?

Open your box and carefully take each item out. We’ll go over them one at a time.

After we find out what all these parts are, you’ll put the parts neatly back in the box until we need them. That way we won’t lose anything!

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SensorBot Inventory of Parts

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Foam Dots

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Use pencils to plan and sketch your design.

Decorate your chassis with markers/sharpies/paint.

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Decorate your Chassis

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ATLAS Robot

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Robots that mimic animal movements

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Recap of Intro

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Take a few minutes and answer questions 1-5 under the “Assessment”

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TinkRworks, Inc.

501 W Lake Street, Suite 106

Elmhurst, IL 60126

www.TinkRworks.com

Sparking CREATIVITY

Fostering INNOVATION

Sharpening PROBLEM-SOLVING skills

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