Robotics

1. Robotics Various topics: mainly to inspire your library research projects. Lab: Parallel parking challenge Homework: Post proposal for library research project!

2. Midterm • If I’m ready, otherwise • Go over next week after I grade the papers and know the issues….

3. 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) ?

4. 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…

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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??

8. 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??? • ?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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/

14. 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

15. 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…

16. 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!

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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