Mr. LausterNAI Technology and

Engineering Education

Robotics I

Introduction to Robotics

Goals:

Understand course content and sequence.

Know definition of Robotics??? Understand the 4 generations of

Robotics Know various application of

Robotics in the real world.

Robotics I Syllabus

Course Description Students will acquire a basic understanding of types of

robots, how they operate, and their application in the real world. This is a hands-on project based course introduces the student to generations of robots through a unique curriculum collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University. Classroom and lab activities will include assembling and operating robotic systems, building and programming mobile robots using LEGO NXT Mindstorm® and Vex Robotics® systems with Robot C. Furthermore students will design and build various robots to complete many challenges including mazes, obstacle courses, robot battles and other unique competitions. Students will design and produce custom robotic components utilizing a CNC router, laser engraver, and 3D printer. S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts and TSA (Technology Student Association) problems will be addressed throughout the course.

Famous Robots

B9 Robot

Lost in Space

R2-D2

Star Wars

Bender

Futurama

T-1000

Terminator

Mecha-Godzilla

Godzilla

Famous Robots…Fact or Fiction

Robotics as characters and content in media.

Robotic devices used in the entertainment industry.

Science fiction is turning into science fact with many applications of robotics in industry.

• Lego Mindstorms• NXT Robotics Challenges• CMU Challenges• TSA Problem Solving• Battle Bots

• Sumo• Mecha

• Vex IQ and Cortex Robotic Systems

• RC Programing• Pneumatic and Motor

Control• Robotic Virtual Worlds• TSA Problem Solving• Robot C Programing

• Laser Engraver• Robot Name Plates• Custom Key Chain• End Effectors

• 3D Printer• Individual Project• Custom Chassis Part

• Armatrol Robotic Arm• Pick and Place Program• Robot Jenga

Robotics I – Projects and ChallengesFixed Robotics Mobile Robotics

What is a Robot? • A Robot is a reprogrammable,

multifunctional device, designed to move materials, parts tools or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.• Robot Institute of America

What is a Robot?• Are the following robots?

• Digital Thermostat• iPhone• 1908 Ford Model T• 2008 Ford Focus

• Yes or No• More robotic characteristics• Less robotic characteristics

Robotics and economy

• Robotics and embedded systems make up a 500 billion dollar emerging industry that will have the same impact on the new economy as mass production had on the industrial revolution and the computer had on the information age.

Robotics and embedded systems make up a 500 billion dollar emerging industry that will have the same impact on the new economy as mass production had on the industrial revolution and the computer had on the information age.

Size of Robotics Market

Genereations of Robotics• First Generation- Remote Controlled• Second Generation – Autonomous• Third Generation – Networked • Forth Generation – Artificial Intelligence

The fourth generation of robotics has robots making real time decisions based on their environment. Artificial Intelligence is still in the future. Pictured at the left is “Boss” Carnegie Mellon’s 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge entry.

First Generation Robot

Remote Control

The robot pictured at the left was developed to go into Three Mile Island to inspect after the nuclear disaster. Although it is a very complex machine it is designed to be controlled remotely.

Robot Classifications

Second Generation RobotAutonomous

The three robots pictured above are designed to work without operator intervention. Currently robots still need operator supervision!

Robot Classifications

Autonomous Loading Automated Harvesting Automated Mowing

Third Generation RobotNetworked Robots

If we are ever going to colonize another planet, robots, not people, will build the structures that we live in. Pictured at the left is a Carnegie Mellon research project that shows one robot acting as a supervisor and two other robots working together to assemble a group of parts.

Robot Classifications

Fourth Generation RobotArtificial Intelligence

The fourth generation of robotics has robots making real time decisions based on their environment. Artificial Intelligence is still in the future. Pictured at the left is “Boss” Carnegie Mellon’s 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge entry.

Robot Classifications

Three Robotic ApplicationsRobotic systems are everywhere. This

section will highlight three robot projects that serve three different industries:• The shipping industry• Mining• Healthcare

Project #1 Ultrastrip ProjectProblem: Stripping Paint from Very Large Ship HullsShip owners now pay $400K - $800K to strip over 6 acres of painted surface with 150 sandblasting workers. They take 2 - 3 days, need a forest of scaffolding, damage the ship's surface, produce clouds of sand and 40 pounds of toxic sludge per square foot stripped, and halt other drydock work by posing a health hazard. World market: over $100,000,000 per year. Major cost: shipping time lost in drydock.

Traditional Ship Cleaning

• Hazardous to operators/others

• Slow, noisy • Contaminates steel • Huge waste stream• Inconsistent cutting• Limits adjacent

operations

Robotics Ship Cleaning First Generation Testing at the NREC

Pictured above is a robotic solution for stripping paint. This robot was rigorously tested at the NREC over a two year period. The next page shows the test-bed that was set up to simulate real world conditions.

At the NREC hundreds of thousands of dollars are dedicated to realistic environments to test in

Test Bed for Robotic Paint Stripping

¾” plates of steel welded together to simulate the hull of a ship

Testing the robot on a real ship!

More testing the robot on a real ship

with a second generation robot.

Successful completion of any robotics project takes thousands of hours of effort over several years. The next two slides demonstrate the constant improvement of the technology.

Interesting fact: Robotics projects are calculated in man-years.

UltraStrip Success

3rd Generation System: Chopper

4WD, 4WS, traction control provides smooth 0-20”/s (0.5m/s)

Long-life NEMA 17 sealed motors

Belly magnets don’t wear or mar,

provide robust adhesion

High traction, non-marring wheels

Floating head and suspension for

obstacles and curves

Electric and air drives (no hydraulics)

Flexible seal allows close cut-in

Corrosion resistant stainless & aluminum

15” (0.4m) cut width

Two-position head for strip and sweep

Areas Under Improvement

BRAKES

CROSS LINK

WHEELS

CABLE MANAGEMENT

FRAME

SIDEPLATES

CHAIN TENSIONING

SEAL

CONNECTORS

PROXIMITY SENSING

FASTENERS

IMPROVEDACTUATORS

MAGNETIMPROVEMENTS

Robotic Paint Stripping

Project #2 MiningProblem: Dangerous and Unprofitable US Coal MiningThe US is a world leader in coal production, but profits keep shrinking. Utility deregulation presses prices down while mining from smaller and shorter seams increases costs. Poor visibility limits efficiency, as do the safety precautions which can't prevent thousands of yearly casualties. Only new technology can increase safety and profits and minimize dependence on foreign energy.

Longwall Mining & Conveyor Belts

• ~100 Long wall mines worldwide• $1000/minute revenue generation• Belt problems are #1 cause of

downtime

Belt Economics

Mechanical Splice Failures

Each mine has ~ 10 belt systems

Each mine breaks ~ 2 belts per month

Voluntary replacement -> ~30-40 minutes downtime

Unplanned failure -> ~8 hours

Lost revenue: $30,000 to $300,000/break

Belt Inspection System -Capabilities

• Detect the belt splices and other belt defects.• Generate a digital image of the splice or defect, display on the

user interface and publish the image over the network to a web based application.

• Determine the deterioration of the splice or defect.• Alert mine personnel to the defect in the belt and location for

repair.

Belt Inspection System

Belt runs at 800 feet per minute; Camera 9000 times per second

Current Status

• 5 Belt Inspection Systems Deployed

• 14 months cumulative 24 hr operation

• More than 60,000 miles belt inspected

• Licensing negotiations underway

• Contract with DOE to extend inspection to vulcanized splices

Problem: Developing Better Drugs Requires Costly, Subjective Behavioral StudiesDeveloping safe drugs to alleviate human suffering requires prior behavioral study of animal subjects. These studies by skilled human observers are labor-intensive and yield data prone to variations among them. An optimized automated system for studying animal behavior would reduce the time and cost needed to develop more effective drugs. $6.2 billion per year is spent on Central Nervous System R&D in the US alone. Millions of compounds are still untested for CNS effects.

From the Mines to Pharmaceuticals

• U.S. Pharmaceutical companies spend $6.2B/yr on R&D• Manual scoring of animal behavior is the primary bottleneck to

pre-clinical drug discovery• Targeting a 100x throughput improvement of pre-clinical drug

discovery through automation and data mining.

Innovative Process Improvements

Problem

SmartCubeTM ConceptScientists are working to develop an automated system for the understanding of animal behavior and drug effects.

The SmartCube enables high-throughput, industrial-scale testing of potential new drugs and will greatly speed the discovery of new drugs for common psychological disorders.

Millions ofCandidateCNS Drug

Compounds

Thousands ofSmartCube

Systems

CNS DrugCompound

“Leads” for FurtherInvestigation

Advanced DataMining AlgorithmsConvert Behaviors

to “Drug Signatures”

BehavioralData

Image ProcessingClassifies Animal

Behavior

Robot Application

After two years of effort, the system is fully operational:• 13 SmartCube systems in daily use• 0ver 15,000 hours of video data automatically scored• Over 20 common mouse behaviors recognized• More than 1000 statistical features automatically

analyzed• Excellent agreement on mouse behaviors with human

expert• Very good classification of drug types and doses in

major, blind trials (1200+ mice)

Today’s Robotics Markets• Construction• Mining• Transportation• Agriculture• Senior Care

• Medical / Biotech• Material Handling• Utilities• Education• Military

Robots and embedded systems are ubiquitous in today’s world!