Robotics

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Robotics brings together several very different engineering areas. First there is wood/metal/plastic working for the body. Then there is mechanics for mounting the wheels on the axles, connecting them to the motors and keeping the body in balance. Next you have electronics to power the motors and connect the sensors to the µcontrollers. At last you have the software to understand the sensors and drive the robot around.

This Wikibook tries to cover all the key areas of robotics as a hobby. When possible examples from industrial robots will be addressed too.

You'll notice very few "exact" values in these texts. Instead, vague terms like "small", "heavy" and "light" will be used. This is because most of the time you'll have a lot of freedom in picking these values, and all robot projects are unique in available materials.

An Introduction to Robotics

Robotics is defined as the science or study of the technology associated with the design, fabrication, theory, and application of robots.

All robots have three main components:

1. Sensors, which detect the state of the environment
2. Actuators, which modify the state of the environment
3. A control system, which controls the actuators based on the environment as depicted by the sensors

There is no widely accepted definition of the term robot, but most proposed definitions require these components. Some definitions require mobility, autonomy, sentience, or sapience, while others do not. The various types of robot are usually classified by their capabilities.

A device with autonomy does its thing "on its own" without a human directly guiding it moment-by-moment.

What is a "robot" in this book? There isn't one exact definition, but there are 2 examples that capture most of what we see as a "robot".

1. Machine Pet: A machine, capable of moving in some way, that can sense its surroundings and can act on what it senses autonomously. Most of these robots have no real useful purpose, other than to entertain and challenge. These are also commonly used for experimenting with sensors, artificial intelligence, actuators and more. Most of this book covers this type of robot.
2. Autonomous Machine: A machine with sensors and actuators that can do some sort of work "on its own". This includes things like robotic lawmowers and vaccuum cleaners, and also self-operating construction machines such as CNC cutters. Most industrial and commercial robots fall in this category.

What isn't considered a "robot" in this book? Pretty much everything you see on RobotWars; those are remote-controlled vehicles without any form of autonomy. These devices use the same technologies decribed in this book, but aren't really in the scope of it.

In short: If it has autonomy it's a robot (in this book). If it's remote controlled, it isn't.

Design Basics

Note to potential contributors: this section could be used to discuss the basics of robot design/construction.

1. What you should know
2. Physical Design
3. Design software
4. Tools and Equipment
5. Electronic Components
6. Mechanical Components
7. Building materials
8. Basic Programming

Physical Construction

This section could be used to discuss various means through which robots are constructed.

1. The Platform
2. Construction Techniques
3. Resourcefulness

Components

This section could be used to discuss components used in robotics or the making of robots.

1. Power Sources
2. Actuation Devices
   1. Motors
   2. Shape Memory Alloys
   3. Air muscle
   4. Linear Electromagnetic
   5. Piezoelectric Actuators
   6. Pneumatics/Hydraulics
3. Grippers
4. Audio
5. Video

Computer Control

This section could be used to discuss the things involved with controlling robots via computers.

1. Control Architectures
   1. Reactive Systems
   2. Sense-Plan-Act
   3. Brooks' Subsumption Architecture ( w:Subsumption architecture )
   4. Hybrid Systems
2. The Interface
   1. Computers
   2. Microcontrollers
   3. Remote Control
   4. Networks

Sensors

Sensors that a robot uses generally fall into three different categories:

1. Environment sensors tell the robot what is happening around it
2. Feedback sensors tell the robot what it is actually doing, and
3. Communication sensors allow a human or computer to provide a robot other information.

Navigation

1. Navigation
   1. Localization
   2. Collision Avoidance
   3. Exploration
   4. Mapping
   5. Trajectory Planning

Exotic Robots

This section could be used to cover "special" robots.

1. Special Robot brains
2. BEAM
3. Cooperating Robots
4. Modular and fractal Robots
5. The LEGO World
   1. LEGO Robots
   2. Introduction to the RCX
   3. Programming the RCX

Resources

• Comp.robotics.misc News group covering homebuilt robots. Large user base. Reasonable Signal to noise ratio. Archived at the comp.robotics.misc Google news group archive (http://groups.google.com/group/comp.robotics.misc).
• McComb, Gordon 2000 "The Robot Builder's bonanza 2nd ed." ISBN 0-07-136296-7 -- One of, if not the, best book on home build mobile robotics.
• Papers on various robot related subjects,
• University and College sites on Robotics
• Dictionary of Robotics Terminology
• list of robot clubs (http://www.solutions-cubed.com/solutions%20cubed/robotgroups2003.htm)
• "Controlling The Real World With Computers" by Joe Reeder (http://learn-c.com/)
• Theoretical Mechanics
• Erik Zoltán: Wireless Robotics
  • "Wireless Robotics: A recipe for success in wireless robotics" (http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/wireless/library/wi-robot1/) (Why bottom-up is better than top-down in robotics)
  • "Wireless Robotics: how to drive your wireless Robot" (http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/library/wi-robot2/) ("Robot subsystem dependencies": pick the physical computer hardware first -- everything else is picked to support it; "Modify a servo for continuous rotation")
  • "Wireless Robotics: Fast Robot Prototyping"  (http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/wireless/library/wi-robot3/?ca=dgr-lnxwRobotP3) ("Materials for fast prototyping": claims it is faster build the chassis twice -- first with cardboard and hot glue, easy to modify and tweak, then transfer the design to thin aluminum sheet metal and erector parts and acrylic -- than it is to try to start with difficult-to-tweak metal and acrylic.)
• "Get Started in Robotics" (http://mdubuc.freeshell.org/Robotics/GetStarted.html)

Contributors

• T.R. Darr - responsible for the (almost) complete reformat. If I knew anything about robotics, then I'd have contributed to the content as well.
• J.D. Cox - Attempting to fill in certain areas with basic information.
• Omegatron - I've built a handful of short-lived little robots, and since then I went and got myself an electronics degree. I'll probably just add to and clarify things that other people have contributed. I tend to only contribute to things that are already active, so be active!
• Patrik - As time permits I'm adding more info I've found to be missing in many other sources. I've got a degree in electronics and I've designed and build several robots.
• E. Sumner - Active member of the Dallas Personal Robotics Group; Trying to flesh things out a bit here.
• Mr Dom - just added my two cents worth
• DavidCary - degree in electrical engineering. So in theory I ought to know :-).