Robotics Review

1. Robotics Review

2. Robots and Machines • A machine is any man-made device which either makes work easier or changes the direction of a force. • A robot is a machine that can gather information about its environment and use that information to make decisions • A robot is not “smart”, it can only do things if it has been told exactly how to do it.

3. History of Robotics • The idea of man-made devices which could move and operate on their own goes back thousands of years to the Egyptians and Greeks. • The word “robot” was first used by a Czech dramatist. • Isaac Asimov wrote the three laws of robotics and many stories and continued to use the word “robot”

4. Asimov’s Three Laws • A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. • A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. • A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

5. Robots and Entertainment • Robots have been a mainstay of science fiction since Asimov. • The vast majority of stories containing robots have them as enemies of humanity bent on destroying us. • There are a number of exceptions to this. • Some movies and TV shows have even looked at the ethics surrounding the treatment of robots.

6. Science Fiction vs. Reality • Most robots in science fiction are capable of doing just about anything. • In reality, robots are, for the most part, designed for a specific purpose and would be completely useless for anything else. • In order for robots to become more like what we see in entertainment, or to go past being a robot, someone would first have to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI).

7. Uses of Robots • Robots can perform a number of different types of jobs which are dangerous or impossible for humans to accomplish. • Some of the reasons we use robots is when the job is: • Too dangerous or in a hostile environment • Too monotonous • Requires too high a level of strength or precision

8. Benefits of Robots • Robots require only one thing to continue operating, energy. • Robots can do the same thing millions of times and always do it exactly the same way. • Robots do not need breaks, salaries, benefits, or any of the other things human workers do.

9. Deficiencies of Robots • Robots have no imagination. • Robots have no ambition. • Robots will never try to do something differently to see if it will work better. • Robots simply don’t care.

10. Vex Robotics • There are a number of subsystems which make up a Vex Robot. • They are: • Structure • Motion • Power • Sensors • Logic • Control

11. Making it a Real Robot • Two of the subsystems of a Vex Robot make it a true robot: the sensors and logic subsystems. • Without these subsystems, all we have is a machine. • Both of the subsystems work with the other subsystems that would form a basic machine.

12. Support Polygons and Center of Gravity • A support polygon is the shape that is created by tracing out the area inside all parts touching the ground. • The center of gravity is the average location of the mass of an object. • If the center of gravity is inside the support polygon, the object will remain upright. • Moving up or down ramps can shift the center of gravity.

13. Gear Ratios • The gear ratio is the divider or multiplier or speed or torque from the motor to the wheels. • There are three types of gears: the driven, driving, and idler gears. • To find the gear ratio, divide the number of teeth on the driven gear by the number on the driving gear. This will give you the ratio for torque. • Flip the number upside down for the ratio for speed.