Robots and Intelligent Toys

1. Robots and Intelligent Toys Mark Green School of Creative Media

2. Introduction • We all like toys, not just kids • Toys are used for a variety of reasons: • Recreation • Pass the time • Curiosity • Education • Challenge • As we grow older our toys change

3. Introduction • Toys change with the times, they reflect the current culture • Children want to imitate their parents, so their toys will resemble their parents’ work • Children imitate what they see adults doing • Play is practice for growing older, how we learn to be an adult

4. Introduction • Over the past decade electronics has become an important part of toys • This has ranged from computer like toys and other electronic gadgets to electronics in traditional toys • Illustrates two approaches: • Toys that emulate technology • Toys that include technology

5. Emulate Technology • Toys that look like the real thing, or at least motivated by it • Computers and laptops are quite common, combine with simple educational software • Some can now access the Internet • Mobile phones are quite common as well • Many aim to be educational

6. VTech • Local company, probably the world leader in this type of toy • Have produced electronic toys for many years, many with educational side • One of the most innovative companies in this area, produce some excellent designs • Go take a look at their toys, see what can be done with creativity and electronics

7. VTech Electronic Toys

8. VTech Electronic Toys

9. Include Technology • Other toys include technology, but it’s not an obvious part of the toy • Microsoft Barney and similar toys are good examples - ActiMates • Sophisticated use of robotics and computer technology • Could connect to computer and TV to interact with the child

10. Microsoft • The ActiMates line appeared in 1997 and has since been discontinued • They were too expensive, with a starting price of over $100US • Problems developing software for licensed characters, had to agree with the TV character • Think carefully about using licensed characters

11. Furby • Probably the most successful toy in this category • Developed in 1997 and became one of the most popular toys in 1998 and 1999 • Had the right price point, around $30US and was cute • Main feature was ability to interact with Furby and train it

12. Furby

13. Furby • Furby is basically a very simple robot with a microcontroller • A motor was used to move its arms and mouth, very simple motions and expressions • Furbys tried to learn, started with some speech capabilities (could not understand them) which could be improved

14. Furby

15. Furby • Did a few things right: • Small size with big eyes, triggers baby response in people • Gave impression of interaction and emotions, acted intelligent • Speech was very important, its trying to communicate • Developed over time, acted like it was learning, like a real creature

16. Furby • Things it did wrong: • Not very robust, ours broke after a few days • Could easily reach its limit, Furby could develop for a while, but after that it was static • No way to turn it off, could become very annoying • Developed over a very short period of time, didn’t have chance to make it robust enough

17. Robots • People are fascinated by robots, a machine that you can interact with • Robots for play and entertainment aren’t a new idea, have appeared in fiction for a long time • Industrial uses of robots started in the 1960s, and have grown rapidly over the past 20 years

18. Robots • Domestic robots: robots that appear in the home or work with people • These are now beginning to appear: • Robots for house cleaning, a robot vacuum cleaner, commercially available around $200US • Mail delivery in office buildings, robots that have a standard route for delivering mail and packages

19. Robots • Entertainment robots have been available for several years • Sony is the leader in this area, but other Japanese companies are also active • The first Sony entertainment robot was Aibo, far more successful than they ever thought it would be • Based on a general robot platform – OPEN-R

20. Aibo • Originally produced by Sony as an experiment, did a small production run to see if it would sell • Only available on web • In Japan sold out in 20 minutes, in the US it took a full 4 days to sell out • Initial price was over $2000US, not a random purchase!

21. Aibo

22. Aibo • Current version in the $1500US range, still quite pricey • Main features: • Wide range of sensors, including camera • Reasonably fast processor and 32 MByte of memory • Can use memory cards for programming • Wireless network connection • A PC with legs!

23. Aibo • Aibo starts as a puppy and over a six week period grows into a mature dog • Aibo can recognize its owner’s face, and respond to voice commands • Can teach Aibo tricks and train it • If you aren’t happy with Aibo’s behavior can reset it to puppy stage and start over again

24. Aibo

25. Aibo

26. Aibo • Several ways of programming Aibo: • High level scripting language for simple behaviors • Low level C++ interface for more complex behaviors • GUI interface to customize Aibo • Sony lets users develop their own software and share with others, but no commercial software production

27. Aibo • Does a lot of things right: • Sophisticated behaviors • Can be trained, develops over time • Ability to customize and program, can grow with Aibo • Complex enough to express emotions and be interesting • Still very expensive, not a standard “toy”

28. Humanoid Robots • Several Japanese companies are working on this • More difficult problem: • Balance: must be able to walk on two feet • Must be more sophisticated to fool people • Cannot be threatening or scare people • Nothing commercial yet, likely to be very expensive, over $10,000US

29. Construction Sets • Construction sets allow us to build our own robots, previous ones provided a ready built robot • Far more flexible, have control over the physical form of the robot • Take a lot more time to build: • Need to have building skill, know how to put things together • Large projects, lots of work and testing

30. Construction Sets • Many different types of sets, depends upon the audience and their aims • Simplest are the single function sets • Given the parts and can then build a single robot, or robot platform • Many of these robots are expandable, but they have a fixed structure • Example: my small wheeled robot

31. Construction Sets • You can get a wide range of these sets • Most of them concentrate on wheeled vehicles, but there are some other types • Tend to be relatively cheap, around $50US for a set • They can lead to much more complex custom robot systems, where you design it yourself from basic parts

32. Simple Robot Kits

33. Lego • Probably the best known of the construction kits • Based on plastic blocks that fit together • Pixels for the real 3D world, can build about anything, but it will always look like it is made out of blocks • Very flexible, a wide range of parts that can be used to build many things

34. Lego • Mindstorms started as a research project at MIT, add computation to Lego • Add simple sensors and motors to Lego under computer control • Original system was large, computer brick was tethered to PC, so robots couldn’t go very far • Initial work with Schools, teach science, math and programming

35. Lego • Next version was portable, and used as the basis for Lego Mindstorms • Based on a logic brick called an RCX, a microcontroller that is programmed from a PC • There have been three versions of the RCX, versions 1, 1.5 and 2.0, we will be using version 2.0

36. Lego • Lego uses a simple visual language for programming the RCX • Extend the Lego block metaphor to programming • Users drag various shapes to a work area and assemble them to produce a program • Designed to be easy for 12 year olds, but is somewhat limited

37. Visual Programming

38. Lego • Since the RCX uses a well known microcontroller a number of other techniques have been developed for programming • A number of standard languages, like C, Java and Basic can be used for programming • Fairly open system for programming and hardware

39. Mindstorms

40. Mindstorms

41. Mindstorms

42. fischertechnik • The next level up from Lego • Produced by an engineering company that also produces industrial models • More flexible and better looking models, but it is also more expensive and not as widely used • Controller is more sophisticated and can support more sensors and motors

43. fischertechnik

44. High End • Build it yourself out of individual components • Design it all yourself and assemble the components required to produce your robot • Several companies specialize in parts for this, including one in HK: http://www.robotstorehk.com/

45. High End • These stores carry various kinds of motors and sensors, can select what you need • Mobile platforms that can be used as the basis for a wheeled robot • Also have various types of controllers and single board computers • Need to know what you are doing, but the most flexible approach

46. HandyBot

47. HandyBot – Robot Dance

48. Artistic Robots • Artists have been fascinated with robots for a long time • Robots have been produced to dance, draw and play musical instruments • Basically mimicking what people do • Is this what we really want? • What is the robot adding to the performance?

49. Artistic Robots • What types of artistic statements do robots make? • They are modern industrial inventions, they should reflect our modern world • Installation art with robots as themes, live out science fiction • Influenced by violence and rapid pace of technology

50. Survival Research Lab • The first and probably best known of the artistic groups • Put together robots out of old scrap and cast off technology • Often have a violent theme, machines that fight with each other • Produce a spectacle as well as a performance