robots

PR2 Robot Helps Mute Quadriplegic Scratch an Itch

August 6, 2023 by noemi

Robots have been the subject of many a science fiction novel or movie. The idea of having robots help humans enjoy more convenient lives is nothing new. For many of us, though, the dream of having robot house help is far from being a reality.

For Henry Evans, a mute quadriplegic, science fiction is becoming reality. He got hold of a PR2, a two-armed wheel robot developed by Willow Garage, a robotics research lab and technology incubator. Together with robotics development platforms, this company also works on robot operating systems.

For the past 10 years, Evans has been unable to do many things that you and I take for granted. Thanks to the collaboration of Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab, the PR2 is helping Evans live a more independent life in spite of his physical condition.

Men – you probably dislike the chore of having to shave every so often. For people like Evans, being able to shave one’s self is a dream. And imagine this – prior to having the PR2, Evans was not even able to scratch when he felt an itch! I don’t know about you, but that would be pure torture! Thanks to PR2, for the first time in 10 years, Evans was able to scratch an itch himself.

Here is an inspiring video about PR2 and what it can do.

This development is made possible by a project called Robots for Humanity. ((Willow Garage Blog)) The collaborators are mainly using PR2 and researching ways by which this particular robot can help disabled people live more independently. The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to make robots accessible to people who need them most. As they say, Evans is only the beginning.

I applaud Willow Garage and Georgia Tech’s Healthcare Robotics Lab for their efforts and for focusing on a group which really has the need for robotic assistance in the home. While it is cool for those who have no handicap to have a robot assistant (I wouldn’t mind having one!), the idea of helping those in need first is admirable.

It’s one of those moments when you really really wish that a concept were fully part of reality and not a thing of science fiction.

Robot Ruby Holds New Record for Solving Rubik’s Cube

July 29, 2023 by noemi

The “contest” to solve Rubik’s Cube the fastest is a perpetual one. Both humans and machines are continually coming up with strategies and techniques to solve this puzzle in the least number of moves and shortest period of time. Recently, we were wow-ed by teenager Feliks Zemdegs when he set a new world record for solving a 3x3x3 cube in a mere 6.24 seconds. No one can say that this feat may not be broken in the future, but for now, it is something that we can only marvel at.

Now that’s the humans’ record. In case you didn’t know, robots are also at it – solving Rubik’s Cube, that is. Of course, it can be argued that at the end of the day, the accolades still fall on human heads as they are the ones that make these robots.

A group of students who were on the Mechatronic Engineering/Computer Science degree program at the Swinburne University of Technology had a brilliant final project last year. It was brilliant then, and it is brilliant now – never mind that the press just got wind of their creation.

Named Ruby, the robot solves the Cube by scanning the faces in order to recognize its status before setting to solve the puzzle. Ruby has made it to the charts – she is the fastest Rubik’s Cube-solving robot at 10.69 seconds. Impressive, but I have to give Zemdegs this one.

This is a quick rundown on how Ruby does her thing, straight from one of the students who created her: ((Source: dakiller))

The basic rundown of operation is that there are 2 systems, the PC software and the embedded microcontroller hooked together via a USB serial link. The camera connected to the PC scans in the cube and detects the colours and determines the cube in the computer, then runs through a tree search algorithm (our own implementation of Kociemba’s Algorithm) that finds a list of moves that will solve the cube. That is then fed to the microcontroller which has some big DC servo controlled motors and solenoids that manipulate the robot grippers, to the physical solving of the cube.

And here are some behind the scenes videos from the guys themselves.

FIRST Robotics Competition: This Is the Real Thing

July 24, 2023 by noemi

Recently, the FIRST Robotics Competition was held at the Boston University. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and was conceptualized by no less than Dean Kamen. If the name is unfamiliar, think of the Segway Human Transporter. Does that ring a bell?

This competition covers four annual contests open to all grade levels in the United States: Junior LEGO League (ages 6 to 9), LEGO League (ages 9 to 12), and Tech Challenge (high school students). The main thing going for FIRST, though, is the Robotics Competition, which has gathered 12,000 students who are probably real geeks. Not the hipsters who seem to take pride in labeling themselves as geeks.

In the recently concluded FIRST Robotics Competition, teenagers are tasked with creating robots that are supposed to perform specific tasks. At the same time, the robots need to be able to defend against other robots so that the assigned tasks can be completed.

While the whole idea seems fun – and indeed, the contestants find it fun – there is a lot of hard work involved. The contestants actually get a kit at the start of the school year so that they have several months to work on their project. The ultimate test comes when they all get together to pit their robots against one another.

Here’s a sampling of what went on at the competition.

12,000 kids screaming and not for Justin Bieber. Any parent can be proud to have his/her kid in that crowd. I know I would.

Via PopSci

Robotics Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts of America

July 21, 2023 by noemi

Let it not be said that the Boy Scouts of America do not keep up with the times. Countless boys belonging to various generations have long been working hard to earn merit badges. These badges are testaments to the skills and talents that Boy Scouts have acquired over the years. Traditionally, the merit badges were all about sports and wilderness survival, among many others.

This week, however, the Texas-based organization is upping the level by adding a new merit badge: the Robotics Merit Badge. One goal in creating this merit badge is to promote science and technology and engineering and maths (STEM). In doing so, the BSA is adjusting to the new developments in technology and is making itself more relevant to the youngsters of today.

How do the Boy Scouts of today earn this new merit badge? Just think about creating your own electronics kits and joining competitions. These kits can range from the simplest of devices to some of the more complicated robots. Here are more examples of how one can earn the merit badge. ((Source: PR for Robotics Merit Badge))

Explain and discuss hazards and safety prevention
Explain how robots are used today
Discuss three of the five major fields of robotics (human-robot interface, mobility, manipulation, programming, sensors)
Design, build, program, and test their robot
Demonstrate the robot, and share the engineering notebook for that robot
Attend a robotics competition or do research on robotics competitions

If the mere mention of the Boy Scouts make you think of only camping, making fires without matches, and tying knots, think again. This organization is rather important in molding young boys and it is great that technology is not being ignored!

Roombots: The Furniture of the Future

July 14, 2023 by noemi

Space is perhaps the most critical issue that urban dwellers face today. Anyone who has had the experience of searching for an apartment or condo unit in the city will know that a few square meters of living space may very well cost an arm and a leg. Depending on the location, you may have to throw in one of your kidneys as well!

Living in cramped quarters shouldn’t be all that bad – if you can find miniature sized furniture that suits your fancy. But what if technology gave you the option to only own a few pieces of furniture that changes to the specific item that you need or want? Scratch that – what if you can own tiny robots that can configure themselves to build the piece of furniture that your needs dictate?

That is what Roombots is all about. The guys at Biorobotics Laboratory are working on a concept that might provide the ultimate solution to interior design for the space-starved. Roombots are modular robots that serve as building blocks for practically any piece of furniture that one will need in the house. If this concept becomes reality, you may very well find yourself sleeping in a bed at night – a bed that can convert itself to the dining table which you will use for breakfast. What the bots will do with the bedding, I have no clue. You do get the idea, right?

Here are some photos of the concept.

I am not sure about the aesthetic value of the Roombots, but I am sure that can easily be tweaked once the technical aspects have been perfected. For the technical details and videos of the bots in action, visit Biorob.

The Birth of Real-Life Decepticons?

June 15, 2023 by noemi

I know that we’d all like to think that there are Decepticons in real life, but in rare moments of connecting with reality, even the most avid believers in the Masters of Deceptions just might acknowledged that they are not, well, real. Then again, I just might be wrong in saying that.

A group of researchers from Georgia University have developed real-life robots that might eventually turn out to be masters of deceptions! What they’ve done is to come up with an algorithm that allows the machines to make decisions as to whether or not deceive other robots. If you think that’s pretty cool, you’ll think this awesome: the algorithm also equips the robots with the capability to deceive humans!

How were they able to determine if the algorithm actually works?

They engaged the robots in several games of hide-and-seek! Simplicity is beauty, so they say, and it seems to be the case here. David Teeghman describes this interesting version of the childhood game that we all loved to play:

During the games, colored markers were lined up along three potential pathways to locations where the robot could hide. The hider selected a location from the three location choices, and moved toward that point, knocking down markers along the way. Once it reached a point past the markers, the robot changed course and hid in one of the other two locations, making sure not to hit any markers by its actual hiding spot.

Developing this algorithm required interdependence theory and game theory that tested the value of deception in a specific situation. The game satisfied two key conditions that the robots needed to warrant deception: There must be conflict between the deceiving robot and the seeker, and the deceiver must benefit from the deception.

I have to say that while the concept – and the fact that it actually worked – is nothing short of amazing, but I can’t help but think of the Cyclons and all other movies/shows that relate how man created robots and how the creations turned on their masters eventually. At present, the researchers say that the main purpose for these robots is simply for the battlefield – to save lives and all that. Still, who is to say that real life events will not somehow get turned into a science fiction plot? Or is this just paranoia?