Robotics

• Robotics is the science and technology of

robots, and their design, manufacture, and
application.
• A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial
agent. It is usually an electro-mechanical
system which, by its appearance or
movements, conveys a sense that it has intent
or agency of its own.
 Definition of Robot
• It is an automatically controlled,
reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator
programmable in three or more axes, which
may be either fixed in place or mobile for use
in industrial automation applications.
• It is a re-programmable multi-functional
manipulator designed to move materials, parts,
tools, or specialized devices through variable
programmed motions for the performance of a
variety of tasks.
 Definition of Robot
• It is an automatically operated machine that
replaces human effort, though it may not
resemble human beings in appearance or
perform functions in a humanlike manner.
• It is a device that automatically performs
complicated often repetitive tasks.
• It is a mechanism guided by automatic
controls.
 Types of Robots - On Earth
• Cartesian Robot : Used for pick and place work,
application of sealant, assembly operations, handling
machine tools and arc welding. It's a robot whose arm
has three prismatic joints, whose axes are coincident
with a Cartesian coordinator.

• Cylindrical Robot : Used for assembly operations,

handling at machine tools, spot welding, and handling
at diecasting machines. It's a robot whose axes form a
cylindrical coordinate system.
 Types of Robots - On Earth
• Spherical Robot : Used for handling at
machine tools, spot welding, diecasting, fettling
machines, gas welding and arc welding. It's a
robot whose axes form a polar coordinate
system.
• SCARA Robot : Used for pick and place work,
application of sealant, assembly operations and
handling machine tools. It's a robot which has
two parallel rotary joints to provide compliance
in a plane.
 Types of Robots : On Earth
• Articulated Robot : Used for assembly
operations, diecasting, fettling machines, gas
welding, arc welding and spray painting. It's a
robot whose arm has at least three rotary joints.
• Parallel Robot : One use is a mobile platform
handling cockpit flight simulators. It's a robot
whose arms have concurrent prismatic or rotary
joints.
 Types of Robots
• Nanorobots : These are constructed from molecular
machines, which are used in microsurgery, utility fog
manufacturing, weaponry and cleaning.
• Soft Robots : These are robots with silicone bodies
and flexible actuators, controlled using fuzzy logic
and neural networks.
• Swarm Robots : These are swarms of thousands of
tiny robots which together perform a useful task, such
as finding something hidden, cleaning or spying.
 Types of Robots - In Space
• Remotely Operated Vehicle : An ROV can
be an unmanned spacecraft that remains in
flight, a lander that makes contact with an
extraterrestrial body and operates from a
stationary position, or a rover that can move
over terrain once it has landed. It is difficult to
say exactly when early spacecraft evolved
from simple automatons to robot explorers or
ROVs.
 Types of Robots - In Space
• Remote Manipulator System : The basic RMS
configuration consists of a manipulator arm; an RMS
display and control panel, including rotational and
translational hand controllers at the orbiter aft flight
deck flight crew station; and a manipulator controller
interface unit that interfaces with the orbiter
computer. It performs a number of tasks on many
space missions-serving as a grappler, a remote
assembly device, and also as a positioning and
anchoring device for astronauts working in space.
 Characteristics of Robots
• It is composed entirely, or almost entirely, from artificial
substances.
• It can sense its environment, and manipulate or interact with
things in it.
• It has some ability to make choices based on the environment,
often using automatic control or a preprogrammed sequence.
• It is programmable.
• It moves with one or more axes of rotation or translation.
• It makes dexterous coordinated movements.
• It moves without direct human intervention.
• It appears to have intent or agency.
 Components of Robots
• Structure
• Power source
• Actuation
• Sensing
• Manipulation
• Locomotion
• Environmental Interaction and Navigation
• Control
 Structure
• The structure of a robot is usually mostly
mechanical and called as kinematic chain.
• The chain is formed of links (its bones),
actuators (its muscles), and joints which can
allow one or more degrees of freedom.
• Robots used as manipulators have an end
effector mounted on the last link. This end
effector can be anything from a welding
device to a mechanical hand used to
manipulate the environment.
 Power Source
• Apart from lead-acid batteries, the potential
power sources could be
1.compressed air canisters
2.flywheel energy storage
3.organic garbages
4.feces
5.still untested energy sources
6.radioactive source
 Actuation
• Actuators are the muscles of a robot, the parts
which convert stored energy into movement. The
main types of actuators are
1.Motors : The vast majority of robots use electric
motors, including brushed and brushless DC
motors.
2.Stepper Motors : These rotate in discrete steps,
under the command of a controller, which makes
the control more precise.
 Actuation
3. Piezo Motors : These motors consist of tiny
piezoceramic elements, vibrating many
thousands of times per second, which cause
linear or rotary motion. The advantages of
these motors are nanometer resolution, speed,
and available force for their size.
4. Air Muscles : When inflated with compressed
air, it contracts by up to 40% of its original
length, which can be used to construct robots
with a similar muscle system to an animal.
 Actuation
5. Electroactive Polymers : These are a class of
plastics which change shape in response to electrical
stimulation. They can be designed so that they bend,
stretch, or contract, but so far there are no EAPs
suitable for commercial robots, as they tend to have
low efficiency or are not robust.
6. Elastic Nanotubes : Human biceps could be replaced
with an 8mm diameter wire of this material. Such
compact "muscle" might allow future robots to outrun
and outjump humans.
 Sensing
• Touch : Current robotic and prosthetic hands receive far less
tactile information than the human hand. Recent research has
developed a tactile sensor array that mimics the mechanical
properties and touch receptors of human fingertips.
• The sensor array is constructed as a rigid core surrounded by
conductive fluid contained by an elastomeric skin. Electrodes
are mounted on the surface of the rigid core and are connected
to an impedance-measuring device within the core.
• When the artificial skin touches an object the fluid path around
the electrodes is deformed, producing impedance changes that
map the forces received from the object.
 Manipulation
• The hands of a robot are often referred to as end effectors, while
the arm is referred to as a manipulator.
1. Mechanical Grippers : It consists of just two fingers which can
open and close to pick up and let go of a range of small objects.
2. Vacuum Grippers : These are very simple astrictive devices,
but can hold very large loads provided the prehension surface is
smooth enough to ensure suction.
3. General Purpose Effectors : These are highly dexterous
manipulators, with as many as 20 degrees of freedom and
hundreds of tactile sensors.
 Locomotion
• Rolling Robots : Most of the mobile robots
have four wheels. The main types are
1.Two-wheeled balancing : It is considered as a
component of a robot.
2.Ballbot : This is a self-contained, battery-
operated, omnidirectional robot that balances
dynamically on a single urethane-coated metal
sphere.
3.Track Robot : This type of robot has tracks.
 Locomotion
• Walking Robots : The methods used in these robots
are
1. ZMP Technique : The Zero Moment Point is the
algorithm used where the robot’s onboard computer
tries to keep the total inertial forces, exactly opposed
by the floor reaction force. Thus, the two forces
cancel out, leaving no moment.
2. Hopping : The movement is the same as that of a
person on a pogo stick. As the robot falls to one side,
it would jump slightly in that direction, in order to
catch itself.
 Locomotion
3. Dynamic Balancing : A more advanced way for a
robot to walk is by using a dynamic balancing
algorithm, which is potentially more robust than the
Zero Moment Point technique, as it constantly
monitors the robot's motion, and places the feet in
order to maintain stability.
4. Passive Dynamics : Using this technique, a robot
need only supply a small amount of motor power to
walk along a flat surface or a little more to walk up a
hill. This technique promises to make walking robots
at least ten times more efficient than ZMP walkers.
 Environmental Interaction and
Navigation
• Speech Recognition : Interpreting the
continuous flow of sounds coming from a
human, in real time, is a difficult task for a
computer, mostly because of the great
variability of speech. Currently, the best
systems can recognize continuous, natural
speech, up to 160 words per minute, with an
accuracy of 95%.
• Gestures : Gestures will make up a part of the
interaction between humans and robots.
 Environmental Interaction and
Navigation
• Facial Expression : Frubber robotic faces allow a great
amount of facial expressions due to the elasticity of the rubber
facial coating and imbedded subsurface motors to produce the
facial expressions.
• Artificial emotions : Artificial emotions can also be imbedded
and are composed of a sequence of facial expressions and/or
gestures.
• Personality : researchers are trying to create robots which
appear to have a personality,i.e. they use sounds, facial
expressions and body language to try to convey an internal
state, which may be joy, sadness, or fear.
 Control
• The three phases involved in the control of a
robot are

1.Perception : Sensors give information about

the environment or the robot itself. This
information is then processed to calculate the
appropriate signals to the actuators which
move the mechanical.
 Control
2. Processing : At a reactive level, it may translate raw sensor
information directly into actuator commands. Sensor fusion
may first be used to estimate parameters of interest.
3. Action : At longer time scales or with more sophisticated
tasks, the robot may need to build and reason with a cognitive
model. Cognitive models try to represent the robot, the world,
and how they interact. Pattern recognition and computer vision
can be used to track objects. Mapping techniques can be used
to build maps of the world. Finally, motion planning and other
artificial intelligence techniques may be used to figure out
how to act.
 Design Process of a Robot
1. Defining the problem :
• Identifying the purpose of a construction
• Identifying specific requirements
2. Research and Design :
• gathering information
• identifying specific details of the design which must be
satisfied
• identifying possible and alternative design solutions
• planning and designing a appropriate structure which
includes drawings
 Design Process of a Robot
• Gathering Information :
a. Practical functions of the design include
movement, manipulation, energy, intelligence
and sensing.
b.Shape, form, Surface texture and finish are
important in the design of aesthetic qualities,
ergonomics, strength, stability, rigidity and
safety.
 Design Process of a Robot
• Gathering Information :
c. Construction methods appropriate for design :
• cutting and shaping
• fabrication - the assembly of the parts using screws, bolts,
glues, solder, etc
• moulding - by the application of a force on the material
• casting - using a mould to form the shape of a solidifying
material
d. health and safety factors, noise, smell, pollution, etc are the
environmental factors to be considered.
 Design Process of a Robot
3. Creating a prototype :
• testing the design
• troubleshooting the design
4. Building the Robot :
• structure
• gear combinations
• arm mechanisms
• placing sensors
 Design Process of a Robot
5. Programming and Testing a Robot :
• Rudimentary intelligence can be achieved in a robot by using
relays, potentiometers, bump switches and some discrete
components.
• Complexity in intelligence in a robot is increased by adding
more sensors and continuing in the same vein of using
hardwired logic.
• Robot control problem can be minimized by using a
microprocessor.
6. Evaluating a Robot :
• evaluate the design
• evaluate the planning process
 Applications of Robots
• Robots tend to do some or all of the following:
move around, operate a mechanical limb, sense
and manipulate their environment, and exhibit
intelligent behavior, especially behavior which
mimics humans or other animals.
• Commercial and industrial robots are in
widespread use performing jobs more cheaply or
with greater accuracy and reliability than humans.
 Applications of Robots
• Robots are employed for jobs which are too
dirty, dangerous or dull to be suitable for
humans.
• Robots are widely used in manufacturing,
assembly and packing, transport, earth and
space exploration, surgery, weaponry,
laboratory research, and mass production of
consumer and industrial goods.
• Domestic robots are used for cleaning and
maintenance of homes.
 Applications of Robots
• SIGMO : Synthetic intelligent Mobility is a
humanoid robot designed to demonstrate the
applications of passive dynamics technologies.
Passive-dynamic systems cite low power
consumption, high durability, and low cost. The
design is based on the skeletal structure of the
human body, consisting of two legs with hip, knee,
and ankle joints, each representing 1 degree of
freedom (DOF). Movement is accomplished with
the aid of gravity or by minimal actuation to enable
the machine to walk on level ground.
 Applications of Robots
• Robotics Simulator : It is used to create
embedded applications for a specific robot
without depending physically on the actual
robot, thus saving cost and time. In some case,
these applications can be transferred on the
real robot without modifications. One of the
most popular applications for robotics
simulators is for 3D modeling and rendering of
a robot and its environment.
 Applications of Robots
• Urology Robotics : It is a new
interdisciplinary field for the application of
robots in urology and for the development of
such systems and novel technologies in this
clinical discipline. Urology is the surgical
specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of
males and females, and on the reproductive
system of males.
 Applications of Robots
• Industrial Robots : It is an automatically
controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose
manipulator programmable in three or more
axes. Typical applications of robots include
welding, painting, assembly, pick and place,
packaging and palletizing, product inspection,
and testing, all accomplished with high
endurance, speed, and precision.
 Applications of Robots
• Robot Welding : It is the use of mechanized
programmable tools (robots), which
completely automate a welding process by
both performing the weld and handling the
part. Robot welding is commonly used for
resistance spot welding and arc welding in
high production applications, such as the
automotive industry.
 Applications of Robots
• Agricultural Robot : It is a robot deployed for
agricultural purposes. The main area of
application of robots in agriculture is at the
harvesting stage. Fruit picking robot and sheep
shearing robot are designed to replace human
labour.
• Paint Robot : Painting robots are generally
equipped with five or six axes, three for the
base motions and up to three for applicator
orientation.
 Applications of Robots
• Hexapod : A hexapod robot is a mechanical
vehicle that walks on six legs. Since a robot
can be statically stable on three or more legs, a
hexapod robot has a great deal of flexibility in
how it can move. If legs become disabled, the
robot may still be able to walk. Furthermore,
not all of the robot's legs are needed for
stability; other legs are free to reach new foot
placements or manipulate a payload.
 Applications of Robots
• BEAM Robotics : BEAM is an acronym for
Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and
Mechanics, which refers to a style of robotics
that primarily uses simple analogue circuits,
such as comparators, instead of a
microprocessor in order to produce an
unusually simple design that trades flexibility
for robustness and efficiency in performing the
task for which it was designed.
 Applications of Robots
• Types of BEAM Robots :
a. Audiotropes : These react to sound sources.
• Audiophiles - go towards sound sources.
• Audiophobes - go away from sound sources.
b. Phototropes : These react to light sources.
• Photophiles - go toward light sources.
• Photophobes - go away from light sources.
 Applications of Robots
• Types of BEAM Robots :
c. Radiotropes : These react to radiofrequency
sources.
• Radiophiles - go toward RF sources.
• Radiophobes - go away from RF sources.
d. Thermotropes : These react to heat sources.
• Thermophiles - go toward heat sources.
• Thermophobes - go away from heat sources.
 Types of BEAM Robots
e. Sitters : Unmoving robots that have a
physically passive purpose.

• Beacons: Transmit a signal (usually a

navigational blip) for other BEAMbots to use.
• Pummers: Display a light show.
• Ornaments: A catch-all name for sitters that
are not beacons or pummers.
 Types of Beam Robots
f. Squirmers : These are stationary robots that perform an
interesting action.
• Magbots: Utilize magnetic fields for their mode of animation.
• Flagwavers: Move a display (or "flag") around at a certain
frequency.
• Heads: Pivot and follow some detectable phenomena, such as
a light (These are popular in the BEAM community. They can
be stand-alone robots, but are more often incorporated into a
larger robot.).
• Vibrators: Use a small pager motor with an off-centre weight
to shake themselves about.
 Types of BEAM Robots
g. Sliders : Robots that move by sliding body
parts smoothly along a surface while
remaining in contact with it.

• Snakes: Move using a horizontal wave

motion.
• Earthworms: Move using a longitudinal wave
motion.
 Types of BEAM Robots
h. Crawlers : Robots that move using tracks or
by rolling the robot's body with some sort of
appendage. The body of the robot is not
dragged on the ground.
• Turbots: Roll their entire bodies using their
arm(s) or flagella.
• Inchworms: Move part of their bodies ahead,
while the rest of the chassis is on the ground.
• Tracked robots: Use tracked wheels, like a
tank.
 Types of BEAM Robots
i. Jumpers : Robots which propel themselves off
the ground as a means of locomotion.
• Vibrobots: Produce an irregular shaking
motion moving themselves around a surface.
• Springbots: Move forward by bouncing in
one particular direction.
j. Climbers : Robot that moves up or down a
vertical surface, usually on a track such as a
rope or wire.
 Types of BEAM Robots
k. Rollers : Robots that move by rolling all or part of their
body.
• Symets: Driven using a single motor with its shaft touching
the ground, and moves in different directions depending on
which of several symmetric contact points around the shaft are
touching the ground.
• Solarrollers: Solar-powered cars that use a single motor
driving one or more wheels; often designed to complete a
fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of
time.
• Poppers: Use two motors with separate solar engines; rely on
differential sensors to achieve a goal.
• Miniballs: Shift their centre of mass, causing their spherical
bodies to roll.
 Types of BEAM Robots
l. Walkers : Robots that move using legs with
differential ground contact.

• Motor Driven: Use motors to move their legs

(typically 3 motors or less).
• Muscle Wire Driven: Utilize Nitinol (nickel -
titanium alloy) wires for their leg actuators.
 Types of BEAM Robots
m. Swimmers : Robots that move on or below
the surface of a liquid

• Boatbots: These operate on the surface of a

liquid.
• Subbots: These operate under the surface of a
liquid.
 Types of BEAM Robots
n. Fliers : Robots that move through the air for
sustained periods.
• Helicopters: Use a powered rotor to provide
both lift and propulsion.
• Planes: Use fixed or flapping wings to
generate lift.
• Blimps: Use a neutrally-buoyant balloon for
lift.
 Applications of Robots
• Cartesian Coordinate Robot : Also known as a
linear robot, this is an industrial robot whose three
principal axes of control are linear and are at right
angles to each other. A popular application for this
type of robot is a computer numerical control
machine (CNC machine). The simplest application is
used in milling and drawing machines where a pen or
router translates across an x-y plane while a tool is
raised and lowered onto a surface to create a precise
design.
 Applications of Robots
• Military Robot : These are autonomous or
remote-controlled devices designed for
military applications. These robots are capable
of taking surveillance photographs, and even
accurately launching missiles at ground
targets, without a pilot and are designed to
carry out strike missions in combat.
 Applications of Robots
• Autonomous Robot : can perform desired tasks in unstructured
environments without continuous human guidance with autonomy.

A fully autonomous robot has the ability to

• Gain information about the environment.
• Work for an extended period without human intervention.
• Move either all or part of itself throughout its operating environment
without human assistance.
• Avoid situations that are harmful to people, property, or itself unless those
are part of its design specifications.
• Also learn or gain new capabilities like adjusting strategies for
accomplishing its task(s) or adapting to changing surroundings.
 Future of Robotics
• Given that in the next two decades robots will
be capable of replacing humans in most
manufacturing and service jobs, economic
development will be primarily determined by
the advancement of robotics.