Introduction to

Robotics
What is a Robot: I
Manipulator
What is a Robot: II

Legged Robot Wheeled Robot

 What is a Robot: III

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

 What Can Robots Do: I

Jobs that are dangerous

for humans

Decontaminating Robot
Cleaning the main circulating pump
housing in the nuclear power plant
What Can Robots Do: II

Repetitive jobs that are

boring, stressful, or
labor-intensive for
humans

Welding Robot
What Can Robots Do: III

Menial tasks that human

don’t want to do

The SCRUBMATE Robot

 Robot Defined
◼ Word robot was coined by a Czech
novelist Karel Capek in a 1920 play
titled Rossum’s Universal Robots
(RUR)
◼ Robota in Czech is a word for worker Karel Capek
or servant

⚫Definition of Robot:
–A robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator
designed to move material, parts, tools or specialized devices
through variable programmed motions for the performance of
a variety of tasks
 Washing Machine Not a Robot: Why?

◼ Not a manipulator
◼ Not a multifunctional
◼ No movement of materials, tools etc
◼ No variety of tasks

Why CNC are not a robot

◼ Not a manipulator
 Why Robot?

◼ Dull Hazardous
◼ Manual not possible
Where? 4 D’s
◼ Dangerous
◼ Difficult
◼ Dirty
◼ Dull
 Knowledgebase for Robotics
•Typical knowledgebase for the design and operation of robotics
systems
–Dynamic system modeling and analysis
–Feedback control
–Sensors and signal conditioning
–Actuators and power electronics
–Hardware/computer interfacing
–Computer programming
Disciplines: mathematics, physics, biology,
mechanical engineering, electrical engineering,
computer engineering, and computer science
 Key Components
Power conversion
unit
Sensors Actuators
Controller
User interface
Manipulator
linkage
Base
Robot Mechanism: Mechanical Elements
Gear, rack, pinion, etc.

Lever

Cam and Follower

Chain and sprocket

Linkage
Slider-Crank
 Sensors: I
•Human senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell
provide us vital information to function and survive

•Robot sensors: measure robot configuration/condition

and its environment and send such information to robot
controller as electronic signals (e.g., arm position,
presence of toxic gas) Accelerometer
Using Piezoelectric Effect

•Robots often need information that is beyond 5 human

senses (e.g., ability to: see in the dark, detect tiny
amounts of invisible radiation, measure movement that is
too small or fast for the human eye to see)

Flexiforce Sensor
 Sensors: II

Vision Sensor: e.g., to pick bins,

perform inspection, etc.

Part-Picking: Robot can handle In-Sight Vision Sensors

work pieces that are randomly piled
by using 3-D vision sensor. Since
alignment operation, a special parts
feeder, and an alignment pallete
are not required, an automatic
system can be constructed at low
cost.
 Sensors: III
Force Sensor: e.g., parts
fitting and insertion,
force feedback in robotic
surgery
Parts fitting and insertion:
Robots can do precise fitting and
insertion of machine parts by using
force sensor. A robot can insert parts
that have the phases after matching
their phases in addition to simply
inserting them. It can automate high-
skill jobs.
 Actuators: I

◼ Common robotic actuators utilize

combinations of different electro-
mechanical devices
 Synchronous motor
 Stepper motor
 AC servo motor
 Brushless DC servo motor
 Brushed DC servo motor

http://www.ab.com/motion/servo/fseries.html
 Actuators: II

Pneumatic Cylinder
Hydraulic Motor Stepper Motor

Pneumatic Motor DC Motor

Servo Motor
 Controller
⚫ Provide necessary intelligence to control the
manipulator/mobile robot
⚫ Process the sensory information and compute the
control commands for the actuators to carry out
specified tasks
 Controller Hardware: I
Storage devices: e.g., memory to store the
control program and the state of the robot system
obtained from the sensors
 Controller Hardware: II
Computational engine that computes the control
commands

RoboBoard Robotics Controller BASIC Stamp 2 Module

 Controller Hardware: III
Interface units: Hardware to interface digital
controller with the external world (sensors and actuators)

Analog to Digital Converter Operational Amplifiers

LM358 LM358

LM1458 dual operational amplifier

 Industries Using Robots
•Agriculture
•Automobile
•Construction
•Entertainment
•Health care: hospitals, patient-care, surgery , research, etc.
•Laboratories: science, engineering , etc.
•Law enforcement: surveillance, patrol, etc.
•Manufacturing
•Military: demining, surveillance, attack, etc.
•Mining, excavation, and exploration
•Transportation: air, ground, rail, space, etc.
•Utilities: gas, water, and electric
•Warehouses
 What Can Robots Do?
Industrial Robots

•Material handling
•Material transfer
•Machine loading and/or
unloading Material Handling Manipulator

•Spot welding
•Continuous arc welding
•Spray coating
•Assembly
•Inspection Assembly Manipulator

Spot Welding Manipulator

 Robots in Space

NASA Space Station

Robots in Hazardous Environments

TROV in Antarctica HAZBOT operating in

operating under water atmospheres containing
combustible gases
 Medical Robots

Laparoscopic Robotic
Surgery Machine
Robotic assistant for
micro surgery
 Robots at Home

Sony SDR-3X Entertainment Robot Sony Aido