AVCE Year 1 Unit 19
The Impact of Computers and Society
Robots notes.
The father of robotics is disappointed. Back in 1961, at a General Motors Corp. ( ) plant in Ternstedt, N.J., Joe Engelberger switched on his invention. It was a squat, boxy machine called Unimate, with a telescoping, jointed hydraulic arm. Unlike the other machines on the floor, this one needed no operator. And in no time, it was working 24 hours a day, its powerful arm tirelessly shuttling around 20-pound aluminum castings. Although Unimate was expensive up front, GM was sold on the idea. The machine replaced three shifts of workers per day at a job that was heavy, dirty, and dangerous. Soon it was joined by dozens like it.
Right now there are two main types of robots that are commonly used. The first type is the service robot. This type of robot not only contains sensors that allow it to complete a task, but also gathers information to determine what action should be taken. The service robot can be as complex or as simple as is necessary. The cost relates directly to its complexity. An example of a complex service robot is the Mars pathfinder robot. The Mission Homepage states that this project cost under $150 million dollars spent over three years. The Sojourner Rover conducted technology experiments like wheel-soil interactions, autonomous navigation and hazard avoidance, in addition to carrying an alpha proton x-ray spectrometer (APXS) (mars.sgi.com/rover/descrip.html). This sensor could determine the element composition of rock and soil. Another example a service robot was developed by The Intelligent Systems & Robotics Center, a branch of Sandia Labs. The Mine Robot is designed to enter an area when conditions are too dangerous for people after a mine disaster. The Mine Robot can move safely where people cannot to locate survivors, check the atmosphere, or assess the condition of the mine’s support structure. To do this they decided to use the Robotic All Terrain Lunar Exploration Rover (RATLER) originally developed as a prototype vehicle for a lunar exploration mission. This robot is lightweight, maneuverable and able to navigate over wide ranges (www.sandia.gov/isrc/Mine_Robot/mine_robot.html).
