In this section of Robotics I have tried to stick to actual systems that are past the development stage and are in production and everyday use. There are many small projects and future developments in this are and it is hoped to include these in a seperate section soon.
Heralded as the worlds first domestic robot, the Trilobite was launched in Great Britain earlier this year. The Trilobite is basically a fully automatic vacuum cleaner which just needs to be switched on and left to clean the room. There are two parts to the system, the main one being the vacuum cleaner, the other is the docking station which is where the cleaner goes to re-charge its battery pack. The system navigates around by ultrasound, just like a bat and works out the perimeter of the room before working out how to clean it all. There is a problem with stairs (Its just doesn't do them!) so magnet strips are lad under carpets, which the system recognizes as boundaries.
See demonstrations of the Trilobite along with explanations of how it works on its homepage.
I have used this as an example of these systems as it claims to be the first on the market. There are a few other similar systems on the market such as the Roomba, which sells for around 199 dollars compared to around £1000 for the Trilobite. The dyson enty into this market is also expected next year, but at an expected cost anticipated to be around £4000 then it may be a while before there is a massive uptake, although one British hospital now has an industrial Robot Cleaner working on its wards (BBC news report).
Another example of this type of technology is the robotic Lawn mower. Again the principle of the system is to turn it on and leave it to do the job: see an example of one currently on the market.
Probably one of the most famous and visually impressive Robots around. The Japanese fascination with Robots has led Honda to develop Asimo, a human like robot capable of walking on two legs. When I first saw a video of the robot in operation I was skeptical, thinking there was a small boy in a robot suit! But the engineers at Honda really seem to have mastered the technological problems of walking on two legs. Originally the project was to just overcome this problem but now it is hoped the Asimo can be put to good use as it is now capable of climbing stairs, turn corners and has a remarkable sense of balance. It is hoped that Asimo may become a helper for infirm or disabled people, giving them someone to help with day to day tasks which they struggle with. In the future it is hoped Asimo may take on roles dangerous to humans such as, firefighting or moving dangerous substances.
Asimo has its own website and even fan clubs. On the website you can follow the 16 years development timeline as well as seeing videos of Asimo in operation - here
The military have for a while been looking into the idea of using robots in its operations, and while some projects may seem more advanced, in fact the US military have sponsored a project looking at a completely autonomous, armed battle vehicle . I decided to pick this example because it has actually been used in the field.
The PackBot is a small mobile, track type robot which can be used for remote searching and examining of dangerous situations. The device only weighs around 24 Kilograms so can be carried into the field of operations by soldiers and released to do its task. It comes in several different configurations and has provided useful service so far. It has been developed by the same company who have developed a version of the robotic vacuum cleaner.
It first saw 'action' in the cave clearing operations of Afghanistan and again more recently in Iraq, where it was called in to investigate the labyrinth of tunnels under Baghdad airport. Some versions of PackBot are capable of investigating and neutralizing suspect devices. The use of these devices in warfare, and one officer is quoted as saying that the robot should go in first in.
See more of PackBot.
The industrial robot arms and systems that have been developed By FANUC have been around for many years. They were introduced by doing jobs such as welding and spray - painting. At first these systems were 'dumb', just being able to replicate taught moves, today they are a lot more advanced and capable of more intelligent behavior.
These systems have more advanced 3d sensor and recognition capability and have the ability to correctly pick up parts from a random pile. They can also fit and insert parts together with precision and skill. as well as being able to detect if there are any outside influences interfering with the work cell. The Robots have the ability to work together in material handling, for bigger more bulky objects.
Having, some years ago had the opportunity to program and work an early model FANUC six axis robot system, which was in effect 'dumb' and would have quite happily crushed anything which came into its path of motion, I can appreciate some of the advances made in the technology over the intervening years. These systems do continue to provide reliable, accurate service for the tasks they are assigned. See more of the capabilities of the FANUC robot systems.
Skybot have developed a robot system for autonomously cleaning the exterior of high-rise building/windows. Hanging from the top of the building like a conventional window cleaning cradle, the robot scans the surface cleaning and monitoring its condition. The robot is enabled with "artificial vision" which allows it to see the surface it passes over in great detail. The machine cleans using a spray of hot water and steam making it environmentally friendly.
The artificial vision or "computer vision optics" allow images of the building surface to be scanned in. Once these images are processed and analyzed then the computer decides if the surface is clean enough before moving onto the next section of building. The system is designed to work in day or night and in adverse weather conditions. In tests the robot will clean the whole building 30 times faster than traditional methods and is estimated to reduce the cost of high-rise building cleaning by 90%
In 2001 the worlds first operation took place by a robot. The medical world is looking at using robotics in more areas, especially those that require precision. To a lesser extent the IBOT is one area where robots can be used to help medicine in another area.
Although not in full production the IBOT is currently undergoing tests to approve its use in the european market. Developed in the USA the IBOT is a personal mobility device which is a lot more that a wheelchair. The IBOT is self powered and can cope with lots of different terrains, opening up new avenues for people who were previously restricted by the surface they could travel over, the IBOT can even climb stairs!
The IBOTS movements are made possible by gyroscopes that are programmed to create balancing capabilities based on an individual's center of gravity. The balance is so good the IBOT can even balance on two wheels to reach up onto high shelves, all the user has to do is indicate where or what they want the machine to do or go and it responds.
To learn more about the IBOT either look at the American site or the European site, where you can see the IBOT in action on video.
Providing a way for underwater exploration as well as stable platforms for underwater work is the UK company Hydrovision. They manufacture the largest range of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in the world. In the inhospitable environment under the oceans, very specialized equipment is needed for any type of work or exploration, remote vehicles has developed from simple machines that did simple tasks to very complex ones capable of doing tricky operations in the harsh conditions.
A typical ROV will usually be fitted with two manipulators and will have additional hydraulic outlets for tools mounted on the vehicle or in custom, task specific, under slung tooling skids. Additional sensors, tracking devices and survey equipment can be fitted for each specific task. Typical tasks for theses ROVs are: salvage, distressed submarine support, cable maintenance operations and deep scientific work as for oil and gas applications. Learn and see more about these specialist vehicles.
The mailmobile automation system is an internal mail system for larger companies who generate a lot of paper based mail. The large automated mail trolley tracks around the building collecting and delivering mail. It can reach any place a person can and can travel on lifts to cover the whole workplace. The system can handle larger payloads so would be ideal to be used in an airport scenario, it can pull around 1,800 pounds in weight.
There are collision avoidance systems built into the system so the ever changing landscape of the office is not a problem for maneuvering around. The system stops immediately if something is put in its path, then continues on its journey once the object has been removed.
I did question the value of such systems with the move towards a "paperless office", but with the system being able to handle more than paper and having many uses I decided to include it.