Artificial Intelligence

Chapter# 05
Robotics
 Robotics
• Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering and computer science that
deals with the design, construction, operation,
and application of robots, as well as computer
systems for their control, sensory feedback, and
information processing.
• The branch of technology that deals with the
design, construction, operation, and application
of robots, as well as computer systems for their
control, sensory feedback, and information
processing is robotics.
 Robot
• A robot is an automatic mechanical device often
resembling a human or animal.
• Modern robots are usually an electro-mechanical
machine guided by a computer program or electronic
circuitry.
• Robots can be autonomous or semi-autonomous and
range from humanoids such as Honda's Advanced
Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO) and TOSY's TOSY
Ping Pong Playing Robot (TOPIO) to industrial robots,
collectively programmed swarm robots, and even
microscopic nano robots.
 Androids and Cyborgs
• Androids are synthetic human beings with mechanical limbs
and electronic brains.
• You will also hear this type of robot is called humanoid.
• Good examples of androids EveR-1 and EveR-2
• Another term that you will often hear associated with
robotics is cyborg.
• A cyborg is a human being which has been supplemented by
some type of electromechanical device.
• A cyborg uses robot-like parts to correct a physical
deficiency or to enhancement or physical capabilities.
• Such human beings are partially robotic.
• A person with some kind of prosthetic is a cyborg.
 The laws of Robotics
• If we are ever able to produce such androids, we should make
sure they are positive influence in our society.
• Isaac , Ashmov, in I Robot, wrote that all androids should follow
the three laws of robotics. These laws are:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction,
allow a human to be harmed.
2. A robot must obey orders given by humans except when that
conflicts with the first law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence unless that conflicts with
the first or second laws.
• These laws could certainly put our minds at ease.
• However, human nature being what it is, it is suspected that
robots also will be constructed for all the wrong reasons.
• Most books, movies and TV shows are based on such incidences.
 The Real Definition of Robot
• Many attempts have been made to define the term
robot, but the best definition is probably the one
that has emerged from the manufacturers and users
of industrial robots.
• Their definition of an industrial robot is:
A robot is a reprogrammable, multi-functional,
manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools,
or other specialized devices through various
programmed motions for the performance of a
variety of tasks.
 Types of Industrial Robots
• You will find two basic types of robots in industry.
• The first type is the fixed but movable arms.
• The second type is generally referred to as a
mobile robot.
• Let’s consider these types in more detail.
 Fixed but moveable Arm
• The most predominant type of industrial robot is the fixed
but moveable arm.
• These robots are mounted on a base in a single location near
where it will perform its work.
• It is generally secured to a cement floor with heavy bolts or is
mounted on a table or other work surface so that it cannot
move.
• The materials it will handle are nearby.
• From there, the robot arm moves up and down, back and
forth, in and out, and in whatever way it is programmed.
• In some special applications, the robot arm can be moveable.
• For example, it may be mounted on rails so that it can slide
along a production line.
 Mobile Robots
• A mobile robot is capable of moving around.
• Such robots are generally manipulator arms mounted on a small
vehicle-like structure with wheels or bulldozer-like tracks.
• Other methods of propulsion may also be used in special
circumstances.
• For example, robots with legs have been invented to provide
greater mobility in difficult terrain.
• Regardless of the type of movement implemented, mobile
robots must have a propulsion system.
• Usually, this propulsion system is one or more electric motors
that run on battery power.
• A mobile robot can go where the work is and position itself to
get the job done.
• Mobile robots are excellent for replacing humans in
hazardous environments.
• The robots can be sent instead of the human into nuclear
power plants, polluted mines, beneath the sea, and into
outer space.
• Mobile robots can be used in fire fighting and bomb disposal.
• Most mobile robots are operator controlled by means of a
long cable.
• In some cases, they are radio controlled.
• Some mobile robots are capable of performing on their own.
• An example is a security robot that roams around a building
at night looking for intruders.
 Why use Robots?
• There are three main justification for robots.
• These are to improve productivity, to replace
humans in hazardous environments, and
improve our economic situation.
 Productivity Improvement
• Business and industry are very concerned about the
productivity of its workers.
• The more work that can be turned out in the least amount
of time the greater will be the profit of the company.
• High productivity is hard to maintain.
• Humans get tired or bored or sick.
• We take vacations and coffee breaks.
• The robot simply does not exhibit any of these problems.
• Robots are particularly good in assembly line jobs where
the same actions are performed time and time again.
 Replacing Humans in Hazardous Jobs
• There are man jobs in industry that are just plain
dangerous for human beings.
• Workers are exposed to hazardous materials including
sharp, heavy metal pieces, elevated temperatures,
toxic chemicals and high noise levels.
• While safety precautions are taken in such hazardous
environments, accidents occur and humans are
injured or killed.
• Not only will productivity increase, but also injuries
and all the attendant suffering, expense, and waste
will be eliminated.
 What Robots Do
• As you can imagine, there are a variety of
different tasks that robots can perform.
• Let’s take a look at some of their more
common functions:
 Welding
• The most frequent application of robotic arms in
manufacturing is welding.
• Here, the arms are set up along a production
line conveyor.
• As various components are put into place,
robotic arms move in and make spot welds at
predetermined locations.
• Today most auto bodies and frames are made
using robot welders.
 Materials Handling
• Materials, components, and assemblies can be
transferred form one place to another using a
robot arm.
• Such arms are generally referred to as “pick and
place” robots.
• A robot arm is used for loading or unloading.
• Parts on a vehicle or conveyor may be
transferred to another location.
• Manufactured goods may be loaded upon a
vehicle for transportation elsewhere.
 Assembly
• In many manufacturing applications, robots actually
perform the assembly of some machine or device.
• Individual components are picked up by the arm and
put together in a proper sequence to form the device.
• A common application is “stuffing” printed circuit
boards.
• Special robots pick up the integrated circuits,
transistors, and resistors, capacitors, and other
components, bend the leads and insert them into
printed circuit boards.
 Spraying
• Another widely used application is spraying.
• At the end of the robot arm, a special nozzle
connected to a hose and a source of liquid is
used to spray components during the
manufacturing process.
• The most common form of spraying is painting.
• In most spraying applications, the environment
is extremely hazardous.
 How Industrial Robots work
• To give you a better feel for the importance of
artificial intelligence in future robots, you
should have an understanding of how current
industrial robots operate.
• In this section we well give you a brief
overview of the main components of a robot
and explain their work together.
 Components of a Robot
• The typical industrial robot consists of four
major components: the manipulator arm, the
end effectors, the actuator, and the controller.
• Now let’s discuss each in detail.
 Manipulator Arm
• The manipulator arm is generally made to
resemble or work like the arm of a human.
• It often has a shoulder joint, an elbow, and a
wrist.
• The arm may rotate or slide for further
flexibility.
• However, there are a variety of ways that
manipulator arms can be made.
 End Effector
• The end effector attaches to the end of the arm.
• It is the device which performs the designated operation.
• An almost unlimited number of variations are possible.
• Most end effectors are specially designed for the job to
be done.
• One of the most popular types of end effectors is a
gripper.
• In its simplest form, the gripper is a pincher-type
assembly that simulates a thumb and one finger.
• This allows the robot to be able to pick up objects within
a certain size limitation.
 Actuator
• The actuator is also referred to as the power source.
• This is the basic source of energy for moving the
arm, controlling the joints, and operating the end
effector.
• Three basic types of power sources are used:
electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic.
• Electric actuators are AC or DC motors that provide
rotation or joint movement.
• These are used in combination with mechanical
assemblies such as gears or pulleys to make the
basic movements.
• There is usually one motor per joint.
• Another commonly used power source is a hydraulic
system consisting of a pump which puts a liquid such
as oil under pressure.
• A few robotic arms use a pneumatic system for power.
• Compressed air is forced through lines to cause
movement.
• Pneumatic systems are weak and are used for only
very light duty work.
 Controller
• The fourth major component in a robotic system is the
controller.
• This is the instrumentation that sends signals to the
power source to move the robot arm to a specific position
and to actuate the end effector.
• Controllers are electronic circuits.
• They can be a specific purpose programmable controller
which gives the robot arm a sequence of movement
instructions and actions.
• The most flexible kind of controller, of course, is a general
purpose digital computer which allows the arm to be
reprogrammed for a wide variety of applications.
 Intelligent Robots
• The robots we have described are dumb machines
because they cannot think or adapt to their
surroundings.
• They simply carry out preprogrammed actions.
• Which such robots are useful, of course, their
application is naturally limited to situations where
intelligence and adaptability are not required.
• Robots become far more useful when they exhibit
intelligence that allows them to think for themselves.
• But in order to have something to think about, the robot
must have sense so that it can perceive what is going on
around it.
• Once it can sense its environment, the robot can
reason about its work and what is going on.
• With this capability, the robot can modify its actions
to fit the situation.
• All of the branches of AI can be applied to robotics.
• These techniques can come together to give the
robot perception and thought.
• By adding so, the robot becomes far more useful.
 The Need for Intelligence
• The robot arm can be flexibly positioned, but its range of
movement is sometimes limited.
• Therefore, the work must be fed to the robot on a
conveyor belt or some other mechanism.
• The work-piece, in many cases, must be positioned with
high precision.
• As a result, the systems or mechanisms that bring the
work-piece to the robot are often more complex and
expensive than the robot itself.
• The work-piece must be carefully positioned beforehand,
so the end effector can be brought to the exact point
before being told to do its job.
• If the a robot has the ability to see the items it
is working with, it can certainly do a better job.
• When the robots get some feedback, it can
reason about variations that occur and take
action to correct its own control program to get
the job done.
 Robot Senses
• Now let’s take a more detailed look at the
senses that robots can be given to perceive
their environment.
• They are the same senses that we have,
namely vision, hearing, touch, and smell.
• It is doubtful that robots will need the taste
sense to be useful.
 Robot vision
• Vision systems were covered in previous chapter, so we won’t
really go into this further more.
• However, we will say that sight is not only a human’s most
valuable sense but also a robot’s.
• More information about the work environment can be obtained
by vision than by any other means.
• Giving the robot system vision is as easy as mounting a video
camera so that it focuses on the work-piece.
• Placement of the camera is critical to give the robot the best
possible view, and the position of the camera may change as
needed.
• In some cases, two or more cameras might be necessary to
provide the kind of feedback required.
• To sense and determine the distance between objects, the robot
will need two cameras set up for stereo vision.
 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.
• The researchers expect that an important function of
such artificial fingertips will be adjusting robotic grip
on held objects.
• Scientists from several European countries and Israel
developed a prosthetic hand in 2009, called
SmartHand, which functions like a real one allowing
patients to write with it, type on a keyboard, play
piano and perform other fine movements.
• The prosthesis has sensors which enable the patient
to sense real feeling in its fingertips.
 Hearing
• Hearing is not a as important as vision and touch in robot
systems.
• However, there are some situations where the ability to hear
can be useful.
• If sounds are associated with parts of the work, it may be
desirable to detect them as a way of providing additional
inputs to the robot.
• Such feedback could come from nothing more than a simple
microphone and amplifier set-up to detect some noise.
• The ultimate in hearing perception of course, is speech
recognition.
• There is absolutely no reason why a robot cannot be given a
full voice recognition system.
• In this way, the robot could be controlled by a human giving it
instructions.
 Smell
• Some industrial operations produce odors that may
provide the feedback the robot needs to take intelligent
action.
• A smoke detector is an example of a sensor that has a
type of smell capacity.
• There are other forms of electrical transducers that can
sense gases of various kinds.
• These might pick up dangerous toxic odors resulting from
some improper operation or malfunction.
• Alternately, the smell may be created as the result of
some successful operation, notifying the robot that the
job was completed.