Robotics+Research

=Robotics Research= __**What is Robotics?**__

Robotics- the design, study and manufacturing robots. A type of artifical intelligence mainly used for processing things. The technology developed to combine software, mechanical manipulators, sensors, controllers and computers to provide programmable automation.

Information found from: [|hannawestside.anderson5.net/academyofengineering/Resource%20Materials/CIM/CIM%20Glossary.htm]

__**History of Robotics**__

1495 Leonardo DaVinci designs a mechanical device that looks like an armored knight. The mechanisms inside "[|Leonardo's robot]" are designed to make the knight move as if there was a real person inside. Inventors in medieval times often built machines like "[|Leonardo's robot]" to amuse royalty.

1738 [|Jacques de Vaucanson] begins building automata in Grenoble, France. He builds three in all. His first was the flute player that could play twelve songs. This was closely followed by his second automaton that played a flute and a drum or tambourine, but by far his third was the most famous of them all. [|The duck] was an example of Vaucanson's attempt at what he called "[|moving anatomy]", or modeling human or animal anatomy with mechanics." The duck moved, quacked, flapped it's wings and even ate and digested food.

1822 [|Charles Babbage] demonstrates a prototype of his "[|Difference Engine]" to the [|Royal Astronomical Society]. He continues his work by designing an even more ambitious project "the Analytical Engine" that reportedly was to use [|punch cards] inspired by Joseph Jacquard's invention. During his lifetime he never produces a functional version of either machine. Despite this shortcoming he is often heralded as the "Father of the Computer" and his work lives on as the foundation for the binary numbering system that is the basis of modern computers.

1940 [|Issac Asimov] produces a series of short stories about robots starting with "[|A Strange Playfellow]" (later renamed "[|Robbie]") for Super Science Stories magazine. The story is about a robot and its affection for a child that it is bound to protect. Over the next 10 years he produces more stories about robots that are eventually recompiled into the volume "[|I, Robot]" in 1950.

Asimov is generally credited with the popularization of the term "Robotics" which was first mentioned in his story "[|Runaround]" in 1942. But probably Issac Asimov's most important contribution to the history of the robot is the creation of his [|Three Laws of Robotics]: Asimov later adds a "zeroth law" to the list: Zeroth law: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
 * 1) A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
 * 2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
 * 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

1959 John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky start the [|Artificial Intelligence Laboratory] at the [|Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)].

1986 [|Honda] begins a robot research program thats starts with the premise that the robot "should coexist and cooperate with human beings, by doing what a person cannot do and by cultivating a new dimension in mobility to ultimately benefit society."

1989 A walking robot named [|Genghis] is unveiled by the [|Mobile Robots Group] at MIT. It becomes known for the way it walks, popularly referred to as the "Genghis gait".

1989 Dr. Seymour Papert becomes the LEGO Professor of Learning Research.

1993 [|Dante] an 8-legged walking robot developed at [|Carnegie Mellon University] descends into [|Mt. Erebrus, Antarctica]. Its mission is to collect data from a harsh environment similar to what we might find on another planet. The mission fails when, after a short 20 foot decent, Dante's tether snaps dropping it into the crater. 1997 The [|Pathfinder Mission] lands on [|Mars]. Its [|robotic rover] [|Sojourner], rolls down a ramp and onto Martian soil in early July. It continues to broadcast data from the [|Martian surface] until September.

1998 [|Tiger Electronics] introduces the [|Furby] into the Christmas toy market. It quickly becomes "the toy" to get for the season. Using a variety of sensors this "animatronic pet" can react to its environment and communicate using over 800 phrases in English and their own language "[|Furbish]".

1998 [|LEGO] releases their first [|Robotics Invention SystemTM 1.0]. LEGO names the product line [|MINDSTORMS] after Seymour Papert's seminal work of 1980.

1999 [|LEGO] releases The Robotics Discovery Set, Droid Developer Kit and the Robotics Invention System 1.5.

1999 [|SONY] releases the [|AIBO] robotic pet. 2003 June 10th - [|NASA] launches the [|MER-A "Spirit"] rover destined for [|Mars]. July 7th - [|NASA] launches the [|MER-B "Opportunity"].

2003 [|SONY] releases the [|AIBO ERS-7] it's 3rd generation robotic pet.

2004 Jan. 4th - After [|six minutes of holding our breath (during EDL)] as it burned and bounced its way to the red planet the robot rover [|Spirit] lands on [|Mars].

Informtion found from: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/index.html

http://robotics.megagiant.com/history.html

__**Types of Robots**__ http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/low_ed/types/ || = = = = **XPT:**1. Drive Forward 2. Reverse 3. Accelerate 4. Curve Turn 5. Point Turn 6. Drive in Square 7. My Block 8. Parking bay ||
 * Anthrobots ||
 * Robots assisting the Handicapped ||
 * Robots in Space ||
 * Robots in Agriculture ||
 * Educational Robots ||
 * Mobile Robots ||
 * Industrial Robots ||
 * Information found from:
 * =**Design**=