Robotics Technology Background You have heard of the word robots during all your live; however you

do not heard about the word robotics to often. Let star with a definition of the word it self; Robotics is a science of modern technology of general purpose of programma ble machine systems. Contrary to the popular fiction image of robot as ambulator y machines of human appearance capable of performing almost any task. Most robo tic systems are anchored to fixed positions in reality with limit mobility. Rob ots perform a flexible, but restricted, number of operations in HYPERLINK "http: //www.1upinfo.com/encyclopedia/C/computerAM.html" computer-aided manufacturing pro cesses. These systems minimally contain a computer or a programmable device to c ontrol operations and effecters, devices that perform the desired work. The next paragraph represents the vision or general definition of robots according to th e scientific knowledge and technology of that era. General definition for Robot "A re-programmable, multifunctional mechanical manipulator designed to move mate rial, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed motions fo r the performance of a variety of tasks." -- From the Robot Institute of America, 1979 Why is robotics important for my child? The response is simple Robotics is a science that combines a range of fields li ke Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science. Robotic s is ideal for adolescent students because it exposes them to hands-on applicati ons of math, science, and engineering concepts. In addition, robotics motivates potential scientists and engineers to understand how things work and encourages them to use their imagination to create new technologies and improve old technol ogies. The next part of this background should cover the main components of a r obot including some basic concepts for third to fifth grade. Now a day thinks are getting sophisticated with more technological advance. A ne w perception and vision of the robot representation includes the following chara cteristics: Robot Components: Mechanical platforms -- or hardware base is a mechanical device, such as a wheel ed platform, arm, fixed frame or other construction, capable of interacting with its environment and any other mechanism involve with his capabilities and uses. Sensors systems is a special feature that rest on or around the robot. This devi ce would be able to provide judgment to the controller with relevant information about the environment and give useful feedback to the robot. Joints provide more versatility to the robot itself and are not just a point tha t connects two links or parts that can flex, rotate, revolve and translate. Join ts play a very crucial role in the ability of the robot to move in different dir ections providing more degree of freedom. The controller functions as the "brain" of the robot. Robots today have controll ers that are run by programs - sets of instructions written in code. In other wo rds, it is a computer used to command the robot memory and logic. So it, be able to work independently and automatically. Power Source is the main source of energy to fulfill all the robots needs. It co uld be a source of direct current as a battery, or alternate current from a powe r plant, solar energy, hydraulics or gas. Artificial intelligence represents the ability of computers to "think" in ways s imilar to human beings. Present day "AI" does allow machines to mimic certain si mple human thought processes, but can not begin to match the quickness and compl exity of the brain. On the other hand, not all robots possess this type of capab ility. It requires a lot of programming and sophisticates controllers and sensor ial ability of the robot to reach this level. The simplest behavior of a robot is locomotion. Typically, joints and wheels are used as the underlying mechanism to make a robot move from one point to the nex

t. This type of motion should include the adaptability and versatility of the robot to continue with a specific task. Adaptability means adjustment to the task bei ng carried out. Versatility means that the robot should have such a mechanical s tructure that it can carry out different tasks or perhaps the same task in diffe rent ways. History The word "robot" has its origin from the German word "robat". It appears that th e science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was the first to use the word "robotics" t o describe robot technology. The first robots Joseph Engel Berger, in the picture, is entitled to be the father of robotics, t ogether with George Deroe developed the first commercial robot, Unimate, in 1961 . It was placed on Ford and was there used for a press-loading operation. A pict ure of the first generation robots from Unimate can be seen in the picture below . The first robots were principally intended to replacing humans in monotonous, heavy and hazardous processes. Distinctive features of the use of t he newly developed robots were in handling of materials and work pieces without direct control or participation in the manufacturing process. Robots did not bec ome a major force in industry generally until they had been used extensively in the Japanese automobile industry. Unimate Fig. 1 Shows the percentage of applications of robots at the industry during 199 7 In the above information the authors put into the picture the word mechanical ma nipulator but what this physically means? Mechanical manipulator is a device tha t consists of a base frame, rigid or flexible links, and joints, tool frame atta ched to the end effector or gripper. Physical Robot configurations Over the years robot manufacturers have developed many types of robots of differ ing configurations and mechanical design, to give a variety of spatial arrangeme nts and working volumes. These have evolved into six common types of system: Physical Configurations HYPERLINK "http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/images/cartesi an.GIF" \t "new" Cartesian robot it is form by 3 prismatic joints, whose axes are coincident with the X, Y and Z planes. These robots move in three directions, in translation, at right angles to each other. HYPERLINK "http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/images/SCARA.GIF" \t "new" SCARA robot w hich stands for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm it is built with 2 paral lel rotary joints to provide compliance in a plane. The robots work in the XY-pl ane and have Z-movement and a rotation of the gripper for assembly. HYPERLINK " http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/images/cylindrical2.GIF" \t "new" Cylindrical robot is able to rotate along his main axes forming a cylindrical shape. The robot arm is attached to the slide so that it can be moved radially with res pect to the column. Articulated robots are mechanic manipulator that looks like an arm with at least three rotary joints. They are used in welding and painting; gantry and conveyor systems move parts in factories. HYPERLINK "http://prime. jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/images/sphericalpolar.GIF" \t "new" Spherical robot is able to ro tate in two different directions along his main axes and the third joint moves i n translation forming a hemisphere or polar coordinate system. It used for a small number of vertical actions and is adequate for loading and u nloading of a punch HYPERLINK "http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/ROV/images/parallel.jp g" \t "new" Parallel robot is a complex mechanism which is constituted by two or m

ore kinematics chains between, the base and the platform where the end-effectors are located. Good examples are the flying simulator and 4-D attractions at Univ . Studios Workspace envelope is one of the new terms that are going to be covered in the fol lowing table. It really describes how the robot is constrained by its mechanical systems configuration. Each joint of a robot has a limit of motion range. A wor kspace envelope of a robot is defined as all the points in the surrounding space that can be reached by the robot. Clear under standing of the workspace envelop e of a robot to be used is important because all interaction with other machines , parts, and processes only takes place within this volume of space. Types of robots according his application Various robots are quite simple mechanical machines that perform a dedicated tas k such as spot welding or assembly operations a repetitive nature task. Besides more complex, multi-task robots systems use sensory systems to gather informatio n needed to control its movement. These sensors provide tactile feedback to the robot so it is able to pick up objects and place them properly, without damaging them. A further robot sensory system might include machine visualization to det ect flaws in manufactured supplies. Few robots used to assemble electronic circu it boards can place odd-sized components in the proper location after visually l ocating positioning marks on the board. Types of robots according his application Industri al Robots are found in a variety of locations including the automobile and manuf acturing industries. However, robot technology is relatively new to the industri al scene their roll consists of welding, painting, material handling and assembl ing. Robots in Space are name as Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). It can be consiste nt with an unmanned spacecraft that remains in flight or a lander that makes con tact with an extraterrestrial body and operates from a stationary position, or a rover that can move over terrain once it has landed. Educational Robots one ex ample is the Hex Avoider. It is a programmable mobile robot designed to move independently and avoid obsta cles. Hex avoider use infrared emitters and receivers to sense its environment. Their roll is demonstrational for teaching basic concepts and gets the attention of future engineers to this field. Mobile Robots (Transportation) these types o f robot operate by control remote deploying sensor position. Their roll consist of sampling payloads, mapping surface and creating a photorealistic 3D models an d sent back any kind of visual information of building interiors and any environ mental data. Agricultural Robots one example is the Demeter harvester it contains new contr ollers, proximity sensors, safeguards and task software specialized to the needs of commercial agriculture processes. Health Care Robots they are able to perfor m simple task and improve some medical protocol and procedures. Degrees of freedom A degree of freedom is also a term that was cover on page number two and it can be defined as the direction in which a robot moves when a joint is actuated. Eac h joint usually represent one degree of freedom. Most of the robots used today u se five or six degrees of freedom. But this depends on the robot application, fo r example a pick-and-place application need only three axes specified when a wel ding robot requires five or six degrees of freedom. Types of joint links of a manipulator mechanism Rotary or revolute joints, thes e are the most utilized joint and it rotates along the pin as an axis. Cylindric al joints, these are very rare and are use in some equipment like Parallel Robot s or Flying simulator Mechanism. Spherical joints, these are the third most uti lized joint and just slide causing a revolving movement. Prismatic or Sliding jo ints, these are the second most employed joint and just slide causing a translat

ion movement. Screw joints, these just follow the thread of the axis in spiral to move along the axis. Robotics Sensors The word sensor comes from the word sense and it is originate from the Middle Fr ench sens, sensation, feeling, and mechanism of perception. To improve the perfo rmance of the robots it must be able to sense in both ways their internal and ex ternal states (the environment) to perform some of the tasks presently done by h umans. As well, much more accurate and intelligent robots are expected to emerge with t he newly developed sensors, especially visual sensors. Vision provides a robot w ith a sophisticated sensing mechanism that allows the machine to respond to its environment in an intelligent and flexible manner. How this information is gathered by robots? First of all, this sensorial perceptions or measurements are gathered by elect ronic signals, or data that sensors could provide with a limited feedback to the robot so it can do its job. Although proximity, touch, and force sensing play a significant role in the improvement of robot performance. However, vision is re cognized as the most powerful robot sensory capability. Robot vision may be defined as the process of extracting, characterizing, and in terpreting information from images of a three-dimensional world. This process, a lso commonly referred to as computer or machine vision, may be subdivided into s ix principal areas: sensing, preprocessing, segmentation, description, recognit ion, and interpretation. Different Type of Sensors Proximity sensor senses and indicates the presence of an object within a fixed space near the sensor without physical contact. Differ ent commercially available proximity sensors are suitable for different applicat ions. Acoustic sensor senses and interprets acoustic waves in gas, liquid, or solid. The level of sophistication of sensor interpretation varies among existing acous tic sensors, frequency of acoustic waves and recognition of isolated words in a continuous speech. Range sensor measures the distance from a reference point to a set of points in the scene. Humans can estimate range values based on visual data by perceptual processes that include comparison of image sizes and projecte d views of world-object models. Range can be sensed with a pair of TV cameras or sonar transmitters and receivers. A force sensor measures the three components of the force and three components of the torque acting between two objects. In particular, a robot-wrist force sensor measures the components of force and torq ue between the last link of the robot and its end-effectors by transmitting the deflection of the sensor's compliant sections, which results from the applied fo rce and torque. A touch sensor senses and indicates a physical contact between the object carrying the sensor and another object. The simplest touch sensor is a micro switch. Touch sensors can be used to stop the motion of a robot when it s end-effectors make contact with an object. Simple Robotics Mechanics What is a machine? Is a device that transmits, or changes the application of energy to carry out a quantity of work. It allows the multiplication of force at the expense of distan ce. Work is defined as a force applied through a distance. Simple machines: Simple machines have existed and have been used for centuries. Each machine make s work easier to do. Each of them provides some trade-off between the force appl ied and the distance over which the force is applied. Driving mechanisms Levers Gears and Chain

Pulleys and Belts Gearbox LEVERS A lever is a stiff bar that rotates about a pivot point called the fulcrum. The lever consists of three parts. The fulcrum (see triangle base), load (it acts on the rod) and a rod (holds the load or applied effort). Levers are classified in to three classes. Depending on where the pivot point is located, a lever can mul tiply either the force applied or the distance over which the force is applied. Levers are classified into three classes: First Class Levers that has a turning point between the apply force and the load. A seesaw is an example of a simple first class lever. A pair of scissors is an example of two connected first class levers. Second Class Levers has his load between the pivot and the apply force . A wheelbarrow is an example of a simple second class lever. A nutcracker is an example of two connected second class levers. Third Class Levers the effort is between the pivot and the load. A stapler or a fishing rod is an example of a s imple third class lever. A pair of tweezers is an example of two connected third class levers. GEARS Gears and chains are mechanical platforms that provide a strong and accurate way to transmit rotary motion from one place to another, possibly changing it along the way. The speed change between two gears depends upon the number of teeth on each gear. When a powered gear goes through a full rotation, it pulls the chain by the number of teeth on that gear. When you have two gears of different size in movement the smaller gear spins twi ce as fast as the larger gear because the diameter of the gear on the right is t wice that of the gear on the left. The gear ratio is therefore 2:1 pronounced, ( "Two to one"). This gear ratio is directly proportional with the amount of torqu e. In a simple way the gear that spins twice as fast generates the lowest torque . Gears are generally used for one of four different reasons: 1. Reverse the direction of rotation. 2. Increase or decrease the speed of rotation or torque. 3. Shift a rotational motion to a different axis. 4. To keep the rotation of two axes synchronized. PULLEYS Pulleys and belts are two types of mechanical platforms used in robots, work the same way as gears and chains. These kinds of pulleys are wheels with a groove a round the edge, and belts are the rubber loops that fit in that groove. In addition to the pulley describe on the previous paragraph they are other type s of pulleys that are made up of a rope or chain and a wheel around which fits t he rope. When you pull down one end of the rope goes up. There are two types of pulley and both are classified by its movement. The first type is a fixed pulley that is attached permanently to a surface or pl ace. This type of pulley uses more effort to lift the load from the ground. The second type is a movable pulley that is free to travel along the rope or chain p ath following the load direction. The movable pulley allows the effort to be les s than the load weight. A third type could be defined as a combined pulley. It d iminishes the effort needed to lift huge loads dropping this effort in less than half of the load weight. GEARBOX It operates on the same principles as the gear and chain, but without the chain. Gearboxes require closer tolerances, since instead of using a large loose chain to transfer force and adjust for misalignments, the gears mesh directly with ea ch other. Examples of gearboxes can be found on the transmission in a car, the t iming mechanism in a grandfather clock, and the paper-feed of your printer.

Electric Motor An Electric Motor is a machine which converts electric energy into mechanical en ergy. When an electric current is passed through a wire loop that is in a magnetic fie ld, the loop will rotate and the rotating motion is transmitted to a shaft, prov iding useful mechanical work. The traditional electric motor consists of a condu cting loop that is mounted on a rotational shaft. The electrical current fed in by carbon blocks, called brushes, and enters the loop through two slip rings. Th e magnetic field around the loop, supplied by an iron core field magnet, causes the loop to turn when current is flowing through it. A variety of electric motors provide power to robots, allowing them to move mate rial, parts, tools, or specialized devices with various programmed motions. The efficiency of a motor describes how much of the electrical energy utilize is con verted to mechanical energy. The difference between Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) electric current is the way that electrons travel in the wire connections. Alternating Current (AC): is the type of electricity that we get from plugs in t he wall. In an alternating current all of the electric charges switch their dire ction of flow back and forth. Direct current (DC): is the continuous flow of HYPERLINK "http://www.sciencedail y.com/encyclopedia/Electricity" \o "Electricity" electricity through a conductor s uch as a wire from high to low HYPERLINK "http://www.sciencedaily.com/encycloped ia/Electric_potential" \o "Electric potential" potential. The direct current HYPER LINK "http://www.sciencedaily.com/encyclopedia/Electric_charge" \o "Electric cha rge" electric charges flow always in the same direction. Different types of motors Direct Current (DC) motor In this motor a device known as a split ring commutator switches the direction o f the electric current at each half of the rotation of the rotor. This is due to keep the shaft motion direction unchanged. In any motor the stationary parts co nstitute the stator, and the assembly carrying the loops is called the rotor, or armature. As it is easy to control the speed of direct-current motors by varyin g the field or armature voltage, these are used where speed control is necessary . Brushless DC Motors This kind of motor is constructed in a reverse fashion from the traditional form . The rotor contains a permanent magnet and the stator has the conducting coil o f wire. By the elimination of brushes, this motor reduced maintenance, no spark hazard, and better speed control. They are widely used in computer disk drives, tape recorders, and other electronic devices. Alternating Current (AC) motor This kind of motor works with the electrical current flow in the laminate core l oop. The electrical current is synchronized to reverse direction when the lamina te core loop plane is perpendicular to the magnetic field and there is no magnet ic force exerted on the loop. In alternating current induction motors the curren t passing through the loop does not come from an external source but is induced as the laminate core passes through the magnetic field. The speed of AC inductio n motors is set roughly by the motor construction and the frequency of the curre nt. To control the motor speed it s necessary to use a mechanical transmission. To obtain greater flexibility, the rotor circuit can be connected to various exter nal control circuits. Synchronous AC Motors This motor is designed to operate exclusively on alternating current and is esse ntially identical to the generator. A generator uses work to produce electric en ergy while a motor uses electric energy to produce work. If you connect a synchr onous AC motor to the power line and let it turn, it will draw energy out of the electric circuit and provide work. But if you connect that same motor to a ligh t bulb and turn its rotor by hand, it will generate electricity and light the bu lb. In addition, the more work the motor does, the more electric energy it consu mes.

How this motor works? The rotor is a permanent magnet that spins between two stationary electromagnets . Each time the rotor s is about to reach stationary electromagnet, the current re verses. This cycle maintain the rotor mechanism turns endlessly. Because its rotation is perfectly synchronized with the current reversals, this motor is called a synchronous AC electric motor. When a Synchronous AC Motor s coi ls become hot when large currents flow through them. Whether a motor is consumin g or producing electric power, it will overheat and burn out when it handle too much current. Failures of this type occur in overloaded motors and power plant g enerators during periods of exceptionally high electric power usage. Circuit bre akers are often used to stop the current flow before it can cause damage Universal Motors This intermediate motor works on either direct or alternate electric current. In fact a DC motor can not tolerate alternate current. A real AC motor can not tol erate direct electric current because it depends on the electrical line s to rever se the current direction flow going back and forth and keeps the rotor moving. However, if you replace the permanent magnets of a DC motor with electromagnets and connect these electromagnets in the same circuit as the commutator and rotor , you will have a universal motor. This motor will spin properly when powered b y either direct or alternating current. If you connect direct current to a unive rsal motor, the stationary electromagnets will behave as if they were permanent magnets and the universal motor will operate just like a DC motor. Since the uni versal motor always turns in the same direction, regardless of which way current flows through it, it will works just fine with alternate current power. A simple motor has eight parts, as shown in the diagram below: Armature or rotor: is a set of electromagnets. This structure supports the condu ctors that cut the magnetic field and carry the exciting electric current in a m otor. Commutator: a series of bars or segments so connected to armature coils of a gen erator or motor that rotation of the armature will in conjunction with fixed bru shes result in unidirectional current in the reversal of the current into the co ils in the case of a motor. Brushes: are the lifelines of the motor and allows the electric current to flow into the rotor once it touches one of these plates and leaves the rotor through a second brush that touches the other plate use. They get worn and burnt. Axle or drive shaft: Is the mechanism in charge of transmitting the torque from the motor to any other mechanism that requires power to realize a work. Electric Coil: is a set of Cooper windings that goes around the armature it prov ides the pathway for the electric current around the DC motor. Cooper winding is characterize by a single wire use to build the electric coils use on a motor. Field magnet: is a magnet for producing and maintaining a magnetic field especia lly in an electric motor. Power supply: of some sort DC (direct current) source such as a battery, and mot ors which are powered by an AC (alternating current) source. Table 1 Enumerate the basic Direct Current Power Supplies uses in robotics Size NEDA IEC Description AAA 24A LR03 Smallest of the command sizes AA 15A LR 6 Most popular small battery, typically used in packs of 2 or 4 C 14A LR14 Smal l flashlight battery, large toys D 13A LR20 Largest common battery 9v 1604A 6L -R61 Rectangular with clip-on connector Electric Circuits Schematics Students should be aware of the importance of an electric circuit, especially in their everyday life. When we connect various components together with electric wires, we create an electric circuit. The electrons must have a voltage source t hat is supply by a Power Source (Battery, Alternator, Generator, etc.) to create their movement. The electrons path configuration is responsible for the way tha t circuits are name nowadays. There are two main types of current electric circu its, series and parallel. A third type can be obtained as a combination of the t

wo basic type of circuit and it can be name as a series-parallel circuit. A si mple series circuit is attached; to a single pathway where the electric current will flow. In a series circuit, when one of the bulbs or one of the wires is lef t open or is broken, the entire circuit breaks. A parallel circuit is designed s o if one branch is defective, the flow of electricity will not be broken to the other branches. These individual branches keep the flow of electrons for differe nt circuit components. Both series and parallel connection have their own distin ctive characteristics. A series-parallel circuit is more often use in building, houses and other commercial structures. It combines the characteristics of the f irst two types of circuits. They are three different circuit types; Series Circuit, Parallel Circuit, and Se ries-Parallel Circuit all require the same basic components: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Power Source (Battery, Alternator, Generator, etc.) Protection Device (Fuse, Fusible Link, or Circuit Breaker) Load Device (Lamp, Motor, Winding, Resistor, etc. Control (Switch, Relay, or Transistor) Conductors (A Return Path, Wiring to Ground)

Circuit Symbols Circuit symbols are used in circuit diagrams to show how a circuit is connected together electrically. They are used for designing and testing circuits, and und erstand how they work. To build a circuit you need a diagram that shows the layo ut of the components on printed circuit board. A circuit a board is the one that takes care of all the individual components. ** Note: More detail in formation is including on first lesson of Electrical Cir cuit schematics. PAGE