 Describe the essential components of robotic systems, sensors, actuators and control architectures.  Work as a member of a team tasked with designing, building and testing a simple mobile robot Session Objectives

The Robotics Institute of America (RIA) “A reprogrammable multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through varied programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks”.

The idea of a robot was first introduced by the Czech writer Karel Capek in his play Rossum’s Universal Robots published in Capek’s robots are closer to the modern idea of Androids such as one might see in a programme such as Star Trek etc. Modern Technology is making rapid strides towards making such robots a real possibility. The field of study concerning robots is known as Robotics a word first used by Asimov in his work “Three Laws of Robotics”

* Robots come in all shapes and sizes performing a huge array of tasks from simple applications to extremely complex operations. * The most advanced robotic systems are usually mobile and able to “become aware” of their surroundings through their sensors. * Robotic systems which are able to “learn” are controlled by a technology known as Artificial Neural Networking (ANN) * (For further information about the function of ANN

* A Power Source * Sense Capability * Actuation (Mechanism) * Control Architecture

* Capacitors * Different types of battery * Hydrogen Fuel Cells * Methanol Fuel Cells * Chemical (Petrol) * Renewable (Solar Cell)

* Mechanical Vibration Sensors ( Sound, Ultrasound, Infrasound ) * Electromagnetic Radiation ( Radio, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet) * Force ( Contact, Measurement, Acceleration ) * Position ( GPS ) * Chemicals ( Smell, Taste ) * Obstacles ( Contact, Proximity, Distance ) * Magnetic Fields ( Varying ) * Electric Fields ( Static and Varying )

* Electro-Mechanical * Pneumatic * Hydraulic * Electrically Activated Smart Materials * Piezoelectric Materials * Chemical Actuators