1. Teaching with Robotics Professor: Jeffrey Forbes
Welcome!
Teaching with Robotics
CompSci 96S/Education 96S
North 314
Th 3:05-5:30
Professor: Jeffrey Forbes

2. What is a robot? Definitions
Webster: a machine that looks like a human being and performs various acts (as walking and talking) of a human being
Robotics Institute of America: a robot is a reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks
What’s our definition
Components of a robot system?

3. Agents and Environments

4. Uses of robots Where and when to use robots?
Tasks that are dirty, dull, or dangerous
Where there is significant academic and industrial interest
Ethical and liability issues
What industries?
What applications?

5. Robocup
The Goal: By the year 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer champion team

6. Outreach
How can we use robots to inspire middle and high school students?
What about the Digital Divide?
Is service learning a good model for enrichment programs?
RoboCupJunior: International, national, and regional competitions for elementary, middle, and high school students

7. Educational Robotics
Sklar: the use of robotics for learning topics other than specifically robotics
What basic topics would you expect robotics to teach?
What skills would you expect students to learn in building robots?
Constructionist learning

8. Why Robotics? Robotics is exciting, motivating, and fun!
Robotics connects students to advanced scientific research and development
Students learn by doing
You need to know a lot of math and science to design, build, program, and evaluate a robot

9. Robot Software This icon makes the These icons turn robot stop.
RoboLab uses icons to build a program.
These icons turn
on the robot’s motors.
This icon makes the
robot stop.
This icon makes the robot drive for 6 seconds.

10. RoboCupJunior Competition founded at RoboCup 2000 in Melbourne
Goal: to create a learning environment for today and to foster understanding among humans and technology for tomorrow
Encourage teamwork and project-bnased learning, development of communication and time management skills, in addition to traditional academic areas like engineering and programming
De-empahsizes competition and emphasis inter-team cooperation, dialogue, and sharing
Dance, rescue, and soccer
Local team competed in RoboCup 2007 in Atlanta

11. Computer architecture
von Neumann model
Memory: random access memory (RAM) for program instructions and data
ALU: includes set of registers for performing calculations
Control: responsible for fetching and decoding instructions
Input & output
Bus: various internal pathways
Control
arthmetic/
logic
Memory
Processor
Input
Output

12. The RCX Hitachi H8/3297 series processor 3 inputs/sensors (1, 2, 3)
3 outputs/motors (A, B, C)
32k RAM/ 16k ROM
Multiple threads of execution
LCD Display & Speaker
3 programmable buttons
IR send/receive
Sensors
Light, touch, rotation
Sonar and compass avail

13. LEGO Mindstorms NXT Motors 170 RPM 360 RPM for old motors, why?
Atmel 32-bit ARM processor
4 inputs/sensors (1, 2, 3, 4)
3 outputs/motors (A, B, C)
256 KB Flash Memory
64 KB RAM
USB 2.0 Communication
4 programmable buttons
100x64 b/w LCD Display
Sensors
Active:
Old light and rotation
Passive
Touch, sensors for NXT
Digital
Ultrasonic
Motors
170 RPM
360 RPM for old motors, why?

14. Build a robot! Taskbot Extensible Geared
From CMU Robotics Engineering Teaching Materials
What are some of the desired properties for a robot base?
What are some building principles?

15. Control basics Some definitions:
Control system: arrangement of physics components connected or related in such a manner as to form and/or act as an entire unit
Kinematics: the description or study of the geometry of motion
Dynamics: the description or study of the forces that affect the motion of objects
Open-loop control
Compute trajectory a priori and make necessary actions to complete task
Closed-loop control
Use sensors to provide feedback to modify the trajectory and actions

16. ROBOLAB Pilot Mode graphics based limited capability great for kids?
Inventor Mode
variables
conditionals
loops
multitasking
Investigator Mode
Charts & graphs
Analyze data

17. Inventor

18. Pilot

19. Challenges Getting there
Using Pilot 1 - program your car to move for 1 sec
Measure the distance it went
Predict distance for n sec (Pilot 2 may be useful)
Run and check model
Touch-activated
Using Pilot 4 make it so your robot starts when the touch sensor is pressed and stops when it hits something
How would you make it bounce off the wall and explore an area?
How could you keep your robot from running off the table with a light sensor?

20. Line follower Design a program that can follow a black line Questions:
What sensors would your robot need?
What simple algorithm could you use?
How would you calibrate your readings?
How would you test your robot?