Robotics

Robotics and Automation.

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Cars should be aware of their environment and display status in the dashboard. It is like having cameras all around. The objects around and their direction of movement and acceleration.

Simple Automobile Safety Radar

There must be a very affordable automobile radar with just a 10-20 feet radius around the vehicle. This should display as a graphic on the dashboard as some of the very old 2D car games. This radar must be based on sonar or infra red to avoid additional EMI-RFI pollution and confusion. The display should show all objects which include people, small animals, kerb and wall.

The sensor has to be a multiple sensor, static belt one near wheels and one at the roof of automobile. The display device on car should be TCP-IP so that you can monitor your vehicle with your cellphone, PDA or any browser.

Automobile Ideas from 2002

Cars can have multiple skins like Winamp

If you use organic flexible LEDs, encapsulated in transparent poly-sulphone or some silicones. And the RGB triad matrix of LEDs are driven by a computer system to make it work like a flexible LCD screen. It can be used to form a skin for a car. Only there will be no high resolution, but it will do.

This flexible layer is fixed on the car like a permanent cap. Now with the onboard graphics synthesis embedded car computer you can choose any jpg, png or gif textured tile or make your own. Then output the tile or wallpaper to the car exterior LED matrix skin. Now the Car has become skinnable. Not just colors but fine textures are possible.

 

Now with a Bluetooth enabled Human Mood Monitor plugin you can make the car exterior to reflect the mood of the life-forms inside. This will make a road alive and traffic jams very colorful.

Some things i had written online around 2002 on cars.

Microcontroller – 8051, 8052, OpCodes, Analog Interface.

(:->)—-\–/—-< Man Sleeping

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Wikipedia Search Results combined with an AI Query and Data-mining Engine integrated with a High Quality Text-to-Speech; can help people hear Answers to Questions they ask. Optional pictures and video on a concealed LCD Screen, Packed into a Feather Bag called “Dolly the Know-all Dodo”. A witty, impertinent, extra-smart Bird-Bot. (2009 – Ideas of delabs)

AI Dodo with a Wikipedia Brain

Idea from Polly –

Make a AI Robot in the form of a Cartoon Parakeet. Something like polly the techno parrot below. When you ask a question or a unique term like “Solar Energy” or “Vitamin C” it can use its AI – Artificial Intelligence to read out a Wikipedia Page and if not Satisfied browse the web internally and suggest alternative pages to read out. It can have a Dockable Tablet Interface too for Visualizing its AI and Articles.

Who made Polly  Shown on the right in CrossSection – Rob and Roberta Radtek

“Direct from the Institute of Robotic Technology comes this amazing interactive robot pet– POLLY THE TEKNO PARROT! Polly talks with people he senses around him just like a real parrot. Polly’s electronic cuircuits can detect motion, sound, light and even touch. He will snore off to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. If you pet him, he will “coo” and move his wings. ”

These are some sites that help you read out wikipedia.

Pediaphon App in the Android Market!MP3 files, play lists and podcast automatically generated from Wikipedia!  Let your computer read out the Wikipedia for you!

“Learning during jogging and driving! E-learning and m-learning with MP3 players and mobile phones! A podcast and a winamp play list will be generated too.”

Wiki Out Loud: Wikipedia Entries on Audio – “A few nights ago I was at the office and the ol’ brain was fried. I decide to take a couple of hours “off” and record some Wikipedia entries on audio.”

(2009 – Ideas of delabs)

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The Objective – When your Bot has outgrown your Arduino, it wants to talk, an urge to communicate and Network(Social). A larger brain over the smaller control system is the need. Then a Networked Drove of Bots ! is possible.

Hobby DIY Electronics – Do it Yourself, The World Over.

Use the Arduino for emulating the role of the Spine and an Android System for the Big Networked brain. You can hack an Economy Android Phone to make your Robot an Einstein.

Now for Simulating the Soul, which even the most Advanced Robotic Scientist is unaware of; All you need is Cloud.

An Android Brain for your Bot

How to do that

We have to try create some Robots which are Non-Motor based, Soundless, No Rotary action. Minimum Metal Used, Silicone and Epoxy based parts. They will have 3G and Wi-Fi integrated and the Soul, the Intellect and the Instincts can be upgraded In-system online. The Cloud will be God.

Why the need

The Robot in Literature – Coppélia

Coppélia concerns an inventor, Dr Coppelius, who has made a life-size dancing doll. It is so lifelike that Franz, a village swain, becomes infatuated with it and sets aside his true heart’s desire, Swanhilde.

She shows him his folly by dressing as the doll, pretending to make it come to life and ultimately saving him from an untimely end at the hands of the inventor.

The Truth – Swanhilde and her friends find themselves in a large room filled with people. However, the occupants aren’t moving. The girls discover that, rather than people, these are life-size mechanical dolls. They quickly wind them up and watch them move. Swanhilde also finds Coppélia behind a curtain and discovers that she, too, is a doll.

The sad part of this Opera and The Nutcracker is that Inventors of Bots are shown as Evil Scientists. We have to clear the stigma by making a Giant King Kong Bot.

First written 2008 in other areas, enhanced post till 2012 – An idea by “Bot with a Soul” – delabs

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Professional Electronic/ Electrical/ Mechatronic/ Hydraulic/ Pneumatic Training Systems manufacturer.

Sun Equipment – Training Systems

This Mechatronics Control System was a custom design for Sierra College in California. Professor Steven Hunter and Professor Michael Halbern initiated a new mechatronics program to challenge students’ problem solving skills and a keen understanding of the system structure and functions as a whole.

Mechatronics Control System – Sun Equipment Corporation

Mechatronics Control System - Sun Equipment Corporation

Electrical Specifications Include

  • Mitsubishi FX 2N-32 MR PLC Controller (Siemens and Allen Bradley PLC’s available)
  • Main Unit I/O control points: 24 inputs/ 16 outputs
  • 8K words memory (extensible to 16K words)
  • RS-232/ or RS-422
  • 16 Input LED Indication lights, 16 Output LED Indication lights
  • 25-pin D-Shaped communication connectors for I/O between PLC and mechanism

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Dr. David G. Alciatore and Michael B. Histand of the Colorado State University in Mechanical Engineering have books and info for Robotics and Mechatronic Students.

Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, 4/e

Mechatronics and Measurement Systems

Video Demonstrations, Laboratory Exercises and MathCAD Examples make the Book practical and very useful.

Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, 4/e

This book provides comprehensive and accessible coverage of the evolving field of mechatronics for mechanical, electrical and aerospace engineering majors. The author presents a concise review of electrical circuits, solid-state devices, digital circuits, and motors- all of which are fundamental to understanding mechatronic systems.

This is a publication of McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Read Also

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The DM163029 or PICDEM Mechatronics demonstration board is an easy-to-use mechatronics development and demonstration platform. Mechatronics refers to implementing intelligent control in a mechanical system.

Mechatronics Demonstration Kit with PIC

The demonstration kit takes a hands-on approach to learning about mechatronics. Jumper wires are provided in the kit which allow the developer to experiment with connecting the PIC microcontroller to various components on the board. These components include sensors, LEDs, human input devices and motor drivers.

Mechatronics Demonstration Kit with PIC

Features Include

  • PIC16F917 MCU with 8 MHz
  • Displays: 8 LEDs and LCD
  • Stepper motor and brushed DC motors
  • Analog temperature sensor
  • 32.768 kHz crystal for time generation
  • Human inputs: 4 tactile switches, 2 potentiometers
  • Optical speed sensor for brushed DC motor
  • ICSP programming capability – MPLAB ICD

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I once knew a dogbert, i will not name him. Yet his words resonated as true again and again. Once when someone asked him .. “Where the highest value can be created, in an engineered product?”. He reveled a profound secret, that is only discussed in whispers in the backrooms of high-tech upstarts. I will attempt to phrase it in a more concise manner.

“When the raw materials transform into an Engineered product, the highest engineering value is both in the manufacturing process machinery and the manufactured product; If and only if, that product has mechanical, electrical, electronic and computing elements in its composition.” – This was Mechatronics?

In essence it appeared to be a CNC machine, but not exactly, CNC too and much more. Robotics is a pinnacle of this collage. Then an Intelligent Embedded Control System with sensors, switches, tachos, drives and motor a part of Mechatronics. Looks like control engineering, a sub-section of mechatronics too. Control engineering is also an independent science. Can’t leave out Intelligent machinery and Complex Gadgets.

Without chemical, component and materials engineering all the above cannot materialize. They create the inputs and technologies to the systems above.

Finally two examples for Mechatronic Marvels – One the Lone Martian called Rover (like Wall-E) and the Ultra Busy HardDisk HDD in your own Computer.

Mechatronics a Montage of All Engineering

Related Sciences

Systems Engineering – Managing and Integrating a Large Engineered System Solution. Includes Process, Project, Time, Work-flow, Co-ordination and Communication. (Means .. many Crimson Ties and a lot of Meetings ;-)

Mems – Micro, Electronic/Electrical, Mechanical Systems. Start Reading in detail about it, but never skip Lunch. –

  1. Mechatronics Tutorial Information
  2. Mechatronics – National Instruments
  3. Mechatronics Resources
  4. Mechatronic Tips
  5. Mechatronics – Sun Equipment Corporation
  6. Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics
  7. University of Wisconsin – Madison : Mechatronics Lab