Robotics (hobby)

A robot is a type of machine that can complete tasks automatically. Some robots function as automatons, completing a variety of tasks with no direct guidance after their initial programming. Other robots require continued guidance from a human operator via remote control or some other form of manipulation.

The study of robotics can be traced to ancient Greek culture. Sometime between 420 BCE and 300 BCE, the Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum designed a steam-powered wooden bird that spun on its own, suspended by a string. Some historians have pointed to this invention as the first robot on record. In the first century CE, Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria wrote two books, Pneumatica and Automata, in which he described the design of hundreds of autonomous machines.

The European Renaissance period led to major developments in the concept of robotics. Visionary inventor Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) produced designs for a humanoid robot that greatly influenced later generations. The next major leap forward came with the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. Over the following century, robotics transitioned from a futuristic theory to a modern reality.

The word "robot" was coined in 1920 by Czech playwright Karel Čapek in his satire Rossum's Universal Robots. Čapek derived the term from the Czech word for "manual labor," and the play focused on a group of automatons that rebel against humanity when they are given emotions. In the 1950s, the term "artificial intelligence" was coined to describe the mirroring of intelligent processes in engineered machines.

Carnegie Mellon University established the first US center for the study of robotics in 1979, initiating a new age in robotics research. During the 1980s, the field gave rise to practical developments, and robotics found its way into manufacturing. By the 1990s, robots were regularly used by automobile and equipment manufacturing plants and in a variety of other industrial capacities.

During the 1980s and 1990s, advancements in computer technology were gradually integrated into robotics, and laboratories began manufacturing robots capable of autonomous exploration and scientific measurement. In 1996, NASA used the first robotic probe, the Mars Pathfinder, to conduct autonomous scientific analyses of the Martian surface.

It was also during the 1990s that recreational robotics gained popularity in the United States. In 1992, Marc Thorpe (a designer at LucasToys, a division of Lucasfilm) had the idea to create a platform for engineers and hobbyists to design robots for use in competitive contests. Thorpe's company, Robot Wars, gave rise to a television program of the same name, which led to a variety of imitations over the next decade and inspired thousands of amateur hobbyists around the world.

By the twenty-first century, advances in technology and drastic reductions in the cost of electronic components contributed to the popularity of recreational robotics. Toy and game manufacturers began producing small, homebuilt robotics kits that allow young people and amateurs to construct simple robots. Robots in the early twenty-first century began to approach the humanoid machines envisioned in the work of authors like Čapek and Arthur C. Clarke and of filmmakers like George Lucas.

Techniques

Robots differ according to their function and to the methods by an operator to control the robot. For instance, autonomous robots can complete tasks on their own without continued human input after they receive initial programming. By contrast, other robots are controlled by remote, receiving signals from the operator and performing actions based on the signals received. Robots can receive signals through a variety of input modes, including electrical signals delivered through wires, infrared signals, radio control signals, or wireless internet transmissions.

In addition, different kinds of robots are designed for different functions. For instance, domestic or household robots are designed to perform household tasks. Vacuum-cleaning robots, such as the Roomba, have been commercially available since the 1990s and are among the most common and popular varieties of household robots.

Another popular type of robot is the hobby robot, often used in competitive robotics contests. Private and academic organizations hold annual or semiannual robot competitions featuring robots designed for a variety of tasks. Competition robots may be designed to damage one another, as in the television program Robot Wars, while other competitions feature robots designed to compete in less destructive activities, such as navigation, flight, walking, handling objects, jumping, or gathering sensory information. The hobbyist robotics industry is closely linked to recreational robotics; most of the robotics kits available to hobbyists and amateurs feature robots designed to perform one or more basic tasks (such as walking, swimming, flying, or leaping) and often couple these activities with a method used to control the robot via a control mechanism or computer.

Trends

One of the major modern trends in robotics is the design of self-driving vehicles and vehicle-steering systems. In 2001, Google and Toyota debuted and tested a self-driving Toyota Prius in California, and a number of automobile manufacturers are working on self-driving vehicle designs, both in the United States and in Europe. Though specialists believe that self-driving vehicles will not become commercially available for some time, the development of self-driving technology has been a major trend in robotics manufacturing. One of the biggest challenges in producing self-driving vehicles has proven to be developing software capable of anticipating the behavior of other drivers and pedestrians. Elon Musk and his company Tesla have been the most confident in promising to deliver autonomous vehicles to the public.

Another major trend in robotics is three-dimensional sensing and control technology. Such systems have been implemented commercially in game systems such as the Xbox 360 Kinect and the PlayStation Move. Robotics manufacturers are working on refining and furthering technology for sensing three-dimensional movement and for translating this sensor input into computer-animated motions. In theory, such control devices could be used for scientific, medical, and other applications when the technology has been sufficiently developed.

Robotics for Fun vs. Profit

Recreational robotics has become a popular leisure activity, but most robotics research and design is conducted in academic and professional engineering organizations. Hobbyist robotics engineers can turn their recreation into a business by constructing and selling completed robots for recreation. In the robot combat community, some individuals purchase completed robots, robot kits, or parts for competitive robots from companies or independent makers.

To pursue a career in robotics, hobbyists are advised to pursue education in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer engineering. A number of universities offer courses and course programs focused on robotics design, manufacture, and production. Modern robots are used for scientific investigation, industrial manufacturing, and even household activities. Individuals involved in the manufacture or design of robots have the opportunity to profit from their expertise by designing and marketing robots for either industrial or domestic use.

Learning More

Organizations  

Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) <http://www.aaai.org>

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society <http://www.ieee-ras.org>

Institution for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE) <http://www.roboteducation.org>

International Society of Automation (ISA) <http://www.isa.org>

Books  

Angelo, Joseph A. Robotics: A Reference Guide to the New Technology. Greenwood, 2007.

Cook, David. Intermediate Robot Building. 2nd ed., Springer, 2010.

Cook, David. Robot Building for Beginners. 2nd ed., Springer, 2009.

Druin, Allison, and James Hendler, editors. Robots for Kids: Exploring New Technologies for Learning. Academic, 2000.

Lin, Patrick, et al., editors. Robot Ethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Robotics. MIT P, 2012.

McComb, Gordon. Arduino Robot Bonanza. McGraw, 2012.

McComb, Gordon. Robot Builder's Bonanza. McGraw, 2001.

Magazines  

SERVO Magazine

Robot