Welcome!
Teaching with Robotics
CompSci 96S/Education 96S
North 314
Th 3:05-5:30
Professor: Jeffrey Forbes
http://www.cs.duke.edu/courses/fall07/cps096s
CompSci 96s
1.1
What is a robot?
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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
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Components of a robot system?
CompSci 96s
1.2
Agents and Environments
CompSci 96s
1.3
Uses of robots
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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
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What industries?
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What applications?
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CompSci 96s
1.4
Robocup
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The Goal: By the year 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous
humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer
champion team
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CompSci 96s
1.5
Outreach
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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
CompSci 96s
1.6
Educational Robotics
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Sklar: the use of robotics for learning topics other than
specifically robotics
What basic topics would you expect robotics to teach?
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What skills would you expect students to learn in building
robots?
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Constructionist learning
CompSci 96s
1.7
Why Robotics?
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Robotics is exciting, motivating, and fun!
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Robotics connects students to advanced scientific research and
development
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Students learn by doing
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You need to know a lot of math and science to design, build,
program, and evaluate a robot
Robot Software
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.
RoboCupJunior
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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
CompSci 96s
1.10
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
CompSci 96s
Processor
Input
Control
Memory
arthmetic/
logic
Output
1.11
The RCX
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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
CompSci 96s
1.12
LEGO Mindstorms NXT
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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:
•
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Old light and rotation
Passive
• Touch, sensors for NXT
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Digital
• Ultrasonic
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Motors
 170 RPM
 360 RPM for old motors,
why?
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CompSci 96s
1.13
Build a robot!
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Taskbot
 Extensible
 Geared
 From CMU Robotics
Engineering Teaching
Materials
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What are some of the desired
properties for a robot base?
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What are some building
principles?
CompSci 96s
1.14
Control basics
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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
CompSci 96s
1.15
ROBOLAB
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Pilot Mode
 graphics based
 limited capability
 great for kids?
Inventor Mode
 variables
 conditionals
 loops
 multitasking
Investigator Mode
 Charts & graphs
 Analyze data
CompSci 96s
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
1.16
Inventor
CompSci 96s
1.17
Pilot
CompSci 96s
1.18
Challenges
1.
2.
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?
CompSci 96s
1.19
Line follower
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Design a program that can follow a black line
Questions:
 What sensors would your robot need?
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What simple algorithm could you use?
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How would you calibrate your readings?
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How would you test your robot?
CompSci 96s
1.20