|
Robotics
by
Dr. Rob van der Bijl, Amsterdam, Netherlands
In May 2008 Rob
van der Bijl (RVDB) launched the ROBBY Project which serves as the prologue
of a 10year investigation into the use of robotics (2008-2018). Welcome
at the Robotics-page of RVDB.
For our latest issue
'Standbeest' click here...
Aim of RVDB's Robotics
Project is an investigation into the use of robots in the built environment,
particularly within an urban context. This investigation represents
primarily a non-applied research for the sake of intellectual exercise
and fun. It's not funded or whatever and we don't have to serve a client.
It overlaps substantially with another joyful activity, that is our
Maze project. See this link…
Top
 
Background
The Robotics Project is rooted in our previous research to knowledge
based systems (1988-1998) that was partially funded by the Dutch Foundation
for Applied Technical Science (STW). This research project was finalized
as a PhD in June 1998 (University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands).
See this link…
RVDB applied knowledge based principles in several assignments and related
projects (1998-2008). Predore - Precedent Documentation & Registration
- represents a major enterprise in this field. See this link…
Our early references (1):
David Levy;
Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships.
HarperCollins Publishers, 2007.
Or the PhD-version:
Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners. Maastricht University
(Netherlands), October 2007.
Our early references (2):
Peter Menzel & Faith D'Aluisio; Robo Sapiens: Evolution of a New
Species.
MIT Press, 2000.
Top
Overview
Below our views, news and links.
Strandbeest
model on Orange Beach - photo by Rob van der Bijl, October 9, 2011.
Summer 2011 we encountered
Theo Jansen and his 'Strandbeests' at the beach of The Hague (Netherlands).
Theo is a Dutch artist who builds a kind of wind propelled robots that
he calls "a new form of live". We tested a miniature
version of 'Animaris Ordis Parvus' on Orange Beach at our Robotics Lab.
Watch our video here...
And surf to the site of Theo Jansen, strandbeest.com...
AIBO at Robosquare, Fukuoka, Japan - photo by Rob van
der Bijl, April 16, 2010.
AIBO, the robotic pet of Sony. Unfortunately production ceased in 2006.
Still we do love the mass-marketed AIBO. See our little movie 'Aibo
Dancing' (draft version!) made at Robosquare here...
PARO at Robosquare, Fukuoka, Japan - photos by Rob van
der Bijl, April 16, 2010.
PARO is a Mental Commitment Robot, shaped as a seal. Unlike industrial
robots, "Mental Commitment Robots" are developed to interact
with human beings and to make them feel emotional attached to the robots.
These robots trigger more subjective considerations, evoking mental
impressions such as 'cuteness'. Link here...
Footage from PARO promotion video at Robosquare, Fukuoka,
Japan - compillation by Rob van der Bijl, April 16, 2010.
PARO (part 2) - Mixed
feelings certainly. The video proves more or less the effectiveness
of PARO, but we're still not sure if this "Mental Commitment Robot"
represents the ultimate solution. The human-machine relation is perhaps
too artificial or at least very mechanical and poor. Discussion here…
TWENDY-ONE is another 'human symbiotic robot' that can support human
daily activities, particularly the (non-)activities of old people This
robot has been developed by the Waseda University in Tokyo. Link here...
Our third example
of a human-oriented robot is PaPeRo ('Partner-type-Personal-Robot')
that has been researched and developed with the intention to function
as a partner for human beings. PaPeRo is able to live together with
people. For this reason, it has various basic functions for the purpose
of interacting with them. Link here...
"Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the
21st Century" (Penguin, 2009) is a book of Peter Singer, who
is an American political scientist, well known for his knowledge on
military affairs. Particularly we like Peter's presentation "Military
robots and the future of war".
What happens when science fiction becomes battlefield reality?
An amazing revolution is taking place on the battlefield, starting to
change not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics,
laws, and ethics that surround war itself. This upheaval is already
afoot -- remote-controlled drones take out terrorists in Afghanistan,
while the number of unmanned systems on the ground in Iraq has gone
from zero to 12,000 over the last five years. But it is only the start.
Military officers quietly acknowledge that new prototypes will soon
make human fighter pilots obsolete, while the Pentagon researches tiny
robots the size of flies to carry out reconnaissance work now handled
by elite Special Forces troops.
See the presentation "Military robots and the future of war"
at YouTube here…
We also like our other toy bots, particularly 'Robby Robot Face'. Is
this robot a man or a machine? Dome Head Robby Robot is a reproduction
of the famous Japanese original (like our Robby we used in the experiments
presented below; see here...). With his cute human
face and sparking neck he appears to be having a good day on an alien
planet. We love to wind him up and then like watching his sparkling
lights and sounds as he moves his feet and walks ahead. He has an on/off
switch at his red and yellow front panel. His two brothers Cone Head
and Dome Head share the same body and silver wrench-arms. More on this
subject at the Osaka Tin Toy Institute here...
Collection of toy robots at Industrion,
Kerkrade, Netherlands - photo by Rob van der Bijl, February 20, 2009.
There are many collections
around the world. For example the 'Robot Hut'. Link here...
Androidworld.com; A site which is devoted to 'androids', or 'humanoids',
thus robots that look like humans. Link here...
Robotcity.org - The mission of Robot City is to move Robots from laboratory
to life. To do so, people work on robots and robots work for people
at a facility with expansive land and diverse outdoor enterprise...but
without the contrivances and limitations of laboratories and research
centers that characterized the early decades of robot development. Link
here...
The Center for
Robotics and Intelligent Machines (RIM@Georgia Tech) is helping define
the new face of computing through a unique emphasis on education and
research in robotics. Basic and applied research is at the heart of
RIM@Georgia Tech. Link here...
Particularly we
like their 'Mobile Robot Lab' (MRL). Link here...
Robothespian™
at Industrion, Kerkrade, Netherlands - photo by Rob van der Bijl, February
20, 2009.
RoboThespian™ is a life-sized humanoid exhibition exhibit, a robot
actor whose primary function is theatrical performance. RoboThespian™
was created to educate, communicate, interact and entertain.
Link here...
Academics Robotics Platform
Dr. Seth Quartey (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Purdue University,
West Lafayette & Universität
Hamburg) told us about his Academics Robotics Platform specially designed
for universities to display their robotics videos and photos to the
industry and public. Displaying your projects at this platform is free
of charge. You’ll find here robotics projects from top universities
such as MIT, CMU, Oxford, ANU, Essex, Reading, Cambridge, and many German,
Canadian and Asian Universities.
Thanks Seth for your link here...
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, from
her album Homogenic. The video is a nice example of entertainment which
alludes to the existence of human like robots - robot ladies actually
as the video at YouTube proves here...
Our encounter with the Kärcher RC 3000
Rob van der Bijl, Amsterdam, July 2009.
The 'Kärcher RC3000' RoboCleaner is one of our favourite robots,
because it's a mature and superb product. The RC3000 cleans completely
autonomously all standard domestic floor coverings. Side protectors
prevent the robot getting stuck under furniture, whilst special sensors
reliably prevent the RC3000 from falling down stairs. The Base Station
not only re-charges the robot, but also empties the dirt container.
As soon as the battery starts running low, or the dirt container is
full, the RC3000 returns automatically to the Base Station. July 2009
we made a full and successful inspection of RC3000.
The Roomba on duty at RVDB's temporary lab - photos by
Rob van der Bijl, Amsterdam, March 2011.
March 2011 we bought the Roomba, an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner
sold by iRobot (329 euro) in stead of the Kärcher RC3000 (1200-1500
euro). According Wikipedia the Roomba under normal operational conditions
is able to navigate a living space and its obstacles while vacuuming
the floor. The Roomba Robocleaner was introduced in 2002; as of January
2008, iRobot claims that over 2.5 million units have been sold. Several
updates and new models have since been released that allow the Roomba
to better negotiate obstacles and optimize cleaning. In 2010, Roomba
sales went global, and in February 2011, iRobot CEO stated "We
have sold more than 6 million home robots worldwide."
Top
Urban Pathfinder
After the ROBBY Project (2008-2009; see here...)
RVDB started a new, more elaborate project that has been labeled as
'Urban Pathfinder'. It's ongoing and we aren't able to draw any conclusions
yet. Aim of the project is twofold. Firstly, the construction of an
experimental robot who is able to find its way within an artificial
environment. Secondly, the analysis of series of pathfinding experiments
and tests. As the project progresses we will consider construction of
new robots and adaptation of exiting ones.
October 2008 we
decided to use our 'Park' design (RVDB, Delft, Netherlands, 1987-1988)
as a first artificial environment. This decision implies severe limitions
regarding size and dimensions of the planned RUP (Robot Urban Pathfinder).
Top
ROBBY
In May 2008 RVDB launched the ROBBY Project which serves as the prologue
of a 10year investigation into the use of robotics (2008-2018).
ROBBY's Data - Weight: 0,325 kilo - Length: 214 mm - Average
diameter of torso: 70 mm - Applied materials: metals and plastics -
Propulsion: 3 volt electric motor - Average speed: 51 cm/sec
ROBBY is the name of a Japanese designed toy-bot. Our replica vintage
model (bought at FAO Schwarz, 5th Avenue New York) is in exact scale
to the original Piston Action Robot produced in the 1950's by Nomura
in Japan. A wired remote control enables the robot to walk with bouncing
lighted pistons behind its dome. RVDB subjected the robot to several
experiments and loved the human form analogy which clearly resembles
a still existing believe that real robots should behave and look like
human beings. Though this isn't necessarily true, the idea that a robot
should incorporate human characteristics is still widespread and in
Japan the ground of a very successful robot industry and practice.
'Burned
by the Sun'
was our very first experiment, exposing ROBBY to natural sunlight. Due
to this light the robot's forms and articulations were brightly visualized.
We still love this experiment that offered us fun and moreover the insight
that the human form analogy is powerful and expressive.
'Encountering Ricky' confronted ROBBY with
an animal. This second experiment briefly addressed the robot-animal
relation, as ROBBY was situated as close as possible to our cat Ricky
(the brother of our other cat Rocky). Ricky didn't seem to have any
problem with the robot. After having activated ROBBY the cat showed
no emotion and the cat turned its head while ROBBY was waiting.
In our third experiment 'Reflected & Rayed'
ROBBY was placed in a microwave oven. First we studied the interior's
reflections while ROBBY was being rotated. Then we decided not to switch
on the microwave utility as we feared that ROBBY would be rayed and
roasted. Sometimes an experiment has to be halted at a premature moment.
Non-applied technical science isn't always easy.
ROBBY's bouncing lighted pistons represent obvious dynamic characteristics
of the robot. In 'Exploring Dungeons',
our fourth experiment ROBBY was walking in the dark, while we were closely
monitoring the visual patterns of the moving lights in its dome. We
didn't analysed the pattern of ROBBY's beaming light, however we feel
that our monitoring activities exposed a basic feature of toy-bots like
ROBBY, that is its shining and attractive appearance due to the interaction
of the light facility and the robot's metal skin.
Then the fifth and
final experiment 'Walking Ways' that was
subjected to measurements and analysis of ROBBY's basic quality, namely
the ability to walk. A set of small wheels in the bottom side of each
of ROBBY's feet allows the robot to walk. When the rotation of the axe
within the on board electric motor is mechanically transferred to the
'joints' of both legs it really happens. Yes! ROBBY is walking. As his
legs are moving forwards and backwards the wheels in both feeds start
rolling and ROBBY is walking, and not riding as sometimes has been suggested.
The walking capabilities are primarily linked to the movement of the
propulsed legs and not the wheels as such.
We let ROBBY walking freely while marking his path. The considered route
measured 68 centimetres. Allowed walking time was established at 80
seconds. These data allowed us to calculate the average speed of ROBBY:
0,51 meter per minute.
However, the main subject of this experiment was the analysis of ROBBY's
path pattern. The manually added white bullets along ROBBY's path marked
16 segments. The sequence of virtual line segments visualised a basic
feature of the way ROBBY walks. Not in a straight line! After several
repeats of the experiment we were able to draw a conclusion: each of
ROBBY's trips is more or less characterized by a similar pattern. ROBBY's
way isn't straight, though predictable.
Original of the Piston Action Robot (ROBBY) at a shop
in Nakano (Tokyo, Japan) - photo by Rob van der Bijl, April 4, 2009.
Epiloque
- in Broadway, the famous mall of Nakano (Tokyo) we spotted an original
of ROBBY (April, 2009). Built in 1950 and now for sale for 150.000 yen.
ROBBY was and still is a special robot indeed!
Top
Email us
here...
Back to
main page of RVDB...
(C)
Rob van der Bijl (RVDB's
Robotics Lab), Amsterdam NETHERLANDS, May 2008 - October 2011
|