Robotics - a WebQuest for middle school.

1. WebQuest
MS207

2. Definition of Robotics
• Robotics is the “interdisciplinary branch of
engineering and science that includes
mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering, computer science, and others.
• Robotics deals with the design, construction,
operation, and use of robots, as well as
computer systems for their control, sensory
feedback, and information processing”.
• -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotics

3. Leonardo da Vinci
• Leonardo's robot (or
Leonardo's mechanical
knight) was a humanoid
automaton designed and
possibly constructed by
Leonardo da Vinci around
the year 1495. The robot
knight could stand, sit, raise
its visor and independently
maneuver its arms, and had
an anatomically correct jaw.
The entire robotic system
was operated by a series of
pulleys and cables.
• Model of Leonardo’s robot
with inner workings.

4. Etymology of the word “Robot”
• The word robotics was derived
from the word robot, which
was introduced to the public
by Czech writer Karel Čapek in
his play R.U.R. (Rossum's
Universal Robots) which was
published in 1920. The word
robot comes from the Slavic
word robota, which means
labour. The play begins in a
factory that makes artificial
people called robots, creatures
who can be mistaken for
humans – very similar to the
modern ideas of androids..
• A scene from the play R.U.R.
showing 3 robots.

5. The Engineering Design Process
• The engineering design
process is a series of
steps that engineers
follow to come up with a
solution to a problem.
• The steps of the
engineering design
process are to:
• Define the Problem
• Do Background Research
• Specify Requirements
• Brainstorm Solutions
• Choose the Best Solution
• Do Development Work
• Build a Prototype
• Test and Redesign

6. What is the Robotic Design Process?
• Define the Problem
• Researching & Design
• Creating a Prototype
• Building your Robot
• Programming & Testing
your Robot
• Evaluating your Robot
• http://www.galileo.org/
robotics/design.html

7. What does “autonomous” mean?
• Autonomous robots can act on
their own, independent of any
controller. The basic idea is to
program the robot to respond a
certain way to outside stimuli.
• The very simple bump-and-go
robot is a good illustration of how
this works.
• This sort of robot has a bumper
sensor to detect obstacles. When
you turn the robot on, it zips
along in a straight line. When it
finally hits an obstacle, the
impact pushes in its bumper
sensor. The robot's programming
tells it to back up, turn to the
right and move forward again, in
response to every bump. In this
way, the robot changes direction
any time it encounters an
obstacle.

8. What is a “sensor”?
• Robotic sensing is a sub area of robotics science intended
to give robots sensing capabilities, so that robots are
more human-like. Robotic sensing mainly gives robots the
ability to see, touch, hear and move and uses algorithms
that require environmental feedback.

9. Get to know your “Edison” V2.0 Robot
• Edison can only store one
program at a time
• Edison’s open source
programming tool is
known as Edware,(similar
to Scratch drag-and-drop
programming language).
• All users can upload
programs to their Edison
via their computer’s
headphone jack and a
cable that ships with the
robots.
• Edison is a palm-sized,
bright orange,
programmable robot
compatible with Lego
bricks that is intended as
an affordable
introduction to
programming and
robotics.

10. Get to know your “Edison” V2.0 Robot
Part II
• Each Edison Robot costs
$49.00
• Takes 4-”AAA” batteries
• You will use the same
Edison each class.
• Edison can also be
programmed using
Python programming
language.
• Edison has 2 IR LED’s
(front left and right)
• Edison has a sound
sensor.

11. What is “Infrared Light”?
• The Edison robot is
equipped with (IR)
Infrared “vision”. IR
light is not visible to the
human eye, so you can’t
“see” this light – it
allows Edison to “see”
in the dark.
• Infrared radiation, or
simply infrared or IR, is
electromagnetic
radiation (EMR) with
longer wavelengths
than those of visible
light, and is therefore
invisible, although it is
sometimes loosely
called infrared light.

12. What is a “LED”?
• A light-emitting diode
(LED) is a light source.
• Short for light-emitting
diode. An electronic
semiconductor device
that emits light when an
electric current passes
through it. LEDs are used
for indicator lights, and
are extremely common in
electronic equipment.

13. EdWare “Drop & Drag” Programming

14. EdPy “Python” Programming

15. The 1st College to offer a PhD in
Robotics?
• Carnegie Mellon University
• https://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri_static_content.html?menu_id=321

16. Top 5 Robotics Programs in the U.S.
• MIT
• Stanford
• CMU
• Berkley
• USC
• Georgia Tech

17. Robotics Today
• The 50 more innovative
Robotics companies in
the world today – for
the complete list visit –
• https://www.roboticsbu
sinessreview.com/comp
anies/?companyType=r
br_50

18. What is RoboCup?
RoboCup is a research initiative founded in
1997 by an international group of scientists
interested in defining a common problem that
could be addressed by researchers in robotics,
engineering, and artificial intelligence. Most
participants are university and industry
research labs. RoboCupJunior (RCJ) was
founded in 2000, with a focus on education.
The RCJ Rescue challenge was piloted in 2001
and adapted in 2003. RCJ is open to students
up to age 19. There are two divisions: primary,
which is up to age 14, and secondary, which is
age 14 to 19.
The final robot project will be based on
the RoboCupJunior program. Students
will build and program a robot that
dances.