Roboweek Day Two - Technological Overkill

I’m not sure if you’re subscribed to Robot Magazine (if you’re not, you should be), but if so then you’ll recognize our second Roboweek #robotofnote - DARwIn OP. The OP in this little humanoids name stands for Open Platform, meaning everything about him is available to the public. The code, the parts, and even instructions on how to make one yourself. So if you have tens of thousands of dollars of machinery, you can make a lil’Darwin yourself...Although I doubt most people have the tools/materials to do so.

What makes Darwin so amazing though is the amount of technology packed into such a little bot. He has multiple speakers, mics, an HD camera, built in wi-fi, a mini SD card slot, a 3 axis accelerometer, an ethernet port, 2 USB ports, HDMI out, and many more ridiculous features (I think that list is sufficiently jaw-dropping). The only thing that Darwin is missing are lasers - but I think everything currently crammed in there is sufficient for a little humanoid that stands just under a foot and a half tall. Darwin was made at Virginia Tech, and according to the video below, the project started in 2004, and has had many versions until their success (maybe my school should start something soon, so that by the time i graduate I’ll have a cool little robot to play with). To find out more information about Darwin-OP click HERE.

Which robot is better? DARwIn-OP or NAO?less than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyTaylor Niver
RoboTechEd

Are you celebrating #roboweek? What are you doing to celebrate? A good idea would be to download the RoboTechEd Chrome App! Check it out, and tweet @roboteched or @roboweek with any #robotofnote!

Dorm Room Automation 01 w/ Arduino

So my year is almost over, and I have some overly ambitious goals for next year. My future room mates and I want to automate our dorm room (Yeah, that IS my college life). And with my new Arduino and Ethernet shield, I definitely have the materials. And after a few late nights, I now have a working code.

In the video below you see me display a message, and change a RGB LED. I used an LED instead of a motor because I only have one motor, and my Arduino doesn't give out enough power to run it. But the code is the same, you just hook up the LED output to a transistor or even directly to a motor (if you need to change the code, feel free to ask for help). The hookup is pretty simple, and is typed out in the code itself - but could change depending on what LCD screen you have, so yet again feel free to ask for help (tweet me @roboteched or post below).

This part of the code in my final room automation will take place every 30 seconds, so that other code can be executed in-between (like temperature, light switch controls, etc). To do this I use the Time library on Arduinos website. My next goal is to control the LCD using a ShiftOut IC. If you have any ideas, or know how to do this, let me know and I’ll reference you! Check back sometime within the next week for an update on my next project.

CODE DOWNLOAD

Robotic Gripper: Replacing Fingers With Balloons

You wake up every morning and pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, probably ignoring the physics behind what you are actually doing (I don’t blame you, the only thing i think about is going back to bed). Well had you not, you could have had the next million dollar idea that is revolutionizing modern robotics. The main ingredients consist of two things, coffee grounds, and a balloon. 


Cornell University invented the idea as a replacement for robotic hands. The problem with previous robotic hands are that they had to be extremely articulated; something which had proven a challenge when doing tasks that require grace, or precision. The balloon (as seen by the picture) is able to lift objects, as well as carry them with a very high success rate. These robotic balloon hands were able to lift objects as delicate as an egg, or as small and difficult as a coin. “So how does this work” you are asking, “how are coffee grounds, and balloons able to do all of this?” 


Well, the balloon stretches, allowing both the coffee grounds, and air inside. When the balloon is partially inflated, it can stretch around objects (much like when you were a kid, and shoved your face into your balloons because it would form to your face). But when the air is removed, the shape stays, and contours to the object that is being lifted. The coffee grounds act as ‘small gears’ that lock together; so the conformed shape stays. This also creates a vacuum between the object and the ‘hand’ so that there is almost no chance of slippage. Pretty simple idea, no?


So next time you do something simple like, make coffee, or blow up a balloon, think about what it’s actually doing - because who knows what will revolutionize the robotic world next. And I bet whatever it is, it won’t top the weirdness of a humanoid robot with balloon hands (seriously, it’s a pretty creepy thought). 

The Kinect - For Kids and Hackers Alike

Remember when the Wii came out? It was the hottest new tech toy on the block, and was said to revolutionize modern gaming - not so much. But I guess it was a step in the right direction, considering both Microsoft and Sony have followed suit. The new Xbox Kinect is the hottest thing on the market and it has been reported that it sold just over 2 million within the first week (a lot of cash at $150 a pop).

Well this revolutionary camera is redefining casual gaming all together, and has become the new fad for household hackers. When the Kinect came out, one underground hacker had a $1000 reward for the first person to successfully hack it enough to where a computer could control it, and use it as a peripheral.  Within the first 2 days there was a video of someone controlling the Kinect's internal motors through a terminal window. Now there are a seas of free open source 'jailbreaks' online, each unlocking nerd fantasies.

Anything you can imagine can be done with this person tracking camera. From playing Super Mario, to Minecraft. Yes, even Minecraft has been reported; so would it be wrong of me to want it, but just for the sake of computer games? I don’t think so, I think it would be wrong of me NOT to hack it. Seriously...Minecraft.

Robotic Exoskeleton by Sarcos - Real Life Halo?

Ever play a tad too much Halo, and step away from the Xbox wishing you were in one of those Super Suits? Well so has our military, and it’s already in construction. Sarcos, a military funded company, is building a robotic exoskeleton. With the current model, the user is able to do almost anything they can do normally, but with 10 times more strength. Ever wish you could lift 200lbs, for hours, without breaking a sweat? Well you can now (which might not impress the ladies as much, considering you’ll be in a massive metal suit). The suit also allows the user to run for miles, as well as allowing the user to have enough grace to play ball. Sarcos later plans to fully encase their exoskeleton in armor, to give the soldier better protection. But first-they have to find a way to un-teather it; and still allow it to have enough battery for more than a few hours. Once they figure that out they should probably send that info to my laptop manufacturer, because I’m lucky if I can get the battery to last 2 hours.

Vex Robotics

Vex Robotics is a cost-efficient way for any school to experience the excitement of a large robotics competition. Each competition requires teams to use prefabricated “Vex Official” parts, which levels the field for schools with all budgets. Each competition allows an unlimited number of teams; with a pre-made format, making each competition the same and understandable to new-comers. Above all, Vex is easy to learn, but doesn’t have any limitations. It will challenge an experienced student, and allows less experienced students to develop essential problem solving skills. Vex offers a variety of different parts, they especially allow a lot of freedom with equipment like sensors; ranging from digital push sensors, to analog accelerometers. The metals provided are steel and aluminum allowing for many types of design styles, combining strength and flexibility. The programming can be both block based, and written in C-Script, and gives multiple tutorials on how they can be written. Teams can be formed through Robot Events and all competition rules are posted on the Vex Robotics website.