Exploring the World of Robotics
Welcome to robotics! In this unit, you will embark on an exciting journey into the world of robotics! You will build your robotic arm, learn different control paradigms, and program it to accomplish various challenges. You will get hands-on experience with coding and other cutting-edge technologies as they explore the potential of robotics.
Introduction to Robots
So - let’s start with the basics. Ask yourself a few questions:
- How can you tell if a machine is a robot?
- What do we expect from a robot?
Reflect on these questions. Then watch the video below to help you understand the difference between robots and other kinds of machines.
A robot is different from a remote-controlled machine through its autonomous capabilities and advanced programming. Autonomous means it can make its own decisions. While both robots and remote-controlled machines can perform tasks, a robot possesses the ability to make decisions and carry out actions without constant human direction.
A robot is designed to understand its environment through sensors, process information, and do complex tasks based on its programming.
This autonomy allows robots to adapt to changing situations, learn from experience, interact with their surroundings, and do meaningful things in the physical world. This is more sophisticated than a remote-controlled machine, which relies solely on external human commands for operation.
Bot or Not?
Think about the definition of a robot. With that in mind, take a look at these videos and consider whether or not you would call each of these devices a robot:
Battlebots
Ascender Vacuum
DJI Mavic Drone
Full Self-Driving Tesla
Assessment
Let's take a look at how these devices match up with our criteria for defining a robot:
| BattleBots | Vacuum | Drone | Tesla | |
| Self-Controlled? | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Intelligence? | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Sensors? | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Complex Tasks? | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Bot or Not? | NO | YES | NO | YES |
Some of these devices are very close to something we might consider a robot, yet they do not meet every criteria as they were shown in the videos:
- BattleBots: This video shows several humans controlling the Warhead, which is the point. These machines are technically not robots.
- Ascender Vacuum Cleaner: These machines are robots.
- DJI Mavic Drone: If controlled by human input, drones are not robots. If they fly autonomously, they are robots.
- Tesla: A Tesla in full self-driving mode is a robot. If the human takes control, it is no longer a robot.
What Will You Learn?
Because robots are used in many different fields such as medicine, manufacturing, logistics, and security, these skills can prepare you for many potential careers. These videos will show you just a few examples of fields where robots are important:
Factory Automation
Logistics/Warehouse
Food Preparation
Agriculture
In this Classbox, you will build your robotic arm and program it by using different control methods!
Get ready to unleash your creativity and learn assembly techniques, circuit building, and programming skills along the way.
Below you can see what you will be able to do in this course - these new skills will become clearer as you work through the unit:
- Given a set of materials and instructions, you will be able to assemble a 3DoF (3 Degrees of Freedom) robotic arm that meets the specified design criteria.
- Given a set of increasingly sophisticated control methods, you will be able to apply them to achieve certain challenges.
- Given a set of performance criteria and constraints (the challenges), you will be able to program the robotic arm to operate and accomplish a wide range of tasks.
In addition to learning these new skills, this course will also provide you with opportunities to develop and build other important durable, and technical skills. You can apply these skills in many different careers.
For example:
- Robot Operator
- Robot Programmer
- Installation/Maintenance Technician
- Robotics Engineer
- System Integrator
Below are some of the key skills you will develop from completing this project:
Durable Skills
- Critical Thinking: You can analyze robotic arm performance characteristics in each control paradigm, identify patterns, and use this information to improve the robot’s performance.
- Adaptability: You can adapt to challenges and changes in the project, such as unexpected technical issues or design flaws. You can also adapt to working with different team members and adjust your approach accordingly.
- How to Learn: You can break down large, complex challenges into smaller, more approachable tasks that can be solved one at a time — enabling a solution to the large complex challenge.
Technical Skills
- Mechanical Assembly: You can assemble the linkages and joints in the robot so that it functions well while learning how to successfully apply mechanical tools and fasteners.
- Circuit Building: You can build circuits and use microcontrollers, potentiometers, motors, and other electronics to construct and control the robotic arm.
- Programming: You can enable autonomous actions by programming the robot using the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and a scripting language to create robotic path programs.
- Robotics: You can define the principles of mechatronics and how to integrate different systems to build a functional robotic arm like those used in industry.
In any technical undertaking, there are three questions to consider for all successful implementations:
- What are the correct methods to use in each situation?
- How do you apply the right technique for each method?
- When do you execute the methods?
A more simple way of saying this: You need to know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.
The method for assembling each type of joint has a dedicated technique that makes it quick and easy to put together, but difficult if you don’t know what to do.
You must apply these techniques when instructed and be careful to execute each step of the building process in the correct order - otherwise, you may have to take apart much of what you have already built to assemble a later step.
About the Robotic Arm Classbox!
Let’s open your Betabox Robotic Arm kit! It has everything you need to build an awesome Robotic Arm.
Most parts are acrylic, sometimes called by the brand name Plexiglass.
We also pre-mounted servo motors on several of the components and we included a bag of hardware, with extras, in case you lose any pieces.
Warning!
DO NOT TURN THE PREASSEMBLED SERVOS UNLESS OR UNTIL THE INSTRUCTIONS TELL YOU TO DO SO.
You might break or damage the servos if you turn the parts too far. Leave the parts in the orientations shown in the image below until you are instructed to adjust the part positions.
Your kit also includes electronics to control the robot arm.
You will find an ESP32 microcontroller and breakout board and an AC-to-DC adapter.
Your kit also includes the handy WorkBench Base and Integrated Organizer (IO) from Phase Dock - it will keep all the small parts easy to find and safe while you build the robot arm. Finally, inside this workbench, you will find some tools, a pencil, and some foam blocks that you can use to complete the challenges.