Introduction to Robotics

Textbooks

۩ Introduction to AI Robotics, Robin R. Murphy

MIT Press, 2000
۩ The Robotics Primer, Maja J. Mataric,
MIT Press, 2007
۩ Planning Algorithms, Steven M. LaValle,
Cambridge University Press, 2006
Overview of the Lectures
1.Introduction to (AI) robotics
2. Robotic paradigms and control architectures
3. Path and motion planning
4. Grid and graph based methods
5. Robotic Information Garthering - exploration of unknown environment
6. Randomized sampling-based motion planning Methods
7. Multi-Goal Planning - robotic variants of the TSP
8. Data collection planning - TSP(N), PC-TSP(N), and OP(N)
9. Data collection planning with curvature-constrained vehicles
10. Multi-robot data collection planning
11. Game theory in robotics
12. Game theory in robotics
13. Game theory in robotics
 What is Understood as Robot?

Rossum’s Universal Robots (R.U.R) Industrial robots

Cyberdyne T-800 NS-5 (Sonny)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is probably most typically understand as an intelligent robot

 Artificial Intelligence - Robotics

Agents
• An agent is anything that can be viewed as
perceiving its environment through sensors
and acting upon that environment through
actuators

• The agent function maps from percept histories to actions:

[f: P*  A]

• The agent program runs on the physical architecture to produce f

Agent = Architecture + Program

 Artificial Intelligence - Robotics

Agents
• An agent is anything that can be viewed as
perceiving its environment through sensors
and acting upon that environment through
actuators

Intelligent agent
• is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions
which maximize its chances of success. (Russell & Norvig 2003)
 Robot - Robotics
Robotics:

Robotics is an applied engineering science that has been referred to as a

combination of machine tool technology and computer science.
It includes machine design, production theory, micro electronics,
computer programming & artificial intelligence.
OR
"Robotics" is defined as the science of designing and building Robots
which are suitable for real life application in automated manufacturing
and other non-manufacturing environments.

The branch of technology that deals with the design,

construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as
computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and
information processing is ROBOTICS.
 Robot - Robotics
Robotics:

Robotics is a sub-domain 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 and
computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.
A robot is a unit that implements this interaction with the physical world based on
sensors, actuators, and information processing.
 Robot - Robotics

What is Robot?
Robots are the artificial agents acting in real world environment.

A robot is an autonomous system which exists in the physical world, can

sense its environment, and can act on it to achieve some goals

Objective
Robots are aimed at manipulating the objects by perceiving, picking,
moving, modifying the physical properties of object, destroying it, or to
have an effect thereby freeing manpower from doing repetitive functions
without getting bored, distracted, or exhausted.
Intelligent Robots

 React to the environment – sensing

 Adapt to the current conditions
 Make decision and new goals

 Even though they are autonomous systems, the

behavior is relatively well defined
 Adaptation and ability to solve complex problems
are implemented as algorithms and techniques
of Artificial Intelligence
Stationary vs Mobile Robots
A robot can be static (industrial robot or manipulator) or mobile.

Robots can be categorized into two main groups:

 Stationary robots – defined (limited) working space

 Mobile robots – it can move, and therefore, it is necessary to address the problem of
navigation

Figure 1 Robotic Manipulators Figure 2 mobile robots

Stationary Robots (industrial robot or manipulator)

 Conventional robots needs separated and human

inaccessible working space because of safety
reasons
 Cooperating robots share the working space with
humans
Mobile Robots:

 Regarding the environment: ground, underground, aerial, surface,

and underwater vehicles
 Based on the locomotion: wheeled, tracked, legged, modular
Components of AI Robot
A robot is an autonomous system which exists in the physical
world, can sense its environment, and can act on it to achieve
some goals

 The robot has a physical body in the physical world – embodiment

 The robot has sensors and it can sense/perceive its environment
 A robot has effectors and actuators – it can act in the environment
 A robot has controller which allows it to be autonomous
 The physical body– embodiment

 The robot body allows the robot to act in the physical world.
E.g., to go, to move objects, etc.

 Software agent is not a robot

 Embodied robot is under the same physical laws as other objects

• It must use actuators to move
• It needs energy
• It takes some time to speed up and slow down
 The physical body– embodiment
 Sensing / Perception

 Sensors are devices that enable a robot to perceive its physical

environment to get information about itself and its surroundings

 Sensing allows the robot to know its state

State can be fully observable, partially observable, or unobservable
State can be discrete (e.g., on/off, up/down, colors) or continuous (velocity)
 State space consists of all possible states in which the system can be
(space refers to all possible values)

 External state – the state of the world as the robot can sense it
 Internal state – the state of the robot as the robot can perceive it.
Sensing / Perception

 Sensors are devices that enable a robot to perceive its physical

environment to get information about itself and its surroundings

Temperature Object
Light Sensor Force Sensor Sound Sensor Sensors
Sensor
 Effectors and Actuators - Action
 Effector – any device on a robot that has an effect on the environment.
 Effectors enable a robot to take an action. They use underlying mechanism such as
muscles and motors called actuators

 Actuator – a mechanisms that allows the effector to execute an action or

movement, e.g., motors, pneumatics, chemically reactive materials, etc.

 Effectors and actuators provide two main types of activities

 Locomotion – refers how the robot body moves from one location to another location
Mobile robotics – robots that move around
 Locomotion mechanisms – wheels, legs, modular robots, but also propellers etc.

 Manipulation – handling objects

Robotic arms
Controller

• Controller : The controller receives data from the computer, controls the
motions of the actuator and coordinates these motions with the sensory
feedback information.

Controller Integrated Circuit

 Components of AI Robot

Robots are constructed with the following :

● Power Supply − The robots are powered by batteries, solar power, hydraulic, or pneumatic
power sources.
● Actuators − They convert energy into movement.
● Electric motors (AC/DC) − They are required for rotational movement.
● Pneumatic Air Muscles − They contract almost 40% when air is sucked in them.
● Muscle Wires − They contract by 5% when electric current is passed through them.
● Piezo Motors and Ultrasonic Motors − Best for industrial robots.
● Sensors − They provide knowledge of real time information on the task environment.
Robots are equipped with vision sensors to be to compute the depth in the environment. A
tactile sensor imitates the mechanical properties of touch receptors of human fingertips.
Characteristics of Robots
A robot has these essential characteristics:
Sensing: First of all your robot would have to be able to sense its surroundings. It would do this in
ways that are similar to the way we sense our surroundings. Some of the numerous robotic sensors
include: light sensors (eyes), touch and pressure sensors (hands), chemical sensors (nose), hearing and
sonar sensors (ears), and taste sensors (tongue) will give your robot awareness of its environment.

Movement: A robot needs to be able to move around its environment. Whether rolling on wheels,
walking on legs or propelling by thrusters a robot needs to be able to move. To be counted as a robot,
either the whole robot moves or like the Sojourner or just parts of the robot moves, like the Canada Arm.
Energy: A robot needs to be able to power itself. A robot might be solar powered, electrically
powered, battery powered. The way your robot gets its energy will depend on what your robot needs to do.

Intelligence: A robot needs some kind of "smarts." This is where programming enters the pictures. A
programmer is the person who gives the robot its 'smarts.' The robot needs to have some way to receive the
program so that it knows what it is to do. Why learn the basics of programming using robots instead of more
traditional method? For the last 50 years, mainstream computer science has centered on the
manipulation of abstract digital information.
General Applications Of Robots
Robots Are Applicable In The Following Areas:
 Machine loading
 Pick and place operations
 Welding Painting
 Sampling: Assembly operation
 Multi-Manufacturing
 Surveillance
 Medical arena: (helping the elderly and Disables, hospital delivery, surgical robots)
 Hazardous environments
 Exploration (planetary, undersea, polar)
 Search and rescue (earthquake rescue; demining)
 Mining and heavy transport; container handling
 Military (unmanned aircraft and submarines, insect robots)
 Domestic (Vacuum cleaning, lawn mowing, laundry, clearing the table, etc.).
 Transport (Autonomous cars).
 Entertainment (Sony AIBO, QRIO, Lego Mindstorms, Robocup competition, many others)
HISTORY OF ROBOTICS
Robotics Timeline
• 1922 Czech author Karel Capek wrote a story called Rossum’s
Universal Robots and introduced the word
“Rabota”(meaning worker)
• 1954 George Devol developed the first programmable Robot.
• 1955 Denavit and Hartenberg developed the homogenous
transformation matrices
• 1962 Unimation was formed, first industrial Robots
appeared.
• 1973 Cincinnati Milacron introduced the T3 model robot,
which became very popular in industry.
• 1990 Cincinnati Milacron was acquired by ABB
In 1495, the multiple genius and polymath Leonardo da Vinci designed what was
probably the first human-like machine. His Mechanical Knight was able to sit and
stand Other functions: lifting the visor and full movement of the arms. The movements
were carried out with a complex system of pulleys and cables.

‫ صمم ليوناردو دافنشي العبقري متعدد الثقافات ما كان على األرجح‬،1495 ‫في عام‬
‫قادرا على الجلوس والوقوف وظائف‬ ً ‫كان فارسه الميكانيكي‬. ‫أول آلة تشبه اإلنسان‬
‫تم تنفيذ الحركات بنظام معقد من‬. ‫رفع الحاجب والحركة الكاملة للذراعين‬: ‫أخرى‬
. ‫البكرات والكابالت‬
 v
• Capek 1921: R.U.R.
The word robot was first used in the English language in the 1920
science fiction play R.U.R. by Czech author Karel Čapek. It was
first performed on January 25, 1921. In the internationally
successful play, autonomously thinking machines are the spitting
image of humans. When they develop a consciousness, the robots
rebel against their role as slaves which leads to the extinction of the
human race. A touch of Terminator on the stage.

1920 ‫تم استخدام كلمة روبوت ألول مرة في اللغة اإلنجليزية في مسرحية الخيال العلمي عام‬
‫في المسرحية‬1921. ‫يناير‬25 ‫تم عرضه ألول مرة في‬Karel Čapek. ‫الكاتب التشيكي‬R.U.R.
‫ تتمرد‬، ‫عندما يطورون وعيًا‬. ‫ تمثل آالت التفكير المستقل صورة البصق للبشر‬، ‫الناجحة دوليًا‬
. ‫الروبوتات على دورهم كعبيد مما يؤدي إلى انقراض الجنس البشري‬

www.fradulent.org/rur.htm
32
In November 2017, the Munich-based start up Franka Emika received the 2017 German Future Prize from
the German President for its development of inexpensive, flexible, intuitively operated robots. The
lightweight robots can be used in industrial applications and in healthcare. This is possible due to the torque
sensors installed in the joints that respond to human touch. Another special feature of this robot is the price,
which is well below the market average and, consequently, makes highly efficient, ultramodern robots
appealing and affordable even for small and medium-sized companies.

‫من الرئيس األلماني‬2017 ‫ومقرها ميونيخ على جائزة المستقبل األلمانية لعام‬Franka Emika ‫ حصلت الشركة الناشئة‬،2017 ‫في نوفمبر‬
‫يمكن استخدام الروبوتات خفيفة الوزن في التطبيقات الصناعية والرعاية‬. ‫لتطويرها للروبوتات الرخيصة والمرنة والتي تعمل بشكل حدسي‬
‫ميزة أخرى خاصة لهذا الروبوت هي‬. ‫هذا ممكن بسبب مستشعرات عزم الدوران المثبتة في المفاصل التي تستجيب لللمسة البشرية‬. ‫الصحية‬
‫ وبالتالي يجعل الروبوتات عالية الكفاءة والحديثة جذابة وبأسعار معقولة حتى بالنسبة للشركات‬، ‫ وهو أقل بكثير من متوسط السوق‬، ‫السعر‬
.‫الصغيرة والمتوسطة الحجم‬
Advantages
1. Robots increase productivity, safety, efficiency, quality, and consistency of products.
2. Robots can work in hazardous environments.
3. Robots need no environmental comfort.
4. Robots work continuously without experiencing fatigue of problem.
5. Robots have repeatable precision at all times.
6. Robots can be much more accurate than human.
7. Robots can process multiple stimuli or tasks simultaneously.

Disadvantages
1. Robots replace human workers creating economic problems.
2. Robots lack capability to respond in emergencies
3. Robots, although superior in certain senses, have limited capabilities in Degree of freedom,
Dexterity, Sensors, Vision system real time response system, real time response.
4. Robots are costly, due to Initial cost of equipment, Installation costs, Need for Peripherals, Need
for training, Need for programming.
Difference in Robot System and Other AI Program

AI Programs Robots

They usually operate in They operate in real physical

computer-stimulated worlds. world

The input to an AI program is in Inputs to robots is analog signal

symbols and rules. in the form of speech waveform
or images

They need general purpose They need special hardware

computers to operate on. with sensors and effectors.