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Chapter 14: Robotics and Automation is Born!
Posted by
jon
on
Friday, March 03, 2006 (EST)
Now, we have an official chapter of the Robotics and Automation Society here in Southeastern Michigan.
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Chapter 14: Robotics and Automation is Born!
By Robert Sealy
In September 2005, I searched the Internet to find a professional organization in the Detroit area involved in robotics and automation technology. I was looking for a group that held regular meetings, sponsored workshops, and encouraged engineers both inside and outside the industry to test their ideas against others. Unfortunately, my search failed, and I was both disappointed and frustrated.
As a result, I decided to start such a group myself. Since I already belonged to the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, the answer was obvious–start a new chapter of IEEE SEM. I enlisted a few colleagues, gathered the necessary signatures, and filed all the necessary paperwork. Now, we have an official chapter of the Robotics and Automation Society here in Southeastern Michigan.
So far, there has been a great amount of interest in our chapter, and I believe that our chapter will meet the needs of our members and interest will grow over the years to come. Robotics is a technology that can not only help our current auto industry to succeed, but help Michigan hold its own in the new global economy. ABB, Fanuc and Kuka are only a small sampling of the robotics companies currently in Southeastern Michigan. We hope to tap into that font of engineering expertise to make our chapter's activities both interesting and challenging.
We are working to set up the following events:
- Visit robotics companies, such as Fanuc and ABB, and get them to demonstrate their latest products.
- Hold workshops and informational meetings on new technologies, such as the daVinci system being used in surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Clinton Township.
- Bring engineering talent together from both industry and academia to design and build prototypes of new systems not yet considered in the industry.
- Create a job bank of qualified, professionals which local businesses can search to find knowledgeable people to hire or consult.
- To become a source of information and opinion on the operation of various robotics and robotic systems. (Become the “JD Power” of the robotics industry)
- Many more!
We think we can make a difference. Not only do we hope to come up with new robotic systems and methods of automation, but we also want to get people excited about innovation and technology. And maybe we'll even get the next generation to dream about becoming engineers as we did when we were kids.
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robots.net
Recent robots.net articles
TGIMBOEJ for DIY Roboticists Launched!
The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronic Junk (aka TGIMBOEJ) has
left the building! As promised in our earlier story on migratory
junk boxes, robots.net has launched one especially for robot
builders. There are now are a dozen or so TGIMBOEJ boxes moving around
the world but ours is the only one designed by and for roboticists. The
first recipients of the box will be Kris and Carly, those
robot-savvy
girls from Iowa who developed an award-winning
iRobot Create robot
painter for the 2007 Austin Maker Faire. They'll get first choice of all
the interesting junk and will adding in some of their own. Who will get
the box next? Maybe you. To be considered as a recipient, you need to
add your name as well as a link to your blog to the TGIMBOEJ wiki box request
page. Please also add a note by your name saying you're requesting
the robots.net box to make it easy for us to find you. We'll be posting
updates as the box reaches new recipients and you can also following
it's progress at the TGIMBOEJ
wiki tracking page. Our box is designated robots.net-box1. (pretty
catchy name, eh?) So, you're probably wonder what useless junk, er, I
mean valuable electronic and robotic components, made the final cut and
got included in the box? Read on for a partial list and more photos.
Biologists Discover Cellular Bang-Bang Controller
A robots.net reader sent us a link to a Princenton
news release describing research by Raj Chakrabarti and others on
cellular proteins that act as
adaptive machines, guiding biological evolution. Our reader notes,
proteins configured as bang-bang controllers steer random mutations
in deterministic directions; robot navigation algorithms as a mechanism
for self-directed evolution. A bang-bang
controller is a simple algorithm that bounces between two extremes
like a household thermostat. This type of control is commonly used in
robotics and, it now appears, is an integrel part of every living cell.
The cellular bang-bang controller guides random mutations in a way that
corrects imbalances, even repairing mutations that disable the
controlling protein chains. This is also fascinating to anyone who
appreciates cybernetics. It's a great example of a cybernetic feedback
loop, much like a centrifugal regulator on a steam engine. This disovery
is likely to make some waves in the field of evolutionary biology as it
suggests a cellular mechanism guiding the way the cell responds to
natural selection. Will it make waves in robotics as well? I doubt it
will make anyone throw out proportional control, but I wonder if we'll
see bang-bang being favored in biomorphic robot designs? You can read
more about this research on Raj
Chakrabarti's home page where you can also find a copy of the full
paper, "Mutagenic
evidence for the optimal control of evolutionary dynamics" (PDF format).
ROOFUS Tackles Snow
Designer Michal Glogowski submits a 220 pound
robotic solution (Yanko Design Link)
to the problem of snow build-up on flat-roofed commercial buildings.
ROOFUS is conceptualized for either remote controlled or autonomous
operation,
and provides blades for collecting snow or breaking up ice.
The frozen payload is stored in a container, then ejected dump-truck
style over the side of the building or into a chute.
In addition to saving untold man-hours of shoveling and tingling
fingers, ROOFUS can be outfitted with grass-mowing blades, street
sweeping attachments, or floor polishing pads.
While it looks like some technical details still need to be worked out,
and a trip to the the safety review department is in order,
ROOFUS could be a common site among Google map viewers
in the not-so-distant future.
Are Robots the Solution to the Economic Crisis?
Traditional wisdom, as championed by Marshall Brain, holds that a
robotics revolution will displace human workers leading to massive global
unemployment. Mobile Robots, Inc. suggests another possibility.
Perhaps focusing on robots could create an employment boom, pulling us
out of the current global economic crisis. In a recent press release
they say, "During the recessionary Eighties, thousands moved into
high-paying new jobs in personal computers, building an industry that
powered two decades of US economic growth. MobileRobots hopes the
autonomous robot industry will behave similarly." To this end,
they've announced a new RoboDeveloper discount
program to get more robots into the hands of more individuals and
companies. They believe this will "lower the barrier of entry into the
robotics industry". Jeanne Dietsch,
CEO of Mobile Robots, notes, "The government’s too busy bailing out
banks and failing corporations to see that they would get far more jobs
for the buck building new industries." Will the upcoming change-over
to the more
tech and science saavy Obama administration make an approach like this
more feasible? Or is Marshall Brain right that robots lead to
unemployment for humans? Read on for the full text of the Mobile Robots
press release.
Random Robot Roundup
I'm back and starting the week with a dump of the editors mailbox. First
up is an unusual Craigslist
personals posting in search of "creative robot chicks"; but
be careful
girls, as you face a battle to the death if you're not of up this
robot's standards (oh, and enjoy the ad while you can; CL ads tends to
vanish pretty quickly). After battling robots in the street, you may
need medical attention. A Reuters
story has just the thing, all the latest in robotic medical
technology. As you recover from your robotic surgery, you can listen to
Waseda
University's latest musical robot play the flute. The Swirling
Brain sent some interesting things our way too, like a story about robotic
sculptures that watch you watching them; and how about a new
office chair that's a really a robot leg with a seat bolted onto
it?; if sitting on a robot doesn't sound like fun, maybe you'd prefer Honda's
new mini-exoskeleton that augments just your legs. We also heard
about a public radio Marketplace
interview with Richard Dooling, author of Rapture for the Geeks.
Engineering News posted a short
article on RoboCup robot soccer. Our friends at Instructables posted
a new DIY
telepresence robot. Over at io9, there's a story on the remake
of Forbidden Planet - and that means we may be seeing Robby the
Robot on the big screen again. Rog-a-matic noticed a
cool NASA photo of the ISS
robot at work. We've also got several from Roland Piquepaille, one
on flying robots
inspired by nature, another on low flying robot
helicopters, and a new story on that 700 ton Caterpillar robot
mining truck that we reported on a while back. Know any other robot
news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please.
Last Refreshed 11/20/2008 10:29:30 PM
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