By Brian M. Rafferty
Though they may not have booster jets that pop out of their sides, and some do not even have the ability to tie a shoelace, robots have come a long way since science fiction writer and playwright Karel Capek coined the word in 1920.
Originally a derivative of the Slavik words “robota,” meaning menial labor, and “rabu,” meaning servant, robots have broadened the imaginations of millions. From their humble beginnings as machines designed to replace human labor to the hit television show “Battlebots” that features “killer robots” with rotary saws and flamethrowers that battle each other in an arena, robots have evolved to play as important a role in our future as computers.
A hands-on exhibit at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park opened last week with seven distinct areas of robotics: Introduction to Robots, Sensing, Thinking, Acting, Applications, Children’s Zone, and Robots and Pittsburgh.
Robots and Pittsburgh? Yes, Pittsburgh. The Robotics exhibit is owned by the Carnegie Science Center of Pittsburgh. The Steel City has, for many years now, been at the forefront in robot development.
Besides manufacturing cars, crawling on the surface of Mars and wearing a latex skin as a Disney animatronic, robots have a future that defies imagination.
Small robots that perform a single function, often referred to as ‘bots, are growing in the field of medicine. Microscopic robots that use tiny lasers are being tested on humans for non-invasive surgical cancer treatments. The ‘bots are programmed to work as high-tech white blood cells to track down cancer cells and destroy them.
Another application is the creation of scents within computers. Just as all colors can be broken down to combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, scents can also be easily duplicated by breaking them down into three or four basic aromas. Controlled by a microchip, small ‘bots with stores of concentrated scents would release just the right amount at the same time to produce anything from the delightful smell of a fresh rose to the crude stench of raw sewage.
While full application of those mini robots may still be a few years away, robots are now used by bomb squads, farmers, machine shops, the military and just about any use that is deemed too dangerous for a human or too repetitive for a human to get right every time.
The exhibit at the New York Hall of Science runs through Sept. 1 and contains the following segments and exhibits:
Introduction To Robots
Animatronic – Enjoy a lively introduction to Robotics presented by a humanoid animatronic which humorously dispels misconceptions about present day robots.
Tie Your Shoes – Find out from a unique projected guide why robots are not designed to do simple human tasks like tying a shoe and then feel what it is like to be a robot when you try this sensory deprivation exercise.
Sensing
Fool the Motion Detector – Robots can use ultrasound to “see” motion. Learn about the sensitivity and effectiveness of this type of detector and how it is used in a robot. Move slowly enough and you may fool this electronic eye.
Multiple Sensors – Estimate the weight, temperature, and magnetism of an object and compare your analysis with a robot’s measurements of the same object. Explore how multiple sensing systems are used in some robots to increase the accuracy of identifying objects.
Thinking
Make My Machine – Use precise directions to “program” a partner to replicate a machine you have built and experience the type of step-by-step instruction or programming that a robot requires for operation.
Acting
Backhoe Arm – Explore the physical limitations of a mechanical arm as compared to that of a human’s as you coordinate the movement of the elbow and wrist joints to operate a mechanical arm to scoop up jewels.
Trace/Retrace – Trace a line drawing three times and overlap the tracings to reveal whether humans or robots are more precise.
Applications
ABB Basketball Arm – Using a touch screen interface, program a seven-foot high industrial robot to shoot basketballs. Learn about the precision, repeatability, acceleration, versatility, and power of a robotic system.
Adept Sorting Arm – Race a robot in a test of visual skills and agility to be the first player to match three similar keys to their different locks.
DynaVox – Type words or select icons to make this voice synthesizer speak for you.
Drawing Arm – Robot or Rembrandt? Find out the answer when you have this robot draw your picture. Watch as the robot takes your picture, processes the visual information, manipulates the drawing materials, and draws your likeness.
Mr. Walker – Observe the balancing act this robot performs to walk on two legs.
Children’s Zone
End Effectors – Remotely manipulate robot hands, or end effectors, to do different tasks.
Valiant Programming – Create a set of directions or program that maps a pathway for a mobile robot to follow then watch as it maneuvers around obstacles.
Follow that Line – Learn about sensors and locomotion by controlling a robot that uses sensors to follow a line on the floor.
Logic Tree – Answer a short ladder of questions to determine the identity of an object.
ROBOTIX Construction Area – Use your imagination to build and operate a motorized robot using construction sets from Learning Curve Toys.
Robots And Pittsburgh
Dante II – Meet a famous explorer, learn more about Dante II’s mission inside Alaska’s Mt. Spurr, and find out what it's like to be inside a real volcano.
Terregator – Examine one of the first self-navigating robots and discover why Terregator's sensors and locomotion are different than those of Dante II.
Roto-Sonar – Get a hands-on look at Terregator’s sonar system and learn how this robot maps its environment and navigates.
Multimedia Kiosk – Select a robot and watch as a scientist explains the process of designing and programming robots to perform a task.
Robotics is presented locally by HSBC Bank USA. Additional support has been provided by 77WABC, and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of New York, Inc.
