Lesson Structure:  Robotics  BSC116

here are 8 lessons:

1.   Types of Robots

• A Brief History of Robotics
• Types of Physical Robots

2. Robotic Actuators

• Mechanical Components of Robots
• Robot Movement

3. Robotic Sensors

• Types of Sensors
• Signal Processing
• Challenges

4. Power Supply & Control Systems

• Power Supply
• Control Systems
• Types of Robot Control Techniques
• Control Systems Used in Robots

5. Kinematics

• Configuration and Workspace
• Structure of Robots
• Configurations and Configuration Space

6.  Cybernetics

• Robot Brain
• Developments in Autonomy

7. Robot Maintenance

• Why maintenance
• Preventative maintenance
• After breakdown maintenance
• Maintenance planning

8. Applications

• Industrial Robots
• Logistics
• Service Robots

Please Note:   Lessons require the completion of an assignment, submitted to your Tutor,  for marking and return with any relevant suggestions, comments, and extra reading if necessary.

Learning Goals  (Aims)

• Define a robot and discuss different types of robots.
• Describe different types of robotic components.
• Describe a variety of sensors used in robotics.
• Describe different options for power supply, and different control systems in robots.
• Explain the application of kinematics to robotics.
• Discuss cybernetics and its application to robotics.
• Determine maintenance procedures to be applied with different types of robots.
• Explain a range of different applications for robots in different industries.

Robotic Sensors  –  How They Work

People sense the environment around them and respond accordingly, adjusting their actions according to both the tasks they are attempting to carry out, within the confines of conditions they sense -sight, sound, touch, smell.

For example, touching a hot object with human hands and withdrawing as a response to the heat

A sensor is a converter that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal that can be read by an observer. Robotic sensors are used to estimate the robot’s condition and environment. These signals are passed to a controller to enable the required output from the robot.

Robotic sensors exist to sense conditions, then trigger actions according to what type response is which they sense. A real-life example for this would be a robotic vacuum cleaner detecting the presence of an obstacle on its path with the help of proximity sensors and decide to choose a different path to avoid the obstacle.

The Robots need a wide range of information about their environment in order of function effectively. Robots require sensors to understand the world around them. The environmental factors that enhance the robot knowledge and performance includes the following

• distance
• temperature
• humidity
• force
• pressure
• speed
• position
• humidity

The sensors are sophisticated devices which measure the physical quantity such as the speed or the pressure and convert it into a signal which can be measured electrically. The working of various sensors is based on specific working principles and types of measurements.

Most types of sensors transmit some signals and measure the reflection of those signals to obtain the data. There are sensors that can measure the presence of light, the frequency of sound, the closeness of an object, the presence or the absence of the object, the colour, and the distance between objects.

Sensors used in robotics provide real-time data on operating conditions. They basically analyse their environment and collect data. The collected data is fed to the control station continuously to detect and fix any changes arising in the environment.

Robots use various kinds of sensors such as the tactile sensor which imitates the mechanical properties of touch receptors of human fingerprints.

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