TETOVA UNIVERSITY

ROBOTICS
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AGON MEHMETI
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FLORIM IDRIZI
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FLORINDA IMERI
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AHMET BUDAK
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319199
 _CONTENTS

_Defining the Robotics

 Define of Robotics
 Asimov’s Three Law of Robotics
 What is Robots
 The Anatomy of a Robot
 Where the Robot uses in Industry
 Artifical Intelligence in Robots
 Software Engineering for Robotic Systems

_Languages and Softwares

 Introduction
 Robot Programming Languages
 Top Programming Languages
 Software and Programmin Languages

_Encountered Problems in Robotics

_References

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 _Defining the Robotics

The word robot was coined by the Czech playwright Karel Capek in 1921. He wrote a play called
“Rossum's Universal Robots” that was about a slave class of manufactured human-like servants and
their struggle for freedom. The Czech word robota loosely means "compulsive servitude.” The word
robotics was first used by the famous science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, in 1941.

Asimov’s Three Law of Robotics

In his science fiction world, Asimov had three rules that all his robots would follow:

 A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.
 A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders
would conflict with the First Law.
 A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the First or Second Law.

In essence, it is obvious that Asimov places robots strictly below humans.

So What is Robot?

There is no precise definition, but it is generally believed that robots are programmable
machines that imitate human behavior. It needs to be able to sense and understand its environment
as well as be able to perform physical tasks. They are generally acknowledged to do dangerous and
trite work. It is not surprising that the origin of the word “robot” goes back to its root meaning of
“slave.”

The Anatomy of a Robot

Although the physical appearances of robots vary, there are general names for their structures.
A kinematic chain is what their “skeleton” is called. Its “bones” are called actuators and create joints
that allow the robot to move. The actuators create motion from electricity by the electromagnetic
effect. As it was mentioned, robots are built to perform physical tasks so they need some kind of end
effector (something like a human arm) to control their surroundings.

Where the Robots uses in Industry?

•Agriculture

•Automobile

•Construction

•Entertainment

•Health care: hospitals, patient-care, surgery , research, etc.

•Laboratories: science, engineering , etc.

•Law enforcement: surveillance, patrol, etc.

•Manufacturing
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•Military: demining, surveillance, attack, etc.

•Mining, excavation, and exploration

•Transportation: air, ground, rail, space, etc.

•Utilities: gas, water, and electric

•Warehouses

Artifical Intelligence in Robots

Robots are programmed to do their jobs. The AI in their systems is rule-based. Vast amounts
of information can be programmed into the robotic “brain”. But, they’re not that useful because they
can’t learn. Everything that they know has to be preprogrammed.But, another method besides the
rule-based programming has been developed:neural networks. Neural networks are based on the
human brain and allow the robot to “learn” by associating inputs with the corresponding output.

But, neural networks don’t exactly give definite answers. This is sometimes called “fuzzy logic”.
A newer form of AI in robots is the stimulusresponse mechanism. A robot with this type of AI does not
have memory nor does it have a logical decision making process. It only has hard-wired responses to
stimulation. This type of AI can lead to fairly complex behavior in robots.

Software Engineering for Robotic Systems

When bringing intelligence to robots, the unescapable needto provide specific capabilities,
such as the human-like sense-process-(re)act chain, arose. At that point, software came intothe
picture and progressively gained importance eventuallybecoming one of the core aspects in robotics
development andmaintenance. This is the reason why an effective interplay ofsoftware engineering
and conventional robotics is essential.

Several initiatives related to software engineering forrobotics have been launched

over the last years, such as: the IEEE Technical Committee on Software Engineering for Robotics
and Automation, and the Journal of Software Engineering for Robotics. In the specific case of
MMRSs(mobile multi-robot systems), innovative software engineering approaches and methodologies
ableto support the definition, the development, and the realizationof collective missions are needed.
Several attempts have beendocumented in this direction.Unluckily, the excessiveocus on
performance issues led robotic engineering to neglectcrucial quality attributes of software-intensive
systems,such as reusability,flexibility,interoperability.

This technical briefing shows why and how adopting andadapting mainstream software
engineering methodologies and technologies towards a systematic, disciplined, and quantifiable
approach throughout the system life-cycle can help insolving a number of challenges for MMRSs.
In particular, this technical briefing focusses on the following challenges: (i) Platform neutralityfor
tractable cross-platform development; (ii)Systematic reusability that avoids isolated solutions which
cannot be easily reused nor combined; (iii)Orchestrating concurrency managing simultaneous
execution of multipletasks performed by independent entities; (iv)Context awarenessfor meeting
evolving environmental characteristics andconstraints during a mission execution; (v)Coping with
uncertainty that maintains desired degree of security, performance,and dependability during and
after adaptation; (vi) Dynamic discoverability of available resourcesfor automatic adjustment of
mission plans; (vii )Subsystems interoperability for coordinating heterogeneous subsystems of an

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MMRS; (viii) Human-robot synergy for having proper means of interaction between humans and
robots.

Dealing with these challenges is a very daunting task. Infact it demands a set of assorted
abilities for: managing abstractions in MMRSs specifications, providing various degrees of automation
in MMRSs software development, and offering means to enable analysis related to different
concerns of MMRSs missions at design time as well as at runtime.

_Languages and Softwares

Introduction

Robot technology is one of the most promising tools in manufacturing and will have2a
significant impact on the efficient use of production equipment . One major obstacle in using robot
manipulators as general purpose assembly machines is the lack of suitable and efficient
communication between the user and the robotic system so that the user can direct the manipulator
to accomplish a given task . Thus, the definition “ robot programming 1anguage is a means by which
programmers can express the intended operations of a robot and associated activities". It is important
to note that robot programming languages must not only provide a means of expressing the motion
of the robot, but a11ow the programmer to interface a 1arge number of things together: users, robot
control systems, sensors, geometric modeling systems, planners, knowledge systems, etc.

Robot Programming Languages

The definition of a complexity hierarchy of robot control languages can place these languages
and software developments in perspective. The hierarchy consists of six levels:

 zero-level programming;
 standard teaching robots;
 graphical teach programming;
 first generation manipulator languages;
 second generation manipulator languages;
 and task or object-oriented languages.

Zero-Level Programming

Zero-level programming also known as hardware-level programming is commonly used in

robots where not much flexibility in operation is required. This type of programming is typical of a
drum controller which as it rotates opens valves causing the robot manipulator to move. This
sometimes takes the form of air logic in pneumatic pick-and-place robots or cams in mechanically
programmed pick-and-place robots. These types of robots are known as bang-bang robots s i nce t he
manipulator moves at full speed until it runs into a stop before executing the next move.

The advantages of this type of programming are that it is simp1e and reliable. The
disadvantages are that it has limited versatility. and can only be used for pick-and-place operations.

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Teaching Robots

Teach and playback. also known as guiding. is the most commonly used programming method
in present- day industrial robots. This type of sequencing consists of two methods. walk through
programming and lead through programming.

The Grafic Teach Method

Many firms that originally began as vendors of Computer Aided Design (CAD) equipment have
begun to realize that their graphical method of programming numerically controlled machine tools
has some application to the programming of robots . In fact, specialized graphic robot programming
systems have already been developed and introduced to the current market. Such a graphic system
begins with a library of three-dimensional robot models which includes the geometry of each robot,
along with a model of the constraints on the robot's motion. The models also contain approximations
of the control algorithm for each robot. At a typical session, the user selects a robot from the library;
he then models a work cell by using an additional library of other devices, such as conveyors and
machine tools typically found on the manufacturing floor.

First Generation Proggraming Languages

The first generation of formal languages for robot programming can be thought of as early
robot programming systems created by extending an existing high-level language like BASIC to provide
for robot motion, lock step coordination, elementary sensor usage, and a minimal operating system.
They have commands that allow them to trace straight lines and in some cases circles or arbitrary
curves. Using lock step coordination, they have the capability of generating, or waiting for, a binary
signal at predetermined points in the robot's program. This is used to coordinate the motions of the
robot with other devices in the environment.

Second Generation Programming Languages

Second generation programming languages were developed by computer scientists to

overcome the first generation languages' limited extensibility, communication, and computational
power. Thus they have the computational complexity of a modern structured computer language.
Some clearly show their origins, while others embody new concepts. Some of the most recent
languages like VAL II are built upon earlier robot control languages. While these languages have the
expected robotic extensions for motion, sensor communication, and control, they are enhanced by
improved operating systems with more powerful editors and file handling capabilities. Unfortunately,
many second generation languages supplied by robot vendors are closed systems; this needlessly
restricts their capabilities for computer communication and coordination. Some of them handle
geometry, but in a fashion similar to those developed for NC machine tools.

Task/Object Oriented Programming

Robot software is now headed for the next level of hierarchical complexity, that of task-level
or object-level languages. Teach box, blackbox, graphical, first generation, and second generation
software have all dealt with people translating the needs of their application to the capabilities of the
robot. Statements in those languages correspond to specific low-level movements of the manipulator.
This is in striking contrast to the way in which a person is directed to accomplish a task. The operator

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should be able to direct the robot as he would direct a person to perform a series of tasks, which the
software would then determine how to carry out in detail.

Top Programming Languages for Robotics

 C/C++
 Python
 Java
 Microsoft C#/.Net
 Matlab
 Lisp
 Basic and Pascal

Software Main Programming Language

4DV-Sim C++
AUTOMAPPS C++,Python
MORSE Python
RoboDK Python
OpenRAVE C++,Python
Webots C++
V-Rep LUA
Sim Spark C++,Ruby

_Encountered Problems in Robotic

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New Materials and Fabrication

While gears and electromechanical actuators are fundamental to the operation of many robots
today, in the future new materials and ways of controlling movement will be required. One approach
taken by labs around the world are artificial muscles, while others are thinking about advanced
manufacturing and assembly strategies.

Artificial muscles are more or less exactly what they sound like, materials which act in a way
which mimics biological muscle. However, using softer materials to get this pliability comes with the
trade-off of lower strength compared to rigid construction. They operate through the shrinkage or
expansion of the material, however that does in turn limit their strength. In an effort to solve this
problem, labs are already working on ways to make them stronger.

Creating Bio-Inspired Robots

Robots inspired by nature are becoming more common in robotics labs. The main idea is to
create robots that perform more like the efficient systems found in nature. But the study says the
major challenges involved with this area have remained largely unchanged for 30 years – a battery to
match metabolic conversion, muscle-like actuators, self-healing material, autonomy in any
environment, human-like perception, and computation and reasoning.

Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication must be

developed and shared before this segment takes off. These advances could lead to robots with
features such as body support, weight reduction, impact protection, morphological computation, and
mobility.

Better Power Sources

Like all electric systems, power sources are one of the major limitations for robotics.In
practice, the usefulness of a mobile, autonomous robot is largely dictated by its battery’s power, size
and weight. A battery with long longevity will be large and heavy, but a small battery will have a
limited lifespan.To minimise these limitations work is ongoing into making the components of a
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robot more power efficient.However, another approach could be to make an autonomous robot able
to extract energy from its surroundings, such as light, vibrations, and mechanical movement.Battery
technology will also likely need to improve beyond the nickel-metal hydride and lithium ion options
currently available. Research is already ongoing into next generation options such as fuel cells and
supercapacitors.

Making these energy harvesting and storage options stable in different environments will
also be a challenge. Deep sea exploration robots require compact, stable and high-energy density
batteries. A flying robot would require a lightweight, tolerant to temperature solutions. As a result, it
is unlikely one solution will cover all applications, and each will need to be developed individually.

Comminication in Robot Swarms

Robot swarms are tricky because they need to sense not only the environment, but also each
robot in the swarm. They need to communicate with the other robots, too, while acting
independently.

Perception-action loops are fundamental to creating autonomous robots that function in

unstructured environments. Robot swarms require their communication ability to be embedded in
this feedback loop. Thus, perception-action-communication loops are key to designing robot swarms.
There are currently no systematic approaches for doing this across large groups.

The study says, however, falling prices and increasing performances of sensors, processors,
storage devices and communications hardware will lead to significant advances of robot swarms in
the next 5-10 years.

Navigation Unmapped Environments

There has been significant progress made when it comes to robots perceiving and navigating
their environments. Just look at self-driving cars, for example. Mapping and navigation techniques
will continue to evolve, but future robots need to be able to operate in environments that are
unmapped and poorly understood.

Some of the improvement that need to be made include:

 How to learn, forget, and associate memories of scenes both qualitatively and semantically
 How to surpass purely geometric maps to have semantic understanding of the scene
 How to reason about new concepts and their semantic representations and discover
new objects or classes in the environment through learning and active interactions

In all of these scenarios, resilient navigation systems which are capable of sensing, mapping,
understanding and reacting to its surrounds autonomously will be vital.The exploration robots of the
future will also need to be able to handle failures, and adapt its function to suit. Additionally, they’ll
need to develop innate abilities to recognise new discoveries, and use that new knowledge to
continue its task.
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Artifical Intelligence

The study calls AI the “underpinning technology for robotics,” but acknowledges that “we still
have a long way to go to replicate and exceed all the facets of intelligence that we see in humans.” The
key is to combine advanced pattern recognition and model-based reasoning to develop AI that can
reason and has common sense.

AI that can learn complex tasks on its own with minimal training data is also critical. The study
does mention that DeepMind’s AlphaGo Zero system is a good example of this, but it says “we do not
yet have systems that can do this easily across heterogeneous tasks and domains.”

Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable some device and machines to be controlled by your
mind. BCIs could be quite useful in augmenting human abilities in the future, but developing the
technology for wider adoption is the challenge.

The equipment for sensing brain signals is expensive and cumbersome, and the data
processing can be tricky. There’s also a long period of training, calibration and learning.

Social Robots for Long-Term Engagement

Humans are, generally, adept at interpreting social behavior. Robots are not. The study says
the three biggest challenges of building social robots that truly interact with humans are modeling
social dynamics, learning social and moral norms, and building a robotic theory of mind

Today’s social robots have been designed for short interactions, which isn’t how human
relationships work. Social robots must expand from moment-to-moment engagements to long-term
relationships.

Medical Robotics

One of the fields where robotics will have its biggest impact will be medicine, improving
healthcare and reducing cost.One of the biggest challenges will be moving towards systems which
show greater and greater levels of autonomy.Where autonomous robots operate currently usually
involves product manufacturing and similar roles which have been tailored to suit the robot’s
capabilities. However, in medicine, the situation is always changing, uncontrolled and unique from
patient to patient.

As a result, the robotics used today are usually focussed on enhancing the skills of a surgeon,
where input is provided by a surgeon, which is carried out more precisely by the robot than is possible
by human hand.
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 One potential for increased robotic use is having one surgeon supervise a set of robots who
carried our certain tasks autonomously, but call upon the surgeon to take over during critical, patient-
specific steps.

Moving away from surgery, implantable miniaturized multifunctional devices are being
developed. These would be implanted long-term, monitoring and potentially intervening in medical
episodes as they happen. However, these devices require long-term power availability, and also face
the challenge of biocompatibility – being compatible with the body and not causing issues themselves.
Additionally, they would need to detect and respond autonomously to all possible failures within the
device itself.

Micro- or nano-robots which swarm through the patient’s body are another possibility being
explored. However these robots would need to be biodegradable but non toxic, plus have the ability
to target the diseased location and deliver a meaningful therapy.

Ethics

It’s a major challenge, and the robotics industry is well aware of. The study breaks down ethical
problems into five topics:

1. Sensitive tasks that should require human supervision could be delegated entirely to robots
2. Humans will no longer take responsibility for failures
3. Unemployment and de-skilling of the workforce
4. AI could erode human freedom
5. Using AI in unethical ways

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 _References

revereschool.org

An Overview of Robotics, by Shirley Lung

mecathronics.poly.edu

Engineering the Software of Robotic Systems,by Federico Ciccozzi, Davide Di Ruscio, Ivano Malavolta,
Patrizio Pelliccione, and Jana Tumova

Robot Programming, by Cristopher C. Jobes

Codersera.com

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotics_simulator

australiascience.tv

therobotreport.com

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