Task
Go to the following website and read through the sections, answering the
questions below.
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/robotics/universal/index.html
Feel free to watch any of the videos on the website while reading through
the pages.
Process
Feel free to watch any of the videos on the website while reading through
the pages.
1. List five tasks that robots can currently perform:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2. Approximately how long have we been using robots?
3. It is thought that Homer, the ancient Greek poet, described the first metallic helpers for which Greek god?
4. When did Leonardo da Vinci draw plans for a mechanical man?
5. What event caused the development of robots in the 1950s and 60s?
6. What was the first product of robotic manufacturing in 1959?
7. What two characteristics differentiate a robot from a machine?
8. When, where, and what was the first use of the word robot?
9. What percentage of robots work in factories?
10. What function do more than half of robots perform?
11. What accident in 1986 demonstrated a clear need for a robot to go where
humans couldn’t?
12. How are robots used in microsurgery?
13. What is the name of the rover that investigated the surface of Mars in
1997?
14. How long does it take for commands from Earth to reach a rover on
Mars?
15. Where else, besides space exploration, can robots go that humans
cannot?
16. What happened in 1994 in Alaska?
17. What is unique about Nomad?
18. What was the name of the vehicle that was a predecessor in the early
1970s to the Nomad as a somewhat autonomous vehicle?
19. What is a degree of freedom?
20. How many degrees of freedom does a robot need to reach any point in
space?
21. One of the most common types of robotic sensors is the light sensor.
One of the simplest uses of the light sensor is for
___________________.
22. What is one of the greatest challenges for robotic engineers?
23. List five other types of sensors.
24. One way to create artificial intelligence is to use what kind of logic?
25. What are two other approaches to artificial intelligence?
26. At what year is it expected that robots will reach the equivalent of human
intelligence?
27. What are the three Laws of Robotics as written by Isaac Asimov in the
1940s?
If you have answered all of the questions you can try your skills at programming the nasa rover. Push the control button while clicking the link below.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/robotics/home/ROVER.html
Conclusion
1. In the simulation, what was the major difference in maneuvering the
rover on the Moon rather than on Earth?
2. How would this affect the way that a robot is programmed for
maneuvering?
3. Do you feel that Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics are useful for the
future? Explain your answer.
4. If time permits, view the video of a simulation of the 2003 Rover landing
on Mars. The video is located on page 5 of the website.