Off Topic

L.Jenkins

For all you non robotics conversational needs :P Think I'll give a quick intro until we have enough people around for a thread of its own. AIT graduate with a degree in Computer engineering. Love electronics and robotics. Would love to have the money and space to start building a few. From Athlone and 26. That is all, for now!

Jako8

It's here.

I suppose I'll introduce myself. 18 years old, from Cork. Studying Computer Systems in U.L. I have an obsession with animatronics which extends to other types of robots that have more practical uses.

L.Jenkins

Ya I thought we'd never get it.

Sparks

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

For all you non robotics conversational needs :P

Well. It'll have to be slightly robotics-related, otherwise, well, what's After Hours for?

And while I've been introduced a few times on the site, from the robotics viewpoint, I'm 35, spent a decade chasing a PhD (which is still ticking over in the background) in robotics with the now-extinct Computer Vision and Robotics Research Group in TCD, I've built a few robots from IEEE Micromouse to research platforms (see the thread on Dagda) and I've written some device drivers for bits and bobs.

qubix

My name is David. I founded the Irish Robotics club about 2 years ago (robots.ie). I've made some line followers and mini sumos for competitions (we've been to Vienna twice and Poland once), as well as some general purpose ones. I regularly run workshops teaching basic skills, usually in the Science gallery, but I've also run two for Dublin Skillshare which is just getting off the ground. I also sometimes work with Artists if them need help with technology.

I'm currently working on a motorised Gumball machine which responds to twitter hashtag, should be going live at the end of next week

L.Jenkins

Sparks wrote: »

Well. It'll have to be slightly robotics-related, otherwise, well, what's After Hours for?

I agree with you there. Robot chat in off topic when it doesn't exactly warrant a thread of it's own

Tackleberrywho

Mechatronics Engineer.
Specializing with Robotics 8 years.
Have worked with Staubli Unimation, Tokyo Electro America (advanced troubleshooting and maintenance 2007 Austin Tx), and a few lesser know forms.

Teaching robotics and troubleshooting on a daily basis.
Never imagined when I was in school in the 90's that I'd end up doing what I'm doing.

I always wanted to be rich, people who work with their hands never are
Very wise man told me, Clever people have a job with no end product, thus the measure of ones efforts is unfathomable as proof of effort is impossible, & proof of lack of effort is equally impossible

L.Jenkins

http://robotics.nasa.gov/

It's an awful pity they can't bring some of these bad boys back from mars so some of us amatuers could play around with for awhile.

Jarren

A medical group in Israel has recently announced a robotic suit that can be used to help paralyzed people walk.
The suit, which is called the ReWalk, consists of a metal backpack and braces that run down both sides of the leg. The braces are controlled by the backpack, which contains the batteries and computer components.
This creates what is often called a powered exoskeleton or robotic exoskeleton, which is basically a mechanical suit that can be worn to improve strength or functionality.
Using the ReWalk an individual is able to, with the aid of crutches, walk and even climb stairs.
The unit was developed by Doctor Amit Goffer, who is an Israeli engineer. Goffer is disabled, but is not able to use the ReWalk.
While the ability to allow an individual to walk is a very important part of this project, Goffer says his invention ultimately provides more of a psychological benefit.
The user must currently use crutches and the movements are rather slow, but because the user is able to stand upright and look others in the eye, Goffer, says it offers a very powerful physiological benefit to some people.
Goffers device will likely cost around $20, 000 and is currently being tested in both Israel and Connecticut. While very promising, this is not the first, nor is it the only current project aimed at creating a robotic exoskeleton.
A few years ago, Honda announced a robotic device that was designed to help make walking easier. The device assisted a person in walking by reducing the amount of weight on the legs.
Honda is still currently developing and testing their product which uses bodyweight support to reduce the amount of pressure on a persons legs and knees. They think the project will not only benefit the mobility challenged, but will also help factory workers who must bend and squat frequently.
There are also many other experiments dealing with creating robotic exoskeleton’s for those who are paralyzed, but it is also being looked at as a means of improving the physical limits of non-disabled individuals.
For instance, the United States Military is also looking into using this technology. The military version consists of a set of robotic arms and legs, which, when attached to the soldier, greatly improves the soldiers strength.
While using the robotic suit, the soldier is able to repetitively lift incredibly heavy objects, both with his arms and legs, yet is still capable of rather finite movements.

http://www.combibo.net/articles/robotic_exoskeletons_in_medicine/

Hi folks

Would anyone provide me with the scientific research about USA Military project highlighted in bold part please?I googled but could not find anything relevant.Thank you:)
Tha

Squarewave

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-%26-technology/robots-useless-201110184432/

THE field of robotics is not delivering on any level, experts have claimed.

As Italian scientists unveiled a robot that plays piano at Grade 4 and probably has a colourful bow tie that spins, there have been widespread calls for those working in robotics to get a proper job.

Professor Henry Brubaker of the Institute for Studies said: "The gap between fictional robots, which are brilliant, and real robots, which are ****, is not shrinking, it's widening.

"The grim tragedy of real-life robotics was encapsulated by the television series Robot Wars, with its remote-controlled staple guns mounting each other while middle-aged men shouted 'come on, Exterminator'.

"It drove Craig Charles to the glass pipe, for Christ's sake."

He added: "Asimov's first law of worthwhile robots states that robots should at least look like they're capable of freaking out and killing a large group of innocent bystanders.

"By 2011 we should at least have machines that are built around the mutilated bodies of wronged policemen, tormented by fragmented memories of their former lives and a simmering desire for bloody vengeance. As it is, we've gone backwards from Big Trak."

Roboticist Stephen Malley said: "I reject the suggestion that real robots are increasingly inferior to robots in films. Look at the new film Real Steel, starring Wolverine. Anything in the world must be better than anything in that."

Meanwhile Honda's cutting-edge android Asimo last night toppled down some stairs like a blind geriatric.

323

Hi been reading various posts here for quite a while. This appears to be an introduction page of sorts.

Electronic engineering background , always been interested in robotics but grew up by the sea. 15 years ago merged both interests and began working in the offshore industry with ROV's (Remotely Operated Vehicles). Appears to be one of the lesser known practical applications of robotics,

2011-11-14 FCV23.jpg

L.Jenkins

Any particular application using the ROVs. Exploring wrecks, which would be fun or surveying.

323

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Any particular application using the ROVs. Exploring wrecks, which would be fun or surveying.

No, although wreck investigation jobs do come up from time to time. On a subsea development off Egypt. Some survey work, mostly installing subsea structures and seemed like countless hydraulic and electrical control leads with 2 of these heavy work class vehicles.

L.Jenkins

It would be a job that would strike my interest. If only I could go with wreck investigation. Ever see or find anything interesting?

Aaron-

Been searching the web for a while now and I am hoping this is the right place to ask, seeing as most of you will probably have an idea...hopefully anyway.

I am looking for a large basic electronics/circuit kits. Something with Lots of wires, clips, bulbs, motors, switches, battery holders, etc. I remember using one in school that they got which came in a 3x2' (roughly)plastic box that looked like a big toy box.

Does anybody have any idea where I could get this kind of thing, or direct me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance,

- Aaron.

Supermensch

I'm not sure if your looking for some sort of snap circuitry kit, or an assortment of common parts to get you started in electronics, but, if you mean the latter, Bitsbox do a selection kit;


http://bitsbox.co.uk/select.html#ElectronicsClub

Aaron-

Supermensch wrote: »

I'm not sure if your looking for some sort of snap circuitry kit, or an assortment of common parts to get you started in electronics, but, if you mean the latter, Bitsbox do a selection kit;


http://bitsbox.co.uk/select.html#ElectronicsClub

Wow, that's perfect for what I need!
I am currently making small puppet theatres and I was thinking about seeing if I could make my own lighting circuits and the likes for them!

Thank you ever so much!

-Aaron

Supermensch

Aaron- wrote: »

Wow, that's perfect for what I need!
I am currently making small puppet theatres and I was thinking about seeing if I could make my own lighting circuits and the likes for them!

Thank you ever so much!

-Aaron

Aww that sounds cool Good luck with it.

Knifey Spoony

Thought I might post about my final year project here.

Me and another guy built a maze solving robot for it. It is controlled using two Arduinos in a master/slave setup and uses ultrasonic sensors to locate walls in the maze. It has onboard smart battery charging circuitry and communicates via Bluetooth with a computer where it displays a map of the maze, through the use of a GUI using Processing, as it discovers walls. And just for the crack we built some manual control into it so that it can be controlled wirelessly with a PlayStation controller and you can see where it is going with an onboard camera.

Almost drove us mad in the end and was only finished about an hour before the deadline, but it worked amazingly well. There's a video of it below solving the maze using left wall following which is a bit of an unintelligent algorithm, but it normally uses the much more intelligent Flood Fill algorithm in order to find the shortest path from the start to any user selected point in the maze selected using the GUI. Don't have a video of it using Flood Fill yet though. Anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpcKbDBvmMA