Page 115 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

strength

Too far Signal Too far Exoskeleton
left On course right

Error signal

A direction-finding circuit is designed to seek out, and maintain, a
heading such that the error signal is always zero. To do this, the error signal
is used by the robot controller to change the heading. This is the same
principle by which a hidden radio transmitter is found.
See also BEACON, DIRECTION FINDING, ERROR CORRECTION, and SERVOMECHANISM.
EXOSKELETON
An exoskeleton is a robot arm that uses articulated geometry to mimic the
motions of a human arm, and whose motions are controlled directly by
movements of the arm of a human operator. Such devices can be used
when working with hazardous materials. They are also useful as prostheses
(artificial limbs). See ARTICULATED GEOMETRY and PROSTHESIS.
The term exoskeleton also refers to a specialized robot that is like a suit
of armor a human can wear, and which can amplify movement displace-
ment and/or force, resulting in physical strength far beyond that of an
ordinary man or woman. A woman might, for example, lift a car over her
head; the steel frame of the exoskeleton would bear the weight and pressure.
A man might throw a baseball a kilometer.The armor could protect against
blows, fire, and perhaps even bullets. Full exoskeletons have, to date, been
implemented mainly in science-fiction stories.

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