Page 45 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

14 ANATOMY OF A ROBOT

Figure 2-1 Stationary robots don’t
move. They sit on a tabletop or (for
industrial applications) bolt into the
ground.

ists to build. There’s something endearing about a robot that scampers across the floor, either
chasing or being chased by the cat.
As a serious robot experimenter, don’t overlook the challenge of building both types of
robots. Stationary bots typically require greater precision, power, and balance, since they are
designed to grasp and lift things— hopefully not destroying whatever it is they’re handling.
Likewise, mobile robots present their own difficulties: maneuverability, adequate power sup-
ply, and avoiding collisions among them.

Autonomous versus

Teleoperated Robots

The first robots ever demonstrated for a live audi-
ence were fake; they were actually machines
remotely controlled by a person offstage. No mat-
ter. People thrilled at the concept of the robot,
which many anticipated would be an integral part of
their near futures. You know, like flying to work in
your own helicopter and colonies on Mars by
1975 . . . yeah, right!
These days, the classic view of the robot is a fully
autonomous machine, like Robby from Forbidden
Planet, Robot B- 9 from Lost in Space, or that R2-
D2 thingie from Star Wars. With these robots (or at
least the make- believe, fictional versions), there’s no
human operator, no remote control, no “man
behind the curtain.”
While many actual robots are indeed fully auton-
omous, many of the most important robots of the
past few decades have been teleoperated. A tele-
operated robot is one that is commanded by a
Figure 2-2 Mobile robots move, typically using human and operated by remote control. These are
wheels or tracks but also legs and other forms of often used in police and combat situations, like the
propulsion. one in Figure 2-3. The typical telerobot uses a

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