Page 24 - Robots Androids and Animatrons : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build

this book?” Well, in reading this book and building a few robots you
gain entry into and become part of the ongoing robotic evolution.
Creativity and innovation do not belong to only those with college
degrees. Robot building is not restricted to Ph.D.s, professors, uni-
versities, and industrial companies. By playing and experimenting
with robots you can learn many aspects of robotics: artificial intel-
ligence, neural networks, usefulness and purpose, sensors, naviga-
tion, articulated limbs, etc. The potential is to learn first hand
about robotics and possibly make a contribution to the existing
body of knowledge on robotics. And to this end amateur robotists
do contribute, in some cases creating a clever design that sur-
passes mainstream robotic development.
As the saying goes, look before you leap. The first question to ask
yourself when beginning a robot design is, “What is the purpose of
this robot? What will it do and how will it accomplish its task?” My
dream is to build a small robot that will change my cat’s litter box.
This book provides the necessary information about circuits,
sensors, drive systems, neural nets, and microcontrollers for you
to build a robot. But before we begin, let’s first look at a few cur-
rent applications and how robots may be used in the future. The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the 3
U.S. military build the most sophisticated robots. NASA’s main
interest in robotics involves (couldn’t you guess) space explo-
ration and telepresence. The military on the other hand utilizes
the technology in warfare.
Exploration

NASA routinely sends unmanned robotic explorers where it is
impossible to send human explorers. Why send robots instead of
humans? In a word, economics. It’s much cheaper to send an expend-
able robot than a human. Humans require an enormous support sys-
tem to travel into space: breathable atmosphere, food, heat, and
living quarters. And, quite frankly, most humans would want to live
through the experience and return to Earth in their lifetime.
Explorer spacecraft travel through the solar system where their
electronic eyes transmit back to Earth fascinating pictures of the
planets and their moons. The Viking probes sent to Mars looked
for life and sent back pictures of the Martian landscape. NASA is
developing planetary rovers, space probes, spider-legged walking
explorers, and underwater rovers. NASA has the most advanced
telerobotic program in the world, operating under the Office of
Space Access and Technology (OSAT).
Team LRN In the beginning