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Mon Aug 31 18:40:04 UTC 2009
provided by the map. One of the most difficult steps for the robot is to
accurately assess the depth towards the outlet. For this, it uses a
monocular five megapixel camera to gauge the exact location of the outlet.
It uses its tilting laser scanner to determine the location of its plug
(which is kept in place at its base through magnets). It then picks up the
plug and tries to put it into the socket. If it fails to do so, it tries
again with approximate information of the outlet until it succeeds. This
proves the robot's reliability and persistence.
Robots are already being used extensively in various industry production
lines and defence weapons, but personal robots have yet to impact society.
And although many robots before have been able to do what PR2 does, like
open doors and navigate through cramped spaces, robots before PR2 could not
do so reliably and persistently. An article in the New York Times stated,
'PR2 was the first to integrate the ability to do a number of operations in
a real-world environment'. "There are other groups that have opened doors
before," said Andrew Ng, a Stanford roboticist with several students who
have gone to work for the company. But Mr. Ng also added that this seemed to
be "the first robot able to repeatedly and reliably open doors and plug
itself in."
Though on the surface, it seems like a small step, it is a giant leap for
scientists working in robotics. Since PR2 is designed as a platform to
conduct research and build applications in mobile manipulation in real human
environments, it will help many scientists to spin off ever faster into the
future.
--
jitendra
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<table style=3D"border-collapse: collapse;" id=3D"AutoNumber1" border=3D"0"=
cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" height=3D"952" width=3D"776"><tbody><t=
r><td colspan=3D"2" height=3D"54" width=3D"100%"><p class=3D"NoSpacing" sty=
le=3D"text-align: left;">
<span style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"EN-GB">
<font color=3D"#000080" size=3D"5"><font size=3D"2">Is there a provisio=
n in our curriculum to get our students to know these types of updates?</fo=
nt></font></span></p><p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: left;"><sp=
an style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"EN-GB"><font col=
or=3D"#000080" size=3D"5"><font size=3D"2">Is there a site where students c=
an ask questions and get answers</font></font></span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: left;"><span style=3D"font-fami=
ly: Arial; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"EN-GB"><font color=3D"#000080" size=
=3D"5"><font size=3D"2">Are there clubs or facilities where students can tr=
y out, playing with , programming, and creating robotic models</font> .</fo=
nt></span></p>
<h3><font size=3D"2">I am aware of ThinkLabs at IIT-B. Latest @ THINKLABS :=
</font><font size=3D"2"> ThinkLABS presents India\'s biggest National l=
evel robotics championship <b><a href=3D"http://www.roboliga.com/">RoboLiga=
</a></b>. Cash prizes worth Rs 200,000 and chance to win Internships in big=
gest names of Embedded systems</font></h3>
<font size=3D"2">That is a commercial venture. how popular is it? How many =
schools have used their robots.</font><br><br><p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=
=3D"text-align: center;" align=3D"center"><span style=3D"font-family: Arial=
; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"EN-GB"><font color=3D"#000080" size=3D"5"><br>
</font></span></p><p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: center;" alig=
n=3D"center"><span style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"=
EN-GB"><font color=3D"#000080" size=3D"5">The Future is Here</font></span><=
/p><p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: center;" align=3D"center">
<span style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-weight: 700;" lang=3D"EN-GB"><font =
color=3D"#000080" size=3D"5">(<a href=3D"http://www.iitb.ac.in">www.iitb.ac=
.in</a>)<br></font></span></p>
<p>=A0</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height=3D"324" valign=3D"top" width=3D"27%" align=3D"left">
<p style=3D"margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align=3D"justify">
<img src=3D"http://www.iitb.ac.in/robotics/PR2Door2Open.jpg" border=3D"=
1" height=3D"316" width=3D"253"></p></td>
<td rowspan=3D"2" height=3D"326" width=3D"73%">
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">Wil=
low=20
Garage, a Silicon Valley research group celebrated the success of their=
PR2=20
mobile robot in June 2009. PR2 (Personal Robot 2) has wheels and can co=
ver a=20
distance of a mile and a quarter per hour. It navigated the company'=
;s=20
cramped office, opened doors, entered rooms and plugged its power cord =
into=20
ten electrical sockets - using its agile arm and hand. Scientists here=
=20
wanted to see how they could push the limits of hardware, software and=
=20
systems for robots and whether a robot could perform a certain set of t=
asks=20
reliably. =A0</span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">=A0</p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">Sac=
hin=20
Chitta, one of the people who developed PR2, and an alumnus of IIT Bomb=
ay,=20
says about the robot, "A bunch of people were pretty nervous, incl=
uding me,=20
about what would happen, what the robot would do. People were trying to=
mess=20
with the robot as it was doing its task by jumping in front of it, bloc=
king=20
its path, but it's a persistent robot, it didn't fail, it keeps=
trying."=20
Along with being persistent, it's clever as well. If it finds a doo=
r locked,=20
it simply moves on to the next one instead of continually trying to ope=
n=20
it.=A0</span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">=A0</p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">PR2=
is a=20
completely autonomous robot who demonstrated the ability to consistentl=
y=20
navigate indoors, open doors and plug into regular outlets to recharge.=
In a=20
26.3 mile marathon over four days, it opened ten doors and plugged into=
ten=20
sockets without fail. The robot has the map of the building. From the m=
ap it=20
approximately knows the positions of doors all over the floor. It has a=
=20
sensor that creates a 3D representation of the world around it as it mo=
ves=20
forward, and the robot looks for patches that match information about d=
oors.=20
If the door is closed, it assesses where the door handle is and brings =
up=20
its arm to grab the handle to open the door. While it does this, severa=
l=20
checks happen inside the robot in the background to ensure that the rob=
ot is=20
indeed opening a door. As it opens the door further, it simultaneously =
moves=20
into the room. </span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
=A0</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height=3D"1" width=3D"27%">
<p style=3D"margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align=3D"left">
<font color=3D"#000080" size=3D"1"><i><b>PR2 Alpha Prototype</b> <br> <=
b>Photo Courtesy : Mr. Ken Conley</b></i></font></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align=3D"justify">=A0=
</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan=3D"2" height=3D"322" valign=3D"top" width=3D"100%">
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">Fro=
m there,=20
it looks for the location of the outlet from the information provided b=
y the=20
map. One of the most difficult steps for the robot is to accurately ass=
ess=20
the depth towards the outlet. For this, it uses a monocular five megapi=
xel=20
camera to gauge the exact location of the outlet. It uses its tilting l=
aser=20
scanner to determine the location of its plug (which is kept in place a=
t its=20
base through magnets). It then picks up the plug and tries to put it in=
to=20
the socket. If it fails to do so, it tries again with approximate=20
information of the outlet until it succeeds. This proves the robot'=
s=20
reliability and persistence.=A0</span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">=A0</p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">Rob=
ots are=20
already being used extensively in various industry production lines and=
=20
defence weapons, but personal robots have yet to impact society. And=20
although many robots before have been able to do what PR2 does, like op=
en=20
doors and navigate through cramped spaces, robots before PR2 could not =
do so=20
reliably and persistently. An article in the New York Times stated, =
9;PR2 was=20
the first to integrate the ability to do a number of operations in a=20
real-world environment'. "There are other groups that have ope=
ned doors=20
before," said Andrew Ng, a Stanford roboticist with several studen=
ts who=20
have gone to work for the company. But Mr. Ng also added that this seem=
ed to=20
be "the first robot able to repeatedly and reliably open doors and=
plug=20
itself in." =A0</span></p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">=A0</p>
<p class=3D"NoSpacing" style=3D"text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; m=
argin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang=3D"EN-GB">Tho=
ugh on=20
the surface, it seems like a small step, it is a giant leap for scienti=
sts=20
working in robotics. Since PR2 is designed as a platform to conduct res=
earch=20
and build applications in mobile manipulation in real human environment=
s, it=20
will help many scientists to spin off ever faster into the future.</spa=
n></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align=3D"justify">=A0=
</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>jitendra<br>
--0016e64ccd745407ee047bb2c23e--
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