FragWrap robot from the UbiLab at Keio University
Robots are fast becoming a normal part of our daily lives with most programmed to perform a routine function of one kind or another. We now have robots that can assemble automobiles or work on an assembly line while others autonomously rove around the home vacuuming floors, cleaning gutters and even windows (iRobot’s Roomba and Looj/Ilshim Global’s Windoro robots respectively). While those do indeed serve a basic function, others that are set to hit the market perform tasks more out of the ordinary. Presented here are some of the more unusual.
1: Ubilab’s FragWrap
Engineers from Keio University’s HT Media and System Lab have designed a robot whose sole function is to make the air in our homes smell pleasant. Far from being a simple air freshener, their FragWrap (Fragrance Wrapper) robot is engineered to ‘blow’ large basketball-sized bubbles in the air, which when popped, release a pleasant fragrance. The robot is outfitted with an Arduino unit that handles everything from movement to voice command instructions. Simply tell FragWrap which scent you prefer and it begins the process of bubble building by using a syringe-type device to extract the requested scent. The scent is injected into a fan chamber where it is mixed with fog (from a fog machine). At the same time, soap is introduced to a ring positioned below the fan chamber where the fragrance mixture is pushed through making for one huge fragrant bubble that releases the scent once popped. To add some dramatic effect, the engineers incorporated some LED lights in a ‘stacked ring-formation’ to light the massive bubble once it’s dropped from the robot. Sure, the robot itself is rather large, but that’s to be expected from something that produces a bubble of that magnitude. Glade Plugins have nothing on this robot. The engineers plan to demonstrate their FragWrap robot at this year’s Ubicomp conference being held in Zurich (Switzerland).
IBIS keyhole surgical robot
2: Tokyo Institute of Technology’s IBIS pneumatic keyhole surgery robot.
This robot will not blow bubbles, however it is adept at surgical procedures, specifically laparoscopic or ‘keyhole’ surgery performed in the abdomen or pelvic areas. Roboticists from the Tokyo Institute of Technology are developing their IBIS pneumatic keyhole surgical robot to allow surgeons a new level of precision over other surgical robots currently on the market such as Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci Surgical System. The IBIS surgical robot is actually two robots that work in tandem with both a ‘master’ unit, that the surgeon controls, and a ‘slave’ that performs the surgery. IBIS functions with the surgeon who views the patient through a stereoscopic 3D display from the master unit and controls the slave robot using hand operated manipulators. The surgeon’s hand controls manipulate the slave robot’s pneumatically powered arms for precise surgical movements. The arms are what separate this robot from the others as they are manipulated pneumatically, which provides a force feedback sensation to the surgeon when the arms touch an object. Essentially the air pressure at the end of the robot appendages is used to estimate the amount of force being applied, which is critical when interacting with soft tissues. The engineers state that their IBIS robot is also cheaper to manufacture over the da Vinci (around 1/3 to 1/10th the cost) allowing more facilities to acquire their own affordable units.
University of Pennsylvania’s XLR RHex robot.
3: RHex robot
While the IBIS robot may be adept at performing surgery, it isn’t very mobile and will not be traversing rugged terrain anytime soon. Sure, there are other bots that were developed to perform their functions on hostile terrain, however those are usually outfitted with either legs or tank treads of some kind making them somewhat slow and encumbered. This isn’t the case for the University of Pennsylvania’s (Kod*Lab) RHex hexapedal robot, which can maneuver around and over objects quickly and efficiently. The robot is able to do so because of its unusually designed legs and software that allow it to analyze the terrain before it and then move accordingly. If the XLR RHex looks somewhat familiar, that’s because it was first introduced by Boston Dynamics roughly 10 years ago and implemented for inclusion into one of DARPA’s many projects for the US Army a few years back. Researchers from Penn State’s Kod*Lab have modified the original design with a whole new body and frame composed of carbon fiber along with aluminum plating, making it lighter than the previous versions. The XLR version still uses a total of six independent motors to actuate the robot’s legs to traverse terrain and can be adapted with a host of sensors depending on the task needed. Previous versions were outfitted with mil-spec railing to accommodate a host of weaponry along with IR sensors for working in hostile environments. The XLR however isn’t a fighting machine but rather is intended to be a rescue bot and therefore has its legs outfitted with force and power sensors that allow the robot to determine the kind of surface its on (gravel, sand or even glass) and adjust its stride accordingly. The robot is also outfitted with a scanning laser to further determine the terrain layout enabling the XLR to move at a brisk and steady pace.
AeroSee project with UAVs from E-Migs.
4: AeroSee
Robots are not restricted to using legs alone for moving to and fro, as they can also take to the air to perform a host of functions including S&R (Search and Rescue) missions like those being fielded by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire. The researchers have successfully conducted S&R tests through their AeroSee project using a series of drones supplied by E-Migs. Hiking through the woods and mountainous areas offer up some beautiful scenery but it can also be hazardous with scores of people becoming lost or hurt every year. UCLan developed a way to ‘crowd-source’ search and rescue operations through their AeroSee initiative. Their AeroSee project uses a series of UAVs outfitted with cameras that are piloted over a large area where help is needed. The video taken by the drones is transmitted to ground stations where online users can peruse the images and tag any video frame they find with the victim or telltale signs of their location. In a recent test of the AeroSee project, 350 online users from all over the globe took part in trying to identify makeshift persons in distress. The AeroSee website was inundated with 211,000 tags provided by the participants who successfully identified the lost persons in just under 5 minutes after the drones were launched! Not bad considering rescue personnel with search dogs can go days, weeks or even months before finding (or not) those persons who’ve become lost or hurt in the field.
Robots in general have gotten a bad rap due to Hollywood movies and sci-fi books over the decades but those found in the real world are very different from those stereotypes. The vast majority of robots currently in the workforce function to help humankind, even those employed by the military. EOD robots are used to disarm IEDs and other explosives, SOF robots are able to provide Intel on enemy weapon emplacements while drones provide enemy location, which all help in keeping soldiers out of harm’s way. Robots in the civilian workforce help with production efficiency and still others help with domestic chores. The robots currently being developed will only further help in making our lives safer, productive and more enjoyable in the years to come.
C
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