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What type of robotics do you build?

Catwell
I was talking with an associate of mine who has only built robots for robotics competitions. You know the ones. A robot has to perform a talk better than another. Often, these bots are not built for very heavy duty work. They said, "This is the only type I have ever built, and the only type I want to build."
 

 
This is my associates competition robot. Cost : $15,000+ USD and growing. Money returned to the owners : $0
 
I retorted, "I like to build robots that can actually do useful work." I often build industrial robotics (CNC equipment) meant to be brutally punished in manufacturing operations. Mine do not navigate obstacle courses, but mine have made thousands of parts out of a variety of materials, cut traces on PCBs, among other tasks. This is the only type I have every built.
 

 
This is one of my CNC lathes. Cost : $2,500 USD. Money returned through parts I have made with it : ~$10,000+
 
I would image we all fall into only one or two of these categories. In which allegiance do you align?
 
 
Cabe
 
ps. I do have some desire to make some competition type robotics. Is there a competition for industrial types? If not, there should be.
 

  • I have been working on this model. Perhaps you know him....

     

    This video is unavailable.

  • Hi,

     

    The robot in the first video that you posted is a FIRST Robotics competitive robot, belonging to Team 2171. Here is their website:

     

    http://www.cprobodogs2171.com/

     

    The people standing around with the red/orange shirts are most likely high school students and perhaps a mentor or two.The robot is built mostly through sponsorships. You can click on the sponsors link to see who donated $2000+ and other lesser amounts.

     

    While in itself the robot does not perform any useful function from a corporate/industrial point of view, it does serve as an educational vehicle for high schoolers by introducing them to engineering, management and mathematics. The organization behind FIRST Robotics is called (yeah, you guessed it) FIRST. Its main mission is to introduce science and engineering technologies into different school grades, including having groups dedicated to LEGO robotics (for younger kids).

     

    The sponsors invest in the future. That is their "payback". In no way do they expect to have their money returned to them. This is a different kind of ROI than what business people are accustomed to. The competitive events are a blast! I've been to one and the event is loud, loud loud! Teams get dressed up in their costumes and cheer their teams on. They have mascots.. well, you kind of have to see it to believe it. While learning happens the main point of building these robots is for the sport. So while we may cheer on the Red Sox, or Rams, or the Bears, these people will also do the same for their team. Regards! Salvador

  • in reply to SGarciaV

    Salvador,

     

    They are indeed the same team. They were at the robot block part in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

    There seems to be big money involved with robot competitions.

     

    What are you working on these days?

     

    Cabe

  • Hi Cabe,

     

    The NC lathe looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing the video.

     

    I have a foot in both camps. I build hobby/competition robots, but I'm also interested in 3d printing and NC. I lack the space for machine tools but I hope to use some (and maybe build some) at my local hackspace.

     

    I suspect that 3d printing will break down the barriers between the two groups of robot-builders that you identified.

     

    Romilly

  • in reply to Catwell

    Hi Cabe!

     

    Sorry for such a late response. October is usually chaotic for Chibots, as it is when we have the Fall Chibotica event. This event is a combination robotics pavilion and competition. We have people from the area, neighboring states and even abroad come to compete, exhibit or both. This year we had two special guests, the first being the Robotics Group from University or Wisconsin Stout. The second group was from UNAM, a university based in Mexico City. We also had a special show at our booth. The Mech Warfare group came in set up a battle zone and had various demonstrations.

     

    Att this time I am working on a write up of the iHobby Expo Fall Chibotica event and hope to have it ready Real Soon Now (ok, at least before Christmas). It will be up at our site soon. We are also preparing for the next meeting that will be on Dec. 11, 2011. This month's lecturer is Steve Woodrough. He will be discussing applications for the Parallax propoller chip. More information is available in the agenda (link above).

     

    For anyone in the Chicago area reading this, our meetings are free and everyone is invited to attend. If the reader is not in the area and there is interest and I am contacted, I'll try to stream the meeting, although I am technically challenged in this area (I have no microphone and the laptop's mic just doesnt cut it). We streamed the November meeting with some success. Lacking a mic and using Wifi to stream is not the best way to go.

     

    So that's us this year. We all are looking forward to next year and whatever projects may come along. Best always! Salvador

  • in reply to SGarciaV

    Romilly,

     

    Thanks for the compliment. I am sure we will see a 3D printers in most homes, as a tool, in the not too distant future.

     

     

    Salvador,

     

    I will be there on December 11th. I look forward to hearing more about the propeller uC and Mach Warfare.

     

     

    Cabe

  • From my perspective, they are both robots with similar features, just different purposes.

    I have enjoyed many hours watching battlebots, but it looked like the design stagnated to either pusher designs or wirlybirds.

    Robotic equipment have a little more predictable path, but being useful and taking over tedious tasks has enabled many designs and production to be simplified to business levels.

    What I am waiting to see is robots built to do routine outdoor tasks.  The agriculturally centered hexapod is going in a direction I like.  The posibilities of robots enabling better agriculture is an incredibly exciting advance.  I have to admit, I have wanting an automated lawn mower since I saw the Jerry Lewis movie "Cinderfella".  If you have not seen it, look for it in the old classics section of a video library.

     

    On the battlebots side, I want to see autonomous robots battling for supremacy in the ring.  The sport needs to jump away from ramming and spinning into a sport where robots use strategy and artificial intellegence to overcome an opponent.  At that point you have real robot wars verses a radio controlled battering ram.

     

    For CNC and 3D printers, I would like to see where I bring in a part, scan it and the machine makes it.  Then it needs to take in a new design and make a part without any additional human involvement.  Yeah, I know I am asking for some major improvements, but that is the way we go from very useful to incredibly useful.

     

    Just a thought.

     

    DAB

  • I'm mostly a hobby builder.  Latest, was a little simple rover based on a Instructables post, but using modified servos (converted to constant rotation) and building it in a little storage box.

     

    I've since put it into a larger box to allow for room for additional features (bluetooth radio, or even a network board to connect to a WiFi router).

     

    I'm also a volunteer mentor for one of the many FIRST robotics teams, (1124), and I've been an electronics tinkerer for many, many years.

  • in reply to Former Member

    Arty looks fun! I'm guessing he heads off in a direction where the sonar tells him there's a decent distance before he hits an obstacle. Any chance you could share the code with us?

     

    I've been wondering how hard it would be to get a robot like arty to build up a map of the environment est it is explored.

     

    A lot of work, but a challenging project.

  • I am a FIRST Robotics mentor for Team 16 in Mountain Home AR. In my opinion, this program is essential for students interested in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering. It gives them a feel for what they might expierence in the "real world". From design straight through to the build process and everything in between. Although the robots are built for a specific purpose( whatever the game might be for the season) the ideas can be adapted for industry. IE the drive system on the robot designed by team 16 can easily be used for automated equipment and stock carriers in warehouses.

     

    The students also learn of similar devices to work with like the arduino and basic stamp. I hope to have a few small projects this off season with bots that can make  way through a maze and back. The students realize if they can dream it.. they can build it. It is certainly a good learning enviroment for myself as well.