Robitics - Part 1

[no dialogue].
(Mike Stahara). So let's begin.
So to start off, let me introduce us.
We are are SMART, the St. Mary's Robotics Team
from St. Mary's in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
This is Wade Zanders, Daniel Flood, Hunter Schroeder,
and Terry Papazian.
And helping us out is Blake McPherson and Grace Marco
and I am Mr. Mike Stahara.
Today, we're going to talk to you guys about applications
of robots.
How robots are used in our society and why we are
so familiar with them.
So, applications of robots, making our lives easier.
(Daniel). Today, we are going to talk
about robots in a military field, medical field,
manufacturing, entertainment, and exploration.
(Mike). I'll get it started.
One field in which robots are used a lot is entertainment.
And one reason that robots are so popular and everybody kind of
knows and have an idea of robots in their head before we explain
is because they are used a lot as characters in movies
and shows that we have seen.
So you guys are already familiar with some of these.
Does anybody know who this guy is over here?
(male speaker). I don't know his name
but he's from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
(Mike). Hitchhiker's Guide.
Does anybody know his name?
He does.
(Wade). Marvin.
(Mike). Marvin and does anybody
know who this is?
Yep.
(male speaker). Eva.
(Mike). That's Eva from WALL-E.
Okay, again these are just a couple of characters here.
We are also going to discuss how robots are used in the
camera work and filming of movies and shows.
Here is another slide of robots you are probably
familiar with right?
Does anybody know any of these guys?
(male speaker). R2-D2.
[unclear audio].
(Mike). Give him some SIT bucks.
This friendly robot here is R2-D2.
Yes, in the Steelers shirt.
(male speaker). Grievous.
(Mike). General Grievous, yes.
Anybody else, yeah.
(male speaker). C3-P0.
(Mike). C3-P0 those are the easier ones.
Anybody know the other guys?
Way in the back.
(male speaker). AT-TE.
(Mike). What was it?
(male speaker). AT-TE.
(Mike). AT-TE, I'm not sure,
these guys up here?
Oh this one?
[unclear audio].
Exactly, some of us do know what these codes are for them, right?
Yes.
What were they called?
(male speaker). AT-AT.
(Mike). AT-AT, yeah.
That is these guys up here.
Yeah, so you guys can see how familiar we are with robots.
They are really prevalent in our society and this is from
one single movie right?
We know the little codes about them.
Robots are also used to help film in the entertainment
industry and we were inspired by one robot that I would see every
Sunday as you were watching football.
And all of a sudden this little thing would zip
across the screen.
They have these robots that are suspended by wires that would
film football games from above the field.
So, we decided to build our own zipline robot and just like any
other robot, they can be equipped with any kind
of sensory you want.
For example, if you have an iPod, you could probably set
it up with the iPod connected and film you guys right?
If we have our own robotic cameras that are wireless too,
that can be sent to...
Which controller are we using?
What is the number on this?
68, no 89 sorry.
Make sure the wheels are not on the string.
So this is one example of a robot that we built.
Go to side to side there.
Okay, so here is one robot that we built and you can see,
it is not the quickest robot.
[unclear audio].
This guy was just creeping along really slowly.
These motors have a lot of torque but we had to gear up.
Are we stuck?
(Terry). No, it is just the battery
is kind of low.
(Mike). Okay, we have a battery dying
which is a common problem with robots.
Make sure you have more power.
So this robot could have a lot of applications.
The one thing that we learned from this robot is about gearing
and how the ratios between the gears helped it go faster.
One problem that we had as it was going faster was that if
it had to go up a hill, it really struggled.
So if it was here a little lower, it would be slow.
But it would get up that hill, right.
So, we use these all kinds of things about science as well as
to help us with our entertainment and filming.
So the robotic set that we have is called Vex.
I don't know if you guys have ever heard of that.
It is kind of on our little poster there, V-E-X.
And one of the sensors that they offer us is this little camera.
It is just a wireless camera that sends a signal to this
receiver which can hook up to that TV
or projector or anything.
Then we can watch it on there.
When we first got that set, we decided to build two robots that
could give us our lunch count down to the office and we sat in
the classroom and watched on the Smartboard while our robot
handed the lunch count up there.
So that was pretty cool thing.
Yes.
(male speaker). What does V-E-X stand for?
(Mike). Oh, I don't know.
I don't think it stands for anything.
But some of the robots they have them called Vexplorer.
The E-X is a handy little device they have used as a name
some other robots.
So that is one reason they went with that.
We'll discuss how to get involved with Vex and possibly
staying in contact with us.
We'll do that at the end.
Third way that robots are used in entertainment is these
robot wars.
Battle bots and things.
This example is combat and you can see that they are like
electrocuting each other or sometimes they'll set
each other on fire.
Other times they'll just smash each other.
So these shows are pretty cool but they are very similar
to the kind of thing we are doing here.
Okay.
So let's check out another field that uses robots.
(Hunter). The military use UAVs,
bomb disposal robots, and tactical robots.
The UAV can be used as spy and a bomb.
It is all remote controlled from miles and miles away.
No risk to human life at all.
A question?
(male speaker). I was watching a military show
one time and the guy that was on the controller on the UAV
was getting shot at and everytime he would see
black smoke, he kind of jumped because it was so realistic.
(Mike). Yeah, it certainly is realistic.
You can see here, the guys controlling the UAV,
they are just lounging in their chair.
They could be drinking coffee and donuts while they are
protecting our troops out there.
The top screen kind of looks like a map and then they
actually have a camera similar to ours.
A remote camera you can kind of see everything that is
going on there.
So that would be a pretty cool job to have wouldn't it?
Controlled robots so fast.
Uh oh, one slide too much.
Hold on.
I need to learn how to use this computer.
There we go.
(Hunter). And bomb disposal robots.
They are very efficient and safe.
Again, no risk to human life and they are all remote controlled.
They have an arm to disarm the bomb and tank treads or wheels
for different terrains.
For tactical robots can be equipped with various weapons
and tactical devices, cameras, infrared.
Here is a picture of one with a hopper and the gun barrel.
(Mike). It is kind of hidden
within all of those devices.
Yeah.
(male speaker). I was wondering, you have
a lot of delicate little carts on a robot like that
and it has a weapon on it, it will be in combat, how durable
or resistant are they?
(Mike). I'm not sure.
I would imagine.
If they had their best engineers making that, and I am sure those
things are fastened down a ton.
One trouble we have with our robots is that all of these
moving parts and vibrations and things make them very loose.
We are constantly tightening things up and I would imagine
in the military, they are constantly maintaining
these things.
There is a lot of cool things on there though.
You have a lot of video cameras, infrared.
They can kind of see night vision and get in there.
The key with military and all of these robots.
They can do things that humans can't do or wouldn't want to do.
In the military, you can keep people out of harm's way just
with a little technology.
Another field that uses robots.
(Terry). Robots are also used
in the medical field and for example, surgical robots
and robot human parts that help keep a human alive
like an artificial heart or prothstetic arms.
So, surgical robots are used mainly to make smaller,
more precise incisions and many other functions that can
decrease the risk of infection and make smaller scars.
Also, with the use of these robots, it might keep a patient
in recovery for a smaller amount of time.
Currently, surgeons are learning how to use the da Vinci surgical
system and we have a picture here of surgeons manually using
this device from a distance which is controlling these arms
that are making a stitch.
(Mike). Does anybody's parents
or family members a doctor or surgeon?
Tell us about this.
(Grace). My dad is learning
how to use this thing.
(Mike). What does he think of it?
(Grace). He likes it but he likes
doing things manually better but he is still learning.
(Mike). Question?
(male speaker). My grandpa got his
in the face and [unclear audio].
(Mike). A robotic knee?
That's pretty cool.
You got to surely maintain that too I'm sure.
This kind of thing is replacing the way that surgeons have learn
in the past, right?
We'll go in and learn this new system and the old surgeons
kind of like the old way.
But just take some time to get used to it and obviously another
case where technology is definitely making things better.
(Terry). Artificial human parts
have been in existance since the last century.
And Robert Jarvik, who is the first to invent
the artificial heart.
The artificial heart has the same basic functions as
the human heart like pumping blood to the body.
But the thing about these artificial hearts is they
don't last forever.
For example, when they came out with those things, they would
only last for a few hours.
So it didn't really serve much use.
But today, it can last a year for a person waiting to get a
[unclear audio].
(Mike). Any questions about
medical field, how robots are used?
Yes.
(male speaker). How would they get that
in without the patient dying first?
(Mike). Well, they have great big
devices that keep the blood pumping through while they
are installing that.
In our last session, somebody asked what was the issue with
the artificial heart before that it only lasted a couple of hours
where is now, we have advanced and we have them to last
over a year.
With all of these robots, power is the big issue.
You might have batteries that only last a couple of hours
to run these motors that move everything.
So, in all of these devices, that now these iPods last
10 hours of playtime, [unclear audio].
A couple of years ago, batteries wouldn't last that long.
So one of the huge improvements with robotics that are powered
is we're much more efficient.