Get That Robot Built the Easy Way
By Tom Carroll
April 2013, Page 74
Parts to build great robots are all around us. Just use your imagination the next time you’re shopping at the local hobby, hardware, marine, RV, or toy store.

Robot Telepresence and Personal Assistants
By Tom Carroll
February 2013, Page 74
I would like to begin our discussion of robots working around people with a look at some of the latest telepresence robots.

Linear Actuators, Servos, and Motion Devices
By Tom Carroll
December 2012, Page 74
In last month's column, I reviewed the typical rotary servos that we are so familiar with — those used as actuators for model airplane control surfaces or as drive motors for smaller tabletop robots. I also reviewed a few very large servos such as the Invenscience Torxis monster servos and a few tiny servos that weigh only a few grams each. This month, I would like to review a type of servo or actuator that not many of us ever implement into our robotic creations: linear servos and actuators.

The Many Ways to Control a Robot
By Tom Carroll
October 2012, Page 74
As designers and builders of our robotic creations, we still want some sort of control over our machines, even if the basic control is through autonomous sensor interaction with the outside world.

Isaac Asimov — Inspiring Today’s Robots
By Tom Carroll
August 2012, Page 76
This prolific writer has had more influence on the field and science of robotics than perhaps any other person on Earth.

Then and Now
June 2012, Page 74
Sensors for Mobile Robots — Part 2: Location and Object Recognition

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
April 2012, Page 74
Robot-Assisted Prostate Surgery.

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
February 2012, Page 74
Eddie: RDS4 Meets Kinect Meets Parallax

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
January 2012, Page 78
TurtleBot: ROS Meets Kinect Meets Create

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
November 2011, Page 76
Man vs. Machine

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
September 2011, Page 76
Mechanics for Robot Hands and Arms

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
July 2011, Page 75
Robots: Form or Function?

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
May 2011, Page 76
The Next Step in Robotics

Then and Now
By Tom Carroll
March 2011, Page 76
Telepresence

Robot Hands
By Tom Carroll
January 2011, Page 76
Over the years, I’ve discussed all sorts of robot manipulators and arms, but most of these have been related to industrial applications.

Robot Cars
By Tom Carroll
November 2010, Page 75
The idea of robot cars has been around for many decades and, in fact, “automatic mobility” vehicles were envisioned from the very first automobile, though total autonomy as we know it today was not possible at the time. There have been many unique robotic developments that have been employed in various personal transportation devices. Science fiction movies and TV productions have long used robot cars in their sets, and most depictions are a bit off in their technology.

Robot Manipulators
By Tom Carroll
September 2010, Page 77
One of the most famous robot manipulators in use today is the RMS or Remote Manipulator System used on the Space Shuttle.

What is a Robot?
By Tom Carroll
July 2010, Page 77
Today’s new influx of personal and service robots are not being developed because they are ‘cool’ but because people have really come to rely on them for daily tasks.

What Does A Robot Look Like?
By Tom Carroll
May 2010, Page 78
What does a robot look like? What should a robot look like? Does a robot have to look a particular way to be considered a robot?

A Closer Look at Personal Service Robots
By Tom Carroll
March 2010, Page 76
This recession has hit all industries very hard and the robotics industry as a whole has felt the brunt of it, especially the service robot segment.

The Future of Robotics Competitions
By Tom Carroll
January 2010, Page 77
There have been interesting threads on the Seattle Robotics Society’s (SRS), the Portland Area Robotics Society’s (PARTS), and the Dallas Personal Robotics Group’s (DPRG) websites lately concerning the state of experimental and home-brew robotics, and the many types of competitions available to amateur robot builders.

Robot Exoskeletons
By Tom Carroll
November 2009, Page 76
Sometimes called walking machines, wearable robots, or robot suits, these devices serve to augment physical capabilities to either assist or protect a person from certain conditions.

Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles
By Tom Carroll
September 2009, Page 77
The name ‘Remotely Operated Vehicles’ can really apply to any vehicle that is controlled from a distance, which can include law enforcement robots, military robots, aerial vehicles, combat robots, and even remotely-controlled boats and planes.

Law Enforcement Robots
By Tom Carroll
July 2009, Page 78
The two companies discussed here and their line of remotely controlled robots represent just a handful of the many companies producing state-of-the-art ‘assistants’ to serve law enforcement agencies and the military.

Robots Take To The Air
By Tom Carroll
January 2008, Page 79
Back in December ’05, I wrote about robots that go to war. These were about robots that are on the ground, remotely operated from a distance. In my research, I have found so many acronyms that are tied to these types of robotic vehicles. ROV for ‘remotely-operated vehicle’ which is often tied to the underwater variety, though it has been used to describe any remotely-operated land, sea, or even aerial vehicle. AGV for ‘automated guided vehicle’ which often describes the automated vehicles ...

Then and Now | March 2008
By Tom Carroll
March 2008, Page 79
I was talking with my wife, Sue, about Women’s History month and she asked if an article on Women of Robotics would be an appropriate subject for my column. She knew that I had worked with various women in my robotics work over the years. After all, in September of last year I had written about Bala Krishnamurthy in “People of Robotics.” She has been in the field of robotics for over 25 years and designed and developed programming languages for Unimate’s robots, among many other things ...

Robot Muscles - Electric Motors
By Tom Carroll
May 2008, Page 94
What would a robot be without their version of muscles? Well, maybe it would be just a computer. Now, that’s not so bad if all you want to do is input data and information via a keyboard, CD-ROM, voice or some other means, have the computer do something with that information, and then have the computer store or output that data onto a screen, printed page, a speaker, or some other passive device. Most of us enjoy our computers quite a bit, but we expect some sort of movement from them...

Robotics - A Historical Perspective
By Tom Carroll
July 2008, Page 77
Over the years, I have written about advances in all types of robot designs, robot technology, and various robotic subsystems in this column. In each article, I have tried to cover advances in the science of robotics and have covered the history of a part of robotics in a specific way. I have never tried to examine the way that we humans have viewed these creations of ours as they have slowly taken over many parts of our lives. I have often wondered just what mindset developed in people’s...

Mechatronics: The New Word in Robotics
By Tom Carroll
September 2008, Page 79
I just read an interesting article in the June 30th Design News Webcast entitled “A Mechatronic Marvel: The Barcode Scanner.” The statement was made: “There are few things in the world today that would disrupt society more than if barcode scanners stopped working. Just think of all the places where you rely on one to accomplish some task. But what is a barcode and how does a barcode scanner work? This webcast explores the role of mechatronics in the development of this nearly indispensible...

Robot Competitions and Contests
By Tom Carroll
November 2008, Page 78
As long as there have been two people gathered together who have different ideas and skill sets, there have been competitions of some sort. The recent Summer Olympics was an extreme example of the world’s finest who gathered together in China to prove who the best athlete in many categories was. Old records fell as younger or more experienced athletes swam or ran faster than ever before, jumped higher or further, or performed some series of athletic motions with more finesse than the others...

Government and Military Robots
By Tom Carroll
January 2009, Page 78
I have long been interested in military weapons. The meanest, sneakiest, most powerful, and most complex weapons seemed to always attract my attention. Adding robotics to these types of weapon systems makes it just that much more appealing to me. Military robots — ground, sea, and air versions — have made the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan safer and more efficient for our troops. The Military Channel and History Channel’s Future Weapons make it clear that new military technology...

Large Robots
By Tom Carroll
March 2009, Page 78
Large robots, on the other hand, are usually easier to construct as basic tools can normally be used to cut metal, fasten fasteners, and position the parts. However, due to the larger size, large machines of any type need large motors and more beefy power supplies. These larger items cost more money and that may limit going larger. Some of my best robots were in the hundred to two hundred pound class, human-sized anthropomorphic machines. I've always enjoyed building large bots that can move...

Korean Robots
By Tom Carroll
May 2009, Page 76
Korea has ambitious plans to implement robotics in education, medicine, and in the military. Growth in robotics research and sales in Korea is predicted to increase from $1 billion (US) in 2007 to $10 billion (US) in 2010, though the international recession may cut that back a bit...